Castor Dioscuri wrote:Looking good! I am curious though, I know that many Gearheads on this forum tend to put their hats through quite a bit of abuse, so I have to ask, do you do anything special to your hats to prevent or mitigate the inevitable shrinking from getting wet, daily use, etc? I know some of and some more popular Indy gear hatters pre shrink their felt for this very reason...
It's really a shame you're in Sweden though, I for one would love to see those hats in person!
Hi Castor,
Thank you kindly for your words. I spend 2 - 3 days on the felt alone since I do not have any fancy vintage equipment that would drastically reduce the time making the hats. During this period the felt is drenched in water, slightly stretched and wet ironed into place on the block. After this, the felt is left to dry, which for me is the most important part. I am lucky to be in a climate that helps to dry the hats overnight, with few occasions I have had them dry for a longer period. During the drying session, the felt is wanting to pull back to its most comfortable position after the stretching and ironing. This is however very little.
Since I have been making hats for 2 years I honestly don't know how they will fare after 20 years. But, I am confident that this technique helps to keep the hats in shape and reduce shrinkage. Obviously, humidity and heat will always have an impact as well as how you treat a hat. I have had the opportunity to restore hats that are more than 5 - 7 years from reputable vendors. They had been exposed to rain, heat, and humidity and were pretty much deformed, despite how they were promised to be. I wear my hats in rain, I wear them in both summer and winter. For me personally, it has been a great experience and that's why I would like for others to experience the same. If a hat gets wet, you let it simply dry by itself away from direct sunlight. I am pretty sure that Harrison wore more than one hat during the making of his films, the hats were distressed but not brutally used for decades. (I might be wrong?)
However, I do not recommend for a hat to be drenched completely in water as it will damage its components more than it will affect the felt. The felt itself is very resilient whereas leather and ribbons might not feel the same.
Well, I would love to make a road trip with my hats to show the world. If you invite me, I might just make a visit.
Regards,
Mikael
The original makers of the hat do a fantastic job, I am not intending to steal their glory. Surprisingly though, a high crown has been sought after. 
