Repairing well-loved fedoras

[mr_alex]

Hey gang,

After 18 years of adventures and regular wear, my fedora is beginning to show its age. There are small tears appearing in the felt at the front and back of the top crease. Does anyone have tips for repairing these kinds of tears? Or do I have to begin a new adventure with another hat?

Thanks for your help!

[IndianaJustin]

Brown duct tape!


On second thought

I don’t think there’s a way to repair the felt. I could be wrong. Perhaps time to get a new one. How fun!

[Michaelson]

True, that.

Once the fibers finally 'give up the ghost', there's no real 'repair' that will reverse the wear and tear and give the felt the same integrity it once had.

Time to give it a well deserved retirement and move on to a new one for your next adventures.

Regards! Michaelson

[backstagejack]

I thought there is a way to repair felt..... I remember it was even mentioned in an Indy book (Army of the Dead?). Indy was explaining how he's kept the same hat for decades. Which I don't buy.

They essentially "weld" a new piece into the hole. I thought I remember a hatter stating it was possible but it's not a common thing at all.

[Michaelson]

Oh, you can 'fix' holes, but as I said above, it won't have the same integrity as the original felt. It will be as stiff as the material used to' weld' it together, (it's usually just glue) and not many hat makers bother trying to do it unless it's a heavy Western felt with a beaver base that going to be stiff from added stiffener anyway.

I know makers such as Peters Brothers duplicate old favorite hats, and will rebuild hats without holes or tears, but even they steer clear of a hat with damaged felt, and they've been at it since before WW1!

It all depends on the felt and density of the fibers.

Just how sentimental are you about the hat, and does it rate the repair....and even if it DOES, is the material repairable?

Oh, and I don't know if I'd use a quote from an Indy book as source material. He's still a fictional character.

Regards! Michaelson

[backstagejack]

Oh, you can 'fix' holes, but as I said above, it won't have the same integrity as the original felt. It will be as stiff as the material used to' weld' it together, (it's usually just glue) and not many hat makes bother trying to do it unless it's a heavy Western felt with a beaver base that going to be stiff from added stiffener anyway.

It all depends on the felt and density of the fibers.

Just how sentimental are you about the hat, and does it rate the repair....and even if it DOES, is the material repairable?

Oh, and I don't know if I'd use a quote from an Indy book as source material. He's still a fictional character.

Regards! Michaelson

Well exactly, and at the end of the day, eventually you should just replace it. Let's be honest, we all know that in real life Indy wouldn't have the same hat over 30 years (or 75 if you believe YIJC). He would have a work hat and a nice hat and once the work hat was toast, he'd cycle it out.

[Michaelson]

Yep, but all that said above, with proper care, regular rebuilds, and if made from the proper material, they actually can and DO last that long.

I have one I wear that is easily over 50+ years old (a Boralino beaver dress felt) that I rotate in and out of wear that has looks as good as they day it was made.

It's possible, but you have to start out with a really good hat to begin with, and as with all good gear, proper care is the key to they're survival.

Regards! M

[backstagejack]

It's possible, but you have to start out with a really good hat to begin with, and as with all good gear, proper care is the key to they're survival.

Regards! M

Would proper care include jumping into bodies of water, extended jungle wear and intense desert heat with a heavy front pinch that I regularly grab That's how I was taught to handle a fedora

It's supposed to look like this, right?

[Indiana Jeff]

Ol' Fred Dobbs can relate.



A big part of caring for a hat is handling it properly. Grabbing the hat from the top crease/bash puts added stress on those pinch points and will wear out the felt faster in those areas. Always handle by the brim.

There was a thread years and years ago here where a member did put a small piece of fabric on the inside of the hat and used some felt shavings to "cover" the hole. It was a passingly serviceable repair, but like has already been said; there isn't really a way to repair the felt once it's rubbed through.

I'm curious who was the maker if the hat has lasted that long.

Time to go shopping!

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[Indiana Jeff]

That's a riot! Jack and I were pulling pictures with the same idea at the same time!


Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[Michaelson]

Let’s face it, that ruined Dobb’s is the definition of trashed!

Regards! M

[backstagejack]

hahahaha seems we all know exactly where to find the definitive distressed fedora.

[Dalexs]

Nah, a few holes never hurt anyone!

(My original Akubra Federation from circa 2002-ish?)

[Michaelson]

I guess I'm a little weird, but when ever I have one get to that stage, I give them a Viking funeral and burn them in a funerary fire.

They deserve a decent burial and not languish in a closet after so many years of service.

After I switched to pretty much all beaver hats, though, I've not had any of them do this.

Like I said above, it's all in what kind of felt you have to start out with that determines how long they can (and will) last.

Regards! Michaelson

[mr_alex]

Thanks for the input, gang! Yeah, my hat is an O.G. Akubra Federation from about the same time as yours, Dalexs. Bummer that there's no way to fix 'er up, but I think I'll hold onto her for when I want to really push the "it's not the years, it's the mileage" look.

I already have a new Federation ready to go. (This one's a Deluxe! Oooh, ahhh!). So I'll see how many years I get out of this one.

Is the lifespan of a beaver felt hat significantly longer?

[Michaelson]

It has been in my personal experience.

Regards! M

[Dalexs]

I'm actually carefully reblocking mine to use strictly as a display piece (instead of burning in on a funerary fire... )

I haven't actually worn this one in many years.

[Michaelson]

I also only do that because I'm running out of storage space.

Regards! M

[Dalexs]

I also only do that because I'm running out of storage space.

Regards! M

Hang on, I got you covered!

[Michaelson]

Don’t give my wife ideas!

Regards! M

[Iandiana Jones]

Perhaps Indy got a charm of some kind that protects his hat.