"un-stiffening" a hat

[Chindit]

Hello all,
I'm just getting back into Indy hats after a long absence. So I thought I would throw this question out there:
I have two early Adventurebuilts. The second one, unlike the first, has a crown that is very hard--almost helmet like! (that's only a slight exaggeration!) The brim is fine. Is there any simple way to get the hat softened up? Running it under luke warm water in the shower? Beating the heck out of it?

Anyway, I would appreciate any thoughts on this. Thanks so much.

Joe

[backstagejack]

sit on it!

[Illinois_Jones]

Steam it. But carefully. Is it one of Steve's old rabbit felts?

[Michaelson]

The only problem with steaming is it reactivates the stiffener in the felt, so once it cools it may be as hard as it began.

Regards! Michaelson

[Chindit]

If I remember correctly Steve talked me into a beaver for a great price.

So if I steam the hat first, would this loosen up the stiffener so it could be more easily washed out?

[jlee562]

Denatured alcohol should help reduce the stiffness.

[Chindit]

Thanks all for the suggestions. Mark, you were pretty much right about the hat "re-stiffening" after steaming. However, after I steamed an rinsed it, it did soften up a little. Not sure I want to get involved with denatured alchohol though. I guess I'll just have to pretty much live with it.

[Michaelson]

[jlee562]

The deal with denatured alcohol is that the shellac is diluted in denatured alcohol to begin with.

[Chindit]

I had never heard of denatured alcohol before, and when I looked it up it looked like a pretty toxic chemical--kind of scared me off. (this is assuming I was looking at the right substance).

[jlee562]

It's just ethanol with additives to make it un-consumable for humans. It's used as a solvent in relation to hats. If you're doing a DIY stiffening, you would mix shellac flakes with denatured alcohol and spray it on.

[Chindit]

Thanks for that info on the denatured alchohol. I will give it a closer look--maybe try it on a beater hat I have.