Wetting down a Fed IV. What would happen if.....

[maboot38]

What would happen if I wore my Fed IV in a warm shower, the put it on a hatrack to dry, making sure that the bash was the same?

Would it taper some? Would it shrink?

[binkmeisterRick]

Why a warm shower as opposed to a cold shower? And why not just a rain shower?

[maboot38]

Why a warm shower as opposed to a cold shower? And why not just a rain shower?

Because I've had enough cold showers!!!!!

Seriously though, the water temp isn't really the point. I was just wondering if I gave my Fed IV a good soaking. Would the result be desireable, or would it make a mess of the hat? Would it taper some, or shrink, or warp?

[Michaelson]

I guess it would depend on the batch of felt your hat was made from.

I wore a Fed Deluxe in a heavy continuous rain helping a daughter move a couple years ago, and wore it all day long. The water finally soaked all the way through the felt, clear into the liner, but it took several hours of steady soaking to do so.

The hat air dried for a couple days, and there was no change in shape what so ever....I just had a REALLY clean hat.

Other folks experience may be different.

Regards! Michaelson

[binkmeisterRick]

I had an older regular Akubra that I used to enjoy wearing in rain storms, etc. I always thought it made the hat look better because I could tweak it when it was wet. I don't recall tat it ever shrunk up on me, though. I've never had my FedIV handy when it's been raining to test that one, though.

[Chewbacca Jones]

I do not recommend warm water, or shower water for that matter. Cool water is best, and I stay away from tap water because the minerals and stuff that makes it safe to drink could either stain your hat or react funny to the dye.

If you can't wait for a real rain storm (there should be one any minute, I think), use distilled water. It costs more, but less than a new hat.

[Michaelson]

Excellent points, Chewy!

A hat placed in a shower would never experience any such situation in normal usage, INCLUDING cold shower/tap water! VERY good points!

Regards! Michaelson

[Russian Raider]

Just make sure sweatband not to get wet. On regular Fed sw is very shrinkable. Other than that use cold water and you will be just fine.

[inexpensive_jones]

Why do you want it to get a good soaking? Not that I'm opposed, just curious. I've soaked a couple hats right under the faucet for reshaping purposes with no ill effects, but it sounds like you don't want the shape to change. So why a soaking?

[IndianaGuybrush]

I might be wrong about this but I read once that once a felt hat has been soaked completely through most haters recommend a reblock. Something to do with the core fibers of the hat getting wet and leading, almost inevitably, to taper. I'm not entirely sure though, maybe one of the hat gurus will chime in here.

[BendingOak]

I might be wrong about this but I read once that once a felt hat has been soaked completely through most haters recommend a reblock. Something to do with the core fibers of the hat getting wet and leading, almost inevitably, to taper. I'm not entirely sure though, maybe one of the hat gurus will chime in here.

I would agree with your statement. Ounce the core gets wet it most likely will tapper.

I want to, like everyone else have asked. Why?

I never understood this thinking. Just wear your fed and enjoy it as long as it will hold up. It should be a good amount of time.

[maboot38]

Here is the motivation behind my question:

I wanted to know exactly what would happen because I have a SLIGHT reverse taper on my Fed IV. It is incredibly slight, but just noticeable enough. I was wondering if getting the hat wet would make it less noticeable.

So I'm not necessarily saing that I WILL do it, I was just wondering what would happen if I did.

REALLY great answers here guys! I knew you would all come through. I think what I may do is just wear it next time it rains heavy (which here in Boston has been about every 12 hours for the past month!).

[Dalexs]

With all the rain we've been having over the last 3 weeks, I'm surprised your even asking about how to wet down your hat.

FYI The reverse taper is SA. Why get rid of it?

[maboot38]

With all the rain we've been having over the last 3 weeks, I'm surprised your even asking about how to wet down your hat.

FYI The reverse taper is SA. Why get rid of it?

I guess I'm going for more of an LC taper. I didn't see a reverse taper in LC.

[maboot38]

With all the rain we've been having over the last 3 weeks, I'm surprised your even asking about how to wet down your hat.

And I've been wearing my "summer fedora" lately, in hopes that it will coax out some sun. It worked today!!!

[theinterchange]

Excellent points, Chewy!

A hat placed in a shower would never experience any such situation in normal usage, INCLUDING cold shower/tap water! VERY good points!

Regards! Michaelson

Talk to SnakeWhip Sable.. HE could make a hat experience much worse torture in normal useage!

Randy

[Michaelson]

Yeah, but his is an AB beaver, so I'm not sure ANYTHING else would survive a Snakewhip treatment!



Regards! Michaelson

[theinterchange]

Very true!

Randy

[Chewbacca Jones]

With all the rain we've been having over the last 3 weeks, I'm surprised your even asking about how to wet down your hat.

FYI The reverse taper is SA. Why get rid of it?

I guess I'm going for more of an LC taper. I didn't see a reverse taper in LC.

With an Akubra, my advice would be to let it age naturally. I have found that all of my Akubras changed shape slightly once I started wearing them. Even without getting wet, I saw differences. The other problem with "forcibly" causing a hat to taper, even just a little bit, is that once it starts, it generally doesn't stop until well beyond what you would like. Trust your hat. It knows what it's doing.

[maboot38]

Trust your hat. It knows what it's doing.

I've flown from one side of this planet to the other, I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one all-powerful HAT controlling everything. There's no mystical energy field controls my sweatband!

[Ranger36]

[Indy35]

I have to agree with Michaelson here, it depends on the batch. My I have three feds, all regulars, My brown and moonstone have been through some miserable weather, both soaked three or four times, but not all the way through. The brown hat has had almost no noticible change, and the sweat has only shrunk a tad, the moonstone however tapered drastically and shrank down a full half size (it fits my head without any foam now). The moonstone is so bad, i had to re bash it into something non-indy and just general fedora looking.

As for he 3rd dark grey lid, it's not old enough nor does it have enough milage on it to truly compare. Only one storm under its belt.

[darthbish]

My Fed IV got a complete drenching during the Thai celebration of "Sonkran"...(Youtube it and you'll see why)...I stuffed it full of towels, and left it outside for a day.
No shrinkage at all. It came through with flying colours

[IndianaGuybrush]

When I was traveling in Thailand I arrived in Bankok in the middle of Songkran. When I arrived at the hostel I was staying in I looked like SoC Indy, everything was wet or dusted/caked with a cornstarch and water solution. I have to say though, my AB looked GREAT!

[Chewbacca Jones]

Trust your hat. It knows what it's doing.

I've flown from one side of this planet to the other, I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one all-powerful HAT controlling everything. There's no mystical energy field controls my sweatband!

I laughed, I cried... (I kissed three buck goodbye)!