My Cowboy Hat Thinks It's Australian

[Raissermesser]

This is a wool hat I got from Tractor Supply two or three years ago. It finally got cool enough to break it out of storage, but noticed something odd: The left brim looked narrower than the right. Put the brim flat, it's not. Put it on, it looks like it.

This evening, I discovered why. When I hung it up at home, it's close enough to another hanger to push the left brim up slightly. So now I have two options:

1. Figure out a way to gently restore the original curve without damaging the hat.
2. Hang the hat the other way to push the right brim up by the same amount.

It's not really noticeable, unless you look for it, so I don't want to do anything drastic.

 

[Legion]

Two hints it is not Australian. Wool, tractor supply store.

 

[ajkel64]

How about a photo of this Cowboy hat? You have me intrigued.

 

[Raissermesser]

How about a photo of this Cowboy hat? You have me intrigued.

I'll see. Right now I'm gluing the band back on. Second or third year of use and it's starting to come off.

The hat is a Dorfman Pacific in brown wool. Can't find it online at Tractor Supply, but it was on sale when I bought it. Maybe a clearance item back then.

 

[ackvil]

I'll see. Right now I'm gluing the band back on. Second or third year of use and it's starting to come off.

The hat is a Dorfman Pacific in brown wool. Can't find it online at Tractor Supply, but it was on sale when I bought it. Maybe a clearance item back then.

Is this it? This one is called a crushable, Wool, Outback hat.

 

[Raissermesser]

Is this it? This one is called a crushable, Wool, Outback hat.
View attachment 1026884

No. Attached is a photo:

 

[Legion]

This is a wool hat I got from Tractor Supply two or three years ago. It finally got cool enough to break it out of storage, but noticed something odd: The left brim looked narrower than the right. Put the brim flat, it's not. Put it on, it looks like it.

This evening, I discovered why. When I hung it up at home, it's close enough to another hanger to push the left brim up slightly. So now I have two options:

1. Figure out a way to gently restore the original curve without damaging the hat.
2. Hang the hat the other way to push the right brim up by the same amount.

It's not really noticeable, unless you look for it, so I don't want to do anything drastic.

If you need to reshape it use steam. Have you ever "bashed" a felt hat? Pretty easy, you only need a kettle.

Monster Bash Videos ... show us how you bash!!

I thought this might be a cool idea. maybe we can each make a quick vid of how we bash/crease our hats. some like an almost sloppy natural looking crease some like a neat symmetrical carefully formed crease a lot of us like both ... whatever you do ... I'd like to see you doing it in motion...

www.thefedoralounge.com

 

[Doc4]

Two hints it is not Australian. Wool, tractor supply store.

One easy way to tell that it IS Australian ...

Spoiler

 

[simon1]

If you need to reshape it use steam. Have you ever "bashed" a felt hat? Pretty easy, you only need a kettle.

Monster Bash Videos ... show us how you bash!!

I thought this might be a cool idea. maybe we can each make a quick vid of how we bash/crease our hats. some like an almost sloppy natural looking crease some like a neat symmetrical carefully formed crease a lot of us like both ... whatever you do ... I'd like to see you doing it in motion...

www.thefedoralounge.com

^^^What he said. Been doing that for decades. Only we just used a pot with water getting to steaming instead of a tea kettle. Hats used to come with just a round top and you shaped it yourself.

A friend of mine, years ago, reshaped a wool cowboy hat of mine into a "Bull rider" crown and brim over a pot of steaming water. Works great...that's what the western wear shops do to shape a hat, but they have a regular hat steamer. Steam from boiling water in a pot works just as well.

I have a wool hat that came with the unfinished dome crown that I shaped myself into a Bolero crown, and shaped the brim a bit. Getting ready to put a pinch in the crown and bend the front brim down a bit.

I'll post pics. of both later. They are in the back bedroom closet, and I don't want to wake up grumpy...she's asleep.

Lazy cowboy..."I'll just wear it the way it came from the general store."

 

[BigJ]

Is this it? This one is called a crushable, Wool, Outback hat.
View attachment 1026884

GREAT LOOKING!!

 

[Raissermesser]

I have an older wool felt cowboy hat sold under the Sports Afield label 30+ years ago that is a bit out of shape. Call it my Jed Clampet hat. The felt not covered by the braided leather brim is faded until it looks off. Think I'll try steaming and shaping that first.

Steaming sounds like a good winter project, and it's still a bit warm for that here.