I have a crushable wool felt hat that's starting to get a little dingy. Is there a good way to clean it? Also, the hat is tad loose. Is there a way to snug it up?

Bill--

I’ve been wearing felt hats since the late 1970s, starting with an Akubra Souch Hat (Australian Army issue, purportedly). Both my winter hats are Australian--Akubra really does offer a great product line, though I bought a canvas Tilley a couple of years back for spring/summer use. I much prefer the full brim to the partial coverage of a baseball cap (I've worn glasses since the 3rd grade.)

I boughtmy first felt Akubra from David Morgan company in Seattle. They offer helpful information on their web page .

Look at the Hats page, & follow the links to “Hat Care” for some very good suggestions. In their old printed catalogs, they offered more advice than I could find on their website, but the stiff brush takes care of most things. One “trick” from their catalog was to use bread to clean your hat—not, as they say, the ”modern, chemical bread” (meaning highly refined white bread); instead, they recommended home-baked bread.

I’ve successfully used a few slices of commercial whole grain/whole wheat, and also homemade. They’re right—they homestyle stuff is better (just don’t butter it before use! <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> )

I wouldn't trade my felts for any other, though if I could have only one hat, it would probably be a Tilley.

Hope this helps.

David

Excellent link. Thanks

I wonder if I wet it and dried it with a hair dryer or low heat oven if I could succesfully shrink it a tad. It's either stretched out over the years from use, or it dried wet on my head one day this summer. Whatever the reason, it's definately looser this season than last. It blew of my head in a strong wind Wednesday (40-50 MPH gusts) and I chased it half a city block before it lodged beneath a parked car. Of course, passers by looked at me oddly when I crawled underneath the car to retreive it. <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I know those gusts are exceptional, but the hat is looser. Perhaps my head isn't as big as it once was now that I'm older and wiser. <img src="images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

BTW, I spent only $15 on it so if I try to shrink it and screw it up, I won't be out of a lot of money.

I have several felt hats, both beaver and wool. My wool one changes sizes more than the beaver. I would dampen it (not soak) and allow to dry. This always tightens my wool ones...sometimes a bit too much, but they return to a perfect size with a few days of use.

Cleaning, I too would recommend David Morgan's advice. I actually have never done anything to mine except brush off the dust.

I believe that wool hats used to be steam-cleaned back in the old days. This was a common service performed by millners and/or dry cleaners, I think. I wouldn't try it myself, as it requires a hat form (kind of like a show last) to make sure the shape is maintained. I'd check around for any old-time hat dealers. Chicago is probably a good bet. Trying to contact a hat company might not be a bad idea, as well, like Stetson. One more thing, look around for theatrical or film production costume shops--there may be somebody who can help you out.

I can't but share my experience. I know that all my hats became looser as my hair became looser and thinner. Has to do with age not wisdom.

Bill--

Glad I could help.

RE: "Shrinking" your hat--if the hat has a sweatband inside it, you can add thin strips of leather under it to adjust the fit. I had to do this with a straw had years ago. Add a layer (or more, if needed) to the entire circumference, or just the front, back, or sides, wherever appropriate, to adjust the fit. In my case, a strip of leather about 1/16" thick, 6" long & 1/2" to 3/4" wide (it tapered) under the front of the sweatband made all the difference.

David

They weren't so much steam-cleaned as steam-shaped. The process is a high-speed version of soaking the hat, shaping it, & letting it dry to shape--the process recommended by the David Morgan catalog.

Some cowboy/western shops still have a steam shaping service, though I woudn't want the crease/bash seen in most "cowboy" hats.

David