Remember that black wool pork pie hat I got a few months ago? I’ve been wearing it in the rain. It’s been mushed a bit by the filmmaking equipment. And one of the actors sat on it. The shape is still good, only it’s gone a bit soft. Is there a way to stiffen it again? I’ve thought about spraying it with starch, and then spraying it with Scotch-Guard.
Might work. If it’s not an especially valuable hat, give it a try. Otherwise, hunt down a genuine hat shop and inquire about having it blocked.
It’s only a $30 hat. I picked up another one when I was in L.A. But if I can stiffen it up it can be my ‘stunt hat’. I wouldn’t mind it being soft, but the brim doesn’t ‘snap down’ like it used to.
Um, if you’re determined to do-it-yourself, I think you might want sizing, rather than starch. That’s what makes the interlining (in between the front part and the back part) in collars and lapels and such a bit stiffer than the rest of the garment. And it’s not (usually) removed by drycleaning, although it sometimes is by washing.
Come to think of it, a regular drycleaner might be able to help you.
My everyday winter hat is a traditional rabbit-felt Stetson (well, it’s not THAT traditional; it’s leopard spotted), and I live in a wet place. I have to get it sized and blocked every couple years.
Porkpies are generally softer, no? You might not need to get it as stiffly sized as I do mine. Look for a dry cleaner that advertises “hats blocked.” They’re around.
Ah come on … You know you love the 50 mission crush …
Erm… I have a 50-mission crush in the storage unit. (And a couple of A-2s, G-1s, WEPs…) :o
What is this ‘sizing’? Is it spray-on?
Sizing is traditionally more for synthetic materials and blends. Starch will provide a stiffer finish in natural fibers.
Here’s some instructions for making a hat that includes info on starching and forming wool. Essentially, just get the wool saturated, form it to desired shape, and let it dry. This calls for liquid starch, as opposed to spray starch - might not be the easiest thing to find at the grocery store as any sort of starching is somewhat “old-fashioned” now, but everything’s available online.