How would you reshape a felt hat?

Question

The hat has a brim around 3" deep and a high crown. Any help would be appreiciated

Answer 1

When there were people who did this regularly, they had shaped molds and used steam. Try the Yellow Pages and see if anyone advertises under Millinery or Hats and ask if they know someone who still does it.

Answer 2

Okay - you can throw it in the washing machine (with a touch of virgin olive oil - it acts like a conditioner for the wool) then, while it's still wet... place it on a upside-down bowl (or frame) to shape the crown with the brim sitting on a FLAT surface. Let it dry and (if necessary) spray it with a light starch solution to set it.