Balmoral hat

[highlander999]

I have a Balmoral, and it is a little unruly. It seems to want to stick up, and not lay nicely on my head.

I know Military Units often wet them down and then wear them til they dry so they can shape them, and get the "stiffness" out of them.

Has anyone else done this? any other ideas??

Thanks,

[Taskr]

Back in the day when I wore a balmoral, that is what we did. Damp it down and wear it in the preferred shape, drawing a hand down over it now and then, until it dried off in the formed shape.

[The Wizard of BC]

The shaping of hats is a very individual and personal thing. It is one of those things in the military where someone can show a little individuality.

If your Balmoral is a good wool one you can, if you wish, soak it in water. Hot water will work nicely as it softens the wool fibers but do not agitate the fibers at all to prevent shrinking.
Cold water will work but not as well has hot.
The down side is that you are left with a wet hat on your head all day.

Good wool is a very malleable stuff. You can make it take and hold almost any shape you wish. You can stretch it in places and shrink it in others.

One of the best ways to get a new hat to take shape is with steam. You can use a steam iron or just a kettle on the stove. The steam will soften the fibers allowing them to be hand shaped. When cool it will stay in what ever shape you set.

Another trick is to add a backing of some sort behind the rosette that holds the badge. I personally use a bent piece of coat hanger. I bent a square about 3" in size and hand stitched it to the inside of my Balmoral. This keeps the weight of a clan crest or other badge from pulling the hat out of shape.

I like my bonnet to stand straight up on the left where the cap badge is and flop over my ear on the right.

[highlander999]

Thanks, guys, and Steve I do shape my Cowboy hats with Steam. I may try that first as well.

But like you I want the side with my crest to stand straight and the other side to flop down on the other side by my ear.

Thanks, and I'll let you know how the steam goes if not, I'll wet it and wear it here at the office all day tomorrow

[Steve Ashton]

Try the backing trick too.

Here is my personal X Marks Bonnet.



And the bent coat hanger sewn into the inside.



this wire adds almost no weight and is not bulky like a piece of cardboard.

[Holcombe Thomas]

There is a thread on "jocking" a balmoral, with very thorough instructions. However, given that I tend toward easy, one might even say lazy, solutions, put your balmoral on and go for a walk on a misty or rainy day. Repeat as needed. It worked for me.

Holcombe

[Reiver]

Wore a beret for years and they suck out of the box.
Soaked it in hot water (100% wool) then shaped it on my noggin. Once shaped place on a round bowl and let dry.
If too 'grand' (too much material not hat size) throw it in the dryer for a bit but not til dry...just shrink it a tad...then see step one.

[GrainReaper]

I weighted mine with a rock and submerged it in the creek out back last winter, it froze over for a while but when it opened up again I grabbed it and gave it a washing and let it dry on my head, very low effort aside from fishing it from the freezing water.

[Mel1721L]

In the British Army when shaping a beret, we dipped it first in hot water, then in cold alternately, then rang the water out, put it on your head and shaped it, them carefully removed it and left it on a radiator overnight. In the morning it was warm, shaped and dry.

[Katia]

Ah, I need to try this. Mine does not like to stay "flopped" on the right (as much as I would like) and likes to start making its way toward flat-ness.