What's the best way to break in a new campaign hat?

[goodoldeagle2 10]

Hi, folks. Just received a campaign hat I won in an eBay auction (I sincerely hope I didn't beat any of y'all to the punch to get it. If so, I'm sorry). I thought I'd toss it out to you fine folks to give me a few ideas on how I might get this rigid thing to conform to my melon. Also any tips on getting and keeping the brim as flat as possible would be great. I've got a particle board hat press, but I've heard multiple rumors about saturating the thing with Aqua Net hairspray.

 

Please let fly with the suggestions!

 

Good Old Eagle Too!

[VentureScoutNY 10]

if you scroll down a little bit and read some of the posts from the topic" how to wear the campaigh hat" many people have posted great ideas there.

 

VentureScoutNY

[goodoldeagle2 10]

Shame on me. I guess that would make sense. That darn hat must be cutting off my circulation.

[VentureScoutNY 10]

HaHa! Grat hat I love all 4 of mine! (im a collector). Is yours a new one or an old one? What year about was it made? If you know it will help when protecting it from the weather. The older hats are different from todays hats when it comes to tolerance to weather. Goodluck!

 

VentureScoutNY

[goodoldeagle2 10]

I think it's relatively new. It's very stiff at any rate. I read on the other forum some folks suggested saturating it with water and wearing it around for a few hours. I don't know how confident I feel about that, but if I hear it from enough fellow scouters, I'd probably jump on that bandwagon.

 

Four campaign hats?! That is quite a collection. I've sometimes thought of getting a baby-sized one if my wife and I ever have a son, but I think I'll stick with the one for now. What I'd really like to do is make interchangeable hat bands for it. Right now, I'm working on a jig for wood badge beads, and I'm going to make "hat acorns" out of wood badge beads. What can I say? My wife says I need a hobby.

[VentureScoutNY 10]

That's a fine hobby! If the hat is as stiff as you say I believe it is a new one. I would maybe consider buying the rain cover from the scout catolog. You can also scotchguard it. The cover can be kept on the inside of the hat in nice weather and you can take it out if the coulds come out.

 

VentureScoutNY

[KoreaScouter 13]

...you don't break in a campaign hat; it breaks you in...

 

KS

[Eagledad 2777]

Good Scouting All

Take your hat to a hat store and have them steam it. Not sure where you are from, but there a several here in Oklahoma City. Those guys are really good at fitting a stiff hat.

 

Barry

[goodoldeagle2 10]

KoreaScouter, I'm going to write that one down and use it whenever I can! So true, and so concise.

 

VentureScoutNY, I'll get a rain cover ASAP. I imagine that also might be a good way to keep it from getting dusty too.

 

Eagledad, that's another good piece of advice. I'm in central Kentucky, but I know of one or two hat shops where I might get some help.

 

Thanks to all for the advice. I suppose we should be chatting about Youth Protection, or the program, or Wood Badge or something besides this. But it's stuff like this that usually comes up around the cracker barrel.

 

I'm proud to have been able to "meet" y'all!

 

Goodoldeagle2