How to reshape a hat?

[ZippyDan]

I've had several hats in storage until recently and I find that they are almost all bent out of shape... I'm talking about hats like fedoras or cowboy hats that have lost their signature curves. Some are soft and made of felt, some are much stiffer, and one is made of leather.

How does one go about restoring the right bends and removing the wrong bends? If this is something beyond what a normal human can do, what do you call the kind of people I should look for in the phone book? Hatters? Do they still exist? Thanks.

 

[Crono]

"HOW DO I TAKE CARE OF MY HATS?

We find the best way to store a hat is in a hat box away from any heat source. You can line the bottom of the box with odorless cedar chips to prevent moth holes in felt hats. Try not to grab your hat at the pinches, instead put your hat on and take it off by grabbing both sides of the brim. We sell hat brushes that you can use to occasionally clean your felt hats. In most cases we can refurbish your hats (i.e., steaming, shaping, band changes, etc.) at our 5th Avenue location."

http://www.jjhatcenter.com/index.php?show_aux_page=4

 

[eldorado99]

Hatters used to use mercury until they found out it made them all go insane. Why don't you try mercury?

 

[iGas]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0PaRu9RDoY