floppy hat!

[Lady Toadflinger]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but here goes: Can anybody offer advice on how to stiffen-up a floppy felt hat?  I just bought a felt hat at a thrift store for a good price ($6.99) and would like to make it into a pirate hat.  The problem is that it is pretty floppy!  Would starch help, or ruin it? Any help would be appreciated.  Gramercy.

[jcbanner]

Starch is my first thought.  Is it wool, cotton, poly or something else?

If its wool, you might even beable to just soak it in boiling water to stiffin it up. (caution, this will also shrink it.)

it you have some more time on your hands, you could also put a wire in the hatbrim around the edge.

[sealion]

I would try stiffening the brim with wire concealed under grosgrain ribbon.

[DonaCatalina]

I would try stiffening the brim with wire concealed under grosgrain ribbon.

I would definitely try this first. If you don't know what the hat is actually made of you could ruin it very easily.
If you were sure it it's wool, you could try Scout Felt Hat Stiffener.