Don't you hate it ...

[dnjan]

when you get caught out in the rain and can see the drips coming off of the hat brim are tinted the colour of the hat?

Got caught yesterday in my brown Dobbs Carmody.

Wore a different hat today just to give my favourite more time to completely dry.

 

[bowlerman]

Does that happen during the entire life of a hat? I thought I read once that after a few runs of dye, a hat has run itself out.

 

[dnjan]

Not sure when Dobbs made the Carmody line, but I would guess it is from the 50's.
(2" brim, cavenaugh edge)
I bought it in good condition, but not new.

 

[Rick Blaine]

Argues to wearing silverbelly in the rain, eh?

 

[Not-Bogart13]

It surprises me that a hat so old would bleed that way. Usually, there's no excess dye left. Best not to wear that one in the rain much, I guess.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Umbrella.

 

[Gromulus]

Akubra.

 

[zetwal]

Umbrella.

And a better hat ...

 

[John in Covina]

I have been fortunate enough not to get caught in the rain, but I did handle a hat from Stetson that the power dye comes off on my hands just from handling it and it makes me wonder what will happen in the rain?

 

[Sam Craig]

One of my favorite hats ... It started its life as a Tom Mix style western ... deep chocolate brown ... made by Resistol

It was also the second western hat that I rebuilt into a fedora.

I have owned this great hat since I bought it in a western wear shop in 1977.

Here's the thing, whether I am reshaping it, or am out in the rain, every time this hat gets wet is runs with brown.

If I am reshaping the brim, my fingers get brown.

Man. More than 30 years and this thing still bleeds on me. And I have never noticed it getting any lighter in color than the day I bought it.

It's a great hat, but I don't think it will EVER stop bleeding.

It's a modern-day miracle!

Sam

 

[dnjan]

And a better hat ...

Sorry you don't appreciate Dobbs Carmody's. It is a very soft felt that is fine again after being allowed to dry.

 

[EggHead]

I don't like using umbrellas, hence I wear hats in the rain (also when it's not raining) and a rain coat. The 3 Akubras that I have, never a problem. Today I am wearing a Winchester beaver hat made by blacksheephatworks, while it says in the instructions to avoid heavy rain, I will try it out in mild rain today. It should hold, after all it's a beaver. If not, well, then it's Akubras 'till death do us part.

 

[tonyb]

Wholly anecdotal observation here, so don't take it to the bank, but ...

I've renovated (restored, rebuilt, wrecked, etc.) quite a few old hats, and I've used water-based cleaning solutions on many of them, as I've found it more effective at removing certain types of soiling. It seems that brown hats are likelier than hats in any other color to bleed dye. I've seen it happen with vintage hats from "quality" makers, and I've seen it happen with newer, lesser hats. (I've yet to see Winchester all-beaver bodies bleed dye, no matter the color. One more reason to recommend them.)

This is not to say that other colors don't bleed, or that all or even most browns do. But browns seem likelier to give up some dye when wetted. Why? I can only guess, wildly.

 

[Blackthorn]

Last November I was at work on night shift in a heavy rain storm and wore my Akubra Squatter for hours while working out in the downpour. It showed no signs of wear at all the following day. I don't know what they do different, but somehow Akubra gets it right.

 

[dr greg]

NEVER had an Akubra bleed on me, and I've worn them in some serious weather on the road, and even just here on the farm.....

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Since it is a 50 or so year old hat - could it just be water-soluble microsized dust & dirt getting washed out? My thinking is that a gradual build-up of dirt would be less likely to be noticed on brown since it's the same color. On a relatively new hat, I'd have to think it's just excess dye. But I know I've hand-washed a few things that looked pretty clean and was surprised at how dirty the washwater was.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

My question is had the hat ever been cleaned?

 

[tonyb]

Since it is a 50 or so year old hat - could it just be water-soluble microsized dust & dirt getting washed out? My thinking is that a gradual build-up of dirt would be less likely to be noticed on brown since it's the same color. On a relatively new hat, I'd have to think it's just excess dye. But I know I've hand-washed a few things that looked pretty clean and was surprised at how dirty the washwater was.

That very thing has occurred to me as well, and it indeed may be at least a contributing factor in some cases. (Solid particles in the bottom of the wash basin is further evidence, although I've also seen that with grungy hats in other colors.) Still, I've cleaned some brown hats pretty darned thoroughly and they continued to bleed when they were again dunked in water (I typically wet block).

A while back I renovated what was a brown hat that turned out to be a sagey green color once it was cleaned. The owner was even more taken aback than I was. So that lends a bit more credence to the "maybe what you're seeing is dirt and not dye" theory.

Maybe one way to tell is the degree to which the discoloration settles out. Dirt would settle to the bottom of the basin rather quickly, I'd think, whereas dye would stay in suspension?

 

[dnjan]

My question is had the hat ever been cleaned?

Not since I've owned it.
Since the paper size/style tag was still in the headband, I kind of doubt it has ever been cleaned.