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Recent content by jviss

  1. jviss

    Jiffy Hat Steamer

    Excellent, Eric. Thanks for the update. BTW, I saved my used cleaner, I will try re-using it, even though I bought the three bottle package. I poured the whole bottle in. My nozzle is new, so no issue there.
  2. jviss

    Jiffy Hat Steamer

    Did you get and use your Jiffy cleaner?
  3. jviss

    The School of Hard Knox

    I like it! And, it's my size!
  4. jviss

    Jiffy Hat Steamer

    Now to find a nice piece of mahogany or oak to make a platform for my aluminum head block. I want something with a long tongue on it, with a slot cut in it as a hand hold, and to hang it up when not in use. I probably have something in the basement, else a stair tread from Lowes or Home Depot...
  5. jviss

    Jiffy Hat Steamer

    On soaking a crown, I would work my way up to that. First steam, then try a very fine misting of water (distilled, always), then a more heavy misting, and so forth. I'm no expert, that's just my intuition for a conservative approach.
  6. jviss

    Jiffy Hat Steamer

    Eric, if you haven't already, check out Kevin's youtube videos. He's a lifelong hat salesman, now at JJ Hat Center in NYC. They are long, but entertaining. He has at least one on stiffening hats. The secret ingredient: hairspray. You can buy hat stiffener for a lot more money, but why bother?
  7. jviss

    Jiffy Hat Steamer

    Thanks, Eric. The crown block is "out for delivery," should have it by 2:30 p.m. or so, Eastern time. We'll see! My steamer sputters at start-up, but not after. I'm getting a full head of steam in 80 seconds from cold! (Just timed it. Yes, I'm an OCD engineer.)
  8. jviss

    Jiffy Hat Steamer

    So, in case anyone's interested, I poured out and saved most of the cleaning fluid, It removed some black flakes; I don't know what they were. I rinsed a couple of times with distilled water, and then filled the jug and turned it on. It steams great! The distilled water was cheap, 98¢ per...
  9. jviss

    Jiffy Hat Steamer

    And another thing... I just poured an 8 oz. bottle of Jiffy cleaner into my J-2 steamer. I will leave it for 3 hours. Should I recover this fluid and re-use it, or just dump it? But here's the big question. The cleaner, in quantity 3 of 8 oz. each, is $18 plus about $18 UPS shipping - so...
  10. jviss

    Jiffy Hat Steamer

    I received my Jiffy Steamer parts and supplies today. Their service is excellent. I had made two orders, and they agreed to combine them and refunded me excess shipping. I bought their cleaner, as it's acid-based but not vinegar, and apparently vinegary can harm the unit (maybe the brass...
  11. jviss

    Shaping a fedora?

    That's great! I swear, I was racking my brain, looking around the house trying to find something to use, and the stainless mixing bowls never occured to me!
  12. jviss

    Shaping a fedora?

    I like this, I will try it.
  13. jviss

    Shaping a fedora?

    Thanks very much for your reply! I did take the lining out and will try to carefully wash the areas with the stains. I'm not attempting a re-block, I just want to smooth the old creases as well as I can, clean them and then crease it to my taste. Not taking the sweat or the ribbon yet. My...
  14. jviss

    Shaping a fedora?

    Greetings, fellow Millineryophiles! So, I am new to all of this, and just completed a rash of eBay purchases culminating in a collection of vintage Fedoras, a Homburg, a Jiffy steamer, and a heated aluminum hat block in my size (22", 7 1/8, 57cm - it's marked 22", which is a 7, but while I buy...
  15. jviss

    Jiffy Hat Steamer

    I think mine was run with tap water. I just ordered the cleaning solution from Jiffy, with is acidic, but not vinegar! The recommend against the use of vinegar. I did so because while mine steams well at times, sometimes it "stalls" and I have to give it a shake to get it going again. I...

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