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YES...Even some Bartenders of many years standing can be real beginners and simpletons when it comes to turning an old hat around and attempting a simple restoration.
I'm a point in case folks! but you have to start somewhere I guess...
I have no gadgets like a hat stretcher or special irons or tools, I don't even have Oxyclean : so where on earth do I start I asked myself. Believe me, this is very basic with a 'can do' attitude!
Well it looked pretty dirty, this auld hat that a kind member more-or-less gave away to me. There were dead insects on the inside of the sweat band and yellow stains on what was meant to be a grey felt. Even the ribbon had accumulated stains. I thought the ribbon was a lovely gold until I took it off and saw that the underside was grey!!
As I said, it was like a wee piggy that had been rolling in mud, so...into a basin of water it went (after carefully removing the lining and the ribbon). Scrub-scrub-scrub with a stiff brush I use to clean potatoes with (yep, typical man I hear you cry!! ) and some detergent . See how we men just think outside the box!!!:
That water was thick brown, and remained so even after three changes!!
Then did the same to the ribbon.
I was lucky enough to have a demo head, which I pulled the wet hat onto after giving it a good hand-wringing to get the water out. Told you this was VERY BASIC!!
Once it had been left to dry 'abit' in the sun of my summer room, I took it off and popped it on my head to see if I had turned a US 7 into a US 7 1/8. Hey Presto, the auld magic had worked.
Of course there was some work to do yet, as I looked like and extra out of Lord Of The Rings at this stage with the hat all popped UP!!
I remember hearing some of you gents would iron your felt, so up goes the ironing board and out comes the iron. I ironed this baby around the rim and then the crown (as well as I could, really needed a little iron ). Hey, it's looking more like a hat now.
The crown I shaped by hand, trying out a diamond and then a 'C' on it just to see what I preferred. So it's sitting doing the final 'dry out' as is the ribbon. Just at room temp so it doesn't have a massive shrink!! (A massive Shrink is what I need I think!!:eusa_doh: ).
But now I'm thinking...let's lift this hat a little bit with slightly different grossgrain ribbon. The grey is just too camoflauged and boring.
SO...any kind souls out there help me with a vintage 'gold' coloured ribbon that would be enough to go around this 7 1/8 with some to spare to create the side bow? please....PM me if you can.
More pics to follow as this develops. Can you tell I'm having fun??
I'm a point in case folks! but you have to start somewhere I guess...
I have no gadgets like a hat stretcher or special irons or tools, I don't even have Oxyclean : so where on earth do I start I asked myself. Believe me, this is very basic with a 'can do' attitude!
Well it looked pretty dirty, this auld hat that a kind member more-or-less gave away to me. There were dead insects on the inside of the sweat band and yellow stains on what was meant to be a grey felt. Even the ribbon had accumulated stains. I thought the ribbon was a lovely gold until I took it off and saw that the underside was grey!!
As I said, it was like a wee piggy that had been rolling in mud, so...into a basin of water it went (after carefully removing the lining and the ribbon). Scrub-scrub-scrub with a stiff brush I use to clean potatoes with (yep, typical man I hear you cry!! ) and some detergent . See how we men just think outside the box!!!:
That water was thick brown, and remained so even after three changes!!
Then did the same to the ribbon.
I was lucky enough to have a demo head, which I pulled the wet hat onto after giving it a good hand-wringing to get the water out. Told you this was VERY BASIC!!
Once it had been left to dry 'abit' in the sun of my summer room, I took it off and popped it on my head to see if I had turned a US 7 into a US 7 1/8. Hey Presto, the auld magic had worked.
Of course there was some work to do yet, as I looked like and extra out of Lord Of The Rings at this stage with the hat all popped UP!!
I remember hearing some of you gents would iron your felt, so up goes the ironing board and out comes the iron. I ironed this baby around the rim and then the crown (as well as I could, really needed a little iron ). Hey, it's looking more like a hat now.
The crown I shaped by hand, trying out a diamond and then a 'C' on it just to see what I preferred. So it's sitting doing the final 'dry out' as is the ribbon. Just at room temp so it doesn't have a massive shrink!! (A massive Shrink is what I need I think!!:eusa_doh: ).
But now I'm thinking...let's lift this hat a little bit with slightly different grossgrain ribbon. The grey is just too camoflauged and boring.
SO...any kind souls out there help me with a vintage 'gold' coloured ribbon that would be enough to go around this 7 1/8 with some to spare to create the side bow? please....PM me if you can.
More pics to follow as this develops. Can you tell I'm having fun??
