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[Bamaboots]

I have this papa nui shinki A2 is very nice. I messed up and got New Era sizing as oppose to using my head circumference, which fits M. However when I tried the M in store at Standard and Strange it didn’t fit. B4 purchasing Papa Nui Ig said get the larger one and soak, I don’t think I have my circumference size

I got the large months later and kinda messed up the sides by steaming the inside and give way to some crackling. Then realized I did it wrong and should be hot water soaking.

Anyway you guys think this shinki leather hat will shrink with more soaks and time. I use hat filler but i kinda feel like Charlie Brown. Since the hat should have a more tighter feel. I can stuff my fingers on the back of the cap when wearing so there’s a lot of room and fits loosely.

As you've found out, never steam leather. Leather sweatbands are always at risk when shaping a hat. I don't know enough about shinki to give an opinion on whether it will shrink but most leather will when heat and moisture are applied. The trouble is getting the right amount of each. A trick that some Akubra wearers have used to shrink a sweat band is to dampen it and leave the hat in a hot car on a sunny day, out of the direct sun. Advance at your own risk.

 

[DogFacePonySoldier]

As you've found out, never steam leather. Leather sweatbands are always at risk when shaping a hat. I don't know enough about shinki to give an opinion on whether it will shrink but most leather will when heat and moisture are applied. The trouble is getting the right amount of each. A trick that some Akubra wearers have used to shrink a sweat band is to dampen it and leave the hat in a hot car on a sunny day, out of the direct sun. Advance at your own risk.

Thanks for the advice. This forum really is up there as coolest on the internet.

I tell you what I tried that and then some in the sun left out in the sink hot water etc. even ****ed up with the steam shinki strong besides the crinks on the weak point side panels it still holds up granted I condition it and such.

But it’s like a loose pair of glasses occasionally slipping down nose… one of those minor annoyances that just reminds me of the Bukowski line about shoelaces undoing a man who endured so much worst.

I don’t think it’s gonna shrink as much as it can. I may have to sell it for cheap. It fits but loosely. Excuse me as I go bang head on table.

It really elevates a more simpler outfit like a hoodie with jeans and engineers.

Additional question. This natural hat is available in a store do you think it can match to the brownness of the boot, via sunshine, or perhaps a local leather cobbler can paint it to similar brown.

I like to match boot with hat.

Thank you Bamaboots for the response

 

[Blare]

Thanks for the advice. This forum really is up there as coolest on the internet.

I tell you what I tried that and then some in the sun left out in the sink hot water etc. even ****ed up with the steam shinki strong besides the crinks on the weak point side panels it still holds up granted I condition it and such.

But it’s like a loose pair of glasses occasionally slipping down nose… one of those minor annoyances that just reminds me of the Bukowski line about shoelaces undoing a man who endured so much worst.

I don’t think it’s gonna shrink as much as it can. I may have to sell it for cheap. It fits but loosely. Excuse me as I go bang head on table.

It really elevates a more simpler outfit like a hoodie with jeans and engineers.

Additional question. This natural hat is available in a store do you think it can match to the brownness of the boot, via sunshine, or perhaps a local leather cobbler can paint it to similar brown.

I like to match boot with hat.

Thank you Bamaboots for the response

Maybe a bit of sizing tape at the rear of the sweat. can help with full brimmed hats. Never really tried on a cap though. You could use some of that peel and stick weather stripping the sell at Lowe’s or Home Depot. I’ve also shoved some strips of felt or folded up paper inside the sweat.

 

[blewnote]

I thought about reviving one of the numerous threads I read through that have been posted on treating old sweatbands with some kind of oil or conditioner to ask this question, but figured it would be fine here as well.

Recently acquired a beater hat to play with and a fine old St. Regis. Tried both Pecards Antique Dressing (on the beater which seemed to need it) and Natural Mink Oil on the St. Regis (which maybe didn't but has a black leather sweat and I figured it couldn't make it any darker) because these seemed to be highly regarded conditioners and the crazy 3 step process tried by Just Daniel was a step too far for me.

Both hats have had ample time for the treatment to soak in and I wiped away the excess with a rag after that. But they both still have the feel of the treatment on them, the Pecards feels a bit waxy and the Mink oil still feels a bit oily. For those of you that use either of these products, what further steps should I take to ensure that the conditioner doesn't leach into the felt (or feel weird on my noggin) when I flip the sweatbands back in place?

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

I thought about reviving one of the numerous threads I read through that have been posted on treating old sweatbands with some kind of oil or conditioner to ask this question, but figured it would be fine here as well.

Recently acquired a beater hat to play with and a fine old St. Regis. Tried both Pecards Antique Dressing (on the beater which seemed to need it) and Natural Mink Oil on the St. Regis (which maybe didn't but has a black leather sweat and I figured it couldn't make it any darker) because these seemed to be highly regarded conditioners and the crazy 3 step process tried by Just Daniel was a step too far for me.

Both hats have had ample time for the treatment to soak in and I wiped away the excess with a rag after that. But they both still have the feel of the treatment on them, the Pecards feels a bit waxy and the Mink oil still feels a bit oily. For those of you that use either of these products, what further steps should I take to ensure that the conditioner doesn't leach into the felt (or feel weird on my noggin) when I flip the sweatbands back in place?

In my experience, unfortunately, the Pecards will stay on the sweatband for a looooong time. And the irony is that it truly doesn't help.

It's just too hard to save sweatbands. What I have learned is that if they **** out, change them. As you say, adding product to them only makes them awkward to wear. I eventually stopped wearing the sweatband I treated with Pecards because I didn't like the slimy feeling on my forehead.

And then the sweatband rotted anyway.

I would have done better just enjoying the last legs of the original sweatband and then changing it out once it decayed.

Sorry this is is not a good answer to your question, but the answer is that I found nothing that would remove the excess Pecards (not even time) - and I tried.

But I absolutely hope your experience proves me wrong and the product does actually help preserve the sweatband. I also hope you find a way to remove the excess. I would certainly be interested to hear about that.

 

[RickP]

In my experience, unfortunately, the Pecards will stay on the sweatband for a looooong time. And the irony is that it truly doesn't help.

It's just too hard to save sweatbands. What I have learned is that if they **** out, change them. As you say, adding product to them only makes them awkward to wear. I eventually stopped wearing the sweatband I treated with Pecards because I didn't like the slimy feeling on my forehead.

And then the sweatband rotted anyway.

I would have done better just enjoying the last legs of the original sweatband and then changing it out once it decayed.

Sorry this is is not a good answer to your question, but the answer is that I found nothing that would remove the excess Pecards (not even time) - and I tried.

But I absolutely hope your experience proves me wrong and the product does actually help preserve the sweatband. I also hope you find a way to remove the excess. I would certainly be interested to hear about that.

Ive used Pecards for years on leather projects. Unfortunately it IS persistant. For a sweatband it basically requires removing the sweatband, and working it in off of the hat. After it penetrates in you have to give it a good cleaning with saddle soap to remove the leftover dressing. Once dried you can sew it back in. Often old dry rotted sweatbands do NOT survive this process. You will often remove most of the topcoat leaving you with a kinda motteled suede band... particularly the black Stetson sweatbands

Reality check is that for less than $10 you can get a new reeded sweatband ( not the pre-sized versions.... Im halfway between 7-1/4 and 7-3/8 and they dont work for me.) Do a proper measurement and fitting assembly, and sew it in the hat. Vioila... you have a nice clean new sweatband that fits.

Or if you have a headsize that matches them, just order a pre-sewn and ready to install sweatband.. Lots less hassle

 

[blewnote]

In my experience, unfortunately, the Pecards will stay on the sweatband for a looooong time. And the irony is that it truly doesn't help.

It's just too hard to save sweatbands. What I have learned is that if they **** out, change them. As you say, adding product to them only makes them awkward to wear. I eventually stopped wearing the sweatband I treated with Pecards because I didn't like the slimy feeling on my forehead.

And then the sweatband rotted anyway.

I would have done better just enjoying the last legs of the original sweatband and then changing it out once it decayed.

Sorry this is is not a good answer to your question, but the answer is that I found nothing that would remove the excess Pecards (not even time) - and I tried.

But I absolutely hope your experience proves me wrong and the product does actually help preserve the sweatband. I also hope you find a way to remove the excess. I would certainly be interested to hear about that.

It's a Champ Stratoliner looking clone (I'm guessing a B-17, but there's no identifying info past the size tag and no liner). The felt had some dirt and a couple spots/stains of some sort but the sweat looked great in the pics and it was only $25 so I figured I'd give it a shot and see what conditioning a sweat and cleaning a hat myself is like. Probably wouldn't have bothered with the sweat, but it felt stiff and I thought perhaps one of these products would help soften it up and make it more comfortable to wear. It did make it softer and maybe it will help keep it for a little while longer.

I may try just gently cleaning the sweat with some highly diluted Dawn with water and then wiping it with a clean damp rag and see what that gets me. The felt is pretty bent out of shape at the moment, so if I can't get it to approximate a decent blocking after trying my hand at removing the couple stains I see I may just send it off to someone like Paris hatters (or wherever else folks recommend) to get a professional cleaning, re-blocking and sweat replacement.

 

[blewnote]

Ive used Pecards for years on leather projects. Unfortunately it IS persistant. For a sweatband it basically requires removing the sweatband, and working it in off of the hat. After it penetrates in you have to give it a good cleaning with saddle soap to remove the leftover dressing. Once dried you can sew it back in. Often old dry rotted sweatbands do NOT survive this process. You will often remove most of the topcoat leaving you with a kinda motteled suede band... particularly the black Stetson sweatbands

Reality check is that for less than $10 you can get a new reeded sweatband ( not the pre-sized versions.... Im halfway between 7-1/4 and 7-3/8 and they dont work for me.) Do a proper measurement and fitting assembly, and sew it in the hat. Vioila... you have a nice clean new sweatband that fits.

Or if you have a headsize that matches them, just order a pre-sewn and ready to install sweatband.. Lots less hassle

I don't know that I'm that interested in hand sewing new sweatbands into my hats, although I spose it would be a good skill to have. I think my real issue though is that I haven't loved any of the modern sweatbands I've worn... the ones in my Akubra and Selentino don't have that soft feel of the old ones, and the one that is in my first custom hat from Northwest Hats started feeling tacky after a year or so. Mike suggested cleaning it with water, so I'll give that a shot, but I thought perhaps it was just hard to get good sweatbands these days, considering I don't think Mike would put anything bad in one of his hats.

 

[AHP91]

Merrimac western hats? They rare or what?

 

[Blare]

Merrimac western hats? They rare or what?

Merrimac in general we don’t see too too many good old examples of men’s hats in general. They were a fairly prolific wool felt manufacturer it may be that not as many of the wool hats survived compared with fur. Nice find.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Merrimac western hats? They rare or what?

That’s a good looking western.
By far the nicest looking Merrimac i recall seeing around here.
B

 

[AHP91]

Merrimac in general we don’t see too too many good old examples of men’s hats in general. They were a fairly prolific wool felt manufacturer it may be that not as many of the wool hats survived compared with fur. Nice find.

Thanks for the response. What do you suppose would be a fair value range for the cap? Unfortunately didn’t find in the complete wild - would be coming from someone who identified it as rarer. Thanks.

 

[Blare]

Thanks for the response. What do you suppose would be a fair value range for the cap? Unfortunately didn’t find in the complete wild - would be coming from someone who identified it as rarer. Thanks.

I think it is fairly rare. And as Bowen said above a really great looking hat. That said rarity doesn’t necessarily translate into value. In general A lot of factors would be at play, size, condition, material (fur/wool …. Merrimac was known more for wool) In my opinion For something like this… it would really be more of…. Does it fit you.. do you like it. Can you get it at a price you are comfortable with?

 

[SnappyHat]

Got this Beaver brand olive green hat that was sold as a "trooper hat" . 3 inch brim , 5 inch crown I put in side dents to
make it more of a OR. Its heavier cowboy weight felt but the ribbon band doesnt feel like it would be on a "trooper hat" or was it. Also the red size tag , any one ever get to date Beaver brand tags? From reading a previous thread someone said earliest trademark was 80s . Green color shows up with flash , brownish without flash

 

[jchance]

Interested in this Stetson hat for pretty cheap, but the straw is cracked at the pinch at the top. Is this hat at/near the end of its life? Is it fixable? What sort of issues would wearing this have? In terms of function, I’d suspect it still blocks the sunlight, but I’d look like a hobo (or would people even notice it?).

 

[RickP]

Interested in this Stetson hat for pretty cheap, but the straw is cracked at the pinch at the top. Is this hat at/near the end of its life? Is it fixable? What sort of issues would wearing this have? In terms of function, I’d suspect it still blocks the sunlight, but I’d look like a hobo (or would people even notice it?).

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You can fit and glue a piece of light canvas up inside where the crack is ..I'd work it as the hat is shaped...not try to pop the crown out...that could make it worse. You can soften the straw up a bit with steam and do any straightening and smoothing first. I use a good fabric cement like FabriTac. It's clear and the canvas or linen patch won't show through the crack. Won't fix it to new condition but it will stabilize the damage..

 

[RickP]

As far as appearance, a little bit or wear is just character...some folks even pay more for "distressed" hats lol....wear it with pride

 

[jchance]

You can fit and glue a piece of light canvas up inside where the crack is ..I'd work it as the hat is shaped...not try to pop the crown out...that could make it worse. You can soften the straw up a bit with steam and do any straightening and smoothing first. I use a good fabric cement like FabriTac. It's clear and the canvas or linen patch won't show through the crack. Won't fix it to new condition but it will stabilize the damage..

Thanks, Rick. How much more mileage can I get out of a cracked-pinch hat like that, assuming with proper repair like you said? Are we talking years or decades? Obviously that depends on the frequency of wear, but I want to know how fragile it is even after a proper repair job.

 

[jlee562]

Interested in this Stetson hat for pretty cheap, but the straw is cracked at the pinch at the top. Is this hat at/near the end of its life? Is it fixable? What sort of issues would wearing this have? In terms of function, I’d suspect it still blocks the sunlight, but I’d look like a hobo (or would people even notice it?).

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This one would be a hard pass for me.

You can theoretically patch it from behind with a thin piece of cloth, but as this is just a deal hat and not a sentimental hat, I don't understand why you would go to the trouble of doing so. If you want a straw you can be a little haphazard with, just get a shantung straw. If you want a real straw Panama, you should get a nice one. I like a distressed hat, and can even accept some of the artificially done ones. But a cracked Panama? Not for me, thanks. IMHO, a good Panama has some elegance to it.

 

[RickP]

Thanks, Rick. How much more mileage can I get out of a cracked-pinch hat like that, assuming with proper repair like you said? Are we talking years or decades? Obviously that depends on the frequency of wear, but I want to know how fragile it is even after a proper repair job.

Not knowing how it got in the condition its in, its hard to tell how much life its got left. was it soaked at some point? Was it sweat soaked? If it was in someones attic for 15 yrs drying out, its probably doomed to continued deterioration. It may or may not be capable of smoothing and shaping. Ill second the idea that a newer Toquilla straw hat would have a longer life. If it was a family hat with history Id fix it and wear.

That said... for $20 it might be worth the shot... worst case is that you end up with new yardwork and fishing hat lol