DeHydrated Straws

[cookie]

Can an old straw hat that has sat in the sun and is getting a little brittle/fragile be re-hydated and made supple again? Please advise Loungers....

 

[KObalto]

You can keep Panamas in good shape by setting them in the bathroom while you shower.

 

[Flieger]

Maybe if you have a big humidor...?

/F

 

[Rick Blaine]

I don’t know ya'll, I live in a rather high humidity environment & I have never really been able to resituate a crispy straw with steam, mist or by much of any other method. Maybe if you had a hyperbaric chamber & could force steam into the hat at two or three atmospheres! lol Otherwise just wear it in the garden. I have reinforced weak/dry straw with acid free linen tape (from within the crown) but this simply delays the inevitable.

 

[scotrace]

Sharpetoys, a longtime member here and the Go To Guy for Panamas and straws, recommends taking them into the bathroom when you take a hot steamy shower once in a while to keep them hydrated.

I hope he jumps in here, but it may be so that once cracking and other damage has begun, moisture isn't going to repair that.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

New old Panama

Recently acquired this oldie. Has a guys phone number in it on paper tag. A four digit phone number so this hat's gotta' be minimum sixty years old. Yeah, it's a little brittle and has obviously been rolled in it's day. Has started a small crack at peak of front pinch with slight fraying of straw sticking up (which I personally love about it). I'll have to be a little more careful with this on than some others and will try the steam bath bit an let you know. G'luck with yours!
<a href="http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii79/harpplayergene/?action=view&current=DSC_0027.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii79/harpplayergene/DSC_0027.jpg" border="0" alt="Old Panama and porch"></a>

 

[Panama Hat Man]

my two cents worth...

I have noticed panamas drying out in hot sunny weather i.e., leaving one in the sun on a table, generally though they rehydrate while wearing them due to perspiration.

Leaving the hat in the bathroom while taking a shower is a good idea and has been recommended to me by weavers in Ecuador as the way to resuscitate the fibers.

You could also try holding the hat over a tea kettle while it is boiling, not too close though, just near enough to catch some of the steam in the crown and on the brim.

* HarpPlayerGene- nice hat!

good luck!

 

[Rick Blaine]

Recently acquired this oldie. Has a guys phone number in it on paper tag. A four digit phone number so this hat's gotta' be minimum sixty years old. Yeah, it's a little brittle and has obviously been rolled in it's day. Has started a small crack at peak of front pinch with slight fraying of straw sticking up (which I personally love about it). I'll have to be a little more careful with this on than some others and will try the steam bath bit an let you know. G'luck with yours!
<a href="http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii79/harpplayergene/?action=view&current=DSC_0027.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii79/harpplayergene/DSC_0027.jpg" border="0" alt="Old Panama and porch"></a>

Very nice panama Gene! But what I really like is your method of stacking/storage using the cardboard rings in the previous photo, seen here.

You ought to post that in one of these "hat storage woes" threads, that is a simple, elegant & affordable solution. Oh, and gee, if you still have that Open Road that's too big for you and feel like ditching it, lemme know.

Regards,

RB

 

[mineral]

Can an old straw hat that has sat in the sun and is getting a little brittle/fragile be re-hydated and made supple again? Please advise Loungers....

Have you tried putting a bit of water on the hat and sloshing it around? My panama got a bit "crunchy" (as it can get pretty dry in the winter here), and directly wetting it did it wonders. As long as you don't go overboard you shouldn't have to do too much reshaping work, and I don't think you can ever harm the straw by exposing it to water.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Reply to RB

Hey RB,

Thanks for the kind words. I'll keep this slightly off-topic tangent of mine short. I'm talkin' with a couple folks about the O.R. It's a very full 7-1/8. Will make a thread for this with details if first interested parties don't pan out. Later!
Gene