Mycroft
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,993
- Location
- Florida, U.S.A. for now
Looks cool, what does it consit of and how old is it?
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Don't know if I'll actuallyt use this, but neat
- Thread starter Mycroft
- Start date
- Messages
- 14,378
- Location
- Small Town Ohio, USA
Just closed
I just won it last night. Once I have it in hand I'll share the details.
I just won it last night. Once I have it in hand I'll share the details.
Matt Deckard
Man of Action
- Messages
- 10,045
Interesting... never heard of a straw cleaning kit before. Looks like what you'd use on a pair of suede shoes.
have to get one of those to get a closer look.
Panamabob or Art, What do you know about straw cleaning?
have to get one of those to get a closer look.
Panamabob or Art, What do you know about straw cleaning?
- Messages
- 4,118
- Location
- The Beautiful Diablo Valley
Lot s of methods
For cleaning, dust with a soft brush. Spots can be touched with a damp terry cloth rag.
Lime juice on the straw and left out in the sun will "bleach" out some dark spots and lighten the straw.
Sulfur, burned in an enclosed drum or box with the hat inside bleaches the hat (notice your new high quality Montecristi has that sulfur smell?).
A tiny bit of clorox bleach in a tub of water (ie. a cap full per 5 gallons) will bleach out mold and musty spots from the hat. Of course, this is the hat body only, and you have to strip ribbon, sweat, and then totally reblock the hat.
For cleaning, dust with a soft brush. Spots can be touched with a damp terry cloth rag.
Lime juice on the straw and left out in the sun will "bleach" out some dark spots and lighten the straw.
Sulfur, burned in an enclosed drum or box with the hat inside bleaches the hat (notice your new high quality Montecristi has that sulfur smell?).
A tiny bit of clorox bleach in a tub of water (ie. a cap full per 5 gallons) will bleach out mold and musty spots from the hat. Of course, this is the hat body only, and you have to strip ribbon, sweat, and then totally reblock the hat.
- Messages
- 14,378
- Location
- Small Town Ohio, USA
Vials
I know the suede cleaning items you're thinking of. I thought the same too at first glance. But those look like glass vials with corks, and some kind of powder in them, maybe? Sulfer? In all likelihood, I just bought some previously-thought-safe-but-now-known-to-kill substances and will end up with a $25,000 HAZMAT bill.
Ferinstance, I've just figured out, after 15 years, that the rods in all the clothes closets in my old house are lead pipes.
Matt Deckard said:
I know the suede cleaning items you're thinking of. I thought the same too at first glance. But those look like glass vials with corks, and some kind of powder in them, maybe? Sulfer? In all likelihood, I just bought some previously-thought-safe-but-now-known-to-kill substances and will end up with a $25,000 HAZMAT bill.
Ferinstance, I've just figured out, after 15 years, that the rods in all the clothes closets in my old house are lead pipes.
- Messages
- 54,308
I think that kit was meant to be used on boaters and skimmers not montecristis. The boaters could take quite a bit of cleaning with a brush when new. That is not to say that an 80 year old one today could though. 
Regards to all,
J
Regards to all,
J
Lauren
Distinguished Service Award
- Messages
- 5,060
- Location
- Sunny California
wow! That is great! Anything that is that old in the original container is always a great find. And I love your Ebay ID, by the way (I'm on a victrola kick right now.)
Lauren
Lauren
- Messages
- 14,378
- Location
- Small Town Ohio, USA
Me Too
If I can help with the phonograph/gramaphone/graphophone thing, by all means drop a note. I've been collecting and learning since I was a kid. It's pretty easy to buy something that is misrepresented these days.
Right now, I'm trimmed down to eight machines. They kind of take up space. That's why many of us eventually start collecting the steel needle tins instead.
I like them because they're time machines. I can listen to voices from 1898 or 1925 or 1946. You can read song lyrics from WWI, but you can't get a sense of the music until you hear it in context. If I want to understand what Sousa wanted The Washington Post March to sound like - I can listen to his version, firsthand! Too neat.
I got into ebay early, so I got the ID I wanted.Lauren Henline said:
If I can help with the phonograph/gramaphone/graphophone thing, by all means drop a note. I've been collecting and learning since I was a kid. It's pretty easy to buy something that is misrepresented these days.
Right now, I'm trimmed down to eight machines. They kind of take up space. That's why many of us eventually start collecting the steel needle tins instead.
I like them because they're time machines. I can listen to voices from 1898 or 1925 or 1946. You can read song lyrics from WWI, but you can't get a sense of the music until you hear it in context. If I want to understand what Sousa wanted The Washington Post March to sound like - I can listen to his version, firsthand! Too neat.
Panamabob
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,012
- Location
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
Great Find.
As Andy says, lime juice, or lemon (In Ecuador they are more like limes) and salt mixed into a paste should bleach the hat out and then crumble away when dry.
Sulphur fumes give the hat the beautiful color. Aging darkens the hat to a nice golden color.
If there is mold, I'd send it to a hatter, rather than try myself.
As Andy says, lime juice, or lemon (In Ecuador they are more like limes) and salt mixed into a paste should bleach the hat out and then crumble away when dry.
Sulphur fumes give the hat the beautiful color. Aging darkens the hat to a nice golden color.
If there is mold, I'd send it to a hatter, rather than try myself.
