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Felt Blistering?

Jay_G

New in Town
Messages
5
Hi, long time listener, first time caller.

I have a fifteen year old fedora & I am currently in the process of cleaning/restoring it. It is nearly finished, but I have noticed these whitish looking bumps/blisters on the pinch. They kinda look similar to barnacles you see on ships (they're not though). What are they and is there any way they can be remedied?

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Gobi

One of the Regulars
Messages
169
Are they salt deposits that made their way there during drying after cleaning? I can see that happening if hat dried crown facing down.
Maybe stiffener that dissolved and deposited there. I'm curious as to what others have to say.
 
Messages
10,343
Location
vancouver, canada
Is it just discolouration or are they hardened lumps (like barnacles)? If hardened they may be as Gobi suggests .....excess stiffener deposits? My magic 'go to' is a spritz of denatured alcohol. If excess shellac it will help break it down and drive it back into the felt. The alcohol itself leaves no trace. The other approach but a little more risky is to pounce it with a fine grit paper or even just a white poly abrasive pad. Work very gently and closely observe the result.
 

Lean'n'mean

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,077
Location
Cloud-cuckoo-land
I think the felt has just been manipulated too much at that point & the fibres have broken/worked loose. It doesn't look like particularly good felt either & rather blotchy which might explain why the bits are lighter in color since the dye didn't go all the way through evenly.
Given the nature of the felt I wouldn't advise sanding as if I'm right, you'll end up with small tuffs instead of bumps.
 

Jay_G

New in Town
Messages
5
They feel like pits, but touching them they feel hard unlike the surrounding felt.
 

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