The Conversion Corral

[John Galt]

Re: "Should I just use steam to change the crease or can I lightly spray the hat with distilled water?"

I do both. The water softens the felt & the steam/heat tightens the felt fibers & softens the lacquer for shaping.

I put a dishtowel in the crown so as to avoid getting the liner wet & water staining it. It is also important to wet the hat uniformly so as to avoid water marks. Think shower/spray bottle, not faucet. The felt is most pliable - like clay - when it is 1/2 dry. Play with it, you'll see what I mean.

I don't usually bother with distilled water, unless it is requested. The rain that falls on the hat is not distilled.

 

[T Jones]

Re: "Should I just use steam to change the crease or can I lightly spray the hat with distilled water?"

I do both. The water softens the felt & the steam/heat tightens the felt fibers & softens the lacquer for shaping.

I put a dishtowel in the crown so as to avoid getting the liner wet & water staining it. It is also important to wet the hat uniformly so as to avoid water marks. Think shower/spray bottle, not faucet. The felt is most pliable - like clay - when it is 1/2 dry. Play with it, you'll see what I mean.

I don't usually bother with distilled water, unless it is requested. The rain that falls on the hat is not distilled.

I used your suggestion several times in re-shaping my hats. Works like a charm!

 

[ingineer]

Cindy;
Love the "Pay it Forward"
:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap.
Richard

 

[gtdean48]

Yours turned out very nice Tom. Did you just use steam or spray it with distilled water?
....

Thanks Mike.
This hat has been thru many creases since I bought it new in 1979.
Earlier ones were done with steam but last one was distilled water spray then set with steam.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

I'm thinking my 3x Beaver Western and a Stagecoach are probably the same felt body with just different marketing because the dimensions are so similar. I could be wrong though and one may be made from a better felt. If anybody has had both I would be interested in reading their opinion. Thanks.

They are not the same. I told you I have both. The Stagecoach felt is more rough than beaver. It is a nice felt. If you want I can take picture of a black Stagecoach and the 3x beaver to compare.
Terry is right, Stagecoaches have great felt and I own several.

 

[LuvMyMan]

Stage Coach hats are really built well. This one cleaned up with ease so far, and it is more like a heavy western felt than a normal Stetson hat by a long ways.

The felt had some minor light spots. They were so easy to clean I was amazed how easy it was. Have some more to do and then in the box it goes heading off to it's new owner!

Both myself and Daniel are so happy to send this to someone that will love it.

 

[LuvMyMan]

Cindy;
Love the "Pay it Forward"
:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap.
Richard

We do not have a ton of money...but we sure do love to do for others from the wealth of the heart!

 

[LuvMyMan]

Re: "Should I just use steam to change the crease or can I lightly spray the hat with distilled water?"

I do both. The water softens the felt & the steam/heat tightens the felt fibers & softens the lacquer for shaping.

I put a dishtowel in the crown so as to avoid getting the liner wet & water staining it. It is also important to wet the hat uniformly so as to avoid water marks. Think shower/spray bottle, not faucet. The felt is most pliable - like clay - when it is 1/2 dry. Play with it, you'll see what I mean.

I don't usually bother with distilled water, unless it is requested. The rain that falls on the hat is not distilled.

Not all but some "tapwater" has minerals in the water, that may leave behind some unwanted spotting. I am not sure why some hats you see have that "green" gunk on the rear of a leather sweatband, but felt body hats seem to be able to catch bacteria and other contaminants. I guess that is why using distilled is a safe way to go? I'd sure avoid well water unless it was really clear.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Stage Coach hats are really built well. This one cleaned up with ease so far, and it is more like a heavy western felt than a normal Stetson hat by a long ways.

The felt had some minor light spots. They were so easy to clean I was amazed how easy it was. Have some more to do and then in the box it goes heading off to it's new owner!

Both myself and Daniel are so happy to send this to someone that will love it.

Thank you again. You say this hat has been in your closed for years?

 

[T Jones]

... I am not sure why some hats you see have that "green" gunk on the rear of a leather sweatband,...

That's oxidation from the brass ferrule which joins the ends of the reed together.

 

[John Galt]

Nothing wrong with distilled water, but I don't see it as necessary, at least where I'm located...

 

[John Galt]

That's oxidation from the brass ferrule which joins the ends of the reed together.

+1

 

[Landman]

Re: "Should I just use steam to change the crease or can I lightly spray the hat with distilled water?"

I do both. The water softens the felt & the steam/heat tightens the felt fibers & softens the lacquer for shaping.

I put a dishtowel in the crown so as to avoid getting the liner wet & water staining it. It is also important to wet the hat uniformly so as to avoid water marks. Think shower/spray bottle, not faucet. The felt is most pliable - like clay - when it is 1/2 dry. Play with it, you'll see what I mean.

I don't usually bother with distilled water, unless it is requested. The rain that falls on the hat is not distilled.

This is the method I have used on vintage hats (made prior to 1960) and some new production Akubras. It has always worked great for me on those hats. I just wanted to make sure these newer production Resistols could handle the same treatment.

Thanks everybody for your input!

 

[DOGMAN]

We do not have a ton of money...but we sure do love to do for others from the wealth of the heart!

That's awesome,I wish there were more people like you guys.Landman,I use distilled water just to play it safe.

 

[T Jones]

Nothing wrong with distilled water, but I don't see it as necessary, at least where I'm located...

+1 I haven't had any issues at all using tap water. But, some feel more comfortable using distilled water though and I can see their reasoning behind it. If I were some place in the country where people have to contend with either Iron or Sulphur water I would definitely be inclined to use distilled water.

 

[Landman]

I have used both distilled water and tap water on older vintage hats and Akubras. I couldn't tell any difference between the two but that could have a lot to do with our local water and the color of the felt. I think the most important thing is, like John already mentioned, is to uniformly wet the entire hat. I didn't do that one time and it left a very distinct water mark between where the hat had been wet and not. Luckily it went away by spraying the entire hat again.

One other thing I always do before wetting or steaming a hat is to blow away any loose dust with compressed air and then brush it too. You would be amazed at how much dust will fly off an old hat when you hit it with compressed air, even after it has been thoroughly brushed and looks clean.

Thanks again for all your input.

 

[LuvMyMan]

I have used both distilled water and tap water on older vintage hats and Akubras. I couldn't tell any difference between the two but that could have a lot to do with our local water and the color of the felt. I think the most important thing is, like John already mentioned, is to uniformly wet the entire hat. I didn't do that one time and it left a very distinct water mark between where the hat had been wet and not. Luckily it went away by spraying the entire hat again.

One other thing I always do before wetting or steaming a hat is to blow away any loose dust with compressed air and then brush it too. You would be amazed at how much dust will fly off an old hat when you hit it with compressed air, even after it has been thoroughly brushed and looks clean.

Thanks again for all your input.

I think the air compressor is a great idea....and you are so right, as some older hats we have had, you could use a hat brush and a hat sponge on and it seems you could do both a hundred times and still have tid bits of dust and dirt just fly off the hat felt when doing the hat brush yet another time. You see it more if brushing outside in the sunlight. I think maybe in part, this happens as the felt has such a porous surface that allows dust and dirt to get way back under the fibers of the felt...sort of like the sand that can get into a car's floormats....you know you can even hose those floormats down a few times and still see more sand come out of them....some hats are the same way....small stuff really embedded on the felt.

 

[LuvMyMan]

That's awesome,I wish there were more people like you guys.Landman,I use distilled water just to play it safe.

Thank you. I would imagine the majority of Loungers have a similar view point towards other Loungers as the same as we do. The largest attraction of being "here" is the open honesty of the majority and the spirit of goodness that just leaps right out at you! You will notice that if someone comes along on the Lounge and is a what we call, "knuckle head", they just don't seem to last too long...they have nothing in common with the rest of us!

A wish perhaps that could not take place due to different geographic locations, in our home is that all the good people here on the Lounge could actually have a chance to meet in some large event place, something like the Indianapolis Speedway (on a NON race day) and have the ability of giving another Lounger and handshake, smile, and a hug! Having the largest "spread" of food ever made to serve...and for everyone to enjoy the company there!

 

[Landman]

I think the air compressor is a great idea....and you are so right, as some older hats we have had, you could use a hat brush and a hat sponge on and it seems you could do both a hundred times and still have tid bits of dust and dirt just fly off the hat felt when doing the hat brush yet another time. You see it more if brushing outside in the sunlight. I think maybe in part, this happens as the felt has such a porous surface that allows dust and dirt to get way back under the fibers of the felt...sort of like the sand that can get into a car's floormats....you know you can even hose those floormats down a few times and still see more sand come out of them....some hats are the same way....small stuff really embedded on the felt.

Cindy,

I always try to blow all the dust away before I do anything else while it is still very dry and loose. I don't think you should even brush it without blowing away the loose dust. Brushing it will drive some of the dust deeper into the felt and hitting it with any moisture will certainly adhere it to the felt. If you don't have an air compressor then those little cans of compressed air for cleaning computers will work.

 

[bond]

Here's a beautiful vintage 5x Stetson I just restored. The sweat was popped and ribbon rotted so I upped it to 7 1/2 and added a ribbon and wind cord . Sponged the felt to lightly clean and preserve the nice patina. Felt is very thin and very dense and one of the nicest Stetsons I've come across . Inside original sweat is the Rensh stamp.