Cleaning the felt

In-depth discussion of the Fedora of Indiana Jones and all other hats appearing in the Indiana Jones movies

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Snakewhip_Sable
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Cleaning the felt

Post by Snakewhip_Sable »

A search only revealed how to clean liners and that folk who reblock also clean.

I want to remove a considerable amount of dust (all of it, really :? ) from my fedora. How would I do that? With a vaccum or something?
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Post by Hemingway Jones »

I brush mine with a hairbrush. That does the trick quickly and easily and without a risk of sticky residue, though it does carry the risk that Indiana Spielberg will figure out what I have been doing with her hair brush! :wink:
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Michaelson
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Post by Michaelson »

I use a damp face cloth/washrag, and wipe the hat off in a counter clockwise direction. The cloth doesn't have to be to wet, just damp. Once it drys (won't take long), I then brush in the same direction with a good hat brush. Regards. Michaelson
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Post by Snakewhip_Sable »

Why counterclockwise, Knower of Things? and where does one get a hat brush?

I think the tape sounds reasonable too. A hairbrush though?!

and to think, some folks get their hats dusty on purpose!
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Michaelson
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Post by Michaelson »

Felt is spun into the cone in a clockwise direction. By cleaning in a counterclockwise direction, you keep the felting tight. Brushes are available through hat stores, but I find a clothes brush, found just about anywhere, works just fine. Regards. Michaelson
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Post by Hemingway Jones »

Snakewhip_Sable wrote: A hairbrush though?! and to think, some folks get their hats dusty on purpose!
It has never been used for brushing hair (I was joking, well half-joking: I did steal it from her).
It brushes lint and dust right off the hat.
Try it before you criticize. Or else be a lot more careful the next time you engage in some creative breaking and entering and random acts of vandalism. :wink:
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Post by Michaelson »

Be kind of careful with the hairbrush, HJ. The bristles are pretty stiff, and could actually harm the felt, where a hat brush or clothes brush have much softer bristles. Regards. Michaelson
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Post by Hemingway Jones »

Michaelson wrote:Be kind of careful with the hairbrush, HJ. The bristles are pretty stiff, and could actually harm the felt, where a hat brush or clothes brush have much softer bristles. Regards. Michaelson
This thing is pretty soft, almost like a baby's brush, and I don't apply a lot of pressure.
You know, I should pick up a clothes brush anyway. -It would be pretty handy for my suits as well.
How do you think one of those velvet-like lint brushes would be?
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Post by Michaelson »

That's on the reverse side of my clothes brush. Kinda works, but I've never been super impressed with it. Sometimes all it does is carry the lint to another location on the hat. :? Regards. Michaelson
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Post by Snakewhip_Sable »

So are you guys talking about a lint brush? Is that what you mean?
Hemingway Jones wrote:Try it before you criticize. Or else be a lot more careful the next time you engage in some creative breaking and entering and random acts of vandalism. :wink:
I'm not criticizing, just wondering. and FYI, we never, ever break and enter and we certainly never vandalize anything. We go by the cavers motto: Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos. However, vandals and demolition crews make our way, and if the building will be imminently destroyed, we partake in 'archeological salvage', after a vote.
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Post by Hemingway Jones »

Snakewhip_Sable wrote:and FYI, we never, ever break and enter and we certainly never vandalize anything. We go by the cavers motto: Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos. However, vandals and demolition crews make our way, and if the building will be imminently destroyed, we partake in 'archeological salvage', after a vote.
I hope you know I was kidding around with you. I should have put a smiley after my :wink: , so I will do it now: :wink: :D .
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Michaelson
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Post by Michaelson »

Snakewhip_Sable wrote:So are you guys talking about a lint brush? Is that what you mean?

More or less. When I think of a 'lint brush', I think of the velvet backed version HJ was mentioning. I'm referring to a soft bristled clothes brush, which is used to remove lint and dirt. I guess it you want to call it a lint brush, that works. I know you've seen them...brush one side, velvet lint side on the other, handle with a shoe horn at the end....Regards. Michaelson
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Post by Snakewhip_Sable »

Ah! gotcha. Thanks, guys!

I knew you were joshin', Hemmingway, just wanna make sure no one gets the wrong idea.
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Post by Glurrk »

Snakewhip-

David Morgan sells a hat brush, which I use on my Akubra Fed. Works well enough for me! :)
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Post by rick5150 »

I want to remove a considerable amount of dust (all of it, really ) from my fedora.
:shock: Why?! That is what makes it look Indy-like :wink:
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Post by Snakewhip_Sable »

nah, it makes me look more hobo-like.
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Post by Indiana Texas-girl »

Michaelson wrote:Felt is spun into the cone in a clockwise direction. By cleaning in a counterclockwise direction, you keep the felting tight.
So when you do under the brim, do you go clockwise or counter-clockwise?
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Post by Michaelson »

Under the brim, clockwise. Top of the brim and crown, counterclockwise. Regards. Michaelson
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Post by VP »

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Michaelson
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Post by Michaelson »

Yep. Keeps coming up, doesn't it VP? :wink: Regards. Michaelson
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Post by J_Weaver »

Maybe it needs to be a sticky? :-k
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Post by Michaelson »

I believe it's going to be incorporated into the FAQ in the mainpage update. If not....it should be. I'll mention it. Regards. Michaelson
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Post by Snakewhip_Sable »

Good call, because I DID do a search though for 'cleaning'. I didn't know anything about 'brushing' hats before asking.
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Michaelson
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Post by Michaelson »

Really? I did a search and had 181 hits for 'Hat cleaning', and 30 for 'Hat brushing'. But it would be helpful to just find it in an FAQ. Regards. Michaelson
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Post by Snakewhip_Sable »

I must be cursed. do you need to use quotation marks?
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Post by Michaelson »

I didn't. Regards. Michaelson
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