Akubra – RESERECTION

[Renderking Fisk]

Hey folks… This has been an amazing day. Got a package that I’ll tell you about in another thread from a fellow Gearhead (if it’s alright with him). And I received a message from one of our newest members on how to clean sap out of felt. Huge Thanks goes to Andykev. He suggested I use NAPTHA… a solvent found at hardware stores to get paint out.

Sad thing is… it not only took the sap out but a year and a half worth of natural distressing. Oh well.

[Cooler King]

Woah woah woah, are you saying that you got all of the sap OUT of the Fed!? Wow, I thought your fed was done for Ren, very cool. Pic?

[Renderking Fisk]

Get a pic of Ron's website, but my face underneith and that's the condition of my old Akubra.

[Kentucky Blues]

Well Fisk, relive the adventure

Regards, Daryl.

[Renderking Fisk]

Well Fisk, relive the adventure

Regards, Daryl.

I was in the parking lot with my fedora, this Naphtha and cheese clothe. I poured some naphtha on the cheese cloth and dabbed a small spot of tree sap that just seemed to evaporate. It didn’t damage the felt at all. But I was awestruck that it left a spot that was DARKER then the rest of the fedora.

So, here I am in the parking lot… still. And I’m now hitting larger spots with the naphtha… And again the sap just vanishes. When I look cloth, the spots are filthy! I’M TAKING AWAY A YEAR AND A HALF OF DIRT AND DUST!

When I got home and when Coppertop was taking his afternoon nap, I did a whole cleaning of the Akubra. I’m looking at it now… it’s no longer a dusty brown but the chocolate brown that it was when I took it out of the box!

[ob1al]

Wow Ren - pecards for the jacket and Naphtha for the fed

Al

[Cooler King]

This is amazing! Congratulations Ren!!!!! And God bless Andykev for the info, now we all know what to use we get sap on our hats!

And it's true, you really can't destroy the Fed, what a story!

[Renderking Fisk]

That's pretty much it. As good as new.

[Jsoftz]

Hm, you think it will work on my vintage borsalino? It's got 50 years at least of dust and dirt on it..

[Andykev]

Good hat stores remove the liner (for blocking later) and SOAK THE ENTIRE HAT IN CLEAN NAPTHA then scrub the fur in the proper direction. Then they spin the hat, and air dry it. Later it goes onto the block and is spun and brushed .....

The liner is later sewn in. Do you know why you take the liner out? It's because the seams in the liner will transfer thru the felt and make a mark...just like the ridge on an optimo style block will but the seam in the straw.

Use NAPTHA carefully...it is a solvent and is FLAMMABLE.

I know tree sap will come out with this stuff because it got into the seat of the pants...sat in some on a bench she did...so I gave it a dab on a terry cloth and out came the sap.

[Renderking Fisk]

Hm, you think it will work on my vintage borsalino? It's got 50 years at least of dust and dirt on it..

Ask Andy... although he might be busy with his sitting with the statue folks.
... don't you know the town's folk here in Rindge want to make him a Saint.

[Andykev]

No, not by a long shot. But I have always tried to help a friend. Hats are my passion, and to preserve such treasures is what it is all about. Everyone out there knows SOMETHING more than me, that's how we all improve. We share our knowledge and lend a hand. It's the right thing to do. Hummmm , sounds like I'm already in the Christmas Spirit!