Club Obi Wan

Over the years I have begun to notice some dark lines along the "nose" and top pinch of my Poet. This is more than likely due to me constantly creasing it to keep it in Raiders shape. I was just wondering if this might cause some structural and stability issues down the road? I was also wondering if there was possibly a cheap way to gradually fix it?

Most likely dirt and oil from your fingers. But yes, over time you can wear a hole in the crease. No need to constantly pinch it. But really there's no good way to get rid of the staining without sending it for a cleaning and reblock.

Once you have creased your hat to the shape you want it, you really shouldn't handle the crown much. Dirt and oil from your hands, as well as continued creasing will weaken and damage the felt.

Forrest For the Trees wrote:Once you have creased your hat to the shape you want it, you really shouldn't handle the crown much. Dirt and oil from your hands, as well as continued creasing will weaken and damage the felt.

Well, it was the seller who originally creased it for me, all I did was try to keep it that shape.

Well, a hat is a material object. Yes, care for it the best you can, but when it's time, it's time. Besides, then you can be happy by getting a new one and starting over!

Charybdis wrote:Well, a hat is a material object. Yes, care for it the best you can, but when it's time, it's time. Besides, then you can be happy by getting a new one and starting over!

Forget it pal, I ain't getting a new nothin'.

Why have you had to keep re-creasing it if you don't mind me asking?

I've had a few hats with the tight raiders pinch and I've had them wear down just from constantly taking it off and on from the pinch (bad form I know but they were beater akubra hats) but never had to re-crease it constantly to the point of it wearing down. How old is the hat?

I'm guessing since it's a Poet that it's rabbit fur, is it just really floppy and loose?

backstagejack wrote:Why have you had to keep re-creasing it if you don't mind me asking?

I've had a few hats with the tight raiders pinch and I've had them wear down just from constantly taking it off and on from the pinch (bad form I know but they were beater akubra hats) but never had to re-crease it constantly to the point of it wearing down. How old is the hat?

I'm guessing since it's a Poet that it's rabbit fur, is it just really floppy and loose?

I got it as a Christmas gift in 2005. I have no idea what it's made of. I was was told it was from Herbert Johnson, but for all I know it could have been a replica from Todd's costumes. (It says Herbert Johnson on the inner label and sweatband) I kept creasing the nose because it kept making a triangle at the bottom, and I didn't know how to keep it tight (tucking it beneath the ribbon.)

Ah. Well, it is a 15 year-old rabbit fur hat. They don't last forever. As to the crease not staying in all the way down, I just don't crease mine that far down. I think it looks fine if it opens up a bit just above the ribbon.

Unless you're aiming for a dirty/distressed look, you should periodically brush your hat to lessen the amount of dirt particles present. A dirty hat will break down quicker. If you are having trouble "setting" the crease, a quick shot of hat stiffener (or even scotch guard) can help.

jlee562 wrote:Unless you're aiming for a dirty/distressed look, you should periodically brush your hat to lessen the amount of dirt particles present. A dirty hat will break down quicker. If you are having trouble "setting" the crease, a quick shot of hat stiffener (or even scotch guard) can help.

How do you recommend I clean it? What materials & methods? Hat Brush? Distilled Water? Shoe Brush? Packing Tape?

Use a hat brush and a lint roller to pull up the dirt. A little distilled water and a soft brush *might* do a little something for the oil, or at least diffuse it so it's not so noticeable, but really the only thing to take it out is a professional cleaning.

Illinois_Jones wrote:Use a hat brush and a lint roller to pull up the dirt. A little distilled water and a soft brush *might* do a little something for the oil, or at least diffuse it so it's not so noticeable, but really the only thing to take it out is a professional cleaning.

Great, do you know a person/place who can do it for someone who earns minimum wage?

Depends on your location. If you're in the states, John Penman is probably your best bet. In Europe, you could probably send it back to HJ.

And stop handling it by the pinch! You'll end up with a hat that looks like this:

Kungaloosh wrote: Great, do you know a person/place who can do it for someone who earns minimum wage?

There's always a chance that there's a hat maker or cleaner in your area. I've found random ones, usually in larger cities near me.

Penman's prices for cleaning aren't bad. The killer would be postage I reckon.

Cleaning (bath) - $30.00
Cleaning (spot) - $15.00

http://www.penmanhats.com/prices.html

That being said I'm not sure it will fix your issue which is constantly re-creasing it..... I fear you will keep having this problem if you keep re-creasing it.

backstagejack wrote: That being said I'm not sure it will fix your issue which is constantly re-creasing it..... I fear you will keep having this problem if you keep re-creasing it.

I'm not re-creasing it any more, Jack! I stopped a long time ago.

Kungaloosh wrote:
I'm not re-creasing it any more, Jack! I stopped a long time ago.

Nice to know. Then maybe you'll be fine after a cleaning. Good luck.

Kungaloosh wrote:

Illinois_Jones wrote:Use a hat brush and a lint roller to pull up the dirt. A little distilled water and a soft brush *might* do a little something for the oil, or at least diffuse it so it's not so noticeable, but really the only thing to take it out is a professional cleaning.

Great, do you know a person/place who can do it for someone who earns minimum wage?

Well, there are things you can do before sending it out.

The first step would be steaming and brushing.

The next step would be to try a hat sponge, which is slightly abrasive and will remove a fine layer of fur fibers.

The third thing you can is by a spray on felt hat cleaner like Kahl's.

I've found the OTC spray cleaners to be effective on things like olive oil splashes (happened to me once while cooking) and certainly dirt but are at best only borderline effective against human sebaceous oils. It may be the waxy esters or squalene in it, but skin oils really need a harsh surfectant to lift out of the felt. That's why makeup stains are such a pain to remove from pretty much everything.

If it were beaver I'd say try a tiny amount of plain hand soap and some distilled water, but rabbit that may be having some wear issues in that very spot would make me leery.

Would you say my hat is dark or light?

Well, both today and last Sunday I've been working on cleaning my hat. I have bought distilled water, a hat brush, hat sponges, Brickmore foaming dark cleaner, fine grit sandpaper, and microfiber towels. After some elbow grease, a little patience, & some hours cleaning, steaming, brushing, and sanding, I think the result turned out pretty good.



But...

After removing the dirt and grime, my worst fears were confirmed. There were some very small tears along the nose crease.

I am open to any suggestions... I've been reading, on the fedoralounge, that Jade Glue works. Otherwise, I guess I better start preparing a memorial service.

It looks about as good as you could hope. The hat is what it is at this point, so there's not much hope of a reblock.

As for the tears, a neutral water soluble PVA like Jade would be okay, but IMO you should try to take the liner out and go in from behind. Pack the tears with as much felt as you can, smooth it and make it look good, then GENTLY try to get the glue to soak in from the back side and set those fibers from behind. Then hit it with a good amount of stiffener on the front. Don't pop the creases out, just leave them and effectively set them permanently and be happy with it.

Kungaloosh wrote:Well, both today and last Sunday I've been working on cleaning my hat. I have bought distilled water, a hat brush, hat sponges, Brickmore foaming dark cleaner, fine grit sandpaper, and microfiber towels. After some elbow grease, a little patience, & some hours cleaning, steaming, brushing, and sanding, I think the result turned out pretty good.



But...

After removing the dirt and grime, my worst fears were confirmed. There were some very small tears along the nose crease.

I am open to any suggestions... I've been reading, on the fedoralounge, that Jade Glue works. Otherwise, I guess I better start preparing a memorial service.

Looks like the cleaning went pretty well. As for the small tears, it made me think that Indy probably never had the problem of wearing out his hats -- from the movies, it appears none of them lasted that long!

If I were writing an Indy novel, I'd put in a funny little scene where he stops in to order a dozen hats from his favorite hat shop. Only it's a new employee who's never met Indy before, and he thinks this professor is nuts for ordering so many hats at once.

Then the hat shop owner comes out from the back and explains, "Some men are, shall we say, harder on hats than others. As Dr. Jones likes to say, 'It's not the years, it's the mileage.' "