Any suggestion on a hat that bleeds dye

[Ghost]

I recently purchased a Dobbs Homburg hat (fur felt, brown), and realized that it bleeds its dye when it gets wet. I first noticed it when I used steam to reshape it a little to fit better on my head. My fingertips were all brown. So, I tested it by spraying some water over it, and the result was a big brown river flowing down from the hat. I have owned several Akubra hats and Stetson hats, and they never did this. I like to think that my hats can handle any weather conditions. And I do not want the hat to ruin my shirt or jacket if it gets rained on. Is there anything I can do to stop the hat from bleeding its dye?

If it's impossible, I would like to purchase another Homburg hat. I got this Dobbs one because it had a fairly wide brim for a Homburg (3 inches (2.5 inches in the curled shape). I prefer brown, but black would be ok too. Do you know where to find a Homburg hat that does not bleed color and has a wider brim?

Thank you for your help.

 

[TCMfan25]

The same thing happens to my Dark Brown 60's Adam Premier Fedora, it is my beater hat but the leaking is rather off putting... I would like to know the cause/prevention too pleas .

 

[Rathdown]

I am told by my neighbor the taxidermist that over time fabric dies slough off animal hair, and that may be what you are experiencing. As for a cure, he suggested trying spray-on ScotchGuard as a possibility.

 

[scottyrocks]

There are two other possibilities, and I'm not being facetious with either one of them.

1. Don't wear that hat if there is any chance of rain.

2. Run water over it until it stops running dye.

The scotchguard option sounds like the best first try, though. I'm just not sure how effective it will be. Scotchguard is not a water proofer. It makes fabrics more water resistant. There could still be some bleeding, and any bleeding is not good.

 

[monbla256]

I recently purchased a Dobbs Homburg hat (fur felt, brown), and realized that it bleeds its dye when it gets wet. I first noticed it when I used steam to reshape it a little to fit better on my head. My fingertips were all brown. So, I tested it by spraying some water over it, and the result was a big brown river flowing down from the hat. I have owned several Akubra hats and Stetson hats, and they never did this. I like to think that my hats can handle any weather conditions. And I do not want the hat to ruin my shirt or jacket if it gets rained on. Is there anything I can do to stop the hat from bleeding its dye?

If it's impossible, I would like to purchase another Homburg hat. I got this Dobbs one because it had a fairly wide brim for a Homburg (3 inches (2.5 inches in the curled shape). I prefer brown, but black would be ok too. Do you know where to find a Homburg hat that does not bleed color and has a wider brim?

Thank you for your help.

If it was a recently manufactured hat, ie a new Dobbs, I would not wear it anymore, but pack it up and get it back to the retailer you bought it from and either get another hat or your money back. Sounds like the dye was not set properly at the factory and it will continue to do this when it gets wet. Sometimes this happens with a hat or two, even a run of bodies but I would not say ALL Dobbs do this. If it's a new hat and it were mine it would go back.

 

[tonyb]

Lesser quality hats tend to bleed dye. The dark-colored ones often do, anyway.

Still, I've come across hats that seemed well enough made in just about every regard except the non-fastness (to coin a term) of the dye. What to do? I dunno, don't wear it in the rain, I suppose. Or see if the retailer will take it back.

 

[Shangas]

They should breed different colors of rabbits, and make hats from the color of rabbit that they want the hat to be.

This would have the salutary side effect of getting red and green hats off the market. Until the damn genetic manipulators got into the business, and then we'd have glow-in-the-dark hats.

Glow in the dark rabbits, huh...

 

[monbla256]

They should breed different colors of rabbits, and make hats from the color of rabbit that they want the hat to be.

This would have the salutary side effect of getting red and green hats off the market. Until the damn genetic manipulators got into the business, and then we'd have glow-in-the-dark hats.

OOOOOOH can't you see all the lime green bunnies hopping around the outback

 

[VetPsychWars]

Toss a match and run.

Tom

 

[Ghost]

Thank you everyone so far for your comments. It sounds like some people think that hats should never bleed dye like my most recent one does. Unfortunately, I would not send it back to the retailer because I had it shipped from the US half way around the planet to Australia. Shipping cost alone will be close to a price of a new hat. I'd rather strap a dynamite to it and blow it up just to feel good.

I'm thinking about getting a Continental Homburg by Borsalino from Bencraft Hats. I have never owned a Bosalino hat, but it sounds like a reputable company. Can anyone give opinions on the quality of Borsalino hats in general? If you can tell me about Continental Homburg in particular, that's even better.

 

[Mulceber]

Honestly Ghost, it looks nice, but given the problems you've already had with factory hats, if you're willing to drop $200-300 on a hat, I'd just bite the bullet and go custom. Companies like Tumwater Hat Co. are only about $50 more than what you wanted to pay for that Homburg, and then there's companies like Black Sheep Hat Works and Garrison Hatters who do first rate work and are actually cheaper than that Borsalino. Any of these companies will sell you a product that you KNOW will be high quality. There's no beating a hat that was made FOR YOU. -M

 

[Ghost]

Honestly Ghost, it looks nice, but given the problems you've already had with factory hats, if you're willing to drop $200-300 on a hat, I'd just bite the bullet and go custom. Companies like Tumwater Hat Co. are only about $50 more than what you wanted to pay for that Homburg, and then there's companies like Black Sheep Hat Works and Garrison Hatters who do first rate work and are actually cheaper than that Borsalino. Any of these companies will sell you a product that you KNOW will be high quality. There's no beating a hat that was made FOR YOU. -M

Mulceber,

Thank you for giving me those websites. I've heard of custom made hats on this site before, but I didn't know how to go about getting one, and I wrongly assumed it would be too expensive. As a hat lover, it would be very nice to have one of a kind hat just for myself. I will look into those websites.

 

[EggHead]

 

[1961MJS]

Mulceber,

Thank you for giving me those websites. I've heard of custom made hats on this site before, but I didn't know how to go about getting one, and I wrongly assumed it would be too expensive. As a hat lover, it would be very nice to have one of a kind hat just for myself. I will look into those websites.

Hi

Those websites are EXAMPLES of what they can do, not a catalog. Basically, ask and you will receive. If you don't know what crown height and brim you want, send a picture wearing a hat where you've measured those sized.

Later

 

[Richard Warren]

Re Borsalino and Continental :

I have a Borsalino Film bought from JJ hat Center in the late 90's. Excellent hat, very soft, has shrunk a bit over time ( I wore it in the rain and snow a lot: that's why I bought it). I also have a Como bought in New Orleans, which is also very nice. Based on these two I would recommend Borsalino traditional hats. The quality may have gone down some in recent years, but still beats the ready made competition.

I also bought an Alessandria from Bencraft a couple of years ago. Seems to be decent quality, but is labeled "Trionfo" (or something like it) and has a different sized brim than other Alessandrias I have seen that make me wonder whether it is different from other Borsalino's.

Then I bought a Continental Homburg from Bencraft, and had several issues. First. like the Alessandria, the labeling was not the same as on the other Borsalinos, it being labeled Vanzina "by Bencraft" (or something like that) This made me wonder whether the hat was of lesser quality than those actually labeled "Borsalino." Second, the hat is labeled "Continental II" rather than "Continental" which is what the website described. Since I had never actually seen the hat this did not make a big difference but just planted another doubt as to whether I was getting what I ordered. As to quality, the sweat band is out of kilter with the shape of the hat. The binding is unusual and does not extend much onto the outside of the brim, to the point that it does not look a lot like my idea of a traditional Homburg. The curl around the brim is extreme. The hat arrived with the top smashed in and looking sort of "puddled" (that is with a dark looking almost wet looking spot where it was smashed). After a bit of effort I managed to put a fairly decent center dent, but was never entirely able to overcome the smashing.

With the flat brim and center dent without visible binding it now looks mostly like a black state trooper hat.

 

[Mulceber]

Hi

Those websites are EXAMPLES of what they can do, not a catalog. Basically, ask and you will receive. If you don't know what crown height and brim you want, send a picture wearing a hat where you've measured those sized.

Later

Good point 1961MJS, and one I hadn't thought to make. Yeah, that's the other advantage of Custom - you don't have to go with a style they have listed. Is there a particular hat out there that you can find pictures of, but can't find for sale? Is there a hat from a movie you would love to own? The nice thing about custom is the hatter can make ANYTHING you want (within reason - ask a custom hatter for a Cavanagh edge and you might be in trouble). -M