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[gtdean48]

... I'm not really well versed in the world of leather care.

You're in TX so find a saddle shop. They know leather care well....

 

[CONELRAD]

Alright, I'll do that, I've been intending to go to Sheplers for various hat care supplies anyway (brush, sponge, etc.), I'll just add that to the itinerary.

 

[Landman]

I use Lexol Leather Conditioner like gtdean48 mentioned. You can buy it at most western wear stores in the boot department. It has worked very well for me. I just put a very small drop on my index finger and slowly rub it in. Continue to do that until the whole sweatband has been rubbed down. I let it sit overnight and remove any excess that wasn't absorbed with a clean white cloth. Be careful though that you don't let any drop off your finger on to the felt!

 

[bond]

I recently used some saddle soap I had been using for leather shoes and it worked fine.
I prefer the cream paste to liquid conditioner as a way of not soiling the felt.
Also be sure to put some sort of protection between the felt and the inside of the sweat to avoid absorption through to the felt especially if your using a liquid conditioner.

 

[CONELRAD]

I have some Weiman leather wipes that I used on my Argus C3 case, I don't know how that compares to Lexol and Pecard, but it worked okay on the C3 case, except for some cracks in the strap which it seemed to exacerbate (though I actually think that was my own fault). I bought it Wal-Mart, so I can't imagine it's ad good as either of those. And which side or sides of the leather should I condition? Would one or more handkerchiefs be suitable to protect the felt from the conditioner?

 

[Landman]

I only put it on the side of the leather that touches your head. I use an old but clean white t-shirt that is cut up to protect certain areas. If you put just a little dab of Lexol on the tip of your index finger it is pretty easy to control. Too much and it will run on you.

 

[gtdean48]

I've used Weimans, Meguiars & Lexol wipes on saddles, motorcycle & car seats, saddlebags, holsters, boots, belts, sofa & loveseat, etc. plus hat sweatbands, all to good results.
Some come in cleaner & conditioner & some just conditioner.
I get Lexol wipes at local feed/tack store & mostly use the conditioner.
I do use the cleaner & conditioner ones on my "work" hats that get a lot of sweat & dust when cleaning stalls or bushhogging the pastures.
I've never had any skin reaction on my forehead from Lexol conditioner wipes or the others above. YRMV....

 

[CONELRAD]

Okay, I'll try the Weiman. Should I turn the band inside out or leave it as is?

And on a different subject, what's the best method of restoring the crown to open? Since, as I said earlier, the shape was steamed in at Peters Brothers, and now I've noticed several things that I really want to change. As I said before, I just want to clarify before I do anything that might cause any harm to the hat.

And one more, less important question. On the front of the crown, between the pinches, the felt seems to be slightly furrier than the rest, I didn't notice this before the work I had done, but that doesn't mean it wasn't there. What could be the reason for this? Would a hat sponge help even it out? It doesn't really bother me, bit I just want to make sure there's not a serious problem with the felt.

I really hate to ask so many questions, but I'm just trying to learn my way around hats.

 

[gtdean48]

... what's the best method of restoring the crown to open? ...And one more, less important question. On the front of the crown, between the pinches, the felt seems to be slightly furrier than the rest, I didn't notice this before the work I had done, but that doesn't mean it wasn't there. What could be the reason for this? Would a hat sponge help even it out? It doesn't really bother me, bit I just want to make sure there's not a serious problem with the felt.

I really hate to ask so many questions, but I'm just trying to learn my way around hats.

The best for me has been using a Hat Shaper to remove factory creases since they are blocked in by machine nowadays.
The felt is fur fibers & they can get furry when the fibers lose grip with the other fibers. Brushing or sponging can get them to lay back down. Also, additional pouncing with a high grade of sandpaper may be needed.
We don't mind questions except those that have been addressed over & over again which are answered with a Google search or advanced Lounge search of the content....

 

[CONELRAD]

Well, it's not blocked, it was open crown, but the second time I took it to Peters Bros he steamed in a unsatisfactory (to me) shape. I really think I could steam it back, but I feel uneasy about steaming it myself, because I don't want to end up shrinking the hat. Alternatively, I read somewhere here about misting it with cool water. I just want to know the best method of steaming it (or misting it), so I don't screw it up beyond saving. If that doesn't work, then I'll move on to more drastic measures like the Hat Shaper.

 

[gtdean48]

Well, it's not blocked, it was open crown, but the second time I took it to Peters Bros he steamed in a unsatisfactory (to me) shape. I really think I could steam it back, but I feel uneasy about steaming it myself, because I don't want to end up shrinking the hat. Alternatively, I read somewhere here about misting it with cool water. I just want to know the best method of steaming it (or misting it), so I don't screw it up beyond saving. If that doesn't work, then I'll move on to more drastic measures like the Hat Shaper.

Steaming relaxes the felt because it helps with moisture absorption. It also reactivates the shellac in the felt when it cools. I use cool, distilled water in a spray bottle if I am doing drastic crease work. Small tweaks, I use steam. One trick is to use a bowl or large spoon to smooth out the crown back to Open Crown form. You are only steaming the felt to get it to mold easily & you still have to be able to handle it = if you are steaming it so long that it is too hot for your hands, you are doing it too long. You won't damage the felt unless you go way past this point.
Even after a drastic creasing, I'll steam the crown to set the crease by reactivating the shellac.
Hat Shaper is good for taking out hard pressed factory creases like in modern Stetsons...

 

[Connoisseur_BP]

Could someone please explain the grading system to me on Panama hats? For example, which grade is more desirable? Thank you in advance.

 

[BR Gordon]

Could someone please explain the grading system to me on Panama hats? For example, which grade is more desirable? Thank you in advance.

Which type of panamas, cuencas or montecristis?

If you go to PanamaBobs site you can get a lot of information about panamas. http://panamas.biz/

 

[CONELRAD]

Steaming relaxes the felt because it helps with moisture absorption. It also reactivates the shellac in the felt when it cools. I use cool, distilled water in a spray bottle if I am doing drastic crease work. Small tweaks, I use steam. One trick is to use a bowl or large spoon to smooth out the crown back to Open Crown form. You are only steaming the felt to get it to mold easily & you still have to be able to handle it = if you are steaming it so long that it is too hot for your hands, you are doing it too long. You won't damage the felt unless you go way past this point.
Even after a drastic creasing, I'll steam the crown to set the crease by reactivating the shellac.
Hat Shaper is good for taking out hard pressed factory creases like in modern Stetsons...

Ah, thank you very much, that helps a lot, I've been wanting to try to steam it but I was too scared I'd mess it up to actually do it, that's just the information I needed.

One last thing before I'm out of all of your hair, when I condition the sweatband should I leave it as it is or turn it inside-out? I've thought about it, and in my mind both ways would have their pros and cons. Which way do you guys do it? (I hate to repost this at the risk of sounding too pushy, but this is such a fast moving thread, I think it'll be forgotten in no time if I don't.)

 

[gtdean48]

...One last thing before I'm out of all of your hair, when I condition the sweatband should I leave it as it is or turn it inside-out? ...

When I work with a vintage sweat, I condition it as is. Even though they appear & feel supple, flipping them inside out can cause splits & cracks or even stress the old thread of the stitching.
If I am applying a lot of conditioner, I'll slip a paper towel between the sweat & the crown just incase some soaks thru or there is a hole or crack I didn't find.

 

[CONELRAD]

When I work with a vintage sweat, I condition it as is. Even though they appear & feel supple, flipping them inside out can cause splits & cracks or even stress the old thread of the stitching.
If I am applying a lot of conditioner, I'll slip a paper towel between the sweat & the crown just incase some soaks thru or there is a hole or crack I didn't find.

I've already turned the band inside-out several times, and while it didn't crack, it did crease a bit more than I think it should've, which is partly what makes me think it's a bit on the dry side. But I'll leave it as is for this anyway, and put some paper towels in just to be safe. Thank you very much for all of your answers by the way, I think I've finally got all the information I need, but I can't promise I won't be back here.

 

[Alive'n'Amplified]

Beaver Quality

Noob Question:

How are X's used to designate the quality of a hat? What does it mean with 3 X's vs. 5 X's, etc.?

 

[LoveMyHats2]

In some ways the "X" on a hat will depend on who made the hat. A stetson say for example with more "X" on it will normally be a finer quality beaver blend to it, and as the "x"''s go up so does the quality. I have owned a five X older stetson and you could tell it was more supple than a 3 x. Some hats however that are wool will have some "x"'s on them, now that I have no way to say why? You will see that in some cheaper cowboy hats. I think there is a article (maybe here also) but if you google about the "x" factor, explains it in detail. Perhaps someone else can add to all this????

 

[gtdean48]

Noob Question:

How are X's used to designate the quality of a hat? What does it mean with 3 X's vs. 5 X's, etc.?

It is only relative to hats made during the same era for Stetson. Earlier 3X's are better quality than later 4X's or even 10X. Lots of reading in the Lounge on this subject....

 

[Connoisseur_BP]

Which type of panamas, cuencas or montecristis?

If you go to PanamaBobs site you can get a lot of information about panamas. http://panamas.biz/

Wow, thank you kindly! That helped a lot actually. I feel like a just took Panama Hats 101 and know a lot about them now.