Can you dye a lighter hat darker?

[Mobile Vulgus]

This might be an idiotic question...

I have a cheapie silverbelly hat. It isn't worth much because its only a few years old. Perfect for experimenting on.

So, what are the chances that I can dye it black, or brown, or even gray and have it take the color? (Obviously first I'd strip it of sweatband, ribbon, liner, etc.)

Will the finishing of the original hat preclude a re-dyeing?

What do you think? A waste of time to even consider it or is it a "might work"?

 

[zetwal]

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?11293-Dyeing-hats

 

[Mobile Vulgus]

Thank you Zetwal.

 

[monbla256]

All of what has been reffered to makes sense I just wonder if some form of addative would have to be put in the dye to dissolve the shelac/stiffener if one were re-dying a Western hat ? Is that additive to a hat water/heat dissolveable?

 

[Sam Craig]

Dang!
I gotta say, this is intimidating.
Boiling a hat?
If anyone gets into this, let us know how it goes.
That's just amazing!
Lots of luck!

Sam

 

[StetsonHomburg]

Boiling A HAT! That sounds worse than an Indiana Jones fan buying a 1920's Brown homburg and destroying it to make a Fedora!

 

[zetwal]

Freeze it, boil it, sand it, flange it, iron it, steam it, bash it ... is there no end to this depravity?

 

[jwalls]

Don't die that hat!! Buy another. No kidding it's probably more trouble than it's worth.

 

[BanjoMerlin]

Alchohol-based leather dyes will most certainly change the color of your hat.

I doubt the odds of getting a good overall consistent color are very good but if you need to put some permanent spots on a light colored hat they will do it.