Can't find a hat bursh, what can I use instead?

[tonyb]

Just curious, Legal--why are you having difficulty locating a hat brush? Have you tried the online hat sellers? Mine are made from fairly stiff natural animal hair (horse, I believe it is). The bristles are about an inch and quarter long. The hat retailer and western wear stores out here keep them in stock. Figure 10 or 12 bucks apiece.

 

[K.D. Lightner]

If you can find a western or boot store that carries cowboy hats, they would have hat brushes. They have them for light hats and dark hats.

karol

 

[spiridon]

I know this borders on being "sacriligeous", but I picked up a couple of natural bristle paint brushes at WalMart for 99 cents a week or two ago....they seem to work just fine. That being said, I will also get a true hat brush when I find the time.....as I think of using a hatbrush as part of the whole "hat ritual experience".

 

[tonyb]

Sounds good to me.

 

[Matt Deckard]

pretty much any bristle brush... even a paint brush sans paint is fine for dusting off a hat.

but this is classier
First hit on google.
http://www.villagehatshop.com/felt_hat_brush_brim.html

 

[Marc Chevalier]

No no, gentlemen! Legal Concepts is looking for a hat bursh. Totally different from a brush. Didn't you know that?

 

[J. M. Stovall]

I've always used an extra shoe shine brush. Maybe the bristle are not really as stiff as a real hat brush but it seems to work just fine for me.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

A Non-Believer

I don't like hat brushes. They are contradictory. Every place you can buy them on-line, the description says to use a soft bristled brush. But the actual hat brushes are stiff enough to scratch my own skin without much pressure. I already scratched one hat with a light brushing, :rage: and I'll never use them again. I wasted my money. Now I use a paintbrush.

 

[Fedora]

I don't like hat brushes. They are contradictory. Every place you can buy them on-line, the description says to use a soft bristled brush. But the actual hat brushes are stiff enough to scratch my own skin without much pressure. I already scratched one hat with a light brushing, and I'll never use them again. I wasted my money. Now I use a paintbrush.

Mine came from B and L Products. I have two crown brushes, one for light hats, one for dark, and two brim brushes. The crown brush is really soft, with long, 4 inch horse hairs. Perfect for crowns. The brim brushes have short horse hairs, I am guessing 1 3/4 inches long, and are stiffer. Sounds like you got something other than genuine hat brushes. Fedora

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Hmm...

Mine came from B and L Products. I have two crown brushes, one for light hats, one for dark, and two brim brushes. The crown brush is really soft, with long, 4 inch horse hairs. Perfect for crowns. The brim brushes have short horse hairs, I am guessing 1 3/4 inches long, and are stiffer. Sounds like you got something other than genuine hat brushes. Fedora

Maybe not, I don't know. I got them from Noggintops, and they look like the curved dustbroom type I've seen posted here. Never saw a crown brush at all.[huh]

 

[mjbrekke]

I inherited my grandfather's hat brush, vintage early 20th century. It was a complimetary item he gave away to customers of his insurance business. The bristles (horsehair seems a good guess) are 1 1/8" long and stiffer than a typical paint brush, but I've never had any trouble scratching the hat. A gentle touch is all that I've found necessary.

 

[JPS]

Hat burshes...

Hey Legal,

KD had a good idea. I did a little more looking. Check these links out. If you do a search for “brush� you will find both light and dark brim and crown burshes. Both Cavender’s and Shepler’s are reputable chains of western apparel stores.

JPS

http://www.cavenders.com/default.asp?sblid=tophome

http://www.sheplers.com/home.cfm

 

[jjunner]

i have been told by a western hat dealer that she just uses masking tape because its faster and no chance of damaging the hat. Haven't tried it myself though.

 

[magneto]

OT: re: "cleaning hat with tape" rec

i have been told by a western hat dealer that she just uses masking tape because its faster and no chance of damaging the hat. Haven't tried it myself though.

This is one thing I've wondered about; you see those "dust and lint removers" that are simply spools of masking tape attached to a handle. (I admit to using them to clean a short-nap hat a few times). Wouldn't the residue of the sticky tape transfer to the felt (or other material) upon repeated use?

I've used a scrap of velour or long-nap velvet to clean off felt in a pinch.

 

[Zach R.]

Depends on the type of "lint-roller" you buy.

I've found that some of the cheaper ones not only work poorly but they leave a residue as well(when I've tried to get cat hair off of my dark jackets).

 

[riosfernando]

What about...

...sponges, like the one offered in sheplers.com? Does anyone used an sponge before?

 

[Fedora]

Heres a crown brush. http://www.sheplers.com/item.cfm?DI=101406&Page=FastSearch&SearchHandle=DADBDADHDADADDDGDEDEEFEEDBDGDBEGCNEEDEDAEDCNDAECECEFCNDBDCDHDACNDADADCDBEDDJEBECDCDADCDADADADADBDADADADADJGIGBHECAGCHCHFHDGIDADADADEDADADADADADADADBDFDADADADBDCDADADADADADADADADADADADBDADADADADJGIGBHECAGCHCHFHDGIDADADADBDB

 

[RedPop4]

I'm going to try all the possibles here. Spiridon brought me three nice hats for the Super Bowl when he drove over. But last night I got down from the closet a black Kensington by Stetson that I bought almost 20 years ago. I do not, yet, have a brush, so I used to lint roller thingy. I had to change the tape a number of times as it's been up there so long.

It still looks a bit dusty, however, it's clean enough for now. I should have an extra shoe shine brush up there too, I'm going to try that also, thanks for that suggestion. Can't go wrong with a $.99 brush, heck if it's not worthy or good enough, just chunk it in the tool box and use it for general cleanup .

 

[the_great_humon]

The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

I've had pretty good luck using the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. The only caution is to use a light touch, as they tend to crumble if you have a heavy hand.

 

[John in Covina]

Heres a crown brush. http://www.sheplers.com/item.cfm?DI=101406&Page=FastSearch&SearchHandle=DADBDADHDADADDDGDEDEEFEEDBDGDBEGCNEEDEDAEDCNDAECECEFCNDBDCDHDACNDADADCDBEDDJEBECDCDADCDADADADADBDADADADADJGIGBHECAGCHCHFHDGIDADADADEDADADADADADADADBDFDADADADBDCDADADADADADADADADADADADBDADADADADJGIGBHECAGCHCHFHDGIDADADADBDB

*******
Wow! That link looks like some sort of DNA sequencing!