Drop of water causes felt fibres to shed off my new Borsalino hat: is this normal?

[Genuine Classic Gangster]

I have a new Borsalino hat. It had some marks on the crown, which I presume got there either due to stryrofoam band which was enclosing the crown before I got it, or due to the cardboard band that encloses the crown when it is in my hat box.

To get rid of the marks, I tried putting a few drops of distilled water on the hat, and then I rubbed that area with my finger.

Every time I did this, I would notice that felt fibres shed off of the hat and onto my finger. This happens even if I do not put any water directly on the hat, and just touch my finger to a single drop of distilled water, and then touch the hat.

My questions are: are such shedding of felt fibres due to the slightest contact with water normal? Does this shedding indicate a very poor quality of felt? In theory, if I repeatedly put a drop of water on the hat hundreds/thousands of times, would the felt shedding eventually stop before the hat loses all its felt, or would the shedding continue until no felt is left upon the hat?

 

[DougC]

Are you rubbing back and forth? If so, you might be rubbing the felt off. Try only going counter clockwise.

 

[fedoralover]

I have a new Borsalino hat. It had some marks on the crown, which I presume got there either due to stryrofoam band which was enclosing the crown before I got it, or due to the cardboard band that encloses the crown when it is in my hat box.

To get rid of the marks, I tried putting a few drops of distilled water on the hat, and then I rubbed that area with my finger.

Every time I did this, I would notice that felt fibres shed off of the hat and onto my finger. This happens even if I do not put any water directly on the hat, and just touch my finger to a single drop of distilled water, and then touch the hat.

My questions are: are such shedding of felt fibres due to the slightest contact with water normal? Does this shedding indicate a very poor quality of felt? In theory, if I repeatedly put a drop of water on the hat hundreds/thousands of times, would the felt shedding eventually stop before the hat loses all its felt, or would the shedding continue until no felt is left upon the hat?

That definitely should not happen whether you are rubbing it back and forth or not. I've cleaned dozens of hats and have 9 vintage borsalinos and have "rubbed" the heck out of them to clean them and no felt fiber have come off like that. Don't know if that's the norm with all new borsalino's, but to be honest the new one's I've seen do look to be very loosely felted. It could be just a bad run of felt. I'd seriously consider sending it back for another hat. If it happens on the new hat get a refund and go with a custom.

fedoralover

 

[gtdean48]

New hats continue to felt so shedding some fibers could happen. Best way to remove marks is steam & brushing. Steam softens the felt for brushing & cooling lets it settle. Not sure what wetting & rubbing is for...