Dyeing a Hat

[duggap]

There have been a few threads on dying hats and some of the fellows claim good success with them. I believe you would have to remove the liner and sweat band from it. I think most of the posts were addressing a rabbit felt but I don't see why beaver would not work as well. Good luck.

 

[Riot Earp]

Thanks. I found this thread and think I'll try the hair color method.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=22831&highlight=dyeing

The hat is chocolate brown and so I'll probably use "dark brown" color.

 

[Dinerman]

Do you mind me asking what the maker and model of the hat in question is?

 

[Riot Earp]

It's a Texas Hatters "Western Slope."

They use powder in their felt. When the felt gets wet, it turns blotchy and eventually starts losing color. Not sure if they always made them this way, but they do now. Very disappointing. I have switched to a different maker that does not use powder.

 

[Riot Earp]

Okay, I bought some Revlon Colorsilk "Dark Brown" haircolor, thinned it with water as the link recommended, and applied it liberally to my hat. The felt is now saturated (i.e. wet) and needs to dry at least overnight before I can sponge off the excess color. I'll give a final report when it's finished.

 

[Flatch]

So it didn't turn out well, I take it?

 

[Riot Earp]

Blotchy.

 

[Fedora]

I don't know of any good way to dye a hat. Years ago, I experimented with an old hat, but boiled it in dye. It was a beaver hat. It worked ok, but when I went to cut the brim, I noticed the dye only abosorbed on the outer part, and was still the same color inside. Just too dense to absorb the dye deep, even in boiling water.

I was told to boil it, pull it out, let it cool, and do this numerous times. Did not change much, a little more abosorbtion, but still the sandwich effect.

These days, I would not even try. I hear you have to dye hats under pressure, or to dye them before the felting is complete in order to get the dye to color the entire felt. While it is still porous. But, this applies only to beaver hats. I think. Fedora

 

[jeffconnors]

Bringing back faded/sun bleached hats

Is there anyway to bring back the color to a hat that was well worn outdoors?? I have two hats that I don't really ware due to color fading , Id like to see them regain their luster!
Any hat shops re-finish hats?

 

[gtdean48]

I've read of folks re-dying the felt here at the lounge but don't know of any hatters that offer that drastic of renovation service. [huh]
Some hatters will flip the hat inside out to expose the unexposed color but the underside of the brim will be the faded color.

 

[theinterchange]

Wow, I'd LOVE to have a well sunned hat so I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to revive one.

Randy

 

[Sam Craig]

I have a dark chocolate brown Resistol that began as a western hat and I converted it into an Indy-tpe fedora. It turn out good and it's always been a great wearing hat.

I got it new in 1977 and it has been in almost constant wear since then, in one form or another.

Here's the thing

This fool hat still leaks brown dye every time it gets wet.

How much dye can there be in one hat?

It is still just as dark brown as it was the day I bought it and it's been soaked through and through a hundred times.

Still, just recently, it got drenched and the water that ran off it was brown.

Amazing.

I don't think it could fade[huh]

 

[Sam Craig]

OK

I read that post and I got it ... you leave the hat in the back window of your car on a June day and it fades ....

But still, what's up with that dye?

 

[tonyb]

Brown hats often bleed dye, almost amazing amounts of it sometimes. You oughta see what happens when you mean for them to get soaked, like when they're stripped down to the body and soaked in a water-based cleaning solution. (Bleeding happens a whole lot less with those all-beaver bodies from that felting plant in Tennessee than it does with most modern big-name hats. I don't know what they do differently, but it's clearly better.)

As to sun-faded hats ...

I've redyed hat bodies, with varying levels of success. The process involves a high temperature dye bath, so you'll likely get at least a bit of shrinkage. If you have a lot of hat body to start with -- a large Western hat body, say -- then the shrinkage isn't such a problem.

I've had the best results with Jacquard brand acid dyes. Going from a light color to a dark one -- from a light gray to a dark blue, for instance -- usually works out well.

 

[Chinaski]

Tony, that is really interesting. Did you learn that by trial and error? Are those dyes you use made specifically for hats or did people just learn they were the best to use?

 

[tonyb]

Tony, that is really interesting. Did you learn that by trial and error? Are those dyes you use made specifically for hats or did people just learn they were the best to use?

Yes, many a trial. Plenty of error. A dash of tribulation.

I've kinda gotten into dyeing old stuff that is stained or faded or otherwise discolored such that it wouldn't really be presentable unless it were dyed. And which would, for that reason also, be no great loss if the experiment failed.

The most basic thing to know about dyeing a felt hat body is to use a dye formulated for protein (animal) fibers. In my admittedly limited experience, a general purpose dye, such as Rit, doesn't work for a darn, with either plant or animal fiber.

I just recently dyed a great old pair of all-wool flannel, very high waisted, double pleated, very wide-legged pants a burgundy color. They have drop loops and no waistband. (That's called a "Hollywood" waist, ain't it? I might be mistaken about that.) They had been a light gray color, and are in quite nice condition (especially considering they're at least 60 years old, by my estimation) except for some dinginess that cold water washing did nothing to correct and, according to the man at the dry cleaners, chemicals wouldn't get out, either. So I dyed 'em. Came out nice. Now they're at the seamstress, getting tweaked to fit me just so, and pressed. I mention this because the Jacquard acid dye had very little effect on the plant fibers in the garment. The pockets, for instance, which are cotton, are just about the same color they were pre-dye bath. And the top stitching down each leg, also cotton thread, is still gray. I think it looks pretty cool against that dark red fabric.

The point is, use the right kind of dye. And follow the instructions. (It's possible to dye wool fabric without felting it, by the way. You have to raise the temperature gradually and lower the temperature gradually. It's what they call "shocking" the fabric that causes it to felt.)

 

[Chinaski]

The point is, use the right kind of dye. And follow the instructions. (It's possible to dye wool fabric without felting it, by the way. You have to raise the temperature gradually and lower the temperature gradually. It's what they call "shocking" the fabric that causes it to felt.)

Are you saying wool fabrics start to felt if heated too quickly? If so, why is that NOT good? Is this why we dryclean certain fabrics? I may be treading into off topic territory - apologies all 'round.

 

[The Good]

You know, I sort of wouldn't mind my Akubra Fed IV getting bleached by the sun a bit. It is the dark brown color, and dark it is. I like it, but I sure wouldn't mind it lightening up a bit.

 

[bond]

Re dying color into fur felt hats

Does anyone have any ideas about how to or if it's possible to put color back into a fur felt hat ?
I have a great hat that has lost its color due to sun fading and was wondering if it's possible to re dye or get color back into it without ruining the body?

 

[zetwal]

A few to get you started,

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?21682
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?33725
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?45186