Felt Blistering?

[Jay_G]

Hi, long time listener, first time caller.

I have a fifteen year old fedora & I am currently in the process of cleaning/restoring it. It is nearly finished, but I have noticed these whitish looking bumps/blisters on the pinch. They kinda look similar to barnacles you see on ships (they're not though). What are they and is there any way they can be remedied?

 

[Gobi]

Are they salt deposits that made their way there during drying after cleaning? I can see that happening if hat dried crown facing down.
Maybe stiffener that dissolved and deposited there. I'm curious as to what others have to say.

 

[belfastboy]

Is it just discolouration or are they hardened lumps (like barnacles)? If hardened they may be as Gobi suggests .....excess stiffener deposits? My magic 'go to' is a spritz of denatured alcohol. If excess shellac it will help break it down and drive it back into the felt. The alcohol itself leaves no trace. The other approach but a little more risky is to pounce it with a fine grit paper or even just a white poly abrasive pad. Work very gently and closely observe the result.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

I think the felt has just been manipulated too much at that point & the fibres have broken/worked loose. It doesn't look like particularly good felt either & rather blotchy which might explain why the bits are lighter in color since the dye didn't go all the way through evenly.
Given the nature of the felt I wouldn't advise sanding as if I'm right, you'll end up with small tuffs instead of bumps.

 

[Jay_G]

They feel like pits, but touching them they feel hard unlike the surrounding felt.

 

[belfastboy]

They feel like pits, but touching them they feel hard unlike the surrounding felt.

looking at it again I wonder could this be a wool hat?

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Heterogenous felt incursions??
Showing at a stress point after 15 years stress.
B

 

[Jay_G]

looking at it again I wonder could this be a wool hat?

It is either rabbit or beaver.

 

[belfastboy]

It is either rabbit or beaver.

I have never seen that happen on a hat before. Keep us posted on how you treat it and the result.

 

[Rogera]

looking at it again I wonder could this be a wool hat?

I think you nailed it