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Leather sweat band care?

AbbaDatDeHat

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,848
Are there pictures of this mess you're trying to clean? Ive never heard of "dead skin" accumulating so much.
I with jlee....pics of what you call dead skin may help.
From what you have said, “scrubbing with boar brushes....” etc, i really have a hard time believing it is actual dead skin.
Not even dead flesh for that matter!
Seriously though, i’d put that thing in the freezer for at least 72 hrs before i put it on my head, just for peace of mind!!
B
 

Tukwila

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,382
Location
SW of Antifa Central (PDX)
And/or a naphtha bath.

I use Pecard antique leather dressing, too. Months ago I gingerly treated the finished side of the brittle, cracked sweat in my daughter's Knox Tom n Jerry.

Yesterday I was able to fold out the softened sweat and treat both sides with the antique dressing. I let it absorb for several days and then give it back to my daughter to wear.

When it finally goes, then Mike Miller can replace the sweat for us. For now, daughter enjoys it as-is. It's her favorite hat.
 

2mar10

One of the Regulars
Messages
151
Calling All Hat Gurus-

I received a beautiful vintage but unworn Stetson Firenze “The Sovereign”. It’s beautiful, but when I put it on my head and wore it for about thirty minutes, when I took it off I had a black ring around my head. It appears the finish on the hatband has begun to flake off.

What can I do to remedy this problem?

Thanks,

Tom
 

2mar10

One of the Regulars
Messages
151
Darn! I was afraid of that. I was hoping for something quite a bit less radical. Thanks for your counsel on this. Much appreciated.
 
You may also rub some leather treatment on it to sort of "seal" it. May just be dye transfer.......this can work even if fake leather. If besides the dye, you are getting actual debris or small flakes this can help that too.....but as Fruno said....in that event the sweat is composite, will not last long, and you will need a replacement....
 

2mar10

One of the Regulars
Messages
151
Thanks, M Hatman!

I first cleaned the hatband with leather cleaner, then applied leather conditioner. The black flakes are gone and so is the black residue on my forehead when I wear the hat. I think I’ll wear it until the hatband begins to deteriorate and then get a new hatband put in.

Much appreciated!

Tom
 
Last edited:

Just Daniel

One Too Many
Messages
1,451
Back on this thread, has anyone had any luck preventing the sudden sweat disintegration syndrome?

I lost another sweatband from a 40s 7X that just went from looking perfect and soft to solid and broking apart in places the first time I actually sweat in it. I had treated it generously with Pecard’s leather dressing.

Has anyone had better luck with another product? I have been reading leather conditioner websites and they all claim to prevent dry rot. Maybe someone knows a leather care forum that might have answers? I will keep searching myself.

...I found this leather care forum and wrote this post, if they answer I’ll post the info!

https://www.leathercleaningrestorat...-Sweatbands-on-Vintage-Hats&p=23013#post23013
 
Last edited:
Messages
15,083
Location
Buffalo, NY
Back on this thread, has anyone had any luck preventing the sudden sweat disintegration syndrome?

I lost another sweatband from a 40s 7X that just went from looking perfect and soft to solid and broking apart in places the first time I actually sweat in it. I had treated it generously with Pecard’s leather dressing.

Has anyone had better luck with another product? I have been reading leather conditioner websites and they all claim to prevent dry rot. Maybe someone knows a leather care forum that might have answers? I will keep searching myself.

...I found this leather care forum and wrote this post, if they answer I’ll post the info!

https://www.leathercleaningrestorat...-Sweatbands-on-Vintage-Hats&p=23013#post23013

Sweatbands are much thinner pieces of leather than one would normally preserve with Pecards or other traditional dressings for saddles, baseball gloves, leather jackets, etc. In my experience, when they have dried out, that is the end. Certain leather sweatbands (early 20th century The Fray, soft and supple leather sweatbands in lightweight hats from the early-mid 1940s) seem to never die. Others (some 1940-1950 high end Stetson hats) seem perfect but are destroyed by a good summer sweat or snap at the first turn of a hat jack screw.

I know that many feel they have success massaging emolients into vintage hat sweatbands. I have never found this to do much of anything, though sometimes it will cause an old leather sweat to dissolve like a tissue dipped in water.

Just my .02
 

Just Daniel

One Too Many
Messages
1,451
Thanks Alan! Interesting view on high end 40-50s Stetson sweats, those are the models that have given me the most heartache.


Sweatbands are much thinner pieces of leather than one would normally preserve with Pecards or other traditional dressings for saddles, baseball gloves, leather jackets, etc. In my experience, when they have dried out, that is the end. Certain leather sweatbands (early 20th century The Fray, soft and supple leather sweatbands in lightweight hats from the early-mid 1940s) seem to never die. Others (some 1940-1950 high end Stetson hats) seem perfect but are destroyed by a good summer sweat or snap at the first turn of a hat jack screw.

I know that many feel they have success massaging emolients into vintage hat sweatbands. I have never found this to do much of anything, though sometimes it will cause an old leather sweat to dissolve like a tissue dipped in water.

Just my .02
 
Messages
11,373
Location
Alabama
I have never found this to do much of anything, though sometimes it will cause an old leather sweat to dissolve like a tissue dipped in water.

I have found the same. Seems once they reach that point, no matter how good they look and feel, any contact with moisture begins the visual breakdown. Crying over a late 40’s Royal OR as I type this. I was able to roll the sweat w/o issue when it arrived. After taking it off to wipe away light perspiration, it was cracking in multiple areas and split from the reed by about 3” at the front.
 
Messages
19,424
Location
Funkytown, USA
I have had success softening some rather stiff sweatbands, but once the dryness has really set in, I think there is no going back. I have been using Dr. Jackson's Leather Conditioner, sold to me at Tandy some time ago. I think conditioners can help prevent, but not reverse or repair, the dry rot.
 
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
I condition my leather sweatbands regularly. I’m convinced that the conditioning doesn’t do anything to bring a bad sweat back or reverse damage, but I do hope it keeps the good ones from going bad. I wonder if there is some sort of treatment that would keep the leather from soaking in moisture? Maybe a shellacking?

I don’t usually look for tags under vintage sweatbands anymore either; too often a pristine looking sweatband will crack or pop a stitch(s).

It hurts, but replacing the sweatbands is the best option when they completely fail. I might not replace them and just keep them as non-wearing pieces of a collection if they are truly rare old hats, but most of mine don’t fall into that category.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

Tukwila

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,382
Location
SW of Antifa Central (PDX)
I like, and use, Pecard's Antique leather dressing but - as stated above - once damage is done there is no reversing it. Dry rot is a real bugger because the leather sweat can look just fine; the damage isn't seen until sweat, water based leather dressings or other moisture is added to the mix and then the sweat goes from seemingly perfect to crap in minutes.

At that point I either put up with the bad sweat or have it replaced.
 

Just Daniel

One Too Many
Messages
1,451
The first leather care forum I found seems a little slow. I tracked down this second one and am waiting for my registration to be approved to ask about leather sweats.

I definitely don’t expect any miracle cures, and I am guessing the answer I will get will be bees wax and neats foot oil :)

https://leatherworker.net/forum/forum/18-dyes-antiques-stains-glues-waxes-finishes-and-conditioners/

I searched a bit and trecked through the first 20 pages on this forum without much luck, but it looks like the right place to start.
 

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