Leather sweat band care?

[jlee562]

Are there pictures of this mess you're trying to clean? Ive never heard of "dead skin" accumulating so much.

 

[Frunobulax]

Are there pictures of this mess you're trying to clean? Ive never heard of "dead skin" accumulating so much.

Never seen anything like that either.

Maybe Grandpa was moulting?

Perhaps he was a lawyer.

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[Bamaboots]

Perhaps he was a lawyer.

Too funny. Maybe Rick will read this and let us know. I was thinking maybe it was a Hannibal sweat band.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I was thinking maybe it was a Hannibal sweat band.

Ed Gein made the sweat.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

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]

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]

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

 

[Frunobulax]

Get a new sweatband. The one you have probably isn't "real" leather. They used some sort of composite for a while, I think.

 

[2mar10]

Darn! I was afraid of that. I was hoping for something quite a bit less radical. Thanks for your counsel on this. Much appreciated.

 

[M Hatman]

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]

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

 

[Just Daniel]

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

 

[alanfgag]

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]

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

 

[alanfgag]

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

I've experienced that pain. I've repaired a tear or two with a patch from another sweatband glued to the reverse of the torn sweat. But it does hurt.

 

[Bamaboots]

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.

 

[Frunobulax]

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.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

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.


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[Tukwila]

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]

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.