Oiling a felt hat to match sweat stains

[JoEllis]

Hi all, I'm new here. I'm a musician and horseman from South Africa and I bought a good-as-new tan Stetson Beaver 4X Rancher about 2-1/2 years ago. I've worn it pretty much daily since I got it but I sweat quite a bit, which, as much as I've tried to prevent it, has caused some sweat/oil stains.

I've tried cleaning the stains with naphtha but lots of them just aren't coming out (see photo). I'm also not having any success in finding any other forms of hat cleaner around here. I kinda get the idea that this is just something I'm going to be dealing with on this hat forever, so I was wondering: what if I oiled the entire hat with something that mimics skin's natural oils (jojoba, etc) to match what is already there. Is this something that will damage my hat or have any adverse effect that I'm not aware of?

I would love to hear thoughts from the knowledgeable folks here.

 

[shopkin]

How are you using the naphtha? Once the naphtha dissolves the oils it has to be diluted/rinsed away. Otherwise, when it dries the residue and stains will still be there. Did you saturate the hat in naphtha or just rub it? I've never tried it or heard of it, but you could try pouring naphtha inside and letting it seep through.

Those are good honest stains and nothing to be ashamed of. Getting 2.5 years of hard wear is not too bad.

 

[belfastboy]

Hi all, I'm new here. I'm a musician and horseman from South Africa and I bought a good-as-new tan Stetson Beaver 4X Rancher about 2-1/2 years ago. I've worn it pretty much daily since I got it but I sweat quite a bit, which, as much as I've tried to prevent it, has caused some sweat/oil stains.

I've tried cleaning the stains with naphtha but lots of them just aren't coming out (see photo). I'm also not having any success in finding any other forms of hat cleaner around here. I kinda get the idea that this is just something I'm going to be dealing with on this hat forever, so I was wondering: what if I oiled the entire hat with something that mimics skin's natural oils (jojoba, etc) to match what is already there. Is this something that will damage my hat or have any adverse effect that I'm not aware of?

I would love to hear thoughts from the knowledgeable folks here.

View attachment 620376

To clean a hat thoroughly it must be soaked in the naptha. The naptha should disolve the oils but you need volume to flush it out of the fibres. To do it properly the hat needs to taken apart and will lose the shape. It will then have to be blocked and flanged again. Essentially it is tearing the hat down to its original felt and then building the hat back up. If you are just spritzing the stains all you end up accomplishing is chasing the stains around the hat. The stains must be flushed out.

 

[JoEllis]

Thank you, guys! And understood. I have probably just been spreading the stains around with the naphtha (even though that helped a little). And I also get that any oil might go rancid over time, which I definitely don't want. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there is anyone in SA that can clean my hat for me so, unless there is something else I can try myself, I'll just keep wearing it as-is. Honestly, it's like an old friend at this point and all those stains are from making some good memories.

 

[T Jones]

Hi all, I'm new here. I'm a musician and horseman from South Africa and I bought a good-as-new tan Stetson Beaver 4X Rancher about 2-1/2 years ago. I've worn it pretty much daily since I got it but I sweat quite a bit, which, as much as I've tried to prevent it, has caused some sweat/oil stains.

I've tried cleaning the stains with naphtha but lots of them just aren't coming out (see photo). I'm also not having any success in finding any other forms of hat cleaner around here. I kinda get the idea that this is just something I'm going to be dealing with on this hat forever, so I was wondering: what if I oiled the entire hat with something that mimics skin's natural oils (jojoba, etc) to match what is already there. Is this something that will damage my hat or have any adverse effect that I'm not aware of?

I would love to hear thoughts from the knowledgeable folks here.

View attachment 620376

Well, the hat has character the way it is. It looks like a well worn working Cowboy's hat. You're in good company with these guys.

 

[quikrick]

Well, the hat has character the way it is. It looks like a well worn working Cowboy's hat. You're in good company with these guys.

Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. People pay extra to have this done artificially.

 

[T Jones]

Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. People pay extra to have this done artificially.

Yessir they do. And to think that people can save themselves some good money by wearing their hats around outside for work and other outdoor activities if they want that naturally distressed look. There's a good amount of character to hats like that.

 

[belfastboy]

Yessir they do. And to think that people can save themselves some good money by wearing their hats around outside for work and other outdoor activities if they want that naturally distressed look. There's a good amount of character to hats like that.

Call me judgmental ....but....I went to an event filled with folks wearing the latest in distressed hat styles on Saturday. It struck me that the folks be wearing these hats are def not the type to get them soiled by the honest sweat of their own brow.

 

[T Jones]

Call me judgmental ....but....I went to an event filled with folks wearing the latest in distressed hat styles on Saturday. It struck me that the folks be wearing these hats are def not the type to get them soiled by the honest sweat of their own brow.

I remember a good friend of mine who sold hat conversions on eBay. From time to time he would come across some old Western hats that were dirty, had holes at the pinch, and he would would reblock them and put in new sweats and sell them as distressed. People scooped them up. He said the dirtier they are, the more that people loved them. There's some money to be made in those distressed hats. A couple of weeks wearing their hats doing yard work and other outside activities would save them some money, though.

 

[Who?]

I can’t mount a logical argument, but somehow that strikes me as a really bad idea.

(This advice is worth every penny you paid me for it)

 

[shopkin]

Why do it when people can tell that a hat has been artificially distressed rather than honestly worn.? The pendulum will swing again. But, more people wearing anything on their head besides a trucker cap is good, IMO.