Repairing an unreeded sweat

[kaosharper1]

I have a great old hat I bought on EBAY but it has an unreeded sweat which is coming loose. Is it best to have it replaced with a new reeded sweat? Or is there anyone who can still sew one of these back on. The sweat itself is still in good shape.

Thanks.

 

[Lefty]

I wanted to keep the original sweat on my Playboy, so I took it to a local milliner. The repair is nowhere near as good as a new, reeded sweat would be, but I like having the original in the hat. My mom is a "preferred customer" there, so the owner refused my payment.

When I asked this same question, I found that my options were this type of repair, or a new reeded sweat. The old machines that were used to sew the unreeded sweats are apparently very few and far between. Unreeded sweats also tend to be much thinner, so a repair is likely to pull right through the "perforations". The milliner said she had that problem with my hat, but did the best she could.

 

[fedoralover]

I've used fabric glue under the leather sweat band to hold it in place so it doesn't come undone any further. It works surprisingly well. Just use it sparingly and carefully so it is under the leather and doesn't get on the underside of the brim.

fedoralover

 

[darthjones]

Hello, Kaos! Met you at the watch shop yesterday but I can't for the life of me figure out how to send you a message on this thing without posting it. Anyway, I had to sign up again. I've been on COW mostly re: hats. Anyway, I do art stuffs - my site is www.johnbrosio.com and check it out! Nice meeting you via hats! - John

 

[ScottF]

I've had good luck hand-sewing them - I do them like Lefty's milliner, just a simple stitch through the old sweatband holes, not trying to duplicate the fancy original stitching. Also, keep in mind the leather may break between the holes once you stick a needle in there, so make sure you soften the leather first and use a thin needle.

 

[kaosharper1]

Thanks everyone. I may just keep wearing it until the sweat makes it unwearable and then have it repaired. Anyway, warm weather is coming so it's probably not going to be worn much anyway for a few months.

 

[tonyb]

Among that set of young women who now run Paul's Hat Works in San Francisco is one who posts here every now and then. She reports some success with restitching unreeded sweats.

 

[John in Covina]

I can't for the life of me figure out how to send you a message on this thing without posting it.

I think you need to get to 15 posts to open up the Private Message ability.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Thanks everyone. I may just keep wearing it until the sweat makes it unwearable and then have it repaired. Anyway, warm weather is coming so it's probably not going to be worn much anyway for a few months.

Once you stop wearing it for the summer then it would be best to send it out for a new sweat and a cleaning.