straw hat problem

[Bruce Wayne]

this past monday i bit the bullet & when to optimo hats in chi town & i ended up leaving with a black straw hat. i love it!!! i feels like it was custom made for me! the quality is very high, however, there are some stray threads on it. the thread is nylon. do you think it would be okay to singe them with a zippo? the store is closed right now & that is the main reason i am posting.
any help or Criticism is appreciated.
thanx!!!
charlie

 

[aliados]

Stray threads

I remove stray silk threads (on ties) with a Zippo -- scares the HELL out of people watching we do it, though.
I'd say that the lit end of a cigarette would be safer (no open flame ) or, better yet, a razor blade.

 

[DanielJones]

I think it would be best to have the hat shop you got it from do the work for you. If they have good customer service I'm sure they'll take care of your request on the spot. Let us know what you decide.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[J.B.]

MEDDDD-IC!!!

...do you think it would be okay to singe them with a zippo?...

Uhhh...

...better yet, a razor blade.

...Mm-hmm, this might be a better idea! Or maybe a small, sharp, pointed tip mustache/beard scissors?!

Me -- I'd wait 'til the store could do it.

If some body whupped out a gasper torch near one of my "good" hats, I'm afraid I'd need a crash cart, 'cuz I'd surely be fibrillatin'... :cry:

 

[Snrbfshn]

Despite the naysayers...

My Cro-Magnon relatives taught me fire is a wonderful tool. I have safely done exactly what you are proposing, many times. Zippo is no good. Needs to be butane that you can tune down to a small blue flame with a hint of yellow.

Orient the article (hat, in this case) so the thread is pointing up. Trim it to about 3/8" - no more than 1/4". Holding the lighter horizontally, bring it in from an angle above and to the side. The flame will bulge slightly downward, blue edge leading. Place the blue almost on the thread, but don't touch it (you will not actually ignite the thread). A bulb will form on the end as the mono melts. "Push" the barely-growing bulb slightly but with pace toward the surface, stopping when the blue is about 1/32" above the surface. The remaining bulb of nylon secures the thread and prevents it from pulling through.

It's easy to practice this. Get a length of thin mono fishing line - 2 or 4 lb. test is good - or flyfishing tippet. Hold a small piece between thumb and finger and do as described above. Don't worry, it won't burn you. You will feel a little heat, but it quickly educates you on the method, as well as giving you confidence your hat won't burst into flames.

For cotton or silk threads, I tune the lighter up a little higher and "wave" the flame over the thread. This works great on the fuzz or pulls on the bottom of silk ties. I've done it for years on dozens of ties with never a problem. Just remember - don't go slow.