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Sweat band causing miscoloring

hatsandart

New in Town
Messages
30
Location
Minnesota USA
We have noticed on many many of our the used hats we see a miscoloring around the hat that looks to be caused by the sweatband. These hats are all of the 20 or 30 year old vintage. It is usually most noticeable on light shades, like a silverbelly for example. On a silverbelly there is often a ring that has a bit of a pink or orange-ish hue to it. Some are quite unapparent unless examined closely, others are very very noticeable.
The coloring on the outside of the hat always corresponds exactly with the position of the inside sweatband and is just above where the sweatband edge is and runs upwards.
I am interested if some of you experts here are familiar with this. Or if I am just a crazy person.
 
Messages
15,104
Location
Buffalo, NY
This has shown up in posts here. Perhaps it is transferred from a sweatband in a hat that was stored stacked on top of the hat in question.
 

Undertow

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,126
Location
Des Moines, IA, US
Yep, this is something that has been discussed from time to time on here. You might want to look through the following links. You should also look through the Step-by-step Naphtha link under the Important threads sticky if you plan to clean the hats of any other gunk.

How long does the modern Stetson/HatCo hat last, feasibly?
What is pouncing powder or finishing powder?
Sweat Stains and Silverbellys
Stetson in the modern day

I will say that I have a few 20-30 year old Stetsons that have had this problem. I attribute it to some kind of reaction between the cheap "leather" sweatband and the dye.

So hatsandart, do you have a store up in Minni, or are you just shopping around and finding this?
 

hatsandart

New in Town
Messages
30
Location
Minnesota USA
Undertow-
We don't have a store. Just a couple of us guys here in the office have gone crazy buying/collecting/selling hats online over the past couple of years. I signed up here on the Lounge about year and a half ago, and find this place amazing. I do a lot more lurking/reading here than posting, there is just so much information that each time I come here to ask a question- I get side-tracked, and two hours later I have completely forgot the question I had!
I appreciate your time with your reply and information.
 

carouselvic

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,031
Location
Kansas
40's-50's hats

001nqa.jpg

Dunlap Twenty
002cno.jpg

Dobbs Westward
003hme.jpg

004cgs.jpg

Knox outside and inside
 

carouselvic

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,031
Location
Kansas
On the hats that I showed, no there is nothing in between, other than the fabric of the liner. This is not a perspiration issue.
 

carouselvic

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,031
Location
Kansas
Yes, I just figured that the oilskin layer on some hats would also prevent the bleeding of leather tanning chemicals into the felt.

Ok, I'm up to speed. Yes, here is more photos of the first hat that I posted. It does not have a sweat resistor, but the material used for reeding cover does stop the bleeding.
001mrvy.jpg

002gvr.jpg

003ioe.jpg
 

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