Allay my fears

[Wolfmanjack]

I have done quite a lot of tinkering with my hats e.g., stretching to a larger size (I have a stretcher), re-blocking the crown (I have a hat block), replacing the ribbon, trimming the brim and re-setting it (I have a ring mold).

On the FL, I read about the great success my colleagues have had with softening a stiff hat using alcohol. Just today, on another thread, Davidson reported a great success story about softening five of his hats with denatured alcohol. See this thread.

I have also read other threads on the Lounge that show beautiful results using naphtha to clean a dirty hat.

This is my fear: It is well known that both alcohol and naphtha can utterly destroy organic materials, including leather sweatbands. Both of these chemicals dissolve away the essential fats and oils in the leather, that make it soft and supple. We’ve all seen vintage hats with sweatbands so dried and stiff that they will crumble in your hands like a dry cookie.

It is precisely this that has made me shy away from the softening methods (with alcohol) and cleaning methods (with naphtha) that I see recommended on the FL. Lexol is magical stuff, but can it completely reverse the damaging effects of these chemicals? It seems to me that soaking in alcohol or naphtha just has to shorten the life of a leather sweatband, no matter how much Lexol you slather on later.

Can anyone comment on the long-term effects of these chemicals?

 

[Davidson]

I believe you are right.

Wolfmanjack, I think alcohol, naptha / white gas, and also water do some damage to leather sweatbands. It's obvious immediately after treatment that they are different than when they went it. How much damage, and how permanent it is, seems to vary *tremendously* depending on the quality of the sweatband. I don't think Lexol completely protects against this or returns the leather to a perfect state. If I wanted to alcohol-treat or naptha-treat a hat that I wanted to keep the sweatband in pristine state for as long as possible, I would send it to someone who had the skills and tools to remove the sweatband before applying naptha, alcohol, or water.

Others have done the alcohol and / or naptha to some nice hats, I have not. Maybe after I learn more...

 

[DanielJones]

Enquiring minds want to know...

I know this has been discussed to some degree in other numerous threads, but I believe it could be discussed again, but in depth, istead of a glossing. The big fear is the damage the chemicals do to the leather. Some have reported no adverse effects to the leather, but they also say time & again not to leave your hands in this stuff because it will dry them out. If it's not good for your hands, how can it be ok for the sweatband? Also does naptha leave a carcinigenic residue in the leather that can be absorbed through the skin when sweating in the hat while worn?
I think we need some no-nonsence straight forward education on this subject. Basically, what the chemicals will & won't do to the leather & us. What steps one must take to preserve certain parts of the hat? Will leather treatment preserve the leather or has the overnight soak in naptha done perminant damage that even slathering on bear tallow won't even bring it back from the jerkey grave? This is a discussion that is worth bringing back for the education of the newbies as well as the experienced. I look at this as a form of 'experimental archaeology', and much can be gleaned from it when we share our notes. Ok, enough of my running on, let the teachers do their thing.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[John in Covina]

It's not a tumor.

Naptha does come in grades and the more "hot" chemically it is the more volatile it is and how it will evaporate off. If one could take a few drops of the naptha and put them on a white ceramic type plate and let it dry over time, we could then see what is left behind and for how long. It may be that eventually all the components of Naptha will evaporate.

The Naptha bath is close to the original dry cleaning method and if I recall correctly is, the hat is left to dry overnight or for a day or so, the reports are that the wearer cannot find any lingering scents and that points to little or no residue.

 

[Dinerman]

Don't they use Naptha to clean fur for taxedermy as well?
I wouldn't think they'd use it if it destroyed the skin of the pelt.

 

[Wolfmanjack]

Here's a Horror Story:

Back in the '70s I had a nice Basque beret, with a nice leather sweat, that I had bought in France. I sent it to a conventional dry cleaner. When it came back, the sweat was the consistency of the dead sea scrolls. It fell apart in my hands.

C'mon experts, both Dan and I (and others, I'm sure) would really appreciate some serious education on this question.