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[moontheloon]

So I have this hat that I got at an estate sale a couple weeks ago.
I'd like to send it out to get shaped up.
It looks like it has been stored for a long time with the brim curled and I just don't have a flange to deal with it ... all the home type flange remedies won't give it the crispness I desire .

Also I am torn about the sweat... I may want to replace it but it is not all that bad.

My question is ... Who would you send a straw like this to for what I want done ?

Really great hat and I would like it to look as good as it deserves to look

Sent from my iPhone while orbiting the earth in a sea foam green 1957 Cadillac

 

[Bamaboots]

So I have this hat that I got at an estate sale a couple weeks ago.
I'd like to send it out to get shaped up.
It looks like it has been stored for a long time with the brim curled and I just don't have a flange to deal with it ... all the home type flange remedies won't give it the crispness I desire .

Also I am torn about the sweat... I may want to replace it but it is not all that bad.

My question is ... Who would you send a straw like this to for what I want done ?

Really great hat and I would like it to look as good as it deserves to look

Sent from my iPhone while orbiting the earth in a sea foam green 1957 Cadillac

Moon, you can contact this fellow. http://www.gomezhatcompany.com/ I have one of his panamas and there are posts around of some resto work he's done. He also has an Etsy shop.
Edit: there's a TFL thread, Gomez Grotto

 

[bkkc1234]

I have a question.... I would like to have a hat made exactly like the Akubra Lightening Ridge but I want it in black and 100% beaver. Anyone have some suggestions?

 

[RJR]

I have a question.... I would like to have a hat made exactly like the Akubra Lightening Ridge but I want it in black and 100% beaver. Anyone have some suggestions?

Most any of the custom hatters on the Lounge should be able to do exactly what you want.

 

[TheDane]

So I have this hat that I got at an estate sale a couple weeks ago.
I'd like to send it out to get shaped up.

Really a nice find, Moon! Congratulations

 

[buler]

So I have this hat that I got at an estate sale a couple weeks ago.
I'd like to send it out to get shaped up.
It looks like it has been stored for a long time with the brim curled and I just don't have a flange to deal with it ... all the home type flange remedies won't give it the crispness I desire .

Also I am torn about the sweat... I may want to replace it but it is not all that bad.

My question is ... Who would you send a straw like this to for what I want done ?

Really great hat and I would like it to look as good as it deserves to look

Sent from my iPhone while orbiting the earth in a sea foam green 1957 Cadillac

If it were me, I'd be very careful about having the brim flanged. I've seen some really great montecristi's where the brim has been ironed too much. You will see the straw flattened and sometimes scorched/darkened more than other areas of the hat. Maybe the brim can be flanged to your liking without that happening, but I'd discuss it in detail with whichever hatter you choose.

B

 

[moontheloon]

If it were me, I'd be very careful about having the brim flanged. I've seen some really great montecristi's where the brim has been ironed too much. You will see the straw flattened and sometimes scorched/darkened more than other areas of the hat. Maybe the brim can be flanged to your liking without that happening, but I'd discuss it in detail with whichever hatter you choose.

B

thank you for the info ... I am pretty ignorant when it comes to straws

I really just want to get that hat back into semi crisp shape where it doesn't look like it has been under someones bed for forty years

are there any straw hat specialists that you know of ?

I'm going to look into Gomez as Greg recommended

 

[bkkc1234]

Most any of the custom hatters on the Lounge should be able to do exactly what you want.

I am sending out some requests to vendors hope they reply

 

[alanfgag]

That panama has been under someone's bed for much longer than 40 years. I would keep the sweat and wear it this summer. See if you enjoy the look and feel of it.

 

[moontheloon]

That panama has been under someone's bed for much longer than 40 years. I would keep the sweat and wear it this summer. See if you enjoy the look and feel of it.

I know the hat is older than 40 years old ... don't know how old though 40s ?... maybe 30s?

where would you date this hat Alan ?

and do you think I should just try to shape it myself and not risk sending it out ?

I really have no experience in this area

 

[alanfgag]

I'm not sure... without handling it, 1930s would be my guess. M. Shwartz & Co. goes back a long way. Once you start looking I think you will find that old panamas in optimo crease were quite popular and show up frequently on the vintage market. The Stetson branding is more unusual. Each one has a different character and some are more beautiful than others. That is without considering the fineness of the weave. My guess about 400 in this hat.

Unless you intend to wear it in a formal way - white suit, for instance... I would suggest enjoying it as a straw hat in a casual manner. It looks to have a nice shape with a little waffle to the brim. You can send it to be reblocked, but straw hats will respond to the weather and humidity and the brim will waffle again. A hatter can certainly adjust the shape and replace the sweatband for you. But maybe wear it a little to see if you like the style and summer comfort of this type of hat.

 

[moontheloon]

I'm not sure... without handling it, 1930s would be my guess. M. Shwartz & Co. goes back a long way. Once you start looking I think you will find that old panamas in optimo crease were quite popular and show up frequently on the vintage market. The Stetson branding is more unusual. Each one has a different character and some are more beautiful than others. That is without considering the fineness of the weave. My guess about 400 in this hat.

Unless you intend to wear it in a formal way - white suit, for instance... I would suggest enjoying it as a straw hat in a casual manner. It looks to have a nice shape with a little waffle to the brim. You can send it to be reblocked, but straw hats will respond to the weather and humidity and the brim will waffle again. A hatter can certainly adjust the shape and replace the sweatband for you. But maybe wear it a little to see if you like the style and summer comfort of this type of hat.

you've convinced me

I'll leave it as is and just enjoy it

thank you Alan

is there a gentle way of cleaning some surface dirt that you can recommend ?

 

[alanfgag]

It looks very nice in the photos. I've not done much cleaning of toquilla straw. Others might have more experience. Brushing is fine. Steam is fine. Darkening at the center crease is probably there to stay.

 

[buler]

you've convinced me

I'll leave it as is and just enjoy it

thank you Alan

is there a gentle way of cleaning some surface dirt that you can recommend ?

Moon, there are a few vintage recipes on googlebooks. Do a search on dry cleaning and straw hat or panama hat. Don't have the links handy.

B

 

[Bob Roberts]

Just send it to me. I'll take care of everything.

 

[JackieMatra]

is there a gentle way of cleaning some surface dirt that you can recommend ?

I've been told that they can be washed, and seem to recall once actually seeing a video of that being done.

I have a Panama hat that mullberrys fell all over and deeply stained.
Soap and lukewarm water followed by a coldwater rinse took all the stains right out.
Unfortunately, it didn't do the hat's shape much good, but then, the hat was so heavily stained everywhere that it needed a thorough soaking to clean it up, and, alas, it's really not possible to reblock/recrease a soaked Panama hat decently by hand without blocks, flanges, and other tools that I don't have.

I would imagine that a little soap and water followed by clean water, applied carefully with a sponge or cloth, would get small stains out without messing with the hat's shape, however, you might want to try that out on an inexpensive easily replaceable Panama hat first, just to see how it goes and get a little practical experience first before moving on to more highly prized headwear.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

So I have this hat that I got at an estate sale a couple weeks ago.
I'd like to send it out to get shaped up. It looks like it has been stored for a long time with the brim curled and I just don't have a flange to deal with it ... all the home type flange remedies won't give it the crispness I desire . Also I am torn about the sweat... I may want to replace it but it is not all that bad. My question is ... Who would you send a straw like this to for what I want done ? Really great hat and I would like it to look as good as it deserves to look.

Anthony; Excellent advise given above. I add, that wearing the straw will tell you that you can wear it given the leathers condition. Changing the leather is a game changer as it would be a small step to have a pro change leather, block and do light cleaning. You know from your vintage collection that the leathers of the vintage hats can deteriorate very quickly when worn. Showroom to totaled, in minutes.

Below is a like straw I came across in Spring 2015. It arrived dirty. Brushing, damp cloth and some light steam got me cleaner. An earlier straw I used a lot of steam and the straw got unmanageable - too far. Too far, as the weaving became loose and different fibers soaked up different amounts of water. The weaving became uneven. Too far. I tried to move the weaving back by hand -that was futile. I do not own a crown shape, like a diamond shaper or panama shaper, and worked the crown by hand. It is not like felt and I in general made a mess of the crease. The hat eventually became a chore straw. On that hat I tried dish soap, woollite and even naphtha. Some results - removed the surface stuff(oil and dirt), but not any discolorations or deep markings. Truth is I wore that hat a lot. Perhaps it was a better buy than a couple of my "finer" straw hats. A pro may have rescued the hat - but alas I went too far.

On the below hat, I worried about the dark creases and uneven yellowed portions only until I wore it and looked in the mirror. All the worries went away. In my mind the handmade straws have character. I have grown to enjoy them for what they are.

Anthony you have a terrific straw! The markings on the leather show it a very early Stetson offering. Congrats!

 

[moontheloon]

thank you Eric !
that is all very useful information

 

[hatsRme]

Super find, Anthony!

If I remember correctly, you haven't explored the world of straw much yet. The brims are generally more independent than felt, with the finest weaves often flapping in the wind. You can do some brim tweaking with practice. Dampened and dried in position (or expedited with a hair dryer) works. Let Athena do it...

 

[Rick Blaine]

IS THIS AN EXAMPLE OF TWO CUENCA WEAVES? ONE SINGLE & ONE DOUBLE?​

SINGLE
​

DOUBLE
​

Thanks for helping me push back the frontiers of my ignorance, both deep and wide, I'm afraid. ​