Grosgrain ribbon question

[Pera.T]

Is it possible to discover the fibre content of grosgrain ribbon?

I recently bought 3 yards of ribbon from Etsy, advertised as being "soft grosgrain" from the 1920s or 1930s. Just to make sure I asked what the fibre content was, she said she believed it to be rayon cotton. Her shop specialises in textiles/ribbons etc, so I assumed she knew what she was talking about and bought it (at an expensive $18 for 3 yards).

It just arrived in the post this morning, and I'm convinced it's polyester! It feels heavy and stiff, and makes a scratchy polyester sound when you rub it together. It feels just like the polyester stuff at the local fabric shop. The ribbon on my Akubra and Art Fawcett feel soft and floppy, and aren't as scratchy.

How do I know if I've been ripped off? I want to make sure it's definitely polyester before I send the seller an email. I also want to make sure I've got the proper stuff before I start taking my fedora apart to replace the ribbon! Can I burn a loose strand with a lighter and see if it melts or something?

Any help would be appreciated, I've been searching for a suitable replacement ribbon for months

 

[tonyb]

You're on the right track.

Cut off a snip of it and, holding with pliers or something of that sort, set that little piece of it alight. It it produces an ash and has an "organic" smell, it's a natural fiber or a blend of natural fibers (rayon, contrary to what many people assume, is indeed a natural fiber). If it bubbles and turns into a melted blob and smells like a chemical plant, it's synthetic, or at least a blend with significant synthetic content.

 

[Pera.T]

Thanks for that tonyb, I wasn't sure how rayon would burn. I just cut a piece off and set the lighter to it, completely burnt away with white natural smelling smoke, so I suppose it is rayon cotton after all.

I also soaked a bit in water, and now it feels a lot softer and easier to work with. Is ribbon straight off the roll starched or something? I'll make a replacement ribbon for my fedora, give it a soak and see how it conforms to the crown. Hopefully this ribbon will work as intended.

Thanks again Tony!

 

[tonyb]

Hope it works out for you, Pera. Six bucks a yard is quite a bit to pay for ribbon, so if it doesn't measure up, well, that's disappointing at best.

To amend my earlier post, rayon is often considered neither synthetic nor entirely "natural." It is made from cellulose, generally derived from trees, although I happen to have a "modal" rayon shirt derived from bamboo. Really nice "hand."

 

[Alive'n'Amplified]

Did you happen to buy the vintage maroon French shop roll ribbon?

 

[Pera.T]

Did you happen to buy the vintage maroon French shop roll ribbon?

Sorry, wasn't me! Mine is just some plain black stuff.

To anyone interested, here's how the hat looks with the new ribbon. Went on nice and easy, just took a while trying to wash all the excess dye out. I'm pleased with the result!

 

[Alive'n'Amplified]

Nice job. Looks pretty vintage to me! :thumb:

I think $18 was worth it, since it turned out so well. That's how much the maroon ribbon was and I was excited to buy it before it got snatched.