Hat Cleaning and Repair Questions

[Foghat]

Greetings from another new member, and thanks to all those who have come before and built up such an impressive database of discussions and knowledge regarding hats.

I have several vintage felt hats I would like to have cleaned, and I am hoping someone can help me with a few questions.

First of all, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I noticed in a recent post that a member gave a pretty big thumbs-down to a local hat shop in Oakland for mangling several hats he had given them to clean. I was considering using this same shop, but now I am wondering if anyone knows of any other shops in the Bay Area that have done a good job cleaning vintage hats.

Secondly, on a more general note, can someone explain the process for cleaning hats? Is it similar to dry cleaning clothes? Is the hat placed on a block for cleaning? Are the lining and ribbon also cleaned in the process? Is a stiffener typically applied, and, if so, is it up to the customer to request a particular amount (similar to starch when having shirts laundered)? Is it also up to the customer to request that the hat be re-blocked in a particular manner? Lastly, if a hat needs to be stretched slightly (maybe half a size), is the cleaning process a good time to do this?

Thanks very much for your help, and thanks again for a great forum.

 

[Katt in Hat]

Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here...

"Thanks very much for your help, and thanks again for a great forum."
Quit before it's too late!
Welcome aboard The Thief of Time. :arated: fftopic:

You might contact one of our members, Art Fawcett, who's in the business. He's in Oregon but has a superior "rep."
http://www.vintagesilhouettes.com/

 

[Foghat]

Dante's Warning

Thanks Katt in Hatt for the warning on the potential perils of becoming hat obsessed, although I suppose there are certainly worse things to spend your time (and money) on. I've read about Art Fawcett in the forum and understand that he is top notch, especially for major refurbs of vintage hats. However, I was hoping to find local shop in the SF Bay Area for basic cleaning, although I gather that such shops may very well be extinct (or close to it).

 

[Andykev]

If it's a good hat send it to a good shop.

You can try Pauls Hat Shop in SF, on Geary near 25th.
I believe the Hat Guys send their hats to Swan Cleaners, and they are a general dry cleaning shop. Not recommended, if that is true.

You haven't mentioned just what your hat needs. If it is only a good brush and steam, you can do that at home. If you need leather, liner, or band replaced, then I suggest sending it to Optimo in Chicago, or to Art up north in Oregon.

A good hat deserves a good cleaning. An inexpensive wool hat, I'd just use woolite. Of course, you have a hat block and flange?

 

[Foghat]

Thanks for the tip on Paul's Hat Shop in San Francisco. As to what the hats need, I have an Open Road with some smudges on the crown that I would like to try to get out, and I also have a couple of other hats (Knox Twenty and Cavanagh) which could use a good overall cleaning and also the liners are a bit grungy.

Hmmm, block and flange huh -- can't say as I do have those, which is probably why my tackling the job at home as a novice would not constitute a "good cleaning."

 

[Feraud]

See also:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=6981

 

[feltfan]

You can try Pauls Hat Shop in SF, on Geary near 25th.
I believe the Hat Guys send their hats to Swan Cleaners, and they are a general dry cleaning shop. Not recommended, if that is true.

You haven't mentioned just what your hat needs. If it is only a good brush and steam, you can do that at home. If you need leather, liner, or band replaced, then I suggest sending it to Optimo in Chicago, or to Art up north in Oregon.QUOTE]

I was one of the people who gave The Hat Guys a thumbs
down (IMHO) after sending four hats their way. I believe they do
use Swan's. Their sweat band replacement job was quite
bad, too. I AFAIK they are your only option in the Bay Area.

Paul's Hat Works does not do cleaning or repair, as I
understand it. He won't even clean/block a hat purchased from
him anymore.

Go with Optimo or Art Fawcett (Vintage Silhouettes) if you really
must have your hat cleaned/blocked. I have. Yeah,
the postage is a drag, but so is paying to have your hat screwed up.

 

[magneto]

Hi! I am also in SF.

Do not go to any old dry cleaner--I have posted here about taking 2 hats to my corner cleaner who said they did hats, and getting them back *safety pinned to a wire hanger* and more lumpy than blocked. However I just passed by a cleaner's in the Fillmore (a community where there is still a large tho' dwindling population of sharp dressers and regular hat-wearers) while I was riding the 24 bus, and noted a place's sign, advertising "hats cleaned and blocked" (and "we operate our own plant", comforting for anyone who has lost priceless items to drycleaners). I don't remember the name of the shop right now but I can get it if you are interested. I will probably "take one for the team" and bring them a beater hat in the near future to see if they are any good, and will report back if so.

 

[Foghat]

Thanks for the responses. I very much appreciate the advice as to where not to take vintage hats for cleaning. It sounds like there are a fair number of do-it-yourselfers in the Fedora Lounge when it comes to hat cleaning, and it also sounds like, for serious cleanings and repairs, sending them to Art Fawcett or Optimo is the recommended way to go. magneto, please let us know if you have any luck with the cleaners in the Fillmore. Thanks again.

 

[WEEGEE]

HATS AND MORE

O.P. -Foghat

Thanks Katt in Hatt for the warning on the potential perils of becoming hat obsessed, although I suppose there are certainly worse things to spend your time (and money) on.

Oh...my friend welcome. If it were just hats you had to worry about...suits,

ties, shoes and more...so much more.:cheers1:

 

[Foghat]

Thanks for the welcome WEEGEE.

 

[Naphtali]

My home is about 85 miles from Missoula, 120 miles from Kalispell, and 120 miles from Helena, all of which are in western Montana. I have a gray Borsalino hat whose sweat band threads are disintegrating, plus a large dark spot on underside rear of brim that I think to have been rubbed off one of my leather jackets.

Please identify a competent hat repairer, preferably within driving distance of my home.