HELP!!! Swaetband curling..

[PistolPete1969]

Hello All-

I recently acquired a beautiful felt fedora that unfortunately got soaked. The problem is the leather sweatband has started to curl. I have turned it up to completely dry overnight and have been smoothing it out as best I can.

Is there anything else I can do to fix it, short of replacing it?? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Pete

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Gee, hard to say without seeing it or handling it. What is meant by 'curling'?

 

[Inusuit]

I'd try a leather conditioner. Other folks posting here have had good luck with a product called Lexol, which is often available at leather shops like Tandys, in some shoe stores, or riding/tack shops. Be careful not to get any on the felt. Don't ask me how I know this.

 

[Trebuchet64_Fal]

The curling is most likely caused by one side of the sweat band drying faster than the other, i think Inusuit is probably on the right track with his advice,or you could try wetting it again and reshaping it as it dries.

 

[cybergentleman]

curling

I am not a hatter, nor do i have experience with sweatbands. However, I can tell you that a few years back I had a pair of shoes where the back of the shoe would rub against my achilles tendon- drove me mad. Little did i realize that i had to just lace them tighter. That aside, for weeks what i did was using vaseline or other lubricants, soften the leather and try and flatten it with needle nose pliars, it did work to an extent. in your case, depending on what it looks like, you could try using paper clips to flatten it out.

moisten the leather, water or some kind of light oil (even vegetable oil could work i suppose) then after working that in to the leather slip paper clips over the curled area- allow it to dry for awhile ( i am going to say a few days)....this may be enough to essentially clamp the leather as it grows stiff while drying.

i am referring to standard paper clips- not those black ones for big packets of paper.

good luck.

 

[daizawaguy]

Is there anything under the sweatband that is hindering the drying? I remember a JohnnyPhi hat that had a plastic liner that was causing the leather to curl...