How Can One Protect the Liner from Pomade?

[Annixter]

A forum search didn't turn up anything specific, although I think this question would have been asked before.

I recently switched from an organic hair wax that dries to Royal Crown pomade. The greasiness of the pomade has me concerned about wearing my older fedoras that do not have a plastic liner protector. Even with hats that do have plastic protectors over the lid of the liner, the sides are still open to damage.

How do people deal with using pomade or other greasy hair products and not damaging their hat liners? I'm half tempted to say, "Who cares if the liner gets stained, wear it," but it would be a shame to destroy a pristine 1935ish Stetson Special liner.

 

[HATCO]

Thats why the plastic used to cover the lining..

 

[Dreispitz]

Hm, this or something analogical might be of help prevent the grease to come through

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[Mr E Train]

I'm assuming he wants to prevent squashing a pompadour down, so I don't know how well the condom hat would work. Wouldn't a light spray of Scotchgard or Scout Rain & Stain offer some protection from greasy kid stuff? I've never tried it on the liner of a hat, and I don't know what effect it would have on silk or satin, but I couldn't see it doing damage. I'd probably try it on a hat I didn't care about first.

As someone who's worn his hair slicked back in a pompadour for so long that he just doesn't know how to style his hair any differently, I have to say that I stopped using Royal Crown, Murray's, etc., a long time ago, mainly because I have an oily scalp that gets itchy easily, and I like the luxury of washing my hair every day and actually being able to wash whatever hair treatment I'm using out of my hair. For years I've been using a combination of two American Crew products, Pomade and Fiber. The Pomade is water-based and by itself it doesn't have the necessary hold, but with the Fiber, which is also water-based, but has beeswax in it, I get a good combination of hold and shine. Summertime, I lean heavier on the Fiber; wintertime, I increase the ratio in favor of the Pomade. It works real well for me, and I've never had any problems with staining. It's also a lot more expensive than Royal Crown, Murray's, etc., but having a clean feeling head makes it worth it to me.

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

"I don't want Fop, G-D it! I'm a Dapper Dan man!" - Ulysses Everett McGill

 

[Mr E Train]

"I don't want Fop, G-D it! I'm a Dapper Dan man!" - Ulysses Everett McGill

Trust me, when I wrote the words "hair treatment," I was thinking about Ulysses Everett McGill.

"Your hair treatment?!"

 

[Annixter]

Thats why the plastic used to cover the lining..

Older hats (what, about pre 1950) don't have plastic liner covers, and the liner cover only protects from the top of the head, while I have air all the way around my head.

Thanks to the replies. I don't have a pompadour, but pomade works best to get my hair slicked back with a little waving in the front. The organic hair wax I was using is water based, and it did I fine job of holding my hair and washing out with shampoo. Maybe I'll have to go back to that stuff if I don't want to stain the liners.

I'm just surprised this issue isn't more prevalent, as plenty of people used pomade, or petroleum based hair products, in the 30s, 40s, and 50s who also wore fedoras with no plastic liner covers. I also cannot imagine I'm the only one of the Lounge who uses a petroleum pomade and wears fedoras.

 

[Aureliano]

I wear hair gel to keep my long hair in a ponytail for work. I've never had any issue. Hat makers, though, should bring back the liner covers, I think. [huh]

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

Judging from the looks of a lot of vintage liners I've seen, some old-timers were content to let their liners get messed up by their hair products. Also, I think the old-time hatters did a certain amount of replacement liner business too. You can also remove and clean the liner periodically - I'm pretty sure I've seen liner cleaning covered somewhere in the lounge.

 

[anon`]

Judging from the looks of a lot of vintage liners I've seen, some old-timers were content to let their liners get messed up by their hair products. Also, I think the old-time hatters did a certain amount of replacement liner business too. You can also remove and clean the liner periodically - I'm pretty sure I've seen liner cleaning covered somewhere in the lounge.

I have very little doubt that liners came about as a means to sop up whatever the gent might want to wear in his hair. Much less expensive to replace a liner than a whole hat (not unlike the concept behind to-attach shirt- and velvet jacket-collars). But as was mentioned at the outset, it seems a shame to sacrifice an original liner simply for the sake of hair product containment at this point, if an alternative can be found.

For the record, I usually wear Brylcreem in my hair. Admittedly, it doesn't hold anything at all like pomade does, but despite the greasy feeling it can leave on your hand, it doesn't seem to transfer into the liner at all. Wax-based stuff (like Murrays) is wretched in my hair, but doesn't transfer, either. Olive oil does. But it holds beautifully. No, don't ask.

 

[Aureliano]

I have very little doubt that liners came about as a means to sop up whatever the gent might want to wear in his hair. Much less expensive to replace a liner than a whole hat (not unlike the concept behind to-attach shirt- and velvet jacket-collars). But as was mentioned at the outset, it seems a shame to sacrifice an original liner simply for the sake of hair product containment at this point, if an alternative can be found.

For the record, I usually wear Brylcreem in my hair. Admittedly, it doesn't hold anything at all like pomade does, but despite the greasy feeling it can leave on your hand, it doesn't seem to transfer into the liner at all. Wax-based stuff (like Murrays) is wretched in my hair, but doesn't transfer, either. Olive oil does. But it holds beautifully. No, don't ask.

I've gone the olive oil route. But will say no more, either.