Panamas

[Marc Chevalier]

Good question. Cracked and chipping leather doesn't benefit from moisturizing. Does brittle straw fare better?

.

 

[tonyb]

I just about had a heart attack this morning when this

old straw hat was sat upon by a woman of considerable charm, wit and girth.
I carefully pushed the old lid back into shape and then passed it over a pot of boiling water and smoothed out what was left of the accident damage. It came out fine--no cracks, no wrinkles. Whew!

 

[SHARPETOYS]

How well does this work on hats that are already brittle?

I'm sorry if its brittle its just too late...The moisture may help it from more cracking.

 

[tonyb]

Does it stand to reason, then, that the "moisture" evaporating from the top of my shiny dome actually helps maintain the straw's flexibility? It's not the most appetizing thought, but just imagine what the relative humidity must be in that micro-climate located between a bald guy's noggin and the crown of his straw hat.
And what causes old toquilla to go brittle? And how else would one avoid that? I wanna know 'cuz, while I have a bunch of straw lids, only one is a what I'd call a good vintage one, and I'd like it to last, oh, another 50 or 60 years. First step toward that end: Keep it away from places where it might be sat upon.

 

[Panamabob]

Sounds logical.