Care for a leather hat

Timezone LaFontaine · Post by **Timezone LaFontaine** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 12:01 pm

I have an amazing leather stetson hat that I got second-hand a few years ago. It was already in pretty rough shape, but has an undeniably cool and charming character. It's gotten away from me a couple of times, but has returned in dramatic fashion. After some trips to BRC, it definitely needs some care and restoration. I probably should have done it sooner, but here I am about to do it now. I've done a bit of research but I was wondering if anyone else has some advice. I was planning on steaming the hat for about 15 minutes to get some moisture back into it. Someone actually recommended plunging it fully into water, but I don't know about that.... I dunno, maybe I should since the desert has dried it out so much. Anyhow, after this step, I was planning to apply olive oil and/or linseed oil to condition the leather. I know there are commercial leather conditioners you can buy but from what I've seen they just contain some kind of mixture of olive oil and a couple other ingredients. Then once it's absorbed the oil and I remove the excess, I was planning to apply a bit of soft beeswax as waterproofing. Does anyone who has a similar hat have any other advice?

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 12:23 pm

I use mink oil.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 12:26 pm

Make sure you don't squeeze the wrong end when extracting oil from the mink.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 12:39 pm

Have you tried a hat shop? That's what they do, fix hats.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:22 pm

eta: If it's not too precious a hat, try 'dubbin', available in saddle shops. I use it on boots.

Post by **Elderberry** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:48 pm

I'm not so sure about using steam or water on leather. My vote is either the hat shop or a leather shop.

JK

tamarakay · Post by **tamarakay** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 2:58 pm

if you get leather wet you need to make sure you dry it on a form that fits. It will shrink and then perhaps some child will be wearing your hat from now on. I'd stick to oils or leather treatments.

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:04 pm

I concur, no steaming to avoid shrinkage. Is it suede or smooth leather? Do you know what kind? Is it dyed?

Beeswax, vaseline or any oil will change (darken) the leather. Anything will.

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:08 pm

MyLarry suggests true saddle soap, used exactly as directed by the manufacturer. Follow up reconditioning depends on what type of leather it is.

MyDearFriend · Post by **MyDearFriend** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 4:20 pm

Saddle soap is great stuff but it's been so long since I've seen it that I don't even look for it anymore, not in this city.

Mink oil is easy to find; it comes in a shoe-polish type of can.

I would brush that hat real good with a soft natural-bristle brush, rub in some mink oil with a soft cloth (old tee shirt or similar) folding and refolding as it picks up the dirt

with particular attention to the seams. Let it sit for a few minutes, then brush again to polish the surface. Wait a day or two and see how it looks. You can reapply the mink oil in thin coats until you get a soft even gleam.

edit: you are dealing with smooth leather, yes? Because suede needs a stiffer brush and a different product.

Timezone LaFontaine · Post by **Timezone LaFontaine** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 11:13 pm

Thanks for the replies... it is smooth leather. I reckon maybe it's best to take it to a pro this time, and then I can maintain it better later on.

Mojojita · Post by **Mojojita** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:39 am

What we do with very expensive saddle leather:

Do not use saddle soap as it will dry leather. For as long as I can remember the "horsey set" has used Murphy's Oil Soap (long before it became popular as a wood cleaner). It cleans and re-conditions without drying the leather. Nearly all leather comes back to it's original color.