Wednesday, November 26, 2008

The Care And Maintenance of Felt Cowboy Hats

By Ned Dagostino

A felt cowboy hat says a lot of the person whose head is snug inside it. No doubt you spent a lot of time getting the exact right hat that suited you perfectly. A lot of time and money and aggravation! That's quite an investment riding on your head, now, ain't it? Sure you don't want to squander it away out of negligence. You take care of it, good, proper care, the investment will grow richer as the years pass, aging gracefully, acquiring a character of its own. I can see you, ten, twenty years from now, talking about the hat to your grandson, on a chilly night, in the warm glow of a backyard campfire.

Proper care begins with prevention. If the hat doesn't require cleaning or repair, that much remedial care is also avoided. The cardinal rule is: Don't let the hat get dirty! One very simple way to keep the hat from getting dirty is: wash your hands before handling the hat. Cleaning a felt hat is very difficult, and leads to material damage.

Another point is that you should handle the hat by the brim, not the crown. The hat will lose its shape the more you push and pull the crown. The crown will be cleaner too.

When you're not wearing it, store the hat away in its original hat box. If you don't have the original hat box, then find another one of suitable size to accommodate your hat. Never leave the hat lying around on a table or other exposed place. Do you know the proper way to keep a hat in storage? The proper way to store a hat is upside down! Store it on its crown not on its brim. The brim will "wilt" with the weight of the hat if it is stored for any great length of time. If you choose to hang the hat on a hat stand, then of course, the hat goes right side up!

Protect the hat from strong heat sources. That means you don't leave the hat near the radiator or the furnace. Doing so will shrink the sweat band and that means you'll not be able to get the hat to fit you again!

Protect the hat from getting wet. Water is enemy number one. In case it does get wet let the hat dry out normally and naturally. Be careful not to try to hasten the process by using a blower or, worse, a hair drier! The brim has a tendency to lose shape when it gets wet. To get the weight of the hat off the brim when you let it stand to dry, turn the sweat band inside out, and rest the hat on the sweat band instead. When the hat dries out, do what you can to reshape the sweat band and the rest of the hat to its original appearance and shape.

A good quality felt cowboy hat can take an occasional drizzle. Still, if you value your felt cowboy hat you will use a hat cover. Use the hat cover when you're wearing the hat outdoors and it looks like rain. Using the hat cover to keep the hat dry will add years to its life.

Your felt cowboy hat has a tendency to lose shape real fast and get dirty just as quickly. If you follow these tips, your hat will remain in prime condition for a great many years. Maybe your felt cowboy hat may turn into a real heirloom, yet! - 15465

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