Members ERen89 Posted May 1, 2019 Members Report Posted May 1, 2019 Hello, Now my knowledge of leather work is very minimal. I just got a leather hat I ordered in the mail today. It supposedly was water resistant. At least for rain. I stepped outside with it on for only a minute, and one single drop of rain from the rooftop caused some splatter marks. I (quite possibly stupidly) thought I can rub it out with a cloth. Is there any way to fix this? I am hoping it isn't ruined completely and that there is an easy solution to even out the coloring and smooth it back down with the rest of the hat? Thanks in advance Quote
mikesc Posted May 1, 2019 Report Posted May 1, 2019 Looks like what we'd know as a "split " ( not meaning a tear in the leather , but meaning a non top layer of the skin ) leather can be split into layers, the outside "top" one is the better one to work with, and costs more..the split lower layer left when this has been done is a suede type finish, which looks like what you have..Yours appears to be a dyed black or dark colour "split" leather with a textile band edge ( Pakistani or Indian item ? I have seen them build hats this way for export for many "brands" ) very awkward to get an even colour back when they get marks of any kind..Best you can hope ( IMO ) is to treat all the hat with wax waterproofing, and put any discolouration down to "patina".. Maybe someone else will have another idea.. Quote "Don't you know that women are the only works of Art" .. ( Don Henley and "some French painter in a field" )
Members ERen89 Posted May 1, 2019 Author Members Report Posted May 1, 2019 (edited) 6 minutes ago, mikesc said: Looks like what we'd know as a "split " ( not meaning a tear in the leather , but meaning a non top layer of the skin ) leather can be split into layers, the outside "top" one is the better one to work with, and costs more..the split lower layer left when this has been done is a suede type finish, which looks like what you have..Yours appears to be a dyed black or dark colour "split" leather with a textile band edge ( Pakistani or Indian item ? I have seen them build hats this way for export for many "brands" ) very awkward to get an even colour back when they get marks of any kind..Best you can hope ( IMO ) is to treat all the hat with wax waterproofing, and put any discolouration down to "patina".. Maybe someone else will have another idea.. Thanks, yeah I will wait and see what anyone else can suggest in addition to your response. My last bet would be to try to get a replacement sent, after they told me it was water resistant. Granted this hat was only $40 so I know the whole " you get what you pay for", but it was also my mistake to not wax treat it immediately like I initially planned to do. It figures, one single tiny drop caused problems the day I receive it. I was a bit too excited because it is my first hat. And yeah, its a dark brown. Not loving the thought of trying to match it with any other dyes making it worse. Edited May 1, 2019 by ERen89 Quote
mikesc Posted May 1, 2019 Report Posted May 1, 2019 (edited) For $40.00 retail or ecom, it is a "split" and very likely made in Pakistan or India..( whatever the label might say ) FOB price..ordered in dozens per time , about $7.00 to $10.00 each..the braided band and the medallion would add maybe 50cts to a dollar on it.. Motorcycle bags is another thing that Pakistan and India make out of "splits" to supply the cheapest end of the Western Countries leather market sellers..can't blame them, ( the manufacturers overseas ) they make to the price(s) that the importer wants to pay.. Good luck with "water resistant", that usually would be taken to mean, will not actually dissolve or go "soggy" in a slight drizzle if exposed for less than 10 minutes..Even with wax, it would still pick up marks..If you are tall and big like me ? Maybe no one will ever see the mark..Unless you frequent people who are over 7 feet tall ( and whose eyes would be at around 6'8" ) themselves.. I have a hat with a tiny ( 2mm ) paint spot on the top..Tin lid popped off..paint can go up a long way.. light grey hat, dark grey paint..only I know the spot is there, no-one else that I've met in the last 10 years is big enough to see the top of the hat .. If you do try to treat it, dark brown shows less marks than black because anything slightly "off" from black stands out more than anything slightly "off" from brown..so dying it black would make any marks more apparent.. Edited May 1, 2019 by mikesc Quote "Don't you know that women are the only works of Art" .. ( Don Henley and "some French painter in a field" )
Members ERen89 Posted May 1, 2019 Author Members Report Posted May 1, 2019 (edited) 7 minutes ago, mikesc said: For $40.00 retail or ecom, it is a "split" and very likely made in Pakistan or India..( whatever the label might say ) FOB price..ordered in dozens per time , about $7.00 to $10.00 each..the braided band and the medallion would add maybe 50cts to a dollar on it.. Motorcycle bags is another thing that Pakistan and India make out of "splits" to supply the cheapest end of the Western Countries leather market sellers..can't blame them, ( the manufacturers overseas ) they make to the price(s) that the importer wants to pay.. Good luck with "water resistant", that usually would be taken to mean, will not actually dissolve or go "soggy" in a slight drizzle if exposed for less than 10 minutes..Even with wax, it would still pick up marks..If you are tall and big like me ? Maybe no one will ever see the mark..Unless you frequent people who are over 7 feet tall ( and whose eyes would be at around 6'8" ) themselves.. If you do try to treat it, dark brown shows less marks than black because anything slightly "off" from black stands out more than anything slightly "off" from brown..so dying it black would make any marks more apparent.. It was actually made in Australia but sold in the UK (according to amazon). It is an Aussie Styled Cowboy Hat. Lambskin leather to be specific. Just two notes I would like to put out there. Edited May 1, 2019 by ERen89 Quote
Members ERen89 Posted May 1, 2019 Author Members Report Posted May 1, 2019 In the end, I like the hat a lot. Even if it is not the most premium in quality. It looks great and feels great to me and it all I was looking for. Here it was before the dreadful raindrop of death Quote
mikesc Posted May 1, 2019 Report Posted May 1, 2019 (edited) Shouldn't make hats out of lambskin..I use a lot of lambskin..Garments yes..Chrome tanned smooth buttery feel lambskin..French or Italian.. Hats no..lambskin should be smooth, yours looks rough / matt , ( even on the part that is not marked ) like split skin Pakistani Cowskin.. If it is lambskin, it is not at all a good grade..or..the photos are not great and it is the suede finish of a lambskin, which normally one would only use for making cheap women's tops ( Pakistan uses a low grade top lambskin ( not the suede side ) to make skirts for the South American market )..looks a lot like what you have, sort of "mattish" ..I pay around $2.00 per sq foot maximum for it, use it ' rarely, it is too inconsistent in finish ) for lambskin linings in some things.. Never tried to get any marks out of it.. Good smooth lambskin...Italian or French ..or English.. ( no blemishes at all ) .is around $4.00 to $5.00 per sq foot..1.00 mm to 1.7mm thick .. Again..Good luck :)..If the retailer does take it back you'll probably have to pay each way postage and handling.. Brian ( RockyAussie ) may have some ideas, he may have come across it..The members from OZ should be coming on line about now..03.41 am here.. Edited May 1, 2019 by mikesc Quote "Don't you know that women are the only works of Art" .. ( Don Henley and "some French painter in a field" )
Members ERen89 Posted May 1, 2019 Author Members Report Posted May 1, 2019 I may have to take the lambskin note back, not sure where I read it, but the inside of the hat states Steer Hide. So my bad for that! It was free shipping, and only took two days, if not a day to arrive. Actually delivered early. Since I made note that they claimed it was water resistant to my question directly to them about it, hopefully they'll pay for the shipping all around. Quote
mikesc Posted May 1, 2019 Report Posted May 1, 2019 (edited) There yah go..Cow hide..matt..probably a split..now the image that you posted just above is easier to see.. If you like it a lot..live with it..wax it.. Only you and we will know about the raindrop.. "This is the mystery of the quotient, quotient / Upon us all, upon us all a little rain must fall / Just a little rain, oh / Ooh, yeah-yeah-yeah" Led Zeppelin..The Rain Song.. Classic..1973*..takes me back :))) Seems to me that Jimmy Page even wore a hat looked something like that ( may have had a feather in it too ) when I saw / heard them play that song live.. Jimi Hendrix had many hats some with conchos, some with scarves.. *Album remixed in 2014 Edited May 1, 2019 by mikesc Quote "Don't you know that women are the only works of Art" .. ( Don Henley and "some French painter in a field" )
Members ERen89 Posted May 1, 2019 Author Members Report Posted May 1, 2019 (edited) 7 minutes ago, mikesc said: There yah go..Cow hide..matt..probably a split..now the image that you posted just above is easier to see.. If you like it a lot..live with it..wax it.. Only you and we will know about the raindrop.. "This is the mystery of the quotient, quotient / Upon us all, upon us all a little rain must fall / Just a little rain, oh / Ooh, yeah-yeah-yeah" Led Zeppelin..The Rain Song.. Classic..1973..takes me back :))) remixed in 2014 Yeah, if the exchange option falls through then I’ll just go with the wax and live with it. It’s just very noticeable without any treatment right now with there being an off colored spot in any form of lighting or if I set it down. What’s a good way to buff the flaky split texture back down smooth? I used a cotton T-shirt initially but that seemed to cause too many problems. Maybe I’ll try that, then I’ll wax it down and see if it blends back Edited May 1, 2019 by ERen89 Quote
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