Post by indianatone on Jun 6, 2006 16:09:23 GMT -5
First, it's a brown hat with a hue of green in it. But it doesn't change that the green can be picked up on when you open that box for the first time. It makes it sort of a drab, dull, non-descript sort of brown. Which does fade to a non-descript sort of brown without the green hue later on.
There is one method I have used and it's given the same results each time so I can say with some semblance of confidence that this process, if done right, will not kill your Akubra, cause it to vaporize, grow legs, wither into a soggy mass, shrink to unwearable proportions, or anything like that.
No guarantees on this and you do so at your own risk, of course, but here is my recommendation on getting rid of that green undertone if you really don't like it:
AS ALWAYS: IF THIS IS YOUR ONLY FEDORA OR ONE YOU LIKE TO WEAR AS A DRESS HAT PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THAT IMPERFECTIONS MAY OCCUR
Bleach. Applied with a spray bottle (nozzle set to mist or spritz), and a paper towel to smooth out the bleach evenly on the hat. Even distribution. No build up or beading of bleach in areas on the hat.
Now, this bleach doesn't say if it's chlorinated or not, so I can only say that I've gotten this result with Safeway brand Regular Ultra Bleach. It does not say whether it's chlorinated or not. Best to get the bleach that doesn't advertise any extras in there.
This stuff is called: Regular Ultra Bleach.
The ratio:
3 parts bleach to 1 part water. Mix in enough so that the bottle sprayer pump will work. I always end up with way much more solution in the bottle than I needed.
1) Spray the bleach evenly onto the hat. Even spraying, not too light but don't go nuts with the sprayer either.
The hat should look darker overall if it's been saturated with the right amount. (*The hat in this picture has already been bleached and is not saturated here. This is to show the only things you need to do the job.)
2) Use the paper towel to make sure the bleach is evenly applied to the entire hat. (You're not wiping anything off or dabbing bleach onto the hat, you're simply spreading the bleach around so that it covers consistently.) The color you will see on the towel will be mauve. This is expected.
3) Let the hat dry in the sun - (should be no more than 2 minutes on a sunny day.) Remove the hat from the sun shortly after you see the color begin to fade.
4) You can wet the brim down to rinse it free of the bleach or just leave it alone at this point.
Before: Adventurebilt on the left, Akubra on the right.
After: Adventurebilt on the left, bleached Akubra on the right.
Questions you might have:
1) Will it stain the ribbon, fade it or turn it white? No. Just to be safe, use the towel to wipe as much bleach off the ribbon as possible during the spraying process. (Even left alone, the ribbon does not fade but you may see white areas on the ribbon later. These can be taken care of.)
2) How much bleach do I need to use and how soaked should the hat be? Not much and just evenly saturated. Saturated does not mean drenched. It's just to avoid splotching in areas that might have been missed with the bleach.
3) How long does this whole process take? Five minutes on a sunny, hot day. The sun enhances the effect a bit, but the majority of the green fading is done by the reaction of the bleach itself.
4) How much different does the Akubra look afterwards? It just looks brown without that green undertone anymore.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
The ribbon still has bleach on it. If you notice white spots on the ribbon after this process, it is the bleach that has not been rinsed off. You may see the areas that show white marks on the ribbon.
The ribbon is not ruined. It just needs to be wet down and wiped. Bear in mind, the ribbon still has bleach on it that may not have been rinsed. Wetting it down in areas will remove the white spots. You may have to roundabout the entire ribbon to remove all remnants. Again, the ribbon is not ruined - it's just an annoying step at this point.
There is one method I have used and it's given the same results each time so I can say with some semblance of confidence that this process, if done right, will not kill your Akubra, cause it to vaporize, grow legs, wither into a soggy mass, shrink to unwearable proportions, or anything like that.
No guarantees on this and you do so at your own risk, of course, but here is my recommendation on getting rid of that green undertone if you really don't like it:
AS ALWAYS: IF THIS IS YOUR ONLY FEDORA OR ONE YOU LIKE TO WEAR AS A DRESS HAT PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THAT IMPERFECTIONS MAY OCCUR
Bleach. Applied with a spray bottle (nozzle set to mist or spritz), and a paper towel to smooth out the bleach evenly on the hat. Even distribution. No build up or beading of bleach in areas on the hat.
Now, this bleach doesn't say if it's chlorinated or not, so I can only say that I've gotten this result with Safeway brand Regular Ultra Bleach. It does not say whether it's chlorinated or not. Best to get the bleach that doesn't advertise any extras in there.
This stuff is called: Regular Ultra Bleach.
The ratio:
3 parts bleach to 1 part water. Mix in enough so that the bottle sprayer pump will work. I always end up with way much more solution in the bottle than I needed.
1) Spray the bleach evenly onto the hat. Even spraying, not too light but don't go nuts with the sprayer either.
The hat should look darker overall if it's been saturated with the right amount. (*The hat in this picture has already been bleached and is not saturated here. This is to show the only things you need to do the job.)2) Use the paper towel to make sure the bleach is evenly applied to the entire hat. (You're not wiping anything off or dabbing bleach onto the hat, you're simply spreading the bleach around so that it covers consistently.) The color you will see on the towel will be mauve. This is expected.
3) Let the hat dry in the sun - (should be no more than 2 minutes on a sunny day.) Remove the hat from the sun shortly after you see the color begin to fade.
4) You can wet the brim down to rinse it free of the bleach or just leave it alone at this point.
Before: Adventurebilt on the left, Akubra on the right.
After: Adventurebilt on the left, bleached Akubra on the right.
Questions you might have:
1) Will it stain the ribbon, fade it or turn it white? No. Just to be safe, use the towel to wipe as much bleach off the ribbon as possible during the spraying process. (Even left alone, the ribbon does not fade but you may see white areas on the ribbon later. These can be taken care of.)
2) How much bleach do I need to use and how soaked should the hat be? Not much and just evenly saturated. Saturated does not mean drenched. It's just to avoid splotching in areas that might have been missed with the bleach.
3) How long does this whole process take? Five minutes on a sunny, hot day. The sun enhances the effect a bit, but the majority of the green fading is done by the reaction of the bleach itself.
4) How much different does the Akubra look afterwards? It just looks brown without that green undertone anymore.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
The ribbon still has bleach on it. If you notice white spots on the ribbon after this process, it is the bleach that has not been rinsed off. You may see the areas that show white marks on the ribbon.
The ribbon is not ruined. It just needs to be wet down and wiped. Bear in mind, the ribbon still has bleach on it that may not have been rinsed. Wetting it down in areas will remove the white spots. You may have to roundabout the entire ribbon to remove all remnants. Again, the ribbon is not ruined - it's just an annoying step at this point.
Not permanent and easy enough to fix, but it is a step missing. So the ribbon can be wiped down - or re-wet with water to remove any white areas.
