Re-dying a felt hat

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

I have a 1942 vintage Resistol hat that I'd like to re-dye to a pure black color, as it was originally.  Has anyone done that themselves and, if so, what do I need to do to mine to get its color back?

[Wallaby Damned]

You could probably give it a go with RIT fabric dye. I would try spraying with water and then dabbing a dye solution on with a sponge until you get the color you’re after rather than dunking the hat in the solution as it’d likely lose shape. 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

Back in my bar hopping days, I knew a guy who decided that he wanted his brown hat to be black. He figured, well it's fur. What's fur? Hair. He used black hair dye on it. It turned out pretty well. 

[Pat Riot]

I would be careful with home dying. 
I saw a guy at a rodeo take his black hat off and he had streaks of black running down his forehead and neck from sweating in his newly dyed hat. 
The dye tinted his skin almost black. He looked awful. Not sure how long it would take to wash that off. 
 

I would send it to someone that is in the hat business. 
 

But if you don’t and your dye runs in the heat remember that I am the one that told you so. 

[Blackwater 53393]

50 minutes ago, Pat Riot said:

I would be careful with home dying. 
I saw a guy at a rodeo take his black hat off and he had streaks of black running down his forehead and neck from sweating in his newly dyed hat. 
The dye tinted his skin almost black. He looked awful. Not sure how long it would take to wash that off. 
 

I would send it to someone that is in the hat business. 
 

But if you don’t and your dye runs in the heat remember that I am the one that told you so. 

 

I’ve seen a number of “store bought” hats that did the same thing when they were exposed to a significant amount of rain!!  Particularly black ones!!

 

FORTY!! Find a good hatter that provides that service!!  I can find one for you if you need for me to.

 

You’ve got the number…

[Grass Range]

Use leather dye. No problems.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Cleaned the hat with warm water and baking soda, scrubbed it over and over gently with a finger nail brush, and rinsed it thoroughly.

 

Let it dry for a day or two, then wet it again and reshaped it.  It doesn't need to be dyed because the dirt came off but the color didn't.  I'll take a few more times to GENTLY reshape it and it should be as good as new. 

 

Thanks for thetips.