How do you "age" a hat?

[capt. hellraiser]

I've been searching for details on the best way to give a hat an aged look (like Cap'n Jacks) but I can only find bits and pieces of information. What's best to use on it? And how? Thanks for the help!

[Bilgemunky]

I'm no expert on the subject, but I did finally take "the plunge" last month, and made an effort to age some of my pirate garb. Here's what I did:

I waited for a rainy day, then went into a section of my back yard that is mainly dirt and gravel. I put the shirt, slops, and westkit on the ground, and stomped on them. A lot. I ground my heels in. Then I picked up the westkit and smashed it between two rocks (the rocks were a bit jagged, and the holes they made might have been a bit overkill. Fortunately I didn't do it too many times.)

As for the hat, I flung it against a wet brick wall several times, and let it land in the mud. It's a well made felt hat, and its light weight made it difficult to do much simply by throwing it, so I lightly "whipped" it against the wall too. I didn't have the heart to truly lay into it, though, so it still looks a little too new.

After all this I hung it all up and hosed the mud away (much still remained, but it appeared more worn in after the hosing.) I then let it all air dry.

Later I attacked much of the clothing with a seamripper, and then fine-grit sandpaper to "wear" the edges.

It was difficult to jump into beating up my glorious clothes, but I of course knew that new pirate clothes just don't look right. They now look worlds more authentic.

I imagine dozens of folks here can offer plenty of other recommendations.

[Rateye]

Though I usually follow the B-Monk's proceedure, (except I'm usually wearing the items when they're thrown against the wall) A less lethal proceedure is to use tea or food browning. In the studio we would age fabric or straw or most anything by soaking in the browning. The tea and coffee were used for sweat stains on me old hats. Then add some mud here and there to taste and serve...

Rats

[capt. hellraiser]

What about different waterproofing methods that give it an old look. I've read about people using wax, shellac and all kinds of stuff

[Captain Jim]

To age a hat, simply think about what can happen to your character and his hat. Two biggies are salt and oil from sweat. While this can be faked with salt water and a small ammount of veggie oil, the best is to go out and mow the lawn/jog/muck out stables, etc while wearing the hat. To fake it, just pour some salt water in a pan large enough to contain your hat and soak just the bottom part. A cookie sheet will do, as it does not need to be deep. Air dry and use a paper towel to artfully dab/rub some oil in the same area, especially in the front. the same sort of thing can be used for sun bleaching, except that you can leave the hat out in the sun without your head inside. Leave it on the dashboard of your car. It will make passersby wonder about you, but then they probably do anyway. Next use sandpaper, drills, knives and whatever else comes to mind to "distress" the rest, creating knife gouges, bullet holes, burn marks and wear patterns. Don't go overboard here or you'll end up with something out of a cartoon. Where do you grab you hat when you take it off? Sandpaper that. Fire a flint musket? Scorch a little of the cocked part in front. Be creative. Have fun.

[Coastie04]

Here's an idea: Wear it a lot. Wear it while doing any sort of manual labor, jump into the ocean, roll in the mud, etc. Just a note about the mud flinging that seems to be prevalent: there's really not a whole lot of mud on a boat or at sea in general. If there is some from your last night on shore sleeping in a ditch, it would mostly wash off in your first storm. So, I'd go a little easy on the mud here unless you're supposed to be a farmer or the likes. Tar stains and maybe a bit of paint and powder burns are much more likely than mud.

What I'd really suggest (short of actually going to sea in them to get authentic tar stains, sea salt, etc) is taking some vacation, or at least a few weekends in a row, and wear the clothes. I'm not just talking about during the day, either. Wear them from when you get home from work on Friday, or even before if you've got a long commute, until you get up on Monday. Sleep on the floor so you're uncomfortable and put a bit more wear and tear on them. Take a shower in them (rain is fresh water on land and sea-no soap). Go to the beach, roll around a bit in the sand, clay, or whatever lines the shore, play volleyball. Jump in the salt water, let it dry, take a shower, repeat (no rinsing). For the next few weekends, do the same thing.

Then there's a few 'extras' that you can add for the truly authentic look. When eating, use various parts of your shirt as a napkin, or just spill a lot. Induce vomiting or get sloppy drunk and just let it go all over yourself. A shower after this wouldn't be a bad thing, as there is often rain with a storm, though jumping in the sea's not a bad option either. Go to the range with your favorite period piece and shoot it a few times to get that black powder smell going. Try to find some pine tar and get a bit of that on your clothes somewhere. It's really good if you can put some on a line and get that unmistakable mark of freshly tarred rigging. Finally, make your own repairs and try to clean it up as best you can with period cleaning supplies (lye soap and salt water maybe? Fresh water was generally too precious to waste on vain things such as hygene). After a few months of this, you should have some fairly authentic aging, and the clothes might feel better, too.

Did I miss anything?

Coastie

[Patrick Hand]

Dang.... that sounds like wot I do each year at Ojai..... no wonder my garb looks authentic......

[Capt. Sterling]

Here's an idea: Wear it a lot. Wear it while doing any sort of manual labor, jump into the ocean, roll in the mud, etc. Just a note about the mud flinging that seems to be prevalent: there's really not a whole lot of mud on a boat or at sea in general.

I have to agree with Coastie here, the best method unless you really understand the human body and dying fabrics is to just wear it a LOT! then the item will age naturally and properly.

Also for those of you who do not wish to ruin yer kit, try Fueler's earth... I believe that is the proper spelling, it is what is used on film sets for dirt...

[Jack Roberts]

For yer hat,

I would definatly shellac it. I posted a similar questions awhile back. (I'll dig it up here in a moment.) I never thought of the salt water trick, I'll have to do that. When I get home. The shellac makes the hat really floppy which can good or bad. I got a very unquie shape to it. I left it upside down and got really rounded edges. Keep in mind that the hat will be hard when you shellac it and it will shrink a bit while it dries. I stretched it out with a bag tied around me head and put the hat on while it dried. (If you have a head rag put that on to, then bag it.) I'll try to post pics later, It's going to be a few days, I'm clear accross the country right now.

[Red Cat Jenny]

What is "browning"? I would think some coarse kosher or sea salt mixed with tar or maybe a tiny bit o shoe polish and some sand rubbed in may work. I remember getting new sneakers when school started and we all ground the huge looking white leather monsters into the sand to properly "distress" them to a much more acceptable state.

[McBarnacle]

I've been searching for details on the best way to give a hat an aged look (like Cap'n Jacks) but I can only find bits and pieces of information. What's best to use on it? And how? Thanks for the help!

You could do what the rest of my crew did when I turned up to a raid with a brand new, pristine hat.

They shot it with a flintlock pistol!

Luckily for me, they did allow me to take it off first (although some were hoping to shoot it while I was still wearing it! ).

[Kenneth]

Ah! I know what you're wanting! You want that rubbed look like Jack. Alright. The trick is bees wax. Has to be be the real stuff. So get you a bar a start rubbing the life out of your hat. Has to be real fur felt or good wool or you'll just be rubbing for nothing. If your hat gets too floppy armor all works well to stiffen.

Beating up your clothes, do the Hollywood trick. A couple of bricks (not red), black wax, 1/2 cup of concrete, epson salt, water bottle that sprays a mist and a concrete mixer. Throw all your clothes in with your mix a turn it on. Be prepared to re sew some buttons though....Lightly mist your mix and don't use too much concrete....Hope that helps.