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Eileen Jul 19, 2008

Has anyone ever found a good way to turn curly mohair straight?

I've tried taping, washing/conditioning and blowdrying/brushing, and they help--but they don't really remove the curl completely.

Is it possible to steam or iron the curl out? . . . I used to iron my hair straight in college!

kezjoy Jul 20, 2008

um...don't know..... comb through hair gel..but it will be yukky and gooey.....just buy some already straight is what id do
Kerrilyn

sameoldsmile Jul 20, 2008

Eileen,The only way i know of is to use hair straighteners, but you must first use a heat defence product,the same kind you would use on human hair,it will protect the fabric from being shocked.And also help prevent frizz.I have used this method and it worked well for me .With no nasty sticky residue leaving the fabric very soft and shiny.
I hope this helps you a little
:hug: Sue

Michelle Helen Jul 20, 2008

Why don't you try moose for the hair and blow dry it straight. That was a tip I learned from a Diane Gard class. I know it helps with making the fur go in the direction you want but maybe this will help with your problem.

desertmountainbear Jul 20, 2008

Hi Eileen,  You can iron mohair,  You can iron mohair with a flat curling iron, or you can use a regular iron.  I just took a scrap of wavy mohair, misted it with water and used my clothes iron on high to iron it perfectly straight, it did not frizz and was soft and beautiful.  I agree with Sue, I would go to the store and buy a hair product for heat styling, remember that like human hair mohair that is in humidity will probably go back to being wavy, so get something that will help with this.
Joanne

Linda Jul 20, 2008

I think it would be better to go with a non-chemical way, as we don't really know what the long term affects of hair products is going to be on the fabric! Remember it won't be washed out like it is with our own hair, and I imagine it would attract dirt as well. I like to keep the use of chemicals to the absolute minimum, I have seen bears (not THAT old) disintergrate because supa glue was used to attach decoration to the fabric! So please be very careful with any additives you use if you want your bears to become heirlooms.

Eileen Jul 20, 2008

Great advice--thanks, everybody. You're the best! :hug:

I think I need to cut some swatches and experiment with all these methods.

I've got miles of beautiful dense curly mohair, but I want to start making more realistic beasties, and most of them have straight or straightish fur.

I agree with Linda about chemicals like glue, but modern hair straighteners come with very good neutralizers--I know, because I once straightened my daughter's hair, bleached it, and dyed it purple. It was painful, but better than letting her do it herself, and the hair stayed strong and healthy! By the way, she's turned into a very respectable, natural haired, traditional mommy.

Great tip about heat defense products, Sue. I think I've got an antique bottle of heat-activated conditioner somewhere. I'm inclined to go with Joanne's suggestion about ironing.

I've tried mousses and gels, Kerilyn and Michelle. They're not gunky after you brush and blow dry, but they are temporary. They do change the direction of the fur, but don't take the curl out.

I don't really know how the mohair mills set the curl--it must be with chemicals or heat, or both. Does anyone know?

desertmountainbear Jul 21, 2008

It has to be with chemicals, because if it was with heat it would not be permanent,  I have wet straight and curly mohair, and they pretty much stay the way they were before they were wet.  If it were heat, it would go back to the original texture after being wet.  I was a hairdresser for many years, and mohair acts very similar to human hair.

Yellowstone Country Bears Jul 21, 2008

The best tip I was given is to use an alcohol-free product.  It reduces the amount of residue that builds up in the hair during the styling process and from the enviroment afterwards.

Susan