ageing repro ribbons

[Eric Gaumann]

As some may have noticed I've been searching for some replacement ribbons for my loose medals. The situation is now fixed thanks to Roy at World Medals.
So now what I'd like to do is lose the 'sheen' of those brand new repro ribbons. I've tossed them into the washing machine before, with fairly good results, but more than once the ribbons have frayed to an alarming degree. Short of sewing a few stitches in each end (and then washing them) can anybody recommend a better way to age, slighty, or at the very least remove the 'newness', from replacement ribbons?
Maybe soaking them in detergent, water, and a drop or two (at the most) of bleach and letting them sit over night?

[Eric Stahlhut]

Why not try slipping them into the soles of your shoes and wearing them around for a week? Don't wear socks.
They might not pass the 'glow' test but they sure will pass the 'sniff' test! As an added bonus you get to watch the expressions on the faces of the 'sniffers'!

[JensF.]

Eric S.:

EricFG: Don't try the other Erics tip, they'll get the false "sniff". No ribbon ever smelled like cheeeeese!!!

Maybe you can put them into tea. I've read with black tea you can age paper, maybe this'll work with ribbons too. Just make some Earl Grey and try it, but let me know the results

[Dez H]

eeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwww




Why not soak them in salty water, then leave them out in the hot sun, do this a few times and it will age them up nicely.


Regards

Dez

[Rick Research]

Hmmm, this is certainly worth bearing in mind when Left Coast Eric posts stuff on eStand!..

I've always had good luck taking that hideous synthetic shine off by rubbing the ribbons in fine dusty dirt right out in the back yard. You don't want to get them all horrid and stained (I'm not sure about tea-dunking!), just to wipe the surface shine off.

For the love of God never do that with original silk ribbons for any reason!!!!

[Tom Y]

Don't try rubbing them in the dirt down here. It'd be like using coarse sandpaper. If your housekeeping's like mine, rubbing on the top of a bookshelf should do it This time of year a few days in the Florida sun & rain should add years to them.

[Eric Gaumann]

Ha! Some good ones in there. Actually, I'm considering Eric S's suggestion, slightly modified. I may just put a couple in my work shoes during the day. A day or two of heavy use (I'm on my feet a lot, carring heavy ****e all the time) and then a couple three four hand rinses may do the job.
Tom, d'you really think a few days outside on the clothes line will do the trick? That sounds too easy.
I have about 10 of them to do so I may try both methods and see what happens. I *won't* try to age the long service blue ribbons though. They're just the right shade of blue - I can't bear the thought of ruining them.
For the record: these ribbons won't ever be passed off as something they're not. They're strictly for my own personal permanent collection.

[Tom Y]

The way the weather's been lately it wouldn't hurt to try. I think maybe the wind/rain/sun might just do the trick. Just use good clothespins.

[VerKuilen Ager]

Just for the record, don't wash ribbons that have a moire pattern if you want it to remain. It often isn't woven into the ribbon and will may disappear if the ribbon gets wet. I don't know for sure, but suspect that these ribbons are heavily starched and the moire is pressed into it. Wash it and out comes the starch and the pretty pattern with it.

[Eric Gaumann]

result - early return

I tried Eric S's method. I did actually put them in my shoes for a day at work. Then I put them in a glass jar with a little bit of laundry soap and some hot water. I left them there overnight, shaking them once in a while to get sudsy. The next morning I took them out and let them soak in clean water rinsing them and changing the water a few times. And guess what? It worked!

There's two kinds of ribbons I've got so far. One's kinda silk-like; prob'ly rayon. The other's a great deal thicker and a lot stiffer. The thinner one I aged a bit more than I wanted too. Next time I'll prob'ly do the 'wash & rinse routine' only. But the fabric of the thick, stiff ribbons has been broken down to the point where they are nice and floppy. Just like a hundred year old ribbon should feel. The color are still nice and bright and the sheen's been removed so I think I perfected my technique.

So now I'm starting my own business: Gaumann's Ribbon Aging, Inc., Ltd., GmBH. I figure $75 per ribbon, or $65 each for 5 or more...... any suckers, er, I mean takers?!?!?

[Tom Y]

I asked Roy Woolley at World Medals and he suggested washing and a UV light. The shoe trick sounds good, but I seldom wear them.