Material Identification help

[cjspiteri]

I bought a few sheets of this material as it is the closest thing to felt I could find locally. I bought it from an "art" store. It had a section for model trains and it was near the fret saws and foliage section. It is a bit stiffer than felt and about 2.5 to 3 mm thick. It cuts nice. I bought red, white and black and used some red for a tongue on my first build. I am thinking about using it to cover eyes and maybe use as a skin on my next build. Not much give to it when you try to stretch it.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

It's hard to tell from your photo, but it could be some kind of wool felt or wool blend felt. Wool felt is typically stiffer than the synthetic, man-made felt sold by most craft stores (what most people think of today when you say "felt").

Wool felt is often used to make hats and is actually a really cool material. If you wet it and shape it will hold the shape when it dries, a process that hat makers call "blocking".

 

[cjspiteri]

Buck Beaver thanks for the reply. It has a very different feel to it than felt I have purchased before, does not roll or fold flat. I will take my wife to the shop with me next time and she can ask. All the signs are written in Thai, I can get by but my vocabulary is limited.

I could see this material easily being shaped. I may try wetting some and covering some eyes with it.

Thanks again.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Wool felt - at least the wool felt I have used - is usually difficult to roll up (it doesn't really) and will not fold flat. It's much stiffer and rougher than "regular" felt, which is synthetic. The other thing is that some of fabrics made and sold locally in Asia and Latin America are quite different than what you find in North America or Europe.

I'd be interested to know what you find out!