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[deadlyhandsome]

I use what I call my 'sacrificial anode" hats. These are my Akubras and I wear them in very inclement weather. I don't worry about the rain per se as we get a lot of it up here. So don't worry much if I get caught out in a downpour but if it is raining heavily before I go out I don one of my Akubras knowing they take the wet really well and if it negatively affects them I don't have much money invested in them in the first place. If it is really cold and wet I wear one of my wool Newsboy caps with a rain proof liner.

For a second there I thought you had a zinc hat

 

[deadlyhandsome]

In a recent post on another thread, I mentioned wearing a hat in inclement weather. I must say, whenever it's raining or blowing, I am always in a quandry trying to decide what hat to wear. Ironically, those are two of the major conditions best suited to hat wearing!

So, what do you folks do? Do you have weatherproof hats you choose to wear? Do you condition hats with sealer or some form of treatment to make them weather resistant? Do you just grin and bear it, knowing that you may have some drying, shaping, blocking, etc. to do when you return indoors?

We've had a lot of rain lately, which is standard for this time of year and the region in which I live. I must say that I tend to eschew my nicer hats and opt for a wool beanie or ball cap when daring the outdoors. You?

One of the reasons to pay a premium for beaver felt is that it takes the weather better, but like others I tend to grab an Akubra. When I lived in the Pacific Northwest, my rain hat was an Outdoor Research (OR) Gore-Tex rain hat. With the amount of rain I get where I currently live the OR hat hasn’t seen use in some years. Although I’ve never put them into use, I also think of my thick, hard, but still fur felt Stratton hats as good foul weather options.

 

[belfastboy]

For a second there I thought you had a zinc hat

I did but it turned my forehead green.

 

[belfastboy]

One of the reasons to pay a premium for beaver felt is that it takes the weather better, but like others I tend to grab an Akubra. When I lived in the Pacific Northwest, my rain hat was an Outdoor Research (OR) Gore-Tex rain hat. With the amount of rain I get where I currently live the OR hat hasn’t seen use in some years. Although I’ve never put them into use, I also think of my thick, hard, but still fur felt Stratton hats as good foul weather options.

I have a strong tendency to keep my nice things nice so treat them with kid gloves and save the "good" china for special occasions. I had a health scare on Friday night and while driving to emergency my thoughts began to wander and I had this insight.......geez robert, you better start drinking the expensive whisky in your collection or someone else will.....and Oh, and start to wear your good hats too!!!....regardless the weather.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I have a strong tendency to keep my nice things nice so treat them with kid gloves and save the "good" china for special occasions. I had a health scare on Friday night and while driving to emergency my thoughts began to wander and I had this insight.......geez robert, you better start drinking the expensive whisky in your collection or someone else will.....and Oh, and start to wear your good hats too!!!....regardless the weather.

I hear you on actually wearing your good hats and not just locking them away.

I’m glad that your health issue was only a “scare.” I hope all is well, my friend.

 

[belfastboy]

I hear you on actually wearing your good hats and not just locking them away.

I’m glad that your health issue was only a “scare.” I hope all is well, my friend.

Yep, I am good. It was my family doctor being cautious....he has a weird sense of humour...he said he wanted me to go to the ER right away as he didn't want me to die as he didn't want that on his conscience ruining his weekend.

 

[Blare]

I have a strong tendency to keep my nice things nice so treat them with kid gloves and save the "good" china for special occasions. I had a health scare on Friday night and while driving to emergency my thoughts began to wander and I had this insight.......geez robert, you better start drinking the expensive whisky in your collection or someone else will.....and Oh, and start to wear your good hats too!!!....regardless the weather.

Very very true. We only get one go round

 

[Zombie_61]

...So, what do you folks do? Do you have weatherproof hats you choose to wear?...

I've mentioned in more than one thread here that I believe every fur felt hat wearer should own at least one Akubra to use as a dedicated "rain hat", and I stand by that. A couple of my Akubras have been soaked through and through by rain at least once, and I simply fixed their shapes as necessary and set them aside to dry. Once dry they were ready to wear again with no ill effects. Akubras are "work" hats, and they're tough. And if one somehow gets damaged beyond repair (or simply wears out after years of use) most of them are easily replaced.

 

[Bill Hughes]

In a recent post on another thread, I mentioned wearing a hat in inclement weather. I must say, whenever it's raining or blowing, I am always in a quandry trying to decide what hat to wear. Ironically, those are two of the major conditions best suited to hat wearing!

So, what do you folks do? Do you have weatherproof hats you choose to wear? Do you condition hats with sealer or some form of treatment to make them weather resistant? Do you just grin and bear it, knowing that you may have some drying, shaping, blocking, etc. to do when you return indoors?

We've had a lot of rain lately, which is standard for this time of year and the region in which I live. I must say that I tend to eschew my nicer hats and opt for a wool beanie or ball cap when daring the outdoors. You?

I don’t wear straw in the rain. Any and all of my felts I wear in the rain. I don’t hesitate. If one gets soaked, I just make sure to shape it and let it air dry.

 

[Snowman]

I have a strong tendency to keep my nice things nice so treat them with kid gloves and save the "good" china for special occasions. I had a health scare on Friday night and while driving to emergency my thoughts began to wander and I had this insight.......geez robert, you better start drinking the expensive whisky in your collection or someone else will.....and Oh, and start to wear your good hats too!!!....regardless the weather.

I, too, have had a bad habit of saving everything nice “for a special occasion.” I was reminded that waking up is a special occasion, so I am enjoying my nice things more. Which reminds me, I have an unopened bottle of Blanton’s...

 

[belfastboy]

I, too, have had a bad habit of saving everything nice “for a special occasion.” I was reminded that waking up is a special occasion, so I am enjoying my nice things more. Which reminds me, I have an unopened bottle of Blanton’s...

Drink the damn thing before I come over and drink it for you!!!!

 

[TheGuitarFairy]

Stefan graciously sold me this 40s Medalist labeled Stetson a few months back. It was blocked with a 123 block as well and is un reeded. Stefan's pics btw ..

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Stefan graciously sold me this 40s Medalist labeled Stetson a few months back. It was blocked with a 123 block as well and is un reeded. Stefan's pics btw ..
View attachment 314501
View attachment 314506

View attachment 314502
View attachment 314504

One hell of a hat!!
B

 

[Emilis]

Hello members,

I've started working on this sand-coloured rabbit felt hat body, and after sanding, the felt added this darker shades to it. Will add three pictures, first one is before sanding, second one after, third one after applying coconut oil to enhance the colour.

Does anyone know why this discoloration appeared? Did I sand into the core of the felt? Or maybe it's a poor quality? Please leave your opinions on this.

Have a great day everyone!

 

[belfastboy]

Hello members,

I've started working on this sand-coloured rabbit felt hat body, and after sanding, the felt added this darker shades to it. Will add three pictures, first one is before sanding, second one after, third one after applying coconut oil to enhance the colour.

Does anyone know why this discoloration appeared? Did I sand into the core of the felt? Or maybe it's a poor quality? Please leave your opinions on this.

Have a great day everyone!

Welcome to the oft frustrating world of hat making. Likely you have pounced into the shellac core. Hard to tell how bad it is from the pics. Sometimes if it is not too badly mottled it helps to use a generous spritz of denatured alcohol and a white non abrasive pad to chase the dye around. Is this a Tonak felt from Agnoulita? Or make it up and sell as a distressed model and charge extra.

 

[Emilis]

Haha I like the part about the distressed model!

This is actually my test felts that I use for training, they're lightweight, second grade.. but the discoloration appeared straight away after the first second of pouncing the top part of the crown..

 

[belfastboy]

Haha I like the part about the distressed model!

This is actually my test felts that I use for training, they're lightweight, second grade.. but the discoloration appeared straight away after the first second of pouncing the top part of the crown..

I have never had this happen with any of the "seconds" I have practiced with or any Tonak felt for that matter. Maybe this is the reason it was put in the "seconds bin". Are these the felts from The Trimming Co? It has to be a dye issue....what else could it be but poor dye penetration into the felt?

 

[Emilis]

It's a company from the Netherlands, cannot recall the name now... Well, I've pounced a black and light grey coloured felts from them and didn't have this issue, but this is actually my second time sanding a sand-coloured hat body, and it had the same issue.

So probably you are right, it do feels like a poor dye penetration.

 

[belfastboy]

It's a company from the Netherlands, cannot recall the name now... Well, I've pounced a black and light grey coloured felts from them and didn't have this issue, but this is actually my second time sanding a sand-coloured hat body, and it had the same issue.

So probably you are right, it do feels like a poor dye penetration.

Same batch likely. Dye takes pressure as well as heat to penetrate. When I passively dye a felt I get very thin penetration into the felt so I can see there being issues in the process. It is not just a matter of dumping the felts into a dye vat.

 

[K5MOW]

Good evening

Just wanted to ask a quick question. I just purchased a Stetson Inwood Fedora. The hat is brand new. The hat has a fair amount fur felt dust. I cleaned a lot of it off with packing tape and my hat brush. Is this normal for a new Stetson to fur felt dust. I hope I am explaining this question correctly. It is a gray hat and a lot of gray dust came off.
Thanks Roger