Do good quality straw hats fray or rip over time?

[TheDane]

c. spend tons of money on high quality hats that will look great forever.

- made from unicorn felt ... by a 10" tall gnome with green hair

 

[alanfgag]

I feel like I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. I seem to be unable to win either way. My choices are:

a. spend tons of money on high quality hats that will look great for some time, and then look bad.

b. spend much less money on low quality hats that will look okay for even less time than high quality hats, and then look bad.

What I really want is a third option like this:

c. spend tons of money on high quality hats that will look great forever.

I have no experience with buying new hats, but I have handled the montecristi offerings at Optimo and they are very nice. The brims are for the most part back woven, not ribbon bound or sewn welts.

I would suggest that you shop in the vintage market. Some excellent quality straws come along from time to time and I have rarely if ever seen one sell for more than 300 dollars - often they are much less. It will take some homework, with many of the textbooks available right here on the Fedora Lounge. Many high quality straws will have good life left in them - some might need to be reblocked and a new sweatband applied. A fine quality montecristi at Optimo will cost upwards of two thousand dollars. With patience, you will find a vintage hat of this quality, but you will also find other straw varieties - leghorn, buntal, baku, milan that cannot be sourced in the same quality today.

I own quite a few vintage straws. None are frayed. Buy more than one. There are seven days in a week and over time you will not miss the money you've spent.

my .02