Felt Basics?

[OneEyeMan]

The only half decent hat I have now is a wool Pendleton.
I know it'll shrink if I wear it in the rain, but then, that'll give me an excuse to buy an Akubra or some other quality felt hat. I am impressed though, in how the wool keeps my head and shoulders dry during a downpour though.
So, how well do real felt hats do in the rain?
Do they shed water like wool, or do they soak through?
Lenny

 

[MattJH]

I've worn both of my Akubra Federation IV Standards made of rabbit felt in rain, hail, and snow, and all the water does to them is make the felt a bit softer and set the crease in more rigidly.

I've worn my lightweight 100% beaver felt Vintage Silhouettes by Art Fawcett in the rain here in Philadelphia for these past three days and all the rain does is bead on the felt, with very little absorption at all.

Whether or not fur felt hats were originally intended to be all-weather hats is a point of debate that has been discussed a few times here but, in general, fur felt (be it rabbit, nutria, or beaver) holds up just fine getting wet. As long as you let the hat dry while properly positioned (brim up all the way around, sitting on its base), you shouldn't have any problems at all.

 

[scottyrocks]

Well, the fur keeps the beavers and rabbits warm (and dry?). [huh]

 

[jpbales]

i've heard...

that wool felt doesn't hold up as well in the rain, and shrinks... but I've never myself have worn one in the rain, and have only ever owned one. Akubra's website has a pretty good description of the capabilities of fur felt:
http://akubra.com/create_making.html

here's what it says about water-resistance:
"It's also more impervious to water than any other fabric. This is for two reasons; first, the fibres interlock closely making them less absorbent, and second, the animal fibres themselves do not soak up moisture."

I tend to agree with that description.

Generally, fur felts hats are amazing in the rain. The rain either beads off (depending on how the felt is treated) or it soaks up some and then the rest runs off the hat. Either way, I'm always dry if I wear a hat in the rain. I used to dread a downpour, but now I that I wear hats I don't even notice... except it's an excuse for me to show off my hats and just how practical they really are

 

[Dewhurst]

A quality fur felt hat should be able to withstand quite a bit of rain with no real problem at all. You will be perfectly fine venturing out in one while it is raining. Although, if it is a strict dress hat (meaning not very adventurous looking), you may want to avoid it in order to preserve the look of the hat. Maybe get a fur felt beater for rain?

But they are no replacement for an umbrella, or a hat actually and specifically designed with rain in mind.

 

[scotrace]

One of the top stickied threads in Hats may help.

Felt Hat Basics

 

[Corky]

My all-time favorite wool felt fedora melted in a downpour...

My all-time favorite wool felt fedora simply melted in a downpour.

My favorite hat at the time, a dark forest green fedora, turned into something that looked and smelled like an old damp army blanket.