Nutria Mania, part 1

[feltfan]

A few years back I visited Louisiana. While canoeing in the bayou,
I saw these basketball-sized, bouncing mudballs. They moved fast and
looked really ugly. You'd move fast and have little regard for
your appearance if you were favorite gator bait in the Louisiana swamp.
Those were nutria.

This hat helped me come to love those hideous mudballs.
It's a "Nutria Quality" Stetson. When I bought it, the felt was
nice, but the liner appeared blank (and was taped in- a home job)
and the leather sweat band was the most disgusting I had ever seen-
an oily glob of rotten leather. No hat band, just the brim binding.

I sent the hat out to Graham at Optimo. He contradicted my theory
that someone had used the wrong grease to restore the sweatband,
explaining that what I saw was many decades of human sweat and skin oil.
Yech. Graham claimed to be able to read the Stetson logo on the
liner, but I wasn't able to see it.

After a cleaning and blocking (it probably had a hand bashed telescope
crown, but it wasn't clear) and a new ribbon, sweat, and liner, here it is:

Not sure if it's better with the flash off:

You can see a little squiggle along the top where the felt is a bit
thinner from pinching, but no problem. There is also an odd dent
in the side, even after blocking (you can kinda see it above the bow).
Is it green or tan? Don't ask me!

Here's the bow:

I like it. The size didn't come out quite right, so I had to stretch it
a bit more (rather than pay postage back to Chicago...). Now this
hat gets a lot of wear. The felt seems to me very pliant and tough.
The ultimate dog walking hat.

Somehow entirely different from anything I have... except perhaps for
the hat in Nutria Mania, part 2!

 

[Sefton]

That's an interesting hat. It looks like quite an old style...any idea of it's age? It looks like something from late 19th century old west. Nice!

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

I wonder where the name "Nutria" came from. Are they good eatin'?

 

[Rick Blaine]

... you first, pal!

I wonder where the name "Nutria" came from. Are they good eatin'?

Louisiana Nutria Recipe

Chef Philippe Parola Commandeur des Cordon Bleu de France

Heart Healthy "Crock-Pot" Nutria

* 2 hind saddle portions of nutria meat
* 1 tomato, cut in big wedges
* 2 carrots, sliced thin
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
* 1 cup demi glace (optional)



* 1 small onion, sliced thin
* 2 potatoes, sliced thin
* Brussel sprouts
* 1 cup water
* salt and pepper to taste

Layer onion, tomato, potatoes, carrots and Brussel sprouts in crock pot. Season nutria with salt, pepper and garlic to taste and place nutria over vegetables. Add wine and water, set crock pot on low and let cook until meat is tender. Cook for approximately 4 to 6 hours. Garnish with vegetables and demi glace (4 servings).

 

[deanglen]

Feltfan, that hat appeals to me too. It's got a bow style I treasure, except I wish the ends of the ribbon extended out an inch or two. Nice one!


dean

 

[feltfan]

That's an interesting hat. It looks like quite an old style...any idea of it's age? It looks like something from late 19th century old west. Nice!

I'm guessing 1940s, to judge from the printing on the
sweat band. I think that's around when Stetson made
the Nutria Quality hats, though I'd be glad to hear from
someone who knows more than I do. The bow may make
it appear a bit older. Regarding the bow, Deanglen, I approved
it from a verbal description and didn't specify details. I do like it,
but perhaps it's a bit tidy for this rough and tumble hat.

And hey you guys, no one is eating my hat.
Nutria meat is easy to come by in butcher shops in Louisiana, though.

 

[feltfan]

Coypu

BTW, the nutria is also known as the coypu and is described
as having "light brown durable fur" used to imitate beaver in my
1934-1953 dictionary. Keeping around old dictionaries is useful
for these sorts of definitions.

Keep your eyes peeled, coypu fans, tomorrow's nutria hat
in part two of "Nutria Mania" will blow this one out of the water.

 

[deanglen]

By no means meant to be critical of the ribbon, it's fine. If anything it's nice to see it as it is. Don't want to be misunderstood.


dean

 

[gekisai29]

Nutria is a beautiful fur often used for mens coats

 

[DOUGLAS]

Good looking lid.Everyone needs a smart walking out hat.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I wonder where the name "Nutria" came from.

I believe that it came from the Spanish language. At any rate, "nutria" is also the Spanish word for that little critter.


.

 

[Fedora]

I too have a Stetson Nutria hat. Very soft and durable felt. I can't tell the difference between it and a beaver hat, so apparently the fur is very close to beaver in looks and feel. Mine is a keeper too. In fact, I have been wearing it all of this week. Fedora

 

[feltfan]

I too have a Stetson Nutria hat.

Similar style? Did they use this felt for other hats?
I guess they did use it for boy scout/park ranger hats.

Post a pic, Fedora!

 

[Fortino37]

My stetson Nutria

This is my Stetson Nutria, had to replace the ribbon band, the original was 1/8 wide and ruined, this felt is more dense that the other hats I have, the sweatband reads "Nutria Quality", and the original price was $15.00, I'll post more photos of the interior as soon as possible.

Saludos from Mexicali


Fortino37

 

[Dinerman]

don't you just love the color of those nutria's teeth?

also- how high is that crown? It looks huge.

 

[feltfan]

also- how high is that crown? It looks huge.

If you're asking about my hat, it's about 5" in front and
around 6" open crown in the center.

Fortino37, whew, I could get a sun tan on the sheen from
that fur. Very nice. Thanks so much for sharing. That is
a very different hat from the one I have. Can one say a
hat is "majo"?