Pike Mennonite Dress Hat

[RBH]

Amish made fur felt fedora

Found this after my search for a work straw led to an Amish site.

http://www.amishcraft.com/cgi-local/ddoptionsl.cgi?si=10894712666137084&id=143

<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/6209/pikerhatiwx7.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

http://www.amishcraft.com/cgi-local/list.cgi?id=117&si=10894712666137084

Looks like a nice fedora for the price. It only comes in black though. The size goes all the way to 7 5/8.
from the website:

Pike Mennonite Dress Hat
These hats are made by the same Amish hat maker as the others but are sold to the Pike Mennonites instead of the Amish. The hats have a center groove and a 2 1/2" brim and are made of black fur felt. This is a plain Mennonite sect from northern Lancaster County also refrains from driving cars.

 

[Stoney]

Darn it

Just checked it out and they don't make a 6 7/8....

Looks nice though. Do you think that the brim is bound on this one?
It's hard for me to tell.

 

[jamespowers]

Just checked it out and they don't make a 6 7/8....

Looks nice though. Do you think that the brim is bound on this one?
It's hard for me to tell.

It's bound.

 

[GentlemanFarmer]

Tweak it

Hey Stoney, get a 7 and add a strip of felt behind the sweatband.

Old rule of tools - you can always make it shorter, or smaller in this case.

 

[Stoney]

Tried a size 7

I had to put two 1/8" layers of felt all the way around under the sweatband.
It made the hat fit but REALLY puckerd up the sweat band.
( I know.. I have a little head OK, beat you to it)
I guess the only other option is grow more hair!

 

[tonyb]

It's a nice hat, judging by the picture, which, alas, doesn't tell the entire story.
Gotta like that lid's proportions and its bound brim edge and what looks in the photo like a relatively untapered crown. Wonder how it'll look once it's gotten wet a few times, though. Will it taper? Dimple? I'm tempted to take the gamble, because the price is right and I like the style. But I just don't need another modern hat I never wear taking up space in the closet.
But if that Amish hat maker turns out a decent enough product and keeps his prices in the basement (it's truly quite inexpensive), then we ought to keep him busy supplying more than just his Mennonite neighbors.

 

[reetpleat]

I had to put two 1/8" layers of felt all the way around under the sweatband.
It made the hat fit but REALLY puckerd up the sweat band.
( I know.. I have a little head OK, beat you to it)
I guess the only other option is grow more hair!

Of all the peple on this forum, you have the least to complain about or need of a new hat. Lucky guy. Hats in your size go begging for a buyer and go for cheap on ebay and shops all the time.

Of course, if you were amish, then you would have a complaint.

 

[jamespowers]

I had to put two 1/8" layers of felt all the way around under the sweatband.
It made the hat fit but REALLY puckerd up the sweat band.
( I know.. I have a little head OK, beat you to it)
I guess the only other option is grow more hair!

I wouldn't worry about finding it in your size. For the price you could probably get 5 hats of better vintage quality on OFAS. Hats your size are a dime a dozen and in nice styles and models.
You talk about letting your hair grow to fit a bigger size. There's a thread here somewhere about cosmetic sugery to make their heads smaller. The grass is always greener on the other side I suppose.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Snrbfshn]

For thousands of years, all over the world, it's been the case...

A good looking hat at a very fair price, but that's not what caught my eye. In the description of the traditional flat top hat there's an age-old truth:

Dress Hat - Flat Top
In the Lancaster County settlement this flat top fur felt hat is the dress hat of choice for Amish men over 45 years old and Amish boys until they are 12 years old. The Amish Bishop wears this hat, but he has the distinction of having a 4 inch brim.

The Top Dog gets the biggest and best hat.

 

[RBH]

It's a nice hat, judging by the picture, which, alas, doesn't tell the entire story.
Gotta like that lid's proportions and its bound brim edge and what looks in the photo like a relatively untapered crown. Wonder how it'll look once it's gotten wet a few times, though. Will it taper? Dimple? I'm tempted to take the gamble, because the price is right and I like the style. But I just don't need another modern hat I never wear taking up space in the closet.
But if that Amish hat maker turns out a decent enough product and keeps his prices in the basement (it's truly quite inexpensive), then we ought to keep him busy supplying more than just his Mennonite neighbors.

Hey TB, found this photo on a Amish site. It looks like the same hat, I dont know that for sure. I would assume the hat is tough and made to last, as the Amish seem to like products that are made well.
<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/213/bonduel107rq2.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

 

[TaxMan1]

Jebediah, is that you?
It IS a sharp looking hat, isn't it?

 

[Adam_H]

This may be a bit of a thread-jack, but....

I live on the outskirts of "Amish country" in eastern Ohio, and have this straw.

These seem to be 'authentic', whereas what are often found in gift shops are cheap souvenirs.
I've inspected these wares up-close and both, the straw and the felt, are to be greatly admired if nothing but for the fact that they are entirely hand-crafted: Natural fur steamed, blocked and ironed from a wood-fired stove, and stiched entirely by hand. The finish is not as finely textured as some industrially manufactured fur felt, but it's made for wearin' more than showin'.

A question I've not been able to have answered is:

Is it considered an insult to the Amish/Mennonite communities for one of us "English" to walk about wearing one of these hats?

I've been tempted to wear my Amish straw hat but fear that I'd look like some kind of wannabe, (like Hillary Clinton with a Yankees cap)...YIKES!....

But seriously, does anyone have better sources than myself concerning this delicate question of ettiqette?
The same question applies to my girlfriend who would like a Mennonite prayer bonnet to hang on the wall as a decoration. (Emphasis mine)

I'll share if I hear anything more.

 

[Stoney]

Not really complaining

Reetpleat... Right you are about having a small bean. I know I'm lucky to have one. Just thought it was a shame to miss out on a hand made hat at that price.

:eusa_doh:

 

[tonyb]

I've inspected these wares up-close and both, the straw and the felt, are to be greatly admired if nothing but for the fact that they are entirely hand-crafted: Natural fur steamed, blocked and ironed from a wood-fired stove, and stiched entirely by hand. The finish is not as finely textured as some industrially manufactured fur felt, but its made for wearin' more than showin'.

A question I've not been able to have answered is:

Is it considered an insult to the Amish/Mennonite communities for one of us "English" to walk about wearing one of these hats?

Thanks for the report. That's encouraging.
I would think that an Amish person might take offense at a Englishman mocking an Amish fashion, if that were the sort of vibe the Englishman was projecting. But then, it seems reasonable to assume that Amish craftsmen know that a goodly portion of their product (a majority of it, in many cases) will end up in hands other than Amish and Mennonite ones. Indeed, we used to have a couple of furniture stores out here in the Seattle area (where Amish have never settled) that specialized in Amish- and Mennonite-crafted goods.
A few months ago, when that awful schoolhouse shooting happened in Amish country, I couldn't help but notice in news photos from the area that the Amish youngsters used small plastic picnic coolers as lunch pails. It seemed incongruous -- these modern, brightly colored things being toted by kids in such sedate, old-fashioned garb. But it made its own sort of sense. Those plastic coolers are inexpensive and durable -- attributes in keeping with Amish sensibilities.
And then there was the time I stopped to listen to a Mennonite choir perform in Boston Common. The women wore those long dresses that button at the neck (not much skin on display there) and the men were in black trousers and white shirts -- obviously cheap ones, made mostly (if not entirely) of synthetic fiber. But that made sense too. A touring Mennonite choir would have a reason to prefer "wash and wear" clothing over higher maintenance attire. And it is still plain black and white.

 

[Adam_H]

Tony, I've also been commenting for years that, while the Amish (or Dutch folk) dress in old-fashioned styles, the fabric used is indeed poly. Strange.

But so far the hats are natural straw and fur felt.

 

[Landman]

This is an interesting looking hat. I like the flange of the brim. Does anybody have one of these or know anything about them?



http://www.amishcraft.com/cgi-local/ddoptionsl.cgi?si=/&id=143

 

[ingineer]

Mike;
Flying Cloud Hat Co.
717-768-8982
http://philippi-collection.blogspot.com/2012_07_01_archive.html

Richard
Google is my friend
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/printthread.php?t=28145&pp=10&page=1325
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?33490-The-Shadow-s-Fedora.../page3

 

[hatophile]

Mike,

Bought one a few years ago. Great looking hat, but extremely stiff. Get rid of it because it felt like a helmet instead of a hat. It would be great to have one with more malleable felt.

 

[Landman]

Thanks for the info guys. My quick search on the Lounge didn't turn up much. I might have misspelled Mennonite though.

Too bad about all the shellac in the hat. I thought it would look nice with some side dents and the front brim turned down slightly. What kind of sweatband did it have?

Thanks again.

 

[hatophile]

Mike,

Leather sweatband. As I said, it really was a neat looking hat, just hard as heck. Maybe it's the Amish version of a hardhat/bicycle helmet. I believe the guy that makes them is Amish and has his own small shop. It would be interesting if you could get hold of him and see if he can make it without all the shellac.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...11421739F82D219BCB1B856CE626D&selectedIndex=0