Portland Rain

[Fifty150]

All of these are absolutely reliable. I have used them in heavy rains.

My personal favorite is the 1st. Lightweight aluminum. The hat sits on your head with a liner, so that there's plenty of airflow. No way for water to penetrate aluminum. And you look like the statue at The Hoover Damn.

 

[FunnelVission]

Hello:
Looking for a NEW hat (not vintage) I can beat the hell out of in the fall and winter Portland rain. Love the look of OR, and the pre-formed Strats. I have a stylemaster, I'm just looking for something different.

Would the 6x OR hold up in rain, ditto the Strat? I have the open crown strats and Deluxe ORs but would rather not beat them up in the rain.

Thanks!

Hello! I live South in Molalla, and the 6x OR was my first fur felt hat. I found, while it kept my head dry, it did nothing to keep my face dry (and I wear glasses so this was especially annoying). The brim is just too short to stop anything but directly vertical rain. The hat itself did great, never really had an issue with it getting wet.
I wear a Stetson 6x Gus as my actual daily, and that does much better with rain. However, it doesn't fit in whenever I go towards Portland or Salem lol. I would think any 6x Stetson (or equivalent) with something around a 3" brim would work well, while fitting in better. Unless you don't mind your face getting wet, in which case the OR does just fine!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Hello! I live South in Molalla, and the 6x OR was my first fur felt hat. I found, while it kept my head dry, it did nothing to keep my face dry (and I wear glasses so this was especially annoying). The brim is just too short to stop anything but directly vertical rain. The hat itself did great, never really had an issue with it getting wet.
I wear a Stetson 6x Gus as my actual daily, and that does much better with rain. However, it doesn't fit in whenever I go towards Portland or Salem lol. I would think any 6x Stetson (or equivalent) with something around a 3" brim would work well, while fitting in better. Unless you don't mind your face getting wet, in which case the OR does just fine!

The Open Road has a 2 3/4” brim…are you saying that another 1/4” (3” brim) would make a difference and “work well?”

Your Gus looks great. I say wear it in town and just own the look.

 

[belfastboy]

All of these are absolutely reliable. I have used them in heavy rains.


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My personal favorite is the 1st. Lightweight aluminum. The hat sits on your head with a liner, so that there's plenty of airflow. No way for water to penetrate aluminum. And you look like the statue at The Hoover Damn.

The aluminum has a nice sheen to it but it is a bitch to hand crease it....no amount of steam seems to work.

 

[FunnelVission]

The Open Road has a 2 3/4” brim…are you saying that another 1/4” (3” brim) would make a difference and “work well?”

Your Gus looks great. I say wear it in town and just own the look.

In my experience that 1/4" does make a difference. When I got the open road I had been wearing a cheap wool hat that has a 3" brim, and it does a much better job. So I thought "Oh it's only 1/4" shorter, should still work just as well right?" Then I wore it in the rain, and nearly had a conniption fit over my glasses getting wet (Which is when I ordered my Gus, I don't care about getting wet, but when my lenses get wet it drives me nuts). Probably doesn't help that the OR's brim is curled upward (you can snap it down, but at least on mine it doesn't like to stay down).

Thanks! I actually often do just wear it. Walking through the Washington Square Mall in it, I definitely stood out lol. If I know I'm going out -- like to dinner -- I switch to either my Stetson OR, or my Gannon (which is creased the same, but a hair taller).

 

[johnnycanuck]

In my experience that 1/4" does make a difference. When I got the open road I had been wearing a cheap wool hat that has a 3" brim, and it does a much better job. So I thought "Oh it's only 1/4" shorter, should still work just as well right?" Then I wore it in the rain, and nearly had a conniption fit over my glasses getting wet (Which is when I ordered my Gus, I don't care about getting wet, but when my lenses get wet it drives me nuts). Probably doesn't help that the OR's brim is curled upward (you can snap it down, but at least on mine it doesn't like to stay down).

Thanks! I actually often do just wear it. Walking through the Washington Square Mall in it, I definitely stood out lol. If I know I'm going out -- like to dinner -- I switch to either my Stetson OR, or my Gannon (which is creased the same, but a hair taller).

Snapping the brim would probably help keep the rain off the glasses.
Johnny

 

[johnnycanuck]

All of these are absolutely reliable. I have used them in heavy rains.


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My personal favorite is the 1st. Lightweight aluminum. The hat sits on your head with a liner, so that there's plenty of airflow. No way for water to penetrate aluminum. And you look like the statue at The Hoover Damn.

That is an interesting option I never thought of before. Then again I just found a person on a Facebook thread that uses his Pressed Fiber Sun Helmet as his rain hat. Then I found these ads

as advertised and endorsed they would never shrink, loose it’s shape or soak threw. Not for everyone of course but an interesting and eccentric option.
Johnny

 

[Fifty150]

You can buy it from the United States Postal Service uniform supplier.

 

[johnnycanuck]

You can buy it from the United States Postal Service uniform supplier.

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The modern plastic helmet is on my list. I want to turn it into a Jurassic Park pith helmet. In the book they get issued them before the tour starts. “Spared no expense”.
You actually own and have used an aluminum helmet in public? Would be a great addition to my collection. I would love to see photos if you could.
Johnny

 

[Fifty150]

It's a matter of function over fashion. I only use it when it's raining. In inclement weather, I'm not reaching for style points. I use a poncho. The military surplus style ponchos work fine. A sheet of cheap polyester is like wearing an umbrella. Under the poncho, I use a pair of pants and a frock liner from Refrigiwear.

 

[FunnelVission]

You can buy it from the United States Postal Service uniform supplier.

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Peer pressured my postal worker friend into getting one! Arrive just in time for some Portland downpour.

 

[Fifty150]

I had mine on today.

 

[mullitt]

I live in the Pacific Northwest, and I wear pretty much all my hats outside all the time. I have several Akubras and Stetsons, and they all do great in the rain.
I guess I might not wear a nice vintage fedora if I really cared about possibly damaging it, but all my vintage hats are already distressed cowboy hats so I've never been worried about it.

edit: also I always look good, I don't let the weather stop me from dressing how I want to.

 

[Rmccamey]

A body hammer and a backer block will work wonders!

The aluminum has a nice sheen to it but it is a bitch to hand crease it....no amount of steam seems to work.

 

[FunnelVission]

A body hammer and a backer block will work wonders!

Body hammers fix most everything.

 

[Mahagonny Bill]

Hello:
Looking for a NEW hat (not vintage) I can beat the hell out of in the fall and winter Portland rain. Love the look of OR, and the pre-formed Strats. I have a stylemaster, I'm just looking for something different.

Would the 6x OR hold up in rain, ditto the Strat? I have the open crown strats and Deluxe ORs but would rather not beat them up in the rain.

Thanks!

Take a look at the Akubra line available from David Morgan https://www.davidmorgan.com/shop/category/2_22/hats/akubra-hats/. I have had a Adventurer (aka Federation) and a Bushman (aka Squatter) and both hold up to Seattle weather just fine.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Take a look at the Akubra line available from David Morgan https://www.davidmorgan.com/shop/category/2_22/hats/akubra-hats/. I have had a Adventurer (aka Federation) and a Bushman (aka Squatter) and both hold up to Seattle weather just fine.

The Adventurer and the Federation are two different hats as are the Bushman and the Squatter. They are not the same hats using different names: there are differences.

 

[hatsRme]

Super late to the thread here, but this is just my second post on FL so my excuse is that I'm a greenhorn. Anyhow, I live in Olympia WA and it rains hard here. I have several western hats and tried them all in all-day-outside hard rain with the following results:
Stetson 4x OR: holds its shape but absorbs water and gets my head wet.
Stetson 3x (I think?) Cattleman from 1983 that they have to retiring John Deere employees: holds shape, keeps head dry, wicks water pretty well.
Resistol 20x Cattleman: does not hold shape, absorbs water quickly, gets head wet.
And the best two, to my great surprise...
Beaver Brand Pure Coney (rabbit) and Beaver Brand 7X Coney: almost waterproof, liner and sweat dry after long hard rains, both hold their shape perfectly, absolutely bomb (cyclone) proof.
I just found a Steton 100 on my friend Craig's list, I'll be interested to see if it can compete with these Beavers when it comes to a deluge.

My thinking is that the Stetson 100 turns out to be more of a "Shower" than a "blower." That's to say a hat of that caliber might be more like a top shelf Panama... they LOOK super, but are not made to be work hats. I would pamper that 100, sir!

 

[Who?]

Hell, just buy an Akubra.