Summer Hat Questions

[Woodfluter]

I apologize if this has been answered fully, but my searches so far haven't turned up answers. Maybe you all can help. [huh]

Straw hats, including the varieties from genuine Toquilla fiber Panamas through raffia, buntal, abaca and even Shantung, are said to do poorly in the rain. Or so I've repeatedly heard here.

What I haven't found so far is the exact nature of the damage, whether it is reversible, how it applies to these disparate materials, and whether measures (apart from covering it with some horrible plastic) can alleviate or prevent it.

I would like to wear straw more often, but I live in a changeable and unpredictable climate for precipitation and sometimes am out of doors for half a day or more without shelter.

Long ago I had a woven raffia (so I've since deduced) that held its shape through a number of soakings, and might have shrunk a tad but never lost its shape. I also know enough real (not wannabe) cowboys who wear Shantung hats in all kinds of weather, and the hats end up looking pretty grungy and stained but don't fall apart. I've recently bought a braided and sewn raffia hat and have a Montecristi on order, so I'm wondering...

1. What kinds of damage do straw hats suffer? Is is shrinkage, losing shape, staining, disintegration, or some combination of those?

2. How do these kinds of damage pertain to the different straw hat materials? In other words (pulling this out of thin air), will a Panama lose shape, a Buntal fall apart, a raffia shrink, a Shantung discolor, etc?

3. Can the various sorts of damage be prevented by application of waterproofing?

4. Can the damage be repaired?

5. Which kind of straw is least susceptable to damage from wetting?

6. Does the construction matter? E.g., will a braided and sewn raffia be less prone to damage than a woven one, or more so?

I can think of more questions, but I think that will be enough to disturb the peace.

Best wishes and hopes for some enlightenment from muggy Atlanta,
- Bill

 

[David Conwill]

Sometimes ignorance is bliss. The day I purchased it, I wore this Dobbs Shantung in a downpour for about an hour and a half. Aside from my head getting wet, it seems none the worse for the wear. I can't speak to what the effect of doing that repeatedly would be, however.

-Dave

 

[MississippiLong]

exactly the reason I've been hesitant on purchasing a straw lid! Atlanta is unpredictable as all get out and when it does rain, it rains somethin fierce.....I feel your pain, but have no answers for you.


gabe.

 

[Woodfluter]

exactly the reason I've been hesitant on purchasing a straw lid! Atlanta is unpredictable as all get out and when it does rain, it rains somethin fierce.....I feel your pain, but have no answers for you.
gabe.

Thanks Gabe my friend, you know exactly what I'm talkin' about here! When we first moved here in 1990, I thought it was the Seattle of the south - rained every danged day. Then we've had this drought, and...well, now you never know.

 

[Woodfluter]

Shantung may be a good choice for the rain. Shantung straw is to panama straw as surimi is to fish: They basically grind up straw and extrude it into continuous spools for weaving by machine. And it's coated in plastic or varnish to make it waterproof. ///

Ah, yeah, and absolutely no offense intended to anyone who loves Shantung, this is just a matter of individual tastes, but to me it sort of looks like plastic. The first time I saw one I had to ask if it was a natural fiber or woven polyethylene. And the one I have did stain from sweat. Almost all working cowboys in the southwest wear severely sweat-stained Shantungs, but they sure are durable. Thanks Mr. K!

 

[Stan]

Hi,

My old, now retired, 'straw' farming hat has been worn for over 30 years. It never had an issue from rain or sweat.

It's made from corn husks by Lenape Indians on the reservation in Oklahoma. I picked it up on a road trip long ago. I stopped by as I have Lenape ancestry inculded along with all the other stuff, and there they were selling these handmade 'straw' hats.

I've never seen another straw hat with 'straw' that looks like these corn husks. I don't think anyone else uses it for hat material.

Now, it's dirty as all get out, as farm work tends to involve clouds of dirt and dust. I've retired it as it's seen far more than it's fair share of whacks and the corn husk straw is cracking in places. If I ever get back that way, I'm picking up another one, that's for sure.

This hat is odder than just being made from corn parts. It never had a sweatband, only a small leather sweat 'patch' where it rests against the forehead. It's really a *very* cheap hat by most standards, but it's comfy and does it's intened job well and has lasted through the abuse for far longer than I ever thought it would.

In practice, the sweat just migrates thru the 'straw' to the outside of the hat. One simply rinses it off with a hose back at the barn before hanging it up on the nail by the door. Such wonderful hat care tips, eh?

I suspect that the nature of old dried up corn husks is rather different from most other straws. I now have a Grueso Panama from Bob that's replaced it, so we'll see how that one works out. I'm not going to be any nicer to the Panama on the farm than I was the corn husks, I'm sure.

One thing is for sure, even a low-end Grueso Panama looks like a Super-Uber Fino straw compared to the wide and thick corn husk strips!

Later!

Stan