We've got all sorts of threads mentioning nutria hats in both title and text, but there's no thread dedicated to Stetson's Nutria Quality (as opposed to Real Nutria, Clear Nutria, or just plain Nutria designations). As we've got threads for the other western/cross-over quality designations, it seems like a good time to get this one going.
As far as I can tell, there have only been around five people on the Lounge who have claimed to ever own a Nutria Quality lid. There appear to be a few references to Nutria Quality in catalogs and none in ads (that I've yet found).
Most of the Nutria Quality hats on ebay tend to be National Park Service hats or other uniform, campaign types, adding to the many references in the catalogs and descriptions by Loungers that Nutria Quality lids are as tough as they come.
So, let's see that Stetson Nutria Quality info.
As far as I can tell, there have only been around five people on the Lounge who have claimed to ever own a Nutria Quality lid. There appear to be a few references to Nutria Quality in catalogs and none in ads (that I've yet found).
Most of the Nutria Quality hats on ebay tend to be National Park Service hats or other uniform, campaign types, adding to the many references in the catalogs and descriptions by Loungers that Nutria Quality lids are as tough as they come.
So, let's see that Stetson Nutria Quality info.
fedoralover
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!
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