Western, anyone?

[John Galt]

Gorgeous Clear Nutria Alan!
This one is another one of my top 10 on TFL. I want one!

+1

 

[alanfgag]

Thank you... another Nutria, not clear, but real nice.

 

[greatestescaper]

Here is a photo of my lovely wife and I this past Fourth of July, I'm wearing the duds of a mid 1880s cavalryman, campaign cover and all. The horse there is Dudley.


Here is a photo of me cooking at the local Farmer's Market, wearing a palm leaf hat, 4 1/2 inch brim with a sloped crown, and horse hair hat band.


And here, my buddy Hank and I each enjoying a fine bowl of Tobacco, me sporting one of those fantastic Stetson Buffalo hats. Not vintage, but still a fine cover.



I'll have to get some photos of the fine hat rack my grandfather made me for my birthday this year. A replica of his own, but with hooks to accommodate my larger brimmed hats.

 

[John Galt]

A nutria weekend, indeed!

Here's the Nutria brand nutria felt Gaucho hat that I wore this weekend.

 

[greatestescaper]

John Galt, great hat you've got there.

I found a few other pictures, and took a few of the hat rack I mentioned previously:









Please excuse the mess on the table.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Thank you... another Nutria, not clear, but real nice.

Not clear but another gem.

Here is a photo of my lovely wife and I this past Fourth of July, I'm wearing the duds of a mid 1880s cavalryman, campaign cover and all. The horse there is Dudley.

Nice pictures and hats.

Here's the Nutria brand nutria felt Gaucho hat that I wore this weekend.

Nutria is such a underrated felt. It's a nice felt.

 

[RJR]

Nice hats and pics.

 

[John Galt]

Couldn't agree with you more Joao. I'm a huge nutria fan. It is extremely durable and the quality is as good as 100% beaver in my book, but less of the cardboard finish that characterizes many of the westerns.

I have noted that nutria felt does not seem to hold a stretch well, but that's probably because it is very densely felted, in my experience.

You probably have readier access to nutria hat bodies - doesn't Fepsa still sell them? I did once order an unfinished (they called it "raw") nutria blend cowboy hat body from Winchester (which you should know, by the way has a very wide brim), but haven't ever finished sanding it down to an acceptable weight or finished it. Too busy catching up on other tasks.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Couldn't agree with you more Joao. I'm a huge nutria fan. It is extremely durable and the quality is as good as 100% beaver in my book, but less of the cardboard finish that characterizes many of the westerns.

About the finish I don't know. I only own two Stetson Nutria hats.

You probably have readier access to nutria hat bodies - doesn't Fepsa still sell them? I did once order an unfinished (they called it "raw") nutria blend cowboy hat body from Winchester (which you should know, by the way has a very wide brim), but haven't ever finished sanding it down to an acceptable weight or finished it. Too busy catching up on other tasks.

I never asked FEPSA if they do 100% or Nutria blend felts. I can ask them.
FEPSA delivers the felts already finished. I didn't do anything to my 2x FEPSA felt (100% bunny) because I think that the finish FEPSA did is really good.
I know nothing about the felt you ordered from Winchester. How big is it?

 

[Renault]

Alan!!!! Those nutrias are top shelf!!!!! Thanks for posting! I enjoyed seeing them!!!

Escaper! Nice all way around!!!! Love that hat rack!!!

 

[John Galt]

About the finish I don't know. I only own two Stetson Nutria hats.


I never asked FEPSA if they do 100% or Nutria blend felts. I can ask them.
FEPSA delivers the felts already finished. I didn't do anything to my 2x FEPSA felt (100% bunny) because I think that the finish FEPSA did is really good.
I know nothing about the felt you ordered from Winchester. How big is it?

It was right off the line and was lacquered for a western hat & pressed into an open shape but was totally unfinished (thus the "raw designation). Blocked to 7 1/4, it has a nominal 3 3/4 brim, not yet trimmed for uniformity. I don't know if they have bigger sizes. I have not inquired or ordered any others yet.

As for the "cardboard" finish, I was referring to the 100% beaver cowboy hats I've come across, Stetson & others, with a smooth sanded, heavily lacquered finish. I have a 100% beaver western with a fairly large brim & pencil roll that has less lacquer and a less smooth finish, but most westerns have been as described, in my experience.

I'll check the width on the one I just described and email you - it might work for you, but would need to be re-blocked a couple of sizes larger and that would effect the ultimate brim width.

 

[T Jones]

I just pulled the trigger on another butt ugly Stagecoach with an even butt uglier ribbon and brim binding. Both the ribbon and binding will be coming off. The crown will be reblocked and I'll sew another ribbon on it. Will the stitch holes show on the brim when I remove the binding? The stitching should be pretty small.

 

[hatophile]

OK Terry, but whatever you do, don't cut the brim, or Joao will come after you

 

[Cornshucker77]

Beautiful biscuits Escaper, like the hats too.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Well I can't block Terry hands. It's his hat, he can do whatever he wants with it.
It's a bit sad to "demolish" a turkey creek since I took 2 months to convince a guy to sell me one for a nice price and see Terry buying one to "destroy".

 

[Lt.hats]

Alan, That clear Nutria is just plain beautiful.


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[John Galt]

I just pulled the trigger on another butt ugly Stagecoach with an even butt uglier ribbon and brim binding. Both the ribbon and binding will be coming off. The crown will be reblocked and I'll sew another ribbon on it. Will the stitch holes show on the brim when I remove the binding? The stitching should be pretty small.

Terry, I guess - and it is a guess - that if you steam it and iron it well, the stitch holes will close up.

Joao, I understand, appreciate and actually agree with you about trimming old westerns, but I took TJ's comment about the stitch holes showing to mean that he does not intend to cut this one down. Maybe I missed something?

 

[John Galt]

Alan, That clear Nutria is just plain beautiful.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

+1

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Joao, I understand, appreciate and actually agree with you about trimming old westerns, but I took TJ's comment about the stitch holes showing to mean that he does not intend to cut this one down. Maybe I missed something?

I also understood he is not going to trim the brim but still I think this hat is kind of collective and by removing the binding and original ribbon it kinds of "destroys" it turning it to an "common" cordova color Stagecoach (more easy to find)
Look at this: I have 3 cordova Stagecoach hats, 1 is a Turkey Creek like the one Terry is going to modify and 2 are... normal hats (one of them you changed the ribbon). I have to check if my Dobbs West Stagecoach hat is also cordova.

 

[John Galt]

Joao, I understand now, and I do get it. I have a couple of 1970's westerns that I just don't have the heart to change up because as gaudy as they are, they are very representative of the time.

I don't have the heavy feather-adorned model (think Richard Petty), but that would be another example.

Still, a guy's got to work with what he's got. In years gone by it was quite common to update & renovate your hats as styles changed - much more so than now, I venture.