Will rain water spoil a good felt hat?

[seabass]

I Still have this Borso i used to wear when i worked on a Party Boat salmon fishing over 22 + years ago
salt spray, barf, bait, blood, Captian called it a hat condom.

I wore it last week covered.
quite a rotation time 22+ years

I do hope people don't start wearing those plastic rain-covers for felt hats again.

Your right it does look funky, well at least on dry land

 

[alanfgag]

wow... that is some fish tail, Che.

 

[seabass]

wow... that is some fish tail, Che.

no more fish smell as well, thanks to the plastic cover!
NOTE, not actual cover i bought a stash of em from a Bait & Tackle shop 25+ years ago.

 

[M Hatman]

Is it ok to Scotchgard a good hat?

As a bump to an interesting tread...
On my good hats.....I wear another cheaper hat when I know the weather will be bad.....I actually have a few, dare I mention it....cheep WOOL hats that I have heavily treated with mixtures of "scotch guard" and sizing specifically for extra rainy weather......they shed the rain very well indeed.
Most of my good hats have been subjected to minor rains with no ill effect.....I tend to wear them until dry when they do get wet.
Interestingly my good western hats (which are always heavily sized) do VERY well in many a rain indeed. They (the western hats) have survived a lot of foul weather on many a long horse ride in ALL seasons.......
The Fedora's seem a little more delicate and more subject to mishaping and felting (think shrinkage). However I have been able to restore them most of the time.........
I am not a fan of "rain covers" but have kept them handy when on trips with only my good hats available.
As a whole I wear hats for the practicality of keeping my head warm or the sun off me. But that in no way precludes me from keeping a nice selection in my "hat stable".
Cheers,
M

 

[Frunobulax]

Wear whatever you wish, but keep a Camp Draft handy for when it storms.

 

[FedOregon]

I wear felts when walking from one place to the car and back, etc, but wear an oilskin hat when hiking, camping, running errands and the like in heavy or consistent rain. Rain has never hurt any of my felt hats, though.

 

[Redfokker]

I made the mistake of wearing a WOOL Bailey Tino in a gully washer once (pre lounge hat...). It was not a good result.

 

[FedOregon]

Red, you reminded me of an old wool felt hat I used to have. It got pretty wet once, and I just set it down on a chair with coats, bags and such... well, it was a mis-shapened mass when I went to wear it later...