Yard Hat Suggestions

[AlterEgo]

I'm a yard ape, and an anal-retentive one at that (I just went out in the bitter cold to remove an errant Kleenex nestled in my pansies.)

At least once a week, I'm out in the yard and garden for half a day or more. In warm weather, I wear my Tilley, and when it gets oppressively hot in mid-summer, my pith helmet. Yes, that draws stares, but a forceful "Timba, ungowa!" with a British accent moves oglers along quite effectively.

But four or five months out of the year, I wear a cool/cold weather hat. Now here's the thing: I've been wearing a Dorfman Pacific wool felt (all together now--"uhhhhhg"). It's a fedora style, a crusher, so it's unlined with a fabric sweat, having your basic center crease/front side dents, a 2 1/2-inch underwelted brim, a 5/8-inch tan leather hat band, in dark green, and it fits perfectly.

I acquired this hat in the Pre-Cambrian age and kept thinking it would eventually wear out from the hard, sweaty, and dirty work I do in the yard, yet it refuses. There is really nothing "wrong" with it, though it has the typical droopy brim that gives it a lugubrious, defeated look. I've considered putting it out of its misery with a close-range blast from my 12-guage pump, but that might attract undue attention from neighbors and the men in blue.

This hat works for the job at hand, but, you see, I'm a fine fur felt fedora kind of guy, and I feel I should not be wearing such a loser lid on general principle, you know? I take really good care of everything I own, so there's no ready-for-the-yard fur felt in my collection and probably never will be.

That brings me to buying a brand new hat for the yard. I want one with a somewhat rugged, outdoorsy look but don't care for outback or western styles.

I've considered a Chrystys Fur Felt Foldaway, but I hear here that it's not so durable, and nearly two hundred smackers for a yard hat?

The Akubra Traveller seems like a good option--I've never not loved an Akubra--but I've not checked out in person any of its Pliofelt models, all of which are unlined with a fabric sweat, much less this one with the "memory brim." Yet, when I look at its price, well, I could get an Imperial Quality Akubra, fully lined, with a roan leather sweat, for the same dough.

So that takes me into several more options; the Bushman and
Angler being two.

Then, for just another $25 or so, I could get a Banjo or Lawson from the Heritage Collection.

Further, I've always wanted an Aussie Military Slouch, but where would I wear such an over-the-top hat? The yard!!!

And so I'm conflicted and ask for your suggestions, which may include hats I have not considered.

It occurs to me that I very well just may be looking for a "reason" to buy a new hat.

 

[M6Classic]

You have to do a better job of getting in touch with your feelings.

Buzz

 

[Chuck Bobuck]

Campdraft.

 

[CRH]

Campdraft.

And a Bahama for when the temps get hot and steamy.

 

[cybergentleman]

why

well, foldaway is not nearly 200 bucks- you can get it for less at a variety of christy's dealers. the village hatshop and other rackets over-charge for english items...sigh

i know that when i do yard work, i certainly don't wear my suits...i wear old clothing- if i were you i'd stick to the wool beater.

...for the summer i did invest in a sun-body hat...that was well worth the 30 or 40 bucks.

otherwise, fall and spring, a ball cap does it for me, since the sun isn't so bright.

if you are still dead set on a fur felt, the akubra's get the best rep around here for hard wearing hats....other option of course is to go buy yourself a cowboy hat somewhere- lots o' shade, probably tough enough.

my 2 cents

 

[Chuck Bobuck]

The hat I usually wear for yard work, when I want sun protection, is a wide brimmed, cotton twill, Henschel breezer. The crown is a mesh material for ventilation. It's pretty inexpensive, tough and washable.

 

[Andykev]

Any hat will do. A better hat is better.

For most of my cool weather yard work, trimming trees, roto-tilling, spading...you name it...

I wear my beautiful VINTAGE Cavanagh mocha chocolate brown hat from the 1940's..... OUCH! Yep, you heard it. This puppy has had dust, wood chips, chain saw oil, branches falling on it (and my head), the whole works. I just brush it off, and it is PERFECT. Actually if I posted a picture of it you would think it was an ebay treasure! Wear what you want! That is what a hat is for!

In summer, I have a host of straw hats. Art Fawcett made me two hats from his "OLD STOCK" which are the SAME hat bodies used in the film "SEABISCUT". Yep. Same hat body. They have leather sweats, and grograin ribbon trim. They get FILTHY in the yard. I just brush them off. They look great. They are very COURSE woven panama's. Work perfect, and they have almost 2 3/4 inch brims! Sun is bad for my fair complexion so these are the best insurance I can use in the garden for protection.

Oh, have you tried my bumper crop of tomatoes?

 

[AlterEgo]

I like your attitude, Andy.

You are so right that things that are really high quality to begin with--like your vintage Cavanagh and AF Seabiscuit straws--are much easier to maintain and keep nice.

I get frustrated with people who baby their belongings. Gotta '37 Cord? Well, why don't you drive it on nice days? An old Parker fountain pen? Would it ever occur to you that it's perfect for signing the Christmas cards? A late-30s British officer issue Browning Hi-Power? Don't you feel compelled to squeeze off a clip of full metal jackets now and again?

If you got it, use it!

While I'm practically obsessive-complulsive about cleaning and maintaining my things, I nevertheless use them a lot for their intended purpose. If I don't use a thing much, then I get a lesser one or, often, just do without it. In fact, I long ago realized that the best way to allocate resources is in proportion to how much they are utilized and their relative importance in the bigger scheme of things.

So, when people ask me why I have such a nice car, I simply say that it's something I use several times every day that gets me utterly reliably to and fro with great handling at high speed, and clients expect at least that caliber of automobile when they've hired me as their consultant at no small sum to make business decisions with mega-buck consequences. Because the car looks brand new, perhaps they don't realize it's nine years old.

Due to their frequencly of use and priority in my life, I apply the same reasoning to clothes, my watch, handgun, kitchen/grill accessories, HATS, AND YARD EQUIPMENT.

Which brings me back to the subject. I've a lot to learn yet about vintage hats, so I'm going to steer clear of those for now, but I'm pretty knowledgeable about modern lids, for which there are so many options.

And so the question remains: Given that I like the general fedora style but not outbacks or westerns, which hat would make the best cool/cold weather yard hat?

Oh, and Andy, I LOVE tomatoes, particularly tart, acidic varieties. Just cannot find good ones in chain grocery stores.

 

[M6Classic]

And so the question remains: Given that I like the general fedora style but not outbacks or westerns, which hat would make the best cool/cold weather yard hat?

I vote for whatever hat you most like to wear in the yard when it gets cool. Frankly, I do not find these tell me what I like questions too productive.

Buzz

 

[gtdean48]

I have a beater vintage Stetson Open Road & a converted Resistol Western for barn/yard hats. During the summer, I always get a cheap straw almost every season. Last year I got a Sunbody Hat that works well but still have a few rung out bangora westerns.

 

[Stan]

Me, too.

Hi,

I bought a few sad-looking vintage hats off of eBay for around $10 each. Some of them cold be saved - a good cleaning, a new sweatband on a couple, a new ribbon on a couple others, and then they're too good for yard hats.

However, a couple had some significant moth damage. No big holes, but some quite noticable dimples. So, one became my cool weather farm hat, and another became my wife's. When spring comes, we each get a new $20 Dorfman Pacific straw for farm hats, and then when fall returns they wind up in the burning barrel.

But, the old fur felt hats soldier on.

That'd be my suggestion: get a vintage fur felt for cheap off of eBay that's already showing issues and just wear that.

Later!

Stan