But I found myself increasingly curious about the beaver hats given the universal reverence and enthusiasm for them in our little corner of the internet here. I had to know what I was missing. So when Steve posted a few months back asking for help in the form of a few immediate beaver orders, I went for it. The hat arrived yesterday and I'm basically speechless. Interestingly enough, on my head, the beaver hat actually looks more screen accurate than the rabbit. It seems to 'hold up' better and retains a stronger boxy look. Every detail is there, and it's nearly perfect. I'm just amazed.
The beaver feels incredible. I hate to say it, but my rabbit hat feels almost cheap now (not that I love it any less; in fact I think I'll appreciate its idiosyncrasies more). But, I am left with some questions:
- - The beaver felt is quit a bit stiffer than the rabbit. I knew this in theory, but the physical sensation is really striking. How will this change over time?
- - Despite having the exact (and I mean EXACT; Steve is so precise) same measurements, the beaver hat fits differently than my rabbit hat. What might be the cause?
- - The beaver hat is turned quite a bit less than the rabbit hat – it's much more subtle. And yet the brim warp on the beaver looks much more "accurate" than the warp on my rabbit hat. This particular point has left me a bit perplexed, but it's purely an intellectual exercise. Clearly there's a science to making these hats to measure, but it's clear to me now there's plenty of magic involved too.
And finally - how do you decide what hat to wear once you own more than one? I'm afraid I have just stepped into the rabbit hole.
Anyway, I know I'll get yelled at for not posting photos. I'll try to take a few with a legitimate camera within a few days. Until then, I'll take any and all thoughts on the above as collateral.
Michael