The 80/20 mixed felt. Thoughts?

[Charybdis]

I have been seeing these mixed felt offerings from Penman, Advintage, etc. What are your thoughts about this felt? Is it good? Does it last longer? Is it truly better than just rabbit?

[Mulceber]

Never actually owned one, but 80/20 blends are good because, since rabbit is less dense than beaver, if you have 20% beaver in the mix, the finer beaver hairs will "fill some of the gaps" between the rabbit hairs, effectively increasing the density of the body. It's not as good as pure beaver, but I've heard a lot of great reviews, especially regarding the AB Henry. But honestly, you can find some pretty darn good rabbit bodies as well.

[Glenville86]

I have a few AdVintage Harrison and an Adventurebilt Henry one. I have worn these in snow and rain thinking when they wore out, I would start wearing the 100% beaver ones I had bought later. The beaver hats are still in their boxes. The 80/20 blend factory hats just keep going in all kinds of weather. I am very impressed with the Harrison and Henry models. Had I known they were so durable, I would not have spent the money on the beaver ones.

[baddates1]

I got my Clipper Gray Adventurebilt Henry over a week ago, and I love the felt. Out of all my hats, it is the most soft and finest of them all. It keeps it's shape nicely. I'd say it's worth it all, and I am glad Adventurebilt put a budget version of their hat out there, because frankly, I couldn't afford a $600 Beaver felt hat.

Knowing there is Beaver in there makes it feel more high quality too

[Howard Weinstein]

I already had all-rabbit Fed IVs and a Garrison Raiders (which I reblocked, somewhat). My budget can't justify a 100% beaver, so I just got an 80/20 AdVintage Harrison. I LOVE this hat! It cost about $200 USD including shipping to Maryland.

The felt feels finer and smoother than my Akubras or Garrison, though I don't know how it compares to all-beaver. It's not cowboy-hat stiff, but is stiffer than the Garrison (which is a nice hat, but floppier than I prefer). It feels light and comfortable, and I suspect it will break in nicely with wear and time.

I got my Harrison in "Crystal Skull" blocking. I wear a 58, ordered a 58, and it fit very well right out of the box, with just a little bit of foam tucked into the sweatband. Because the felt feels fairly relaxed, I'm betting it'll conform even better to my head shape as I wear it.

The color is a rich brown, less red than the Garrison, with more "oomph" than the understated dark brown Fed IV, and looks pretty screen-accurate to me. I'm so happy with this Harrison, I doubt I'd want to get a 100% beaver even if I had the spare bucks. If you're looking for a little beaver content on a budget, I think it's hard to beat this one. A few photos --

[Forrest For the Trees]

Agree 100%. The 80/20 blend hits a nice sweet spot between the floppy rabbit and the refined sturdier beaver. As to the hat itself, I have an Everyman, and I totally agree, with a factory hat this good, I don't really see the need to go custom. I've seen and handled Penman's custom hats, and yes indeed, they are even nicer and even higher quality, but I don't have need of that. Simply put, the Everyman/Harrison/AB Henry gets the job done really well for a generic Indy hat and the 80/20 blend is really nice.

[Charybdis]

OK, here's a follow up question: you can get an Advintage Harrison in 100% beaver for about $238 plus shipping. Would this be a better choice than an 80/20 mix if the money is not a problem at this pricepoint?

and I'll even throw this out there, you can get a Northwest custom 100% beaver for $250 plus shipping. What would be the best decision if you want a beaver hat...

[Michaelson]

Speaking strictly for myself, I am a HUGE fan of the Portuguese beaver felt, as it seems denser but still pliable, therefore very water resistant.

As an example, Marc Kitter uses that source for his Adventurebilt Deluxe hats.

I know that advantage uses that source of felt. I don't know if Northwest uses it or not, but I THINK they may use Winchester felt, which is a close second. Still good stuff, but not QUITE as dense as the Portuguese beaver cones.

If those were my choices, I'd go with the hat maker using Portuguese beaver, and I'd take ANY beaver felt over the 80/20 mix, especially if the price is equivalent in comparison.

JMO.

Regard! Michaelson

[Glenville86]

Agree 100% on buying quality beaver over the 80/20 blend. As others have indicated, would not go crazy on price to get the beaver. I have beaver ones from Advintage, Adventurebilt and Northwest. My most expensive is not my favorite.....lol

All are very nice.

[Striker]

Great thread! I'll be also getting the 80/20 advintage soon (as soon as they restock my size)

[Howard Weinstein]

OK, here's a follow up question: you can get an Advintage Harrison in 100% beaver for about $238 plus shipping. Would this be a better choice than an 80/20 mix if the money is not a problem at this pricepoint?

and I'll even throw this out there, you can get a Northwest custom 100% beaver for $250 plus shipping. What would be the best decision if you want a beaver hat...

Hmmm. I did NOT notice that the Harrison 100% beaver is just 189 euros (about $215 USD) if you order it open-crown.
I'd been looking at Crystal Skull blocking (which is still quite reasonable at 209 euros/$238 USD). Had I noticed, I'd probably have gone for the open-crown 100% beaver. Oh, well.

By the way, the AdVintage prices actually include shipping. So that $238 price for the all-beaver Harrison is truly a bargain.

[Michaelson]

You also have a few colors to choose from.

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Regards! Michaelson

[Howard Weinstein]

You also have a few colors to choose from.

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=67515" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Regards! Michaelson

M, do those color choices apply only to the AdVintage handmade hats? But not to the Harrison?

[Charybdis]

Thanks for the great replies. I have decided that I will get an Advintage Harrison in 100% beaver.

[Michaelson]

You also have a few colors to choose from.

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=67515" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Regards! Michaelson

M, do those color choices apply only to the AdVintage handmade hats? But not to the Harrison?

No clue. Thomas would be the one to ask.

Regards! M