AB taper after about a year of wear and water soak

eaglecrow · Post by **eaglecrow** » Sun May 14, 2006 7:30 am

I'm wearing my AB since about a year now. Since it's allready tapered and felt into a lake yesterday (read in here how it came to viewtopic.php?t=17524), it finally needs a reblock. I want to have a black ribbon attached aswell.

Here are some pics:

Post by **Jens** » Sun May 14, 2006 8:04 am

Taper - sure. But man, that's one of the best looking tapered hats, I think.

One question: The colour looks very bright in this shot. Is this because of the lightning, a lot of dust (you've "collected" during your adventures) or is this a very light brown felt? Just interested ...

whiskyman · Post by **whiskyman** » Sun May 14, 2006 8:04 am

What? You don't like the pink ribbon anymore?
You might want to post one of those pics in the bullwhips section. In the thread about the screen used LC whip, Paul Stenhouse asked if anyone had pics of his earlier "tapered handle" whips.

Russ · Post by **Russ** » Sun May 14, 2006 8:18 am

Did you wear yours in the rain a lot? Can I still assume an AB will stay straight sided if one tries to avoid getting it soaked?

BTW I have to agree with IndyJens that it still looks pretty good in that photo.

eaglecrow · Post by **eaglecrow** » Sun May 14, 2006 8:32 am

The bright collour is cased due the flashlight, it is a bit darker in natural.
I'm wearing my hat in ESPECCIALY when it rains since I don't want to get wet hair. I imprignated the hat therefor pretty much. I also use to wear it in winter and often on hot days, so it's allmost a 4 season hat to me. Well, and this is how it looks after all. I'm going to send it to Marc to have it reblocked soon.
Thanks for your comments on my hat. I simply love it

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Sun May 14, 2006 9:50 am

Did you wear yours in the rain a lot? Can I still assume an AB will stay straight sided if one tries to avoid getting it soaked?

yes you can. Getting the hat's core soaked is the bad guy here.

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Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Sun May 14, 2006 4:26 pm

Good to see my hats!! This hat will only look better once you get a reblock, and you will also get a longer life this next go around on the taper issue. With that said, it has metaphorphed into a TOD fedora. And speaking in TOD fedoras, I seldom make them, and have not studied this hat like I have on the Raiders, but here is one I just sent to Texas, and it is sort of a hybrid. A TOD fedora(not the bridge scene) with a Raiders sized brim.

That pic was as received from the box. Our comrade tweaked it to suit himself, and this is what he ended up with here.

I know we see few TOD fedoras here, and since this came from my TOD block, and the taper issue being discussed......... : Fedora

darthjones · Post by **darthjones** » Sun May 14, 2006 5:29 pm

I think that hat looks great now after a year. I have my own preferences on bashing and such but nice in my opinion!

J_Weaver · Post by **J_Weaver** » Sun May 14, 2006 5:52 pm

I agree, it looks great!

eaglecrow · Post by **eaglecrow** » Wed May 17, 2006 5:46 am

Yeah, I like the look of my hat although it's allready tapered. I don't worry too much about the perfect accuraty of it. I just use it allmost every day and I like the natural wear signs a lot.
Nethertheless I just sent it to Marc for a reblock and a new ribbon

rick5150 · Post by **rick5150** » Wed May 17, 2006 6:16 am

I think that tapered AB looks better than most brand new offerings. I am glad to see that people are wearing these hats and not putting them on a shelf for safe-keeping. They were made to be rough and take the elements or you would be wearing rabbit fur or wool instead of beaver. Steve has set out to make a tough fedora and it should not be babied. It is like the folks who buy Hummers and rarely leave the driveway, let alone go offroad. Nice job on the soaking

eaglecrow · Post by **eaglecrow** » Wed May 17, 2006 6:37 am

yeah, you're right, that's what I'm thinking about it, too. But it is more than just a hat which can be trusted on adventures. I get positiv comments on it allmost every time when I meet new people. Although they have no clue about hats, their felt or how they are made they can see that it is speccial in every way.
So my hat does have to go throu some adventures , but I wouldn't dare to SIT on it like a fellow AB wearer use to soften the felt. I also can't even think about how I would react if it ever touches resin when I'm out in the woods

If I would life on the countrysite I'd throw some dry dirt on it to get this Cairo look. But this would just look like a costume hat in town

rick5150 · Post by **rick5150** » Wed May 17, 2006 9:25 am

BreinederIndy wrote:
So my hat does have to go throu some adventures , but I wouldn't dare to SIT on it like a fellow AB wearer use to soften the felt. I also can't even think about how I would react if it ever touches resin when I'm out in the woods

Once you have softened the felt there will be nothing you can buy that will compare to that fedora. Not off the shelf. I have a 3-year-old felt that has been through #### and high water (the one in my avatar) and is quite simply the most comfortable hat I have ever owned. You guys who think these Adventurebilts are comfortable haven't seen anything yet. Wait until you have worn it, beat the @#$% out of it, we to, sun-dried it and then done it all again a few more times. You will see why Indy risks an arm trying to save his hat. That is why beaver is the choice. It gets better with age and can survive the reblocking process many times and come out looking like new.

If you get pine sap, resin, pitch or whatever you call it on a hat, it can be removed with naphtha. Don't let it slow you down!

eaglecrow · Post by **eaglecrow** » Wed May 17, 2006 9:45 am

The hat in your avatar looks REALLY excellent. I believe you that a softened felt obviosly feel fine when wearing it. Everytime my hat is squashed it is just by accident, so it's pretty rare. So my hat allmost never looses it's shape- does this eventually means less taper? It's just a thought and actually I don't really think so
I do waterproof it every now and then, too

Post by **Jens** » Wed May 17, 2006 9:53 am

BreinederIndy wrote: I do waterproof it every now and then, too

How'd you do this? With - excuse tzhe German term, please - "Imprägnierspray" or something similar? I didn't try this, 'cause I thought that would harm the felt (well, I still own just a rabbitfelt Akubra).

eaglecrow · Post by **eaglecrow** » Wed May 17, 2006 10:00 am

yeah, I do it with Erdal Impraegnirspray. It says that it's invented for Leather, cloth of all kind and similiar. Not to use on artificial leather.

It works well to me and I could not notice any harm to the felt

Am I doing something wrong anyway

:

Post by **Jens** » Wed May 17, 2006 10:17 am

BreinederIndy wrote: Am I doing something wrong anyway :

I don't think so. Your hat looks great!

I think it's just my "overcautiosness" that made me step away.

Shawnkara · Post by **Shawnkara** » Thu May 18, 2006 5:04 pm

WOW! All that abuse, AND a soak in a lake and that's all the taper you have!?

That's one heck of a hat!

eaglecrow · Post by **eaglecrow** » Fri May 19, 2006 1:43 am

The picture actually didn't show the taper too well, but yes, it's a beaverdamed good hat