Club Obi Wan

Hey All,

When I was at this beach in the summer it was super windy and my Fedora almost took off. As the wind blew I realized that the front of the hat actually stayed quite well because of the sweat/skin contact, but in the back it wanted to slip off my hair.

This got me thinking. What if a hair comb type thing was made so it could slip into the back of the liner while "curving" around the sweat. The "comb" parts would be pointing up so when you put on the hat they would slide with your hair, but would then go into your hair and make it harder for it to come off upwards.



This is kind of what I mean, only the bottom would slide over the sweatband.

Any thoughts?

Hi. Have you tried the foam strips to snug up the hat when windy? If I push my hat down on my head and use foam under the sweatband a twister would have a hard time taking my hat....

http://mainstreethats.com/catalog/index ... ucts_id=35

Well it's not that the hat is too big or anything, my hat fits perfectly, it's just that in high gusts of wind the back of the hat has no friction against the hair no matter how tight it is.

Didja try staplin it to your head?

Staples, Just like Ford. Works every time.

I cut my hair really short and the stubble acted like tiny little claws gripping the band.

Seriously? 144 some odd of you viewed this and don't have a thought? For shame....for shame!

I have a thought. It involves the first part of your name and how you earned it

From the Blues Brothers: "This is glue, strong stuff."

Have you thought of getting a, "Wind Trolley," for your lid? Noggintops sells them.

crazylegsmurphy wrote:Seriously? 144 some odd of you viewed this and don't have a thought? For shame....for shame!

What about those of us who did post suggestions. Throw us some props, will ya?

Not sure what to even say.

If you wear a hat that is properly fitted to your head, this is a non-issue. I've worn my hats in high winds on the desert, and in winter winds on the Great Divide and open range in Wyoming, and all my hat did was to have the brim bend. It never once tried to leave my head.

As to doing something for a hat that isn't quite the right fit, tie it on with a bandana, or rig a hidden chin strap that you can leave inside your hat when it's calm, but can be dropped out for use in high wind I guess.

Regards! Michaelson

I've had to use a certain amount of aerodynamics...A.K.A keeping your head down in high winds....Then again, I also braided and fitted a kangaroo lace chinstrap to my Akubra Bushman for those 'special times'....Worked in the wilds of central Australia!

crazylegsmurphy wrote:Seriously? 144 some odd of you viewed this and don't have a thought? For shame....for shame!

I'm getting the impression that you have long thick hair? And what you're saying is the hat blows off the back of your head due to the hair? My hair is also very thick, but it's cut longer on top and the back and sides shorter, so if it's windy I can push my hat down hard to my ears and lower on the forehead; like I said a twister couldn't get it off.

In your case you could add a chin strap if you don't mind it, put a hair comb thingy in like what you have in your 1st post higher than your hat sits so the hat would get caught on it if it moved up or radically change your hair style...if you wore your hair up with the hat below where it goes up it would stick I think.

Just to be clear, what I MEANT was it was a non-issue to ME! NOT you!

I'm sure if it were a non-issue, you wouldn't have posted the question in the first place. I didn't want anyone to think I considered this as not being a concern. It is, as no one wants their hard earned hat bouncing away at 90 mph while you're pursuing it at 20 mph. I don't care if it's a DP or the most expensive custom fedora out there. It's just as important to either owner!

Regards! Michaelson

It may have to do with head shape and hair texture. My head is roundish and my hair fvery fine, and my hat comes off in high winds. My hair is actually so fine that those spikey things (barettes? I'll have to ask my daughter) just slide out as well. See Conan Doyle's The Blue Carbuncle for a discussion of hat protectors. I have seen, in old pictures (late 19th, early 20th C) single strings attached to the hat and (presumably) to the neck or collar. If the hat blew off, I think it just hangs from the string. These might look OK with an old-fashion high collar and pincenez, but not great on an adventurer. On the other hand, an elastic squeezing up my dewlaps on a windy day doesn't appeal, either. Glue may be the answer. I can't use staples; they bend and bounce off my head! [/i]

Those strings are called 'wind trolleys'. They still come on high end fedoras.

Regards! Michaelson

I'm getting the impression that you have long thick hair? And what you're saying is the hat blows off the back of your head due to the hair?

Nope, I actually keep my hair quite short, but it's just so amazingly silky smooth and manageable, that it doesn't really grip the hat.

I do want to clarify. It's not like my hats have been flying off my head in a stiff breeze or anything. My main concern is that I will be going on a major hike by the ocean this summer and I am concerned that there are so many places were a sudden gust of wind would put my beloved AB in the ocean.

I have heard of those "Wind Trolleys" but as Krak said, they're not really all that cool looking, and living in Alberta, the last thing I need is something like that to further the cowboy hat mislabeling.

My thoughts were that if a custom barrette was made that could slip over the sweat in the back, and would curve around almost from ear to ear, it would almost lock the hat in place from the back. A "Wind Trolley" wouldn't even help much if a gust of wind came up from behind because it would just slip off the chin anyway.

Krak is completely right in that head shape/hair texture plays a huge part. My friend is bald and he never loses his hats based on his head shape alone, but I have had a few ball caps make a break for it in my younger years.

Don't worry, I'm not offended by the glue/staple comments or anything. It's a fun topic to talk about fo' sho'. I just wanted to know if this is something that might work or if there is something out there that has been made already. Perhaps it's my million dollar idea that might let me retire at 30 and keep many a hat on a head till the end of time.

This is a quick idea of what I'm talkin' bout.

crazylegsmurphy wrote:This is a quick idea of what I'm talkin' bout.

Now that is way better than the pet rock!!! I'd buy one, it looks like it would work for real.

crazylegsmurphy wrote:This is a quick idea of what I'm talkin' bout.

That looks like either what may have been in the bottom of the pit that Indy had to jump across in ToD, or false teeth for a pirannha.

Sorry. I couldn't help myself. The pic struck me as humorous.

I agree with Michaelson that a well-fitting fedora should not come off easily.

Question is.....would you pay $2.00 for the piece of mind to know that the last thing you wouldn't see is your Fedora sinking to the bottom of the ocean because that gust of wind happened to lift it off your head...hmmmmmmm?

Seriously...no one steal this idea! It could be the next Velcro...the next....well...something awesome! You all laugh...but we'll see....we'll see when my hat is on my head and the rest of you are running around trying to catch yours.

Plus...I have seen Indy on a horse and he lost his fedora like 20 times.....and it was molded to his head.

I'm gonna make a prototype because I'm super bored and because my mom said it was a good idea (course she has to say that), so no stealing...I'll take you all out for the ultimate Indy adventure if I get rich off this!

Wind and hats - can be a problem. I love the Tilley hat I wear because it is great is hurricane force wind because there is a chin strap that tucks inside the hat. Also, I live in Ontario, Canada and the Provincial Police just announced they are going back to traditional peaked police caps. They had been wearing the Mountie type Stetson but found that they were hard to keep on in the wind. So, for functionality, they switched back. The also found the brims were getting warped.
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