Beaver Blends and the Henry

[Han Jones]

I know the AB Henry has not been out that long but can anyone speak to durability. I have a 6X Keppler but I wonder what that means as far as how much beaver is in it. I know that when it rains rabbits go to their holes and beavers come out and play but what does a rabbit that is 20% beaver do?

[Mighty_Draw]

I have soaked my Henry, twice, to re-bash it. It has thus far shown no signs of taper. However I have not worn it in the rain.

[BendingOak]

I have soaked my Henry, twice, to re-bash it. It has thus far shown no signs of taper. However I have not worn it in the rain.

Why would you need to soak it to reshape it? and if you soaked it and it didn't tapper then a little rain or a lot of rain won't do anything more to it.

Soaking is the last thing you want to do to any hat. If you get the core soaked, thats when good hats can tapper.

[Mighty_Draw]

Perhaps "soaked" was a bit too strong. I'll modify my previous statement to fairly wet. I was trying to get the original bash I gave it completely out. Reshaping it dry, and giving it a little turn which was my intention, it looked odd with the felt remembering its older shape. I used distilled water, and it did the trick.

[Fedora]

First, Lee's hats, the 5x and the 6x had no beaver content. His beaver hat, his newest hats, is beaver. His factory does not even make beaver felt, so he gets the beaver elsewhere.

Marc added 20 per cent beaver because this is the amount needed to give any hat that beaver feel. Anything less than 20 per cent, and you don't know the hat has beaver fur in it. Marc added it because of the "feel". And, that amount of beaver also plugs up the holes that rabbit has, due to the larger diameter of rabbit fur, when compared to beaver. Even with 20 per cent, the hat will keep the head drier, for a longer period. Fedora

[Restless Dreamer]

my personal experience with the henry was not too good. I initially went for a Raiders bash, but I was not satisfied and so I rebashed it in a LC style. The problem was the pinch was too tight and so I had to completely soak the hat. It tapered in the back, and shrunk.

then I went to a trip to Venice. the third day there was a lot of rain (and high water!), and as a result my hat came up completely tapered. plus, the sweatband is very nice, but gets dirty pretty soon, as the liner.

my henry lasted not even a few months. I recently sent it to Marc for a reblock, and he kindly offered me a very generous discount - so, even if the hat failed, Marc proved once again to be a very comprehensive and nice vendor and person

[BendingOak]

Why would you soak any hat? Soak any at to the core and it will tapper. I'm always confused by things like this.

[IndyBrit]

I've had my Henry for nearly a year now. No issuses and no taper. Mind you I do my best to avoid heavy rain. Having said that I have been caught out a copuple of times abeit not soaked though. This hat just keeps getting better with age and use.

[Fedora]

The problem was the pinch was too tight and so I had to completely soak the hat. It tapered in the back, and shrunk.

Yeah, never soak a hat to change creases. Felt will keep the head dry, in a rain, but it is not a rain hat per se.

If I were gonna buy a hat, a felt hat, exclusively as my rain hat, I would buy pure beaver, and the heaviest weight I could find. The thicker the felt, the more rain it will take before the core gets wet.

And always keep your hats treated with a good water repellant treatment, or even good oil. The underfur on beaver, only keeps the animal warm and dry due to the critter constantly rubbing its natural castor oil into the underfur. Without the good Lord providing the beaver with this oil, they would freeze to death!!

During the processing of the furs, all of the natural oil is taken out of the fur. So, if I had one hat that I was to design as a felt rain hat, I would buy the thickest pure beaver fur hat I could find, and then heat up my oil pad with defracturated coconut oil, and literally soak the hat in this stuff, using heat to help the penetration. Then periodically re treat it, if I lived in a wet climate. The oil would replicate what the beaver does to his own underfur. And you would have the best felt rain hat made. Fedora

[CairoIndy]

Dad loves his Henry!

[Fedora]

Baseball caps!! Eeks, I sure do hate them. But, not to insult your dad. I would never insult a guy from the Greatest Generation.

But baseball caps, to me, are the curse of the 20th century, and are still prolithic around here. Plus, to add insult to injury, these youngsters call these caps....hats!!! Give me a BREAK. If you are gonna wear one, at least take the time to learn what you are wearing! A cap is NOT a hat. These types of caps were worn by baseball players.

The other type of cap, and for the moment, the name escapes me, actually look good. You know, like the one Redford(I think) wore in The Sting in some scenes. Those are some classy looking caps, whereas the baseball cap only looks proper when being worn on the diamond, by baseball players.

What is even worse, is many of these baseball caps are worn with the bill, or brim to the side. Now, I am all for comedy, but these guys actually think they look cool. Whereas to me, they look comedic. Couple these caps with the droopy pants and you have a full blown clown. I prefer to see my clowns at the circus, thank you.

Popular culture has had it moments, in fashion. But this look is not one of them. Never before in the history of this Country has bad taste been so popular. I wonder if the same thing happened in Rome, before they fell? I think it did.

I guess this is good fodder for those guys who call you Indy, while wearing their baseball caps and or droopy pants. You could always counter with, " which baseball team, or circus are you with?" Fedora

[BendingOak]

I find it funny myself Steve. My sisters kid lives in the droopy pants and turned to the side call cap. The funny thing is , the first time i saw a cap worn to the side was by Jack Klugman of the Odd Couple Tv show back in 72.

[gwyddion]

Yes Marc is a very generous and caring person, but I am puzzled by your experience with the Henry Restless Dreamer Though soaking felt to the core is never a good idea I am somewhat amazed at the fact that rain made things worse for you after the soaking. I live in the Netherlands, one of the wettest countries on earth, and my Henry is still doing fine and hasn't tapered because of the rain yet (and it got plenty of that the last few months ) Also, I never saw a Henry that didn't look good with a Raiders bash Do you have pictures of it? I am pretty curious about that hat, since I have never heard such negative experiences with one of these before, and would like to see what's going on with your hat.

Regards, Geert

[IndyBrit]

The other type of cap, and for the moment, the name escapes me, actually look good. You know, like the one Redford(I think) wore in The Sting in some scenes. Those are some classy looking caps, whereas the baseball cap only looks proper when being worn on the diamond, by baseball players.

That would be called a bakerboy or newsboy cap. A classic. Here is one company in the UK that has an excellant selection

http://www.classic-caps.co.uk/acatalog/baker_boy.html

[Indy35]

Well i've had my Henry now for seven months, it's worn no less than six days a week. Its been through two storms, both at concerts (George Straight and then Brad Paisley), it kept my head dry, warm and it has not tapered. Now it was not soaked to the bone , and i wouldn't let it become so, but i let i dry in a cool slow fashion, and didn't mess with it. This is my procedure with all my hats, only one has failed, my grey Fed IV, all the others have resisted major tapering. Sometimes i think people are looking for top hat like straight sides, Indy's hat was not that straight sided, no fedora should be. This is my personal opinon however, even the CS hat has taper!

Personally, i think the Henry is a phenomenal hat, and if taken proper care of, like anything you own, it will last a very long time, even in daily use. As for the sweat, it does stain, but it gives the hat character, i love that . Think of hat maintenece like car maintenece.

[XPLSV]

Baseball caps!! Eeks, I sure do hate them. But, not to insult your dad. I would never insult a guy from the Greatest Generation.

But baseball caps, to me, are the curse of the 20th century, and are still prolithic around here. Plus, to add insult to injury, these youngsters call these caps....hats!!! Give me a BREAK. If you are gonna wear one, at least take the time to learn what you are wearing! A cap is NOT a hat. These types of caps were worn by baseball players. Fedora

Being retired from the military and in a job that requires a coat & tie, I quickly gravitated towards fedoras as my hat of choice. My first "real" fedora is still due in ;p, but I've acquired several very nice vintage ones. Several of my co-workers will regularly wear a ball cap with their coat & tie attire and it just gives me the willies! I have acquired quite a few ball caps as trip souvenirs over the years but they generally just accumulate on the shelves, aside from occasional wear while fishing.

The other type of cap, and for the moment, the name escapes me, actually look good. You know, like the one Redford(I think) wore in The Sting in some scenes. Those are some classy looking caps, whereas the baseball cap only looks proper when being worn on the diamond, by baseball players. Fedora

I think you reference the newboy cap, Steve. One of my co-workers has one that he wear in place of his baseball cap on occasion and I am sure to compliment him when he does wear it!

Bernie