Club Obi Wan

I was wondering if anyone had any input on the bailey-curtis pinch front indy fedora Crushable lite wool felt. I like a crushable hat better than a stiffy because I'm hard on hats, constantly getting them dirty, wet, loosing them on the river and cathing them downsteam somewhere. It's a hard life for my headgear and lets face it, crushable = inexpensive, and thats a bonus when you treat your gear like I do. I typically wear orvis river hats and do not have an Indy style lid, but my current hat is due for replacing and a crushable Indy sounds good to me.

If you are looking for an inexpensive hat that you can pack away in a bag, then I'd go with the Akubra Federation. The Bailey your talking about is wool felt and if you plan on putting it through the ringer (with what you described, I'd say so) then I'd stay away from wool. The Federation is a rabbit fur felt hat and will hold up much better than the Bailey. I haven't seen one in person, but the Bailey has a nice look to it. I own another Bailery that was given to me as a gift. I really only keep it because it was a gift, otherwise, I would have given it the boot. Maybe this will help.

Dave

I have to second Dave on this. I mean, I understand the appeal of a crushable wool, but durability is an issue. Crushables are great for getting... well... crushed. But against water and dirt, wool is wool - not the best option. Unless you have a habit of losing hats completely, skip to a good quality rabbit fur. The Federation is probably the best value for the money, even with international shipping.

Here's the part you'll like; As long as the felt does not get ripped, torn, or end up with a hole in it, rabbit fur felt can be cleaned and restored by a professional many times over. Wool can't. If you're really rough on an Akubra, you might need to send it out for service every couple of years. Maybe. A Federation, even with rugged use, can last a lifetime. Wool might last a season or two, and can't be restored.

thanks guys, I might give the federation a try, checked it out and its a good looking hat.