Club Obi Wan

Have you fine folks ever heard or had any experience with this hatter? https://www.cotswoldcountryhats.com/men ... 9369-p.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Looking for an a beater before taking the plunge on better quality hat. Any. Help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,
Stefan

Best not, to be honest. Cheap hats and not at all Indy-like. Akubra is your best bet for a beater.

I agree, go with an akubra. They are worth more their weight in gold.

Issue 1 - Wool Felt - Other than a synthetic, wool felt is about as cheap as it gets. It tends to shrink and taper at the first hint of humidity. If it gets rained on, it'll turn into a beanie in a flash. Wool hats can't be re-blocked, can't really be re=shaped, and the felt feels, . . . . well, pretty much like cardboard.

Issue 2 - limited sizing. Generally speaking, unless you're talking baseball caps, if a hat is sold in small, medium large and extra large . . . . run. Hats should be sized in centimeters or English or U.S. sizing in 1/8 size increments. Not only is the limited size range an indicator of a cheaply made hat, it's unlikely you'll ver be happy with the fit.

You will be much better off and way happier spending 2 - 2 1/2 times as much to get a hat that will last you the rest of your life than saving a few dollars and ending up with something that won't fit right from the start, and will end up being tossed in the back of the closet in a year because it's become an unrecognizable chunk of cloth.

I probably have 40 good to really great hats lying around here, and several of them were made by Akubra. Are they the best I own? . . . not by a long shot. But my oldest Akubra is going on 40 years old, and but for some wear and tear, looks the same as the day I bought it. For $100 - $125 you'll get a fur felt (meaning rabbit) hat that's well made, feels great, fits right, that won't shrink or taper and can stand up to pretty much anything you throw at it as long as it's not corrosive or flammable.

I can pick from any of several Penman, Adventurebilt, Garrison, VS or even Brent Black Panamas on any give day, and there is just as much likelihood of my grabbing an Akubra as anything else.

MOD EDIT: There was a minor grammar confusion. I made a mild edit and cleared out the clarifications posts.


Agreed with what has been said, unless you are thinking about a cheap hat strictly for occasional costuming, a wool hat may look OK in an advertisement, but won't meet expectations for actual wear.



Regards,

Indiana Jeff

Most of us here knee-jerk away from wool felt, but it's not necessarily a poor choice. It really depends on why you are getting the hat. What will it be used for? Do you care about durability? Do you care about appearance as it ages? And so on.

Also, I have found that the quality of wool hats varies greatly. Their is a risk that you will hate it right out of the box. But it might also be exactly what you are looking for.

I speak as a "hat guy" in that I never leave the house without a hat or cap (non-baseball) on my head. I own quiet a few high-end fur felt custom hats, but also a range of lesser hats. I actually own several wool felt hats that I really like. They have their place. I started out wearing wool felt, and actually miss some of them (none of which were in bad shape, my head just got bigger).

My main recommendation is to avoid buying a wool felt hat with the expectation that it will look remotely like an Indy hat, and /or if you plan on getting it very wet. Otherwise, it's a great baby-step.

I'll echo what others here have said: a wool felt hat may seem like a good introduction, but it really won't give you any idea of what it's like to own a real hat. An Akubra Federation is your best bet. If you're patient, and know your size, you might be able to pick one up for pretty cheap in the WTB section here on COW.

Stefan Hills wrote:Have you fine folks ever heard or had any experience with this hatter? https://www.cotswoldcountryhats.com/men ... 9369-p.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Looking for an a beater before taking the plunge on better quality hat. Any. Help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,
Stefan

Stefan,
Did you received my e-mails about a hat?
Let me know.-

There's nothing wrong with a well made wool felt hat if you recognize its limitations and take reasonably good care of it. I've had some that have stayed in great shape for over 30 years. If you plan to wear the hat on a daily basis in all kinds of weather and subject it to rough treatment, then fur felt would be a better option. Also, wool felt does not have fur felt's suede-like sheen or luxuriously soft feel. I don't keep up with current prices, but $40.00 or $50.00 for a good wool felt fedora would certainly meet your criteria of an inexpensive first step that would help you decide whether or not you want to venture further into the wonderful world of hats.

Jack

Thank you all for the valuable insight, Akubra it is then.

Congrats, and enjoy! If you need any help bashing it, there are plenty of people around here who would I'm sure be happy to give you pointers.