Portugal Hat Body Review

[Brad Bowers]

The peripatetic Portugal hat body made its way to me, so I want to offer up a review.

First impression: Wow, that's light!

Second impression: Wow, that's light!

Third impression: Nice finish!

I really like the factory finish on this felt, much smoother and finer than any modern American factory-made hat. The finish is definitely on par with our favorite vintage hats. Smooooth. I don't know if the felter pounced it just for the sample, or if their bodies come this way. But it does finish off nice.

I will say this, "This body needs some stiffener!" Given the right amount of stiffener, this body would make a nice summer weight hat, and as is, would make a great rollup or traveller hat.

The felt on the brim is just at 1 mm in thickness. For comparison, my thin (to me) 1940s Borsalino comes in at almost 1.5 mm.

Without being able to subject the hat to the stress of daily wear, it's hard to tell how the felt would hold up. It doesn't seem as dense as a Borsalino, but I suspect that's just because it's thinner. I seem to recall Steve saying he had trouble pushing the needles through. I may be confusing it with another hat, though. It's certainly not as dense as a Cavanagh, but isn't near the weight, either.

I think this felt in a little bit heavier weight, say, 100-gram weight, would give us vintage lovers the closest thing we can come to it in modern felt. As is, it gives every appearance of being far older than it really is.

All in all, my opinion is pretty favorable, even without the stiffener. I'm trying not to get too attached to the felt. I'm also glad the hat is too small!lol

Thanks, Steve, for giving us the opportunity to review the hat body. I'll send it along to the next person in line, though I do want to look at is afresh on the morrow.

Brad

 

[Fedora]

Thanks for you thoughts Brad.

I really like the factory finish on this felt, much smoother and finer than any modern American factory-made hat. The finish is definitely on par with our favorite vintage hats. Smooooth. I don't know if the felter pounced it just for the sample, or if their bodies come this way. But it does finish off nice

My thoughts as well. This is the supposed pre-pounced body, but normally the samples will always look better than what you get. lol Since I have seen nothing but samples, I cannot say for sure how consistent they are.

will say this, "This body needs some stiffener!" Given the right amount of stiffener, this body would make a nice summer weight hat, and is, would make a great rollup or traveller hat.

Yep, trying to put in the sweat to give it some body and the ribbon, was a job. Like trying to manipulate a dishrag. Stiffener is certainly needed.

Without being able to subject the hat to the stress of daily wear, it's hard to tell how the felt would hold up. It doesn't seem as dense as a Borsalino, but I suspect that's just because it's thinner. I seem to recall Steve saying he had trouble pushing the needles through. I may be confusing it with another hat, though. It's certainly not as dense as a Cavanagh, but isn't near the weight, either

Hard to make a call on the denseness comparison. Both hats being compared would have to have no stiffener, and be the same thickness. Just for kicks, take a sewing needle on the large side, and push it through this hat and other hats. And notice if one requires more force to push it through. Of course, if the other hat has stiffener, that affects the outcome. I thought it was pretty dense, and denser than the vintage hats I compared it with. But, I did not compare it to a Cavanagh. I did compare it to my vintage Borsa rollup and the Borsa lost.

Without being able to subject the hat to the stress of daily wear, it's hard to tell how the felt would hold up.

I think the felt would be very durable, but would still be a victim of the felt shrinkage if it got fairly saturated with water. I have new anecdotal info on this issue and it seems most hatters think the age is the primary reason for taper resistance. Live fur shrinks, dead fur is very resistant to shrinkage. One guy even used the example of the old humidity gauges that at one time used a strand of human hair as the prime mechanism for determining humidity. Humidity reacts on the hair which in turn moves a needle on the gauge. These organic meters worked fine, until the hair died. At that time, the gauge was no longer accurate. You fixed it by adding a new, live human hair. Makes sense. Fedora

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Cloud weight felt....

Well great... It only took 9 months to get a review... Thanks Brad. :eusa_clap

 

[Brad Bowers]

Upon further review...

Okay, I admit I kept it over a week, but I didn't get a chance to take it out into the sunshine to check it out until today.

Some second thoughts:

In the sun, even this felt has the usual mottling, or unevenness of color throughout, so nothing different there. I hadn't noticed it under my dim incandescent lights.

One odd thing: there is a distinct pattern of very finely spaced lines on the underside of the brim, perhaps from their finishing machinery. I only noticed it in the sunlight, and it was a bit disconcerting, as I haven't ever noticed a pattern on hat felt before. Almost made it seem like an unnatural fabric.

It really is too thin to ever look decent, I think, even with stiffener added. I think it would always have a lumpy, misshaped look. For a travelling hat, it might be good, but it would never have nice clean lines every time you pop it out.

It's now sealed in the box, and ready to ship again.

Brad

 

[besdor]

Brad , I had a chance today to see some hats that were made using bodies from Wincester TN . I think that they are some of the nicest bodies that I've seen in a long time . One hat was Steve Delks Indy hat and the other was an Art Fawcett masterpiece . These aren't the lightest weight bodies but I dont think that it's a good idea to use such a light weight body today . For a hat to last , it needs some fur it . Making a hat in 75 grams sounds good , but will it hold up? I'd rather use a hat in 110 grams in a good quality fur . That will last longer . I've also seen plenty of Thepsa's bodies and the heavier beaver blend bodies will also hold up better .


Steven

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Steven, now you have gone and done it... You let the cat out of the bag on Steve and Art's Private Felter....

You know the lieing/crook con artist hatter in Va. He always says he has a private felter and has all those XXXXXXXXX felts even up to a million X's and rips people off with his sorry overpriced made hats by making them think he has the only really good felt in the world...Not.:rage:

I know that most of the hatters in USA use the Winchester felt or the Portugal felt. The 75 gram body was just a test to see what it looked like.

I'm like you I love the weight these two honest use now!!:eusa_clap

 

[Visigoth]

If you go to that page on ebay, it gives you the opportunity to "report" it -- he's not supposed to be using a guide as advertising (which this blatantly is). I just reported it. Feel free to do the same.

 

[Fedora]

Brad, I'll bet the pattern you see on the underside of the brim is from the flange cloth Steve probably used on the hat. What do you think Steve?

lol Yep, I wore out that piece of flannel, and what you saw was the weave of what lies underneath the nap on the cloth. I replaced it a short time later. I noticed it on the next hat and just brushed and steamed it smooth. Good eye though. Fedora

 

[Feraud]

This is a final call if anyone wants to see this hat body.
Besdor is next in line to receive it. Anyone who is interested should speak up or it is going back to Fedora.

Besdor, p.m. me with a mailing address so I can send you the hat.

Thank you.