Rain,rain,rain!

[colinlyne]

What's the situation with felt hats in the rain please? I have fairly recently acquired an Adam Premier from Johnnyphi and not too long ago, had Art make one for me. I also have a Christie adventurer and a 60s Borsalino.recently, in the UK, we have had torrential rain (you probably know of the flooding, although that was not my area!) and I am concerned about getting these hats wet (soaked!). On the real wet days I use a couple of beaters to save the best ones. Help with wet hats(!) would be greatly appreciated.

Colin

 

[Blackthorn]

What's the situation with felt hats in the rain please? I have fairly recently acquired an Adam Premier from Johnnyphi and not too long ago, had Art make one for me. I also have a Christie adventurer and a 60s Borsalino.recently, in the UK, we have had torrential rain (you probably know of the flooding, although that was not my area!) and I am concerned about getting these hats wet (soaked!). On the real wet days I use a couple of beaters to save the best ones. Help with wet hats(!) would be greatly appreciated.

Colin

There are several schools of thought, but here's one recent thread on the Stetson Temple vs rain. This involved a very light rain:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=45541

I got my Akubra Fed IV soaking wet last summer in a heavy rain with no ill effects at all.

 

[Tone]

Since it's just a question of felt (not the differences in how the felts actually look being worn that are unique and specific to each particular hat) and the ability to stand in the rain singing, "Volare", for hours on end, this is probably the best hat for head protection against rain.

If you really can't see the difference among these hats in terms of shape and nature of the felt, go for a rain slicker hat to keep you protected. They're all the same at that point.

Full suit to protect from the elements for only around $20.00 or so.

 

[Mario]

Full suit to protect from the elements for only around $20.00 or so.

lol lol :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Lovely color scheme, too!

 

[Mulceber]

Is that a hollywood brim on that slicker hat? lol

In terms of durability with regard to rain, it varies. Beaver felt hats (and I mean pure beaver) will be naturally resistant to rain, as will, inexplicably, Akubra's hats. In order for them to receive any damage from the rain, they'd have to be soaked through, which would involve spending several hours out in the rain. With an Akubra or a beaver felt hat, you're pretty safe out in the rain. Any other hats will require a heavy treatment of water repellent or else they'll taper, ESPECIALLY most modern factory-made fur felt and all wool felts. -M

 

[billyspew]

What's the situation with felt hats in the rain please? I have fairly recently acquired an Adam Premier from Johnnyphi and not too long ago, had Art make one for me. I also have a Christie adventurer and a 60s Borsalino.recently, in the UK, we have had torrential rain (you probably know of the flooding, although that was not my area!) and I am concerned about getting these hats wet (soaked!). On the real wet days I use a couple of beaters to save the best ones. Help with wet hats(!) would be greatly appreciated.

Colin

I've had my Christys Adventurer, 60's Borso, many Adams (Johnnyphi and not) and Akubra soaked over the year, only one had a little issue (an Adam), but that was more to do with my LO head and was easy to remedy with a little steam.

 

[colinlyne]

Thanks

Thanks for your input folks,helpful replies.

 

[carldelo]

Any other hats will require a heavy treatment of water repellent or else they'll taper, ESPECIALLY most modern factory-made fur felt and all wool felts. -M

That's a pretty emphatic blanket statement. Do you really believe that only Akubra or a 100% beaver fur felt will hold up in the rain?

 

[4and1]

^ I wouldn't agree with that statement, either. None of my hats are Akubra and I never hesitate to wear them in the rain. Also, 100% beaver does not mean the hat is water repellent.

 

[Mulceber]

Not just akubra and beaver felt hats - most custom hats are made using higher quality rabbit which may even have some beaver thrown in. Additionally, they're often treated with water repellent. My main point is that most modern, factory-made rabbit-felt hats are going to require some treatment before they can handle a frog-strangler.

Also, 100% beaver does not mean the hat is water repellent.

Actually it does. Beaver is naturally water repellent, since it comes from a water animal. Much more so than rabbit. Yes, it helps to give beaver a water treatment, but by nature it handles the rain better than rabbit.

None of my hats are Akubra and I never hesitate to wear them in the rain.

I never said that rain will destroy the hat, just that it will cause the hat to taper. Perhaps your hats have tapered. Or maybe the rain they've been in wasn't heavy enough to soak them through. I don't know. Also, it helps if it's a custom hat or a vintage hat - custom because they generally try to go for some of the very best rabbit felt available, and may often have some beaver mixed in or could be entirely beaver, vintage because the felt has died which makes it less reactive to moisture and heat. -M

 

[Andykev]

Singing in the Rain

What's the situation with felt hats in the rain please? I have fairly recently acquired an Adam Premier from Johnnyphi and not too long ago, had Art make one for me. I also have a Christie adventurer and a 60s Borsalino.recently, in the UK, we have had torrential rain (you probably know of the flooding, although that was not my area!) and I am concerned about getting these hats wet (soaked!). On the real wet days I use a couple of beaters to save the best ones. Help with wet hats(!) would be greatly appreciated.

Colin

In my experience, 80+ hats, rain is lousy for modern rabbit felt. The pure beaver (Art Fawcett) and the VINTAGE hats hold up perfectly in the rain.

I wore a beautiful Optimo....in the rain. Not just a rain. FLOODING. I was out in the rain, on the roof, in the creek....keeping the property from flooding.

Well, the Optimo dress hat tapered. Sent it to Art and it was restored. The vintage hats I have, particularly a Cavanagh from the 40's, well, I could swim in that hat and ...well, it's been hit by chain saw chips, rototiller dust, you name it...it is perfect. I guess they don't make them like they used to.

If you are gonna wear a felt hat in the rain, not just walking from your car to the restaurant, but all day, buy a hat from Art.

 

[Dewhurst]

Felt hats should be alright in the rain. The more rain there is the higher the chances that all will not be well, of course.

Still, they won't be putting any rain hats to shame any time soon.

 

[4and1]

I never said that rain will destroy the hat, just that it will cause the hat to taper. Perhaps your hats have tapered. Or maybe the rain they've been in wasn't heavy enough to soak them through. I don't know. Also, it helps if it's a custom hat or a vintage hat - custom because they generally try to go for some of the very best rabbit felt available, and may often have some beaver mixed in or could be entirely beaver, vintage because the felt has died which makes it less reactive to moisture and heat. -M

This may be true. All of my hats are from the 40's to 60's and have not tapered after being soaked. Still not buying the beaver thing, though.

 

[Fedora]

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[Tone]

"...gotta...find those...car keys..."

 

[carldelo]

"...gotta...find those...car keys..."

Now that's funny.... thanks for that...

 

[Fedora]

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[Dinerman]

In a heavy rain, I'll reach for either my Adventurebilt, Adventurebilt Deluxe or Stetson 7x Clear Beaver. I've worn all of them in substantial downpours with no discernible effect, other than perhaps better conformation to my head if I wear them while they dry.

When I was starting out with all this hat stuff, I had a cheap wool felt that I bought to "save" my vintage ones from wearing in the rain. It went from a 5" crown to a 3.5" one and a 7-1/4 to a 7 after being entirely drenched. If you want something that will last, buy something of good quality.

 

[Fedora]

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[Tone]

On the real wet days I use a couple of beaters to save the best ones. Help with wet hats(!) would be greatly appreciated.

Which hats do you use as your beaters, btw? Are they styled the same as your Christys, Adam, or Johnnyphi?

You had Art Fawcett make one for you - did you spec it to match one of those styles? Should hold up in rain AND look good being worn. What'd you spec it out to be?