The Hat Makers Emporium Nutria hat bodies from Etsy

[belfastboy]

The nutria felts on Etsy are about gone. I contacted the seller (The Hatmakers Emporium). This was the response:
“The plan is to have a new run of 50x bodies done up in a 6" crown and 5" brim in a heavier weight. I am just waiting for the technician to tick off on them to get the ball rolling. I anticipate a restock landing in September as there is a 12 week manufacturing turn around.”

I asked about the 100X (100% nutria) and This was his response:

“Unfortunately the new mill I am using is unable to make a 100x in nutria so to fill that gap I am looking at bringing in a 100x beaver body in western weight.”

My dark green 100X should be done in the next few weeks and I’m really excited to see how it turns out.

I eagerly await the reveal of the Nutria. Have been on the fence about ordering one and now this news makes the decision for me...sometimes procrastination is a valid way to make a decision!!! On another note my Mink/Beaver blend is on the block after your Nutria I think.

 

[belfastboy]

"Australia seems to have preserved a sizeable market for felt hats in the same way as parts of the US for Western hats; of course, Australians seem always to be very aware of the need for Sun protection, which I'm sure is a big factor. The body in your photos with that very wide brim reminds me of some of the Akubra outback hats, the Tablelands in particular.

Rabbit is a very popular filler-meat in petfood (especially for cats), which is the primary market for the rest of the rabbits farmed for their fur to be sold to the Australian hat industry. (This is a major reason why I like rabbit fur in my hats - I prefer, if we're gonig to take an animal from nature, we waste as little of it as possible.) I don't know much about Nutria - maybe they are similarly farmed down there? "

Australia supplied Wild Rabbit fur / skins for Felt Hat production but the population has been so reduced that Akubra has to source all Rabbit fur from European sources.

I had read that Akubra was sourcing rabbit felt from China and that was the cause of so much push back.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I eagerly await the reveal of the Nutria. Have been on the fence about ordering one and now this news makes the decision for me...sometimes procrastination is a valid way to make a decision!!! On another note my Mink/Beaver blend is on the block after your Nutria I think.

THAT is the hat I’ve been waiting to see. I’ve been saving my pennies in the hope that yours comes out as nice as I think it will. The Mink and Beaver blend has the potential to really be something. Do you know what colors it’s available in?

As for The Hatmakers Emporium, at least there might be a new source for beaver hat bodies.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[belfastboy]

I can't remember the colour availability but it is limited. Rick contacted Winchester and they had just a few bodies available. I picked the Whiskey. Anxious to see. I know Mike at NW Hats is a bit cynical about the blend as they do not disclose the mink content. He told me..."for all I know they might just have a mink walk through the plant during the felting and thus call it a blend." However it is a hat I don't have. I am quietly declaring that this will be my last hat as I am hard pressed to come up with ideas that don't replicate the style, colour I have already. Sadly, another collection comes to an end. My wife chides me but my conversation ending retort....."So far I have resisted collecting wives, that is far too expensive" that always kills the thread.

 

[mayserwegener]

I had read that Akubra was sourcing rabbit felt from China and that was the cause of so much push back.

I was talking about processed / cut fur to make felt. Last time I read they were sourcing from Europe. The Chinese are a problem they are buying up rabbit pelts / cut fur for other purposes.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

This is not the way this is supposed to have ended:
Rick, my hatter, blocked the hat body and when it dried it was badly discolored. There was a problem with the dye. Rick continued to be impressed with the quality of the felt, but the dye issue was a fatal flaw.

I sent photos and an explanation to the Etsy store, Hat Maker’s Emporium, and without my asking he gave me a complete refund, including shipping. His customer service was great. He apologized for the problem and assured me he has not had this issue with his felts before.

My nutria dream is dead, but it’s just a hat and life moves on. To help with the moving on I commissioned another hat from Rick; this time I went with a tried and true Winchester beaver.

The nutria was only exposed to distilled water and steam:

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Tukwila]

Bummer, it was a nice color, too.

 

[humanshoes]

This is not the way this is supposed to have ended:
Rick, my hatter, blocked the hat body and when it dried it was badly discolored. There was a problem with the dye. Rick continued to be impressed with the quality of the felt, but the dye issue was a fatal flaw.

I sent photos and an explanation to the Etsy store, Hat Maker’s Emporium, and without my asking he gave me a complete refund, including shipping. His customer service was great. He apologized for the problem and assured me he has not had this issue with his felts before.

My nutria dream is dead, but it’s just a hat and life moves on. To help with the moving on I commissioned another hat from Rick; this time I went with a tried and true Winchester beaver.

The nutria was only exposed to distilled water and steam:

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

If a hatmaker weeps in the hat shop and there is no one there to hear him...

 

[Tukwila]

Would it make a great beater?

 

[humanshoes]

Would it make a great beater?

I'm determined not to let this beautiful felt go to the scrap heap Tuk. First, I'll try to re-dye it for Brent. If that fails, then beater/hiking/working hat it is. This nutria body doesn't have the thinness of a vintage felt, but it certainly has the tight felting and soft hand of one.

 

[belfastboy]

I'm determined not to let this beautiful felt go to the scrap heap Tuk. First, I'll try to re-dye it for Brent. If that fails, then beater/hiking/working hat it is. This nutria body doesn't have the thinness of a vintage felt, but it certainly has the tight felting and soft hand of one.

I had pretty good success re-dying a white felt hat. Used the dye meant for natural fibres and it turned out great....except I removed it from the solution when it reached the desired shade of grey and did not find out until I cut the brim down that the dye had not penetrated all the way through the brim. I ended up with a Oreo cookie effect.....grey on top and bottom of brim but still white in the middle. Solution was to bind the brim. The natural dye required soaking in an almost boiling water and although it was only immersed for a few short minutes the hat was felted to an even denser state. It was Western weight to start and when finished I think I now have a bullet proof fedora. But a worthy experiment and I ended up with a great hat.

 

[humanshoes]

I had pretty good success re-dying a white felt hat. Used the dye meant for natural fibres and it turned out great....except I removed it from the solution when it reached the desired shade of grey and did not find out until I cut the brim down that the dye had not penetrated all the way through the brim. I ended up with a Oreo cookie effect.....grey on top and bottom of brim but still white in the middle. Solution was to bind the brim. The natural dye required soaking in an almost boiling water and although it was only immersed for a few short minutes the hat was felted to an even denser state. It was Western weight to start and when finished I think I now have a bullet proof fedora. But a worthy experiment and I ended up with a great hat.

Great solution with the binding. I'll try to match the existing color so, hopefully, I won't have that problem.

 

[belfastboy]

Great solution with the binding. I'll try to match the existing color so, hopefully, I won't have that problem.

I forget the name of the solution but I first rinsed the felt in it to rid it of any oils or residue that might prevent the dye from even absorption. There is a fabric shop in town that specializes in fabric dyeing and a pretty young woman with great patience walked me through the process. It worked fairly well but there was still some mottling but it was grey over white. The mottling was not noticeable on the finished product as it appears as just shadow.

 

[Cornshucker77]

This is not the way this is supposed to have ended:
Rick, my hatter, blocked the hat body and when it dried it was badly discolored. There was a problem with the dye. Rick continued to be impressed with the quality of the felt, but the dye issue was a fatal flaw.

I sent photos and an explanation to the Etsy store, Hat Maker’s Emporium, and without my asking he gave me a complete refund, including shipping. His customer service was great. He apologized for the problem and assured me he has not had this issue with his felts before.

My nutria dream is dead, but it’s just a hat and life moves on. To help with the moving on I commissioned another hat from Rick; this time I went with a tried and true Winchester beaver.

The nutria was only exposed to distilled water and steam:

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Oh man, that is too bad. Glad to see they refunded your money. I will be interested to see their 100% Beaver bodies.

 

[Cornshucker77]

I forget the name of the solution but I first rinsed the felt in it to rid it of any oils or residue that might prevent the dye from even absorption. There is a fabric shop in town that specializes in fabric dyeing and a pretty young woman with great patience walked me through the process. It worked fairly well but there was still some mottling but it was grey over white. The mottling was not noticeable on the finished product as it appears as just shadow.

Always nice to have the help of a pretty young woman. I'm in favor of it.

 

[belfastboy]

Always nice to have the help of a pretty young woman. I'm in favor of it.

In my younger days I would be embarrassed at being taken under the wing of a pretty 20 something lady due to incompetence.....but in my dotage I take what I can get.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

This is not the way this is supposed to have ended:
Rick, my hatter, blocked the hat body and when it dried it was badly discolored. There was a problem with the dye. Rick continued to be impressed with the quality of the felt, but the dye issue was a fatal flaw.

I sent photos and an explanation to the Etsy store, Hat Maker’s Emporium, and without my asking he gave me a complete refund, including shipping. His customer service was great. He apologized for the problem and assured me he has not had this issue with his felts before.

My nutria dream is dead, but it’s just a hat and life moves on. To help with the moving on I commissioned another hat from Rick; this time I went with a tried and true Winchester beaver.

The nutria was only exposed to distilled water and steam:

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Totally sucks!!
Yes, have it re-dye it!! I’ll bet if washed well then re-dyed a slightly darker green it would work. Can’t imagine why it wouldn’t.
B

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Totally sucks!!
Yes, have it re-dye it!! I’ll bet if washed well then re-dyed a slightly darker green it would work. Can’t imagine why it wouldn’t.
B

Thanks, Bowen. These things happen and it does no one any good to get upset. A dark green or even black over-dye could save it. On the bright side, I used the failure as an excuse (as if I needed one) to place an order for another custom from Rick.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I'm determined not to let this beautiful felt go to the scrap heap Tuk. First, I'll try to re-dye it for Brent. If that fails, then beater/hiking/working hat it is. This nutria body doesn't have the thinness of a vintage felt, but it certainly has the tight felting and soft hand of one.

If black over-dye would simplify things that would also work for me. A black Nutria sounds pretty classy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Cornshucker77]

In my younger days I would be embarrassed at being taken under the wing of a pretty 20 something lady due to incompetence.....but in my dotage I take what I can get.

I'm with you.