The International Wool Felt Consortium

[hbenthow]

It was advertised as the Bailey Crushable Fedora Sam Spade Model

https://www.hats-plus.com/p-437-bailey-crushable-fedora-hat.aspx

That one looks fairly nice, although I don't like the feather. What is your experience with crushable hats? I was under the impression that they don't look as good as ones with stiff crowns.

 

[moontheloon]

That one looks fairly nice, although I don't like the feather. What is your experience with crushable hats? I was under the impression that they don't look as good as ones with stiff crowns.

a little secret ... there really is no such thing as a "crushable" hat... it is just another marketing ploy ... it really is just another way to say lightweight hat

any lightweight travel hat that is unreeded can be rolled it you so desire ... I personally do not recommend doing this to any hat because if rolled enough times ... just as any fibrous material ... the fur felt will wear in those spots and become weak and the hat will be destroyed

the "rollable" and "crushable" idea is a novelty ... these lightweight hats were never intended to be treated this way on a regular basis ... maybe to be rolled for a long flight home in some luggage ... no problem ... but the idea that you will have a crisp looking fedora that you can roll up and stick in your pocket on a daily basis is nothing more than a fallacy

 

[RJR]

a little secret ... there really is no such thing as a "crushable" hat... it is just another marketing ploy ... it really is just another way to say lightweight hat

any lightweight travel hat that is unreeded can be rolled it you so desire ... I personally do not recommend doing this to any hat because if rolled enough times ... just as any fibrous material ... the fur felt will wear in those spots and become weak and the hat will be destroyed

the "rollable" and "crushable" idea is a novelty ... these lightweight hats were never intended to be treated this way on a regular basis ... maybe to be rolled for a long flight home in some luggage ... no problem ... but the idea that you will have a crisp looking fedora that you can roll up and stick in your pocket on a daily basis is nothing more than a fallacy

Well said,the terminology confuses a lot of people.

 

[jlw]

I have two custom made outback fedoras, but they are reserved for knocking about. There is too much chance of their getting damaged in my day to day activities. While they aren't as nice, I like my wool fedoras because I won't be out of a lot of money if they get damaged. The drawback is that most of the year here it is too hot for wool.

I keep an Akubra Traveller in the truck at all times.

 

[moehawk]

a little secret ... there really is no such thing as a "crushable" hat... it is just another marketing ploy ... it really is just another way to say lightweight hat

any lightweight travel hat that is unreeded can be rolled it you so desire ... I personally do not recommend doing this to any hat because if rolled enough times ... just as any fibrous material ... the fur felt will wear in those spots and become weak and the hat will be destroyed

the "rollable" and "crushable" idea is a novelty ... these lightweight hats were never intended to be treated this way on a regular basis ... maybe to be rolled for a long flight home in some luggage ... no problem ... but the idea that you will have a crisp looking fedora that you can roll up and stick in your pocket on a daily basis is nothing more than a fallacy

I think that these hats USED to be rollable and crushable...back when a finely made fur felt hat was readily available at most any men's clothing store and weren't intended to be worn for more than a couple of seasons. Nowadays with hats of this quality being considered wearable art and also very tough to come by we afficionados tend to treat them more like artifacts than the mostly ephemeral fashion pieces they were when they were made.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I have a Bailey's Wool Felt fedora that I wear and I have gotten more compliments on it than I have my fur felt hats. Maybe it's the feather...

It's always the feather.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I think that these hats USED to be rollable and crushable...back when a finely made fur felt hat was readily available at most any men's clothing store and weren't intended to be worn for more than a couple of seasons. Nowadays with hats of this quality being considered wearable art and also very tough to come by we afficionados tend to treat them more like artifacts than the mostly ephemeral fashion pieces they were when they were made.

Just so.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I have two custom made outback fedoras, but they are reserved for knocking about. There is too much chance of their getting damaged in my day to day activities. While they aren't as nice, I like my wool fedoras because I won't be out of a lot of money if they get damaged. The drawback is that most of the year here it is too hot for wool.

I keep an Akubra Traveller in the truck at all times.

The prime reason my wools don't see more use is that they are too warm. Same reason I'm in a Panama in October.

 

[moontheloon]

I think that these hats USED to be rollable and crushable...back when a finely made fur felt hat was readily available at most any men's clothing store and weren't intended to be worn for more than a couple of seasons. Nowadays with hats of this quality being considered wearable art and also very tough to come by we afficionados tend to treat them more like artifacts than the mostly ephemeral fashion pieces they were when they were made.

but what hats back then were marketed as "crushable" or "rollable" ?

there were very very few ... and really not until the real hat wearing years were pretty much gone

 

[moehawk]

but what hats back then were marketed as "crushable" or "rollable" ?

there were very very few ... and really not until the real hat wearing years were pretty much gone

True.
I guess my point was more about people being less concerned with abusing a nice hat or wearing it out quickly when nice hats were commonplace rather than whether or not they were being sold for the purpose of being harshly treated.

 

[moontheloon]

True.
I guess my point was more about people being less concerned with abusing a nice hat or wearing it out quickly when nice hats were commonplace rather than whether or not they were being sold for the purpose of being harshly treated.

I disagree with this as well

If you spent $15 or $20 on a nice hat when you probably made something like $47 a week you weren't going to just mistreat it just because they were more commonly stocked in stores than they are today

 

[XB234C]

That one looks fairly nice, although I don't like the feather. What is your experience with crushable hats? I was under the impression that they don't look as good as ones with stiff crowns.

They don't look as good, I agree, but they take a beating better than the furs in my experience.

 

[Nathaniel Finley]

My concerns about wool hats are having them lose their shape in the rain and not being able to rebash the crown/manipulate the brim. Anybody know current models where that’s possible? I’ve seen open crowned wool fedoras advertised and wondered if they were just meant to be worn that way.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

I have two custom made outback fedoras,

Outback fedoras ???

 

[Edward]

I disagree with this as well

If you spent $15 or $20 on a nice hat when you probably made something like $47 a week you weren't going to just mistreat it just because they were more commonly stocked in stores than they are today

That's a fair point too, though I think there's adifference between not abusing your hat and being overly precious about it. My Akubras I'll wear anywhere; I'm much more careful with my vintage hats, because I don't want to damage them. They tend to get babied a bit, some only worn on specific occasions, and such.

 

[moontheloon]

That's a fair point too, though I think there's adifference between not abusing your hat and being overly precious about it. My Akubras I'll wear anywhere; I'm much more careful with my vintage hats, because I don't want to damage them. They tend to get babied a bit, some only worn on specific occasions, and such.

semantics ...

bottom line ... "rollable" hats are not and never were meant to be rolled regularly as most suspect .... and "crushable" hats were never intended to be crushed ... no matter modern or vintage

marketing ploys

 

[Short Balding Guy]

semantics ...bottom line ... "rollable" hats are not and never were meant to be rolled regularly as most suspect .... and "crushable" hats were never intended to be crushed ... no matter modern or vintage...marketing ploys

Interesting take Anthony. Or perhaps they were intended for infrequent utility in which they acheive their intended marketing and physical features. Everyday traveler and rolling up the hat everyday - I agree no hat (wool or felt, much less the sweat (leather or other) can survive rolling/unfolding frequent times.

As to wool vs. felt. Wow, the OP's post demands nuance. Difficult as wool is not wool. Steve's vintage wool (soft and hard) hats are not like the current marketed wool hats. Doubling down - Difficult because Vintage felt is not like modern felt. I read this thread and can agree and disagree with most posts.

Helpful is to consider that the purchased hat with all of its characteristics acheives the buyers intended goals wth minimum negatives or side consequences.

Hat buyers advise: Know your options when buying a hat. A hat is not a hat.

Eric -

 

[Lean'n'mean]

A hat is not a hat

Unless it's a hat but then again, it might not be. Simple really.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Interesting take Anthony. Or perhaps they were intended for infrequent utility in which they acheive their intended marketing and physical features. Everyday traveler and rolling up the hat everyday - I agree no hat (wool or felt, much less the sweat (leather or other) can survive rolling/unfolding frequent times.

As to wool vs. felt. Wow, the OP's post demands nuance. Difficult as wool is not wool. Steve's vintage wool (soft and hard) hats are not like the current marketed wool hats. Doubling down - Difficult because Vintage felt is not like modern felt. I read this thread and can agree and disagree with most posts.

Helpful is to consider that the purchased hat with all of its characteristics acheives the buyers intended goals wth minimum negatives or side consequences.

Hat buyers advise: Know your options when buying a hat. A hat is not a hat.

Eric -

I agree that there are variations of wool felt, just like there is with fur felt.

The current wool fedora type hats that I was referring to were not those designed to mimic fur felt. Wool just doesn't offer the crispness or defined form that fur can. I was thinking more of wool hats in the form or a fedora but a softer profile. Think Orvis, Filson, Pendleton, etc. These are your more rustic outdoors type hats and not dress hats. Wool hats, in my opinion, are best reserved for those rustic or woodsy applications.

 

[Edward]

semantics ...

bottom line ... "rollable" hats are not and never were meant to be rolled regularly as most suspect .... and "crushable" hats were never intended to be crushed ... no matter modern or vintage

marketing ploys

Certainly I'd agree with those specifics.