Waht do you call the soft straw hats?

[Bret4207]

Title pretty much says it. I want a soft straw/palm/whatever hat, more or less western or Aussie style, for sun protection. I have a long oval noggin and the very stiff, almost plastic feeling hats I can get locally (TSC, etc) simply suck swamp water. I want something that will easily conform to my head, nothing too expensive (I am a farmer after all), and I need to know what trade name or description to look for. I was getting by with the cheap Dorfman Pacifics, but they no longer offer the model I liked and instead have models with a lot of open space in the crown- not something a bald headed, skin cancer kinda guy like me needs.

Thanks.

 

[Shangas]

You mean a Panama?

 

[ingineer]

Something like this?
Guatemalan Std Palm Hat
http://www.sunbody.com/index.cfm/category/1/classic-cowboy.cfm
Being LO i'd call them re size
They have open crown bodies also
Richard

 

[Bret4207]

Okay, I must not be making it clear. I'm not after a particular style. What I'm asking is what do I look for in the hats material description? I want a pliable, soft, easy to conform to my head straw/palm material. All I can find that are labeled or ID'd as "straw" are these hard, stiff almost plastic like hats. I;m sure a lot of us have seen the real cheapy wool felt hats that are stiff as a board and heavy vs a quality fur felt hats that is pliable and softer. That's what I'm asking. Am I looking for straw or rafia or palm or whatever other definitions they use?

And yes ingineer, those are sort of what I want style wise.

 

[fedoracentric]

It really depends, though. Some Panamas are stiff, yet others are soft and pliable. Maybe you could show us a link to a photo of the sort of hat you are thinking of?

 

[HudsonHawk]

Okay, I must not be making it clear. I'm not after a particular style. What I'm asking is what do I look for in the hats material description? I want a pliable, soft, easy to conform to my head straw/palm material. All I can find that are labeled or ID'd as "straw" are these hard, stiff almost plastic like hats. I;m sure a lot of us have seen the real cheapy wool felt hats that are stiff as a board and heavy vs a quality fur felt hats that is pliable and softer. That's what I'm asking. Am I looking for straw or rafia or palm or whatever other definitions they use?

And yes ingineer, those are sort of what I want style wise.

The palm hats ingineer posted *are* soft and pliable. I have one myself.

 

[tropicalbob]

Bret4207 -- try calling Bruce at Holland Hats. I've always found him to be extremely knowledgeable and helpful.
ingineer -- I just became aware of the Sunbody hats. Are they decent hats? I like the styles and they all come in the large sizes!

 

[jlee562]

You want to look for a real straw hat and not a poly straw as used in most. I believe the Akubra capricorn is a hemp fiber, for example. A natural Panama can be soft and pliable. A vintage Milan straw is soft and pliable, etc.

 

[ingineer]

Bret4207 =
ingineer -- I just became aware of the Sunbody hats. Are they decent hats? I like the styles and they all come in the large sizes!

i wasn't aware of them either until Mike from NorthWest Hats recommended them, just make sure you order the Guant's not the Mexican's and order large.
Richard

 

[Bret4207]

Thanks

 

[Shangas]

A soft, pliable hat depends on many things. One is the materials used, but another is how the hat is finished (I believe some modern hats are stiffened with some sort of additive. I was told once what it was, but I've forgotten the name. It's some spray-on stiffening agent to make the hat hold its shape).

A third factor is how fine the weave is. Like with cloth, the finer the weave, the more flexible and pliable the straw or panama hat will be.

 

[jhe888]

Those Sun Body hats are generally soft and pliable. Many or most of the descriptions say they are not stiffened.

The are stiffened with some sort of lacquer, when they are.