Yahoody
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,112
- Location
- Great Basin
I have a big appreciation for palm leaf hats and Sunbody hats in particular. The old saying is "straw from Memorial Day to Labor Day", decent felt the rest of the year.
I've worn and wore out a few Sunbody hats but they are still my go to "field hats" most summer days. One of the things I really appreciate is wearing a water soaked palm leaf hat on a hot day.
But this is thread is about a hat that is relatively new to me. Nice straw with a synthetic coating on the straw (water or oil based) and a decent leather sweat. Not typically the kind of straw hats that I'd have any interest in. The leather sweat is what perked my interest on a 2nd look. Frankly the coating on the straw turned me off as the coating keeps the straw from breathing as well as a palm leaf hat so they add a multitude of vents woven into the crown to get a hat that is actually useful again. I bought two of them with 5" brims and open crowns from Resistol last summer. Wore them some (limited by how well they breath in warm weather) and just recently made the effort to shape one more to my liking. I have some really nice all beaver hats but have to admit these new straw hats are "something" in between a nice felt and a cotton sweat band, palm leaf. I like these a lot. Surprised at just how much I liked one after I put a little effort into shaping it. Decent leather sweat, a 5" brim and decent ventilation on the crown are all hard to beat for most of the summer here. Just like the other two, a palm leaf or a nice felt, any one of the three might be the right choice depending on the day. Rare for me to wear a different shaped hat other than an open crown. I am however liking the minimal effort and change of a CHL crown ( likely seen it but never heard of it prior, "cool hand luke" crown shape) for my big noggin. I like these hats some. More than expected.
I've worn and wore out a few Sunbody hats but they are still my go to "field hats" most summer days. One of the things I really appreciate is wearing a water soaked palm leaf hat on a hot day.
But this is thread is about a hat that is relatively new to me. Nice straw with a synthetic coating on the straw (water or oil based) and a decent leather sweat. Not typically the kind of straw hats that I'd have any interest in. The leather sweat is what perked my interest on a 2nd look. Frankly the coating on the straw turned me off as the coating keeps the straw from breathing as well as a palm leaf hat so they add a multitude of vents woven into the crown to get a hat that is actually useful again. I bought two of them with 5" brims and open crowns from Resistol last summer. Wore them some (limited by how well they breath in warm weather) and just recently made the effort to shape one more to my liking. I have some really nice all beaver hats but have to admit these new straw hats are "something" in between a nice felt and a cotton sweat band, palm leaf. I like these a lot. Surprised at just how much I liked one after I put a little effort into shaping it. Decent leather sweat, a 5" brim and decent ventilation on the crown are all hard to beat for most of the summer here. Just like the other two, a palm leaf or a nice felt, any one of the three might be the right choice depending on the day. Rare for me to wear a different shaped hat other than an open crown. I am however liking the minimal effort and change of a CHL crown ( likely seen it but never heard of it prior, "cool hand luke" crown shape) for my big noggin. I like these hats some. More than expected.
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