Wool Felt vs. Fur Felt

[deanglen]

Since the thread was brought up again ...
I am a very conservative person, but on this topic I have to swing the other way by saying, "Just do what feels good, man!"

You already know the facts: you know it won't last as long, you know you'll have to treat it with rain repellant once in awhile, you know its cheaper ...

I have a $15 wool fedora from Burlington Coat Factory that I literally try to abuse, but so far it has lasted. At $15 I treat it like a ball cap. I wear it when I play with or walk my dogs, when my neice is around (4 year old who'll immediately grab my hat, slam it on her head, and run around like mad), and even in light rain.
AND It looks pretty good. Even my untrained eye can tell it is not a "nice" hat, but this "test run" hat gives me a feel for style and size of crown and brim (for instance, it has a 2.5" brim and I can tell from it that I could not go any smaller).
You also mentioned not wanting to go out with garbage on your head. Honestly? Most people cannot tell what hat is junk and what is nice. Mine is 15 stinking dollars and I get more compliments on the hat because of its style than any other hat I own (and I haven't worn ball caps for years). Anything that your spending $30-50 on (your numbers), should look decent enough to make you happy.

Sorry if I'm ranting or rambling, but some are a bit snobbish about this. In summary I say why not? If, as you said yourself, you're low on money, then just buy what you can afford and enjoy the heck out of it! :fedora:

I'm with you. Good words!

dean

 

[Twitch]

Some said you can tell wool from fur a mile away and that's just wrong. A hat person might but the average schmoo hasn't got the slightest idea that they use fur in the making of better hats.:eusa_doh:

 

[Aaron Hats]

HamletJSD hit the nail on the head. The average consumer doesn't even know there is a difference between wool felt and fur felt. I sell the Indiana Jones fur felt and wool felt models side by side. They're both brown, both have leather sweatbands, both have linings. I can't tell you how many times I have to explain why one costs $110 and the other $42. Want to guess which one I sell more of?

Ignore the hat snobs...wear what you like.

Aaron

 

[Feraud]

Sorry if I'm ranting or rambling, but some are a bit snobbish about this. In summary I say why not? If, as you said yourself, you're low on money, then just buy what you can afford and enjoy the heck out of it! :fedora:

The snobbery angle comes up time and again with regards to wool and felt hat discussions.

Snobbery is not knowing or judging quality and saying so but rather looking down on someone for wearing such items. This is the big difference that needs to be understood. People defend the snobbery comment by saying how some people cannot afford fur felt, access to quality hats are limited, someone keeps sniping me on Ebay, etc. Those are legitimate comments in their own rights but but have nothing to do with calling someone a snob for knowing the difference between good and better quality hats.

 

[deanglen]

Guess I was a little to sweeping in my agreement with HamletJSD on his remarks about wool hats. Perhaps "snob" could have been dropped. I still think wool has it's place, and many, for one reason or another, would agree. Collecting hats and wearing hats do not always have the same priorities. If it's wool and I like it, I'll wear it, fully aware of its limitations. One of my wool, or wool/fur combos, I'm not sure, since I sold it to a Lounger who claimed it tested as wool. I miss that hat.

dean

 

[Feraud]

I think only a snob would claim there is no place for wool hats.
Heck, all of my caps are wool.

 

[HamletJSD]

The snobbery angle comes up time and again with regards to wool and felt hat discussions.

Snobbery is not knowing or judging quality and saying so but rather looking down on someone for wearing such items. This is the big difference that needs to be understood. People defend the snobbery comment by saying how some people cannot afford fur felt, access to quality hats are limited, someone keeps sniping me on Ebay, etc. Those are legitimate comments in their own rights but but have nothing to do with calling someone a snob for knowing the difference between good and better quality hats.

Yes, Feraud, sorry. I humbly retract that bit of my post if it was taken offensively by anyone.
I certainly did not mean to indicate that anyone who prefers fur over wool is a snob. Clearly I understand the quality difference and am planning to buy a first fur felt very soon, myself. If I believed as it sounded, I would be calling myself a snob for simply having enough money to buy better hats.

So let me rephrase
--- Everyone is welcome to express opinions, but express that there is no place for wool hats and you'll sound like a snob

[To me this parodies being adamant that you should only buy vintage, custom, or nothing at all. It just isn't accurate. Neither is "fur-felt or nothing at all."]

 

[Feraud]

Although I used your quote HamletJSD, I did not mean to point a finger at you or anyone else. I merely used your words to expand upon a subject that has come up here before.
There are many hat preferences and budgets at the Lounge and room for all of them.

 

[HamletJSD]

No problem ... I just wanted to clarify that I wasn't pointing fingers either.

Especially since only one person in the thread indicated that wool was "NO WAY an option to fur." When I re-read the entire thread and then myself, it seemed I could have been picking on Henry, but I was not intending to.

All is well ...

 

[Undertow]

Some said you can tell wool from fur a mile away and that's just wrong. A hat person might but the average schmoo hasn't got the slightest idea that they use fur in the making of better hats.:eusa_doh:

I agree with this statement which is why I was having trouble with the issue at hand when I posted this thread. I own a fur felt I had previously thought to be cheap wool. No, no, turns out it's just a POS (and by that I mean Primitive Octopus Sandwich) which I do not enjoy wearing on my head.

In turn, I own a wool hat I find to be...likable...however, much better than the fur felt. At a distance, and up close, you would mistake the wool for fur and the fur for wool. Yikes!

Now, when I was down in St. Joes at the Stetson Outlet, I had a chance to see some wool felts that looked "good". I have to agree, they're not something I would personally buy outright unless I required said hat for something terribly urgent. Or if I wore a larger size.

So I would certainly like to make my humble apologies if I've also stated anything regarding snobbery (although I don't think I had) because I have had the opportunity, first hand, to dertermine the differences in quality between wool felt and fur felt.

 

[HungaryTom]

Sacrilege

Sorry,
if it is really cold, I can only imagine my black wool hats-they can get as much snow and ice and rain as you want and your ears never freeze down.
I work, hike outdoors in that.
Felt fedora - limited use - neither in rainy nor in windy weather - downtown.
The first windblast makes one understand why cavalry headwear have all straps - otherwise you loose them.
Straw hat - when it is really hot and intense sunshine.
Otherwise bareheaded - lol

 

[J.T.Marcus]

One frequently posted comment puzzles me. "Wool will wear out sooner than fur." Is there anyone enjoying this hobby who has so few hats that he has actually had one "wear out" on him?

 

[nulty]

23 years of wearing fedora's sure I've had a few wear out......

It's been said several times, a wool hat has it's place when you are trying to achieve a certain hat wearing stature.....

I wouldn't choose a wool felt fedora over a fur felt fedora but I wouldn't choose a fur felt cap over a wool cap..everything has it's purpose..

I have a wool that was made to look like a classic fur felt and in all honesty the hat just makes me sad every time I look at it. Again though it has it's place. It was a gift from someone who wanted to buy me a hat and had no idea how to go about and wouldn't have paid what a new fur cost anyway at the time.....

Not to sound over the top but for me a fedora has always been and always will be vintage and fur, It's how I see the hat in mind that's important and how it effects my senses. I couldn't really care what the guy on the street thinks anyway..

Maybe it's a purist attitude I don't know , take it for what you will..

The only issue is how it makes You feel and think about yourself in the world. If you don't like a hat , think about it some more and the one you do want will be there when you need it..The Hat Universe works that way...

Good Luck....

 

[barrowjh]

I have a Beaver Brand 100% wool pork pie from about a decade ago. It was acquired to go with a fife & drum 'look' for our little crew (just 3 of us), the leader got a black one and I wound up with one of the red ones. So - what can a man do with a wool felt red pork pie? I have mistreated it a bit, on purpose, and the ##%*&! thing is indestructible. I was responsible for finish line in Neyland Stadium for the Knoxville Marathon this past year, and my wife colluded with me to dress it up with a wide hat band multi-color ribbon and a profusion of feathers. It rained on me all day. The hat absorbed no color from the feathers nor the ribbon, the hat did not 'bleed' onto me, it dried out, after brushing, looks absolutely new. It aint supple, not fun to caress. I don't love it. Aint good-looking. but . . . aint going in the trash neither. Humor myself wondering what I might do to it next year . . .

 

[Yohanes]

Beaver Brand? I think that's one of the great hat manufacturers? Maybe that's why he could make a great durable wool hat like yours...

 

[HamletJSD]

and my wife colluded with me to dress it up with a wide hat band multi-color ribbon and a profusion of feathers.

I think that needs to be your avatar ...

 

[carter]

Wear what you like and like what you wear. Sounds good to me.
You can always change your mind. Besides, even a discarded hat will probably end up on some head, maybe even a donkey's.
So far I haven't been able to ruin any hat because I lose them so often. Must be that inadequate backcast.

Dean, What is the hat you are wearing in your avatar? I gotta know.

PS. I like the hat in Joel's avatar as well.

Mine's a Stetson Soverign snagged off EBay last year.

 

[deanglen]

It's a $20. Burlington Coat Factory Huckel hat that I put a thin ribbon on and bashed to my satisfaction. I gave it away to a friend. Another one I miss.

dean

 

[Joel Tunnah]

PS. I like the hat in Joel's avatar as well.

That's a 60's 3x Open Road, renovated by Optimo Hats, and then shaped by your's truly. It's a nice soft hat.

Joel

 

[Prairie Shade]

Indifferent

I have a Pendleton Wool hat that was billed as a rain hat. I think it is OK. Cant have enough hats. Its nice and soft and sheds rain quite well. When it rains that is. I also have lots of fur felts, what the hey, mix and match.