Should Hat be Worn in the Rain?

[Joel Tunnah]

Aren't we just talking about matters of degree here? I don't think anyone would argue that a hat should be able to withstand a few raindrops every now and then without disintegrating - but to imply that you can continually soak a felt dress hat all the way through, over and over again without any consequences whatsover is simply incorrect.

Joel

 

[Feraud]

We are talking about degree here. Most of the guys in the Lounge have more than one hat. In fact, there is a "show off your beaters" thread where we display our everyday hats.
In the case of rain or snow, I would take a lesser quality hat. That does not mean every hat I own cannot take foul weather. They certainly can. It is my decision to use particular hats for bad weather and everyday wear and other are used on special occasions.




That is how I justify buying more hats to my wife.

 

[Spatterdash]

Actually, rumblings on this topic begin in the Stetson Temple thread. I had mentioned that my Temple couldn't take wet weather at all without tapering like a Shrinky-Dink.
Most quality felt hats can handle periods of wet weather just fine, especially if allowed to dry properly. They may need to be reblocked every few years, more of a touch up than an overhaul. My Temple was needing a reblock overhaul within a couple of months.
That is a matter of degree, yes, but some degrees are unacceptable to many hat owners, the Temple among them.
The Temple should not be considered the norm. As for plastic shields, like I said in the Temple Thread, that's cover for your cover. Kinda defeats the purpose.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Tommy, I'm not a big believer in "tests" just for the sake of testing or to prove some obscure point. What I am saying is that hats are supposed to be utilitarian and their primary purpose is head protection so the question of wearing it in the rain seems obvious to me. As for the "can it take it?", well, it SHOULD be able to withstand weather to a degree. I know, I'm in a unique position because I can repair my own hats when needed and that gives me a different perspective in this discussion, but let me put it this way. I also own one of the rarest automobiles known and I drive it regularly because after it's all said and done, it's just a car and is mean't to be driven. We are just talking about hats, they are mean't to be worn.
As for your Dobbs forty...GREAT hat!! I'm betting the Dobbs company owner of that day would be horrified if one of his customers had doubts as to it's ability to withstand weather.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Joel, I see your point and agree with it. A hat should be able to withstand weather when needed but anything can be taken to extreme levels and continous soaking completely and expecting "0" damage over time is unrealistic. That being said, PLEASE don't fear wearing the hat I made you in the rain. It's pretty tough and I know it can take alot before needing a "tune up".

 

[Pilgrim]

Although this will brand me as a heretic within this community, my preferred hat for wearing on rainy days is an Austrian hat of loden wool. Lightweight. Water rolls off of it. The brim channels water away from my face and neck. It is dry at the end of the day for the return leg of my daily 3 mile waliking commute. I've had it for over 20 years and it shows no sign of falling apart. Of course, it is not made of wool felt, but rather it is fulled wool.

Haversack.

Hey, as far as I'm concerned, use the best tool for the job. If it'a a fabric Tilley, wear it; a Panama; a felt; a pith helmet - all tools for certain jobs. Sounds like you have a great hat there, and an old friend.

 

[Joel Tunnah]

Thanks Art. I'm definitely not worried about your hat taking a sprinkling.

I guess what rubbed me the wrong way about this thread was the idea that if you don't have a hat that can take repeated downpours, you have a "toy hat", as one poster said. Some people here seem to want to make water repellance the sole criteria for a quality hat.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

I never thought twice about wearing any of my lids in the rain, keeps my glasses dry too! Even my vintage Borsalinos get a shower every once in a while. I'm always wearing a different hat, so no one hat is getting the brunt of the weather anyway.

 

[feltfan]

I guess what rubbed me the wrong way about this thread was the idea that if you don't have a hat that can take repeated downpours, you have a "toy hat", as one poster said. Some people here seem to want to make water repellance the sole criteria for a quality hat.
(...)
to imply that you can continually soak a felt dress hat all the way through, over and over again without any consequences whatsover is simply incorrect.

I'm the one who made the "toy hat" comment and I stand by it.
No one here would claim that a felt hat is entirely invulnerable
to wear and tear. But as Art points out, hat buyers of the Golden
Era expected to use their hats in the rain. Would there be some
wear and tear to the hat? Sure. That said, I haven't seen any sign
of wear after using some of my tougher hats (Cavanagh, etc) for many
years in serious rain with no umbrella. Perhaps in another decade. But
sun, handling, and sweat also create wear and tear. I have hats to
wear them. I have a lot of hats, in part, so I can distribute that
wear and tear.

Getting back to the point, while I would not want to claim that
at the microscopic level there is no consequence to wearing a
good vintage dress hat in the rain, I have yet to see with my
own eyes any damage of consequence. I have continually
soaked felt dress hats all the way through, over and over again.
That is what they were made for and that is how I will use them.
Indeed, I often find that the rain "reminds" the hat of its original block.
I can't say the same for the 90s Biltmore I used to wear in the rain.
Water repellance is not my sole criteria for quality, but it is a feature
that hat buyers in the good old days assumed.

 

[Dick Tracy]

The only factor that determines what hat I wear is my clothing. This includes panamas in summer time. Aside from that my head is always covered, rain or shine.

 

[Mr. 'H']

I also own one of the rarest automobiles known and I drive it regularly because after it's all said and done, it's just a car and is mean't to be driven.

fftopic:

What is that car, Art?

 

[AcmeNews]

I assume that part of a hat's function is to keep a man's head dry during rain. If a felt hat does not withstand rain, it's probably not a quality hat.

I've always preferred a hat to an umbrella, which just gets in the way of pedestrians, shaking hands, and carrying other items. Plus, who wants to deal with a soggy umbrella once indoors?

 

[Joel Tunnah]

I'm the one who made the "toy hat" comment and I stand by it.

Poll: Wingtips that can't be worn in the pool are shite!

Vote now!

 

[jamespowers]

Sorry JP, I passed right over this thread, thinking it was a joke. You ARE joking right? Of course a fur felt should be worn in the rain. No, it isn't impervious over an extended period of time but it's hard to get plastic to take a brim set...

Its not a joke but some of the responses that I am getting clearly are. :eusa_doh: Some say hats should not be worn in rain ever and others say whenever. I take the whenever position.
I completely agree with you. They are no impervious but in my experience with vintage and yours, it takes about three or four hours of constant rain to get to the leaking stage. Center dent hats are worse than others for that because they form a deep pool on your head if you don't move enough to empty it.
Hmmmmm.... a plastic brim..... lol

Regards,

J

 

[jamespowers]

So are you saying that you'd put my newly acquired Dobbs 40 through the "rain test"? [huh]

If I owned it it would work in the rain. I find that the rain even makes them better and sometimes cleaner as feltfan mentioned. I doubt you have anything to worry about. :cheers1:

Regards,

J

 

[Fedora]

Should felt hats be worn in the rain? Simple enough question. Yeah, just like you wear your shoes in a rain. Is a felt hat the best raingear out there? Nope. While you can wear a felt hat in the rain, if you are planning on being in a long, hard rain, please invest in suitable raingear. Oh, change those shoes out for some rubber boots as well. You feet will stay drier!lol

I see this question along the same lines as, "can I hunt deer with a 22 rifle?" And the answer would be the similiar for both questions. Sure, but be sure to make it a head shot, and sure, wear it, but if you are gonna be in the rain all day long, get yore self something that is truely waterproof. Fedora

 

[jamespowers]

I'm the one who made the "toy hat" comment and I stand by it.
No one here would claim that a felt hat is entirely invulnerable
to wear and tear. But as Art points out, hat buyers of the Golden
Era expected to use their hats in the rain. Would there be some
wear and tear to the hat? Sure. That said, I haven't seen any sign
of wear after using some of my tougher hats (Cavanagh, etc) for many
years in serious rain with no umbrella. Perhaps in another decade. But
sun, handling, and sweat also create wear and tear. I have hats to
wear them. I have a lot of hats, in part, so I can distribute that
wear and tear.

Getting back to the point, while I would not want to claim that
at the microscopic level there is no consequence to wearing a
good vintage dress hat in the rain, I have yet to see with my
own eyes any damage of consequence. I have continually
soaked felt dress hats all the way through, over and over again.
That is what they were made for and that is how I will use them.
Indeed, I often find that the rain "reminds" the hat of its original block.
I can't say the same for the 90s Biltmore I used to wear in the rain.
Water repellance is not my sole criteria for quality, but it is a feature
that hat buyers in the good old days assumed.

This is exactly what I had in mind. More so as a comment about modern factory made hats as Spatterdash mentioned. If a modern Stetson can withstand "a ducking" but a new one can't stand it then something is wrong with the way that hat is made. Add to that the fact that the hat needs a complete overhaul in a few months and you have an example of a hat that is just not well made. I have had the same experience with other modern Stetsons. The black hats fade within a year. It is a shame that they have sunk so far. I also mean it as a wake up call to those here who have influence in said companies.
A hat should:

• Be able to hold up to a downpour for as long as it takes to get to where you need to go. In today's society it is much more forgiving considering that is usually from the driveway to the door fifteen feet away. Even if you have to go from a parking lot to a building a few blocks away it should still hold up.
• Hold up to wear for at least a year without needing a complete rebuild---and I am being generous here. It should be more like a few years.
• The sweatband should be able to hold up to *gasp* sweat. If it cracks and falls apart after the first wearing then it isn't a quality hat for certain.
• have a ribbon that doesn't fall off the first time you sneeze while wearing it. The ribbon should fit the shape of the crown and the bow should as well. Having a jaunty kickup is nice but that is just my preference.
• have a sweatband that is sewn in adequately enough to withstand taking on and off hundreds of times.
• have brim binding that fits tight to the brim whether you have the brim up all around or snapped down in front or all around.
• have a liner that will not shred to pieces with the first few wearings.

Call me picky but if a hat doesn't meet these criterion for me then it gets thrown aside. I mention these because I have had all of the above fail on me within the time mentioned. If these tests fail then you have a toy hat.

Regards,

J

 

[Michaelson]

Just don't be wearing your 1980's+ era fur felt Stetson's in said downpour. I DID once, and the dye decided to release during the deluge, creating a river trail of brown dye water to run between my eyes and drip off my chin. I thought my daughters were going to laugh themselves to death. :eusa_doh:

Needless to say, I no longer own said Stetson....and my hat collection has gone up in terms of quality materials. I no longer dread an unplanned rain storm....or planned one for that matter.

Regards! Michaelson

 

[jamespowers]

Just don't be wearing your 1980's+ era fur felt Stetson's in said downpour. I DID once, and the dye decided to release during the deluge, creating a river trail of brown dye water to run between my eyes and drip off my chin. I thought my daughters were going to laugh themselves to death. :eusa_doh:

You too eh? They haven't gotten better over the years. [huh]

Regards,

J

 

[Michaelson]

A fair weather hat, for sure.

Regards! Michaelson