Hard vs. Soft Hats

vintage68 · Jan 3, 2008

Hello All,

After an impatient year of waiting, I finally received my second Adventurebilt. Question: My first AB, 100% beaver, was relatively stiff. My new AB, also 100% beaver, is really soft to the touch and very pliable. What can I attribute this to?

indycop · Jan 3, 2008

He could just be using less stiffener, as he got more time making them maybe he developed different tweaks.

Mustang · Jan 3, 2008

vintage68 said:
Hello All,

After an impatient year of waiting, I finally received my second Adventurebilt. Question: My first AB, 100% beaver, was relatively stiff. My new AB, also 100% beaver, is really soft to the touch and very pliable. What can I attribute this to?

Just curious....Which do you prefer? I realize it may be too soon to say.

RBH · Jan 3, 2008

I believe it is the 'new ageing' process that Steve and Marc now use on their felt that makes the difference.

vintage68 · Jan 3, 2008

Mustang said:
Just curious....Which do you prefer? I realize it may be too soon to say.

I must say, I really prefer the stiffer felt. Dunno why and I cast no aspersions, but stiffer hats feel...... like higher quality to me? For some illogical reason I associate soft with lower quality, but again I'm casting no aspersions on AB's it's just a personal thing. Also, it seems the stiff felt holds a bash better, but maybe I'm out of my mind. I'm a total newbie when it comes to hats.

Indycop can probably agree with this, since he bought my first AB, but that hat has a real intrepid quality to it, like it can withstand a lot of abuse. This new hat feels almost vunerable. But maybe it's a Taoist thing, "bend with the wind, or break like the oak"!!

Kilgour Trout · Jan 3, 2008

All about Stiffener

Hey 68: I also have two AB's, the first bullet proof stiff in crown and brim, the second with a solid crown but soft brim.

The reason for the difference just has to do a hat that will conform better to the head of the wearer. This all has to do with the amount of stiffener in the felt.

Most fella's I talk to love the soft pliable brim as it gives better fit and more personality. It does mean having to fuss a lot more before going out the door which can be a bit of a pain.

I now always ask for more stiffener in the brim (which is sometimes seen as barbaric but frankly, with the hard blowing winds of winter blasting at me at least I know I still look good eh!

If its a real pain, ask Steve to add some stiffener.

Cheers
Kilgour Trout

vintage68 · Jan 3, 2008

Ah, illumination! Thanks Kilgour.

Rick Blaine · Jan 3, 2008

DIY

I've used this before, it is hard to overdo IMHO, you are almost forced to do it in stages which allows you to assess the degree of stiffness you have achieved... my .02

J.T.Marcus · Jan 3, 2008

I tend to prefer no stiffener. To me, this says QUALITY (i.e. vintage Borsalino.). I also find that without stiffener, virtually any hat, of the right size, will fit my "long oval" head.

vintage68 · Jan 3, 2008

J.T.Marcus said:
I tend to prefer no stiffener. To me, this says QUALITY (i.e. vintage Borsalino.). I also find that without stiffener, virtually any hat, of the right size, will fit my "long oval" head.

I have a 25" Long Oval myself (almost a size 8), so I feel you're pain. I cry myself to sleep often on my HUGE pillow!

kokopelli · Jan 3, 2008

Stiff or not

Greetings.. While "hat shopping" in Texas and NM over the holidays, I noticed that every hat I looked at was much more stiff than my 10 year old Stetson (cattleman). I rather like a "stiff' western brim, but can't explain my old Stetson. I've also noticed that a lot of the new western brims are much thicker as well. Ron

vintage68 said:
Hello All,

After an impatient year of waiting, I finally received my second Adventurebilt. Question: My first AB, 100% beaver, was relatively stiff. My new AB, also 100% beaver, is really soft to the touch and very pliable. What can I attribute this to?

vintage68 · Jan 3, 2008

Stop shopping and get thee to Jaxonbilthats.com.

I just received a custom Jaxonbilt cavalry style hat, and that hat is fairly stiff, so it looks the same every time I walk out the door. The best western hat I've owned. Their "conformer kit" is outstanding.

Minimum fuss, that's what I'm all about.

kokopelli · Jan 3, 2008

Photo's

What do you think about the Jaxonbilt? I'm liking the #9 a lot myself. Ron

vintage68 said:
I also just received a custom Jaxonbilt cavalry style hat, and that hat is fairly stiff, so it looks the same every time I walk out the door.

Minimum fuss, that's what I'm all about.

mingoslim · Jan 3, 2008

Funny how different people look at things . . .

68 . . . you like what you like, and that is A-OK with me . . .
But I tend to look at things almost exactly the opposite. I always figure softer felt is Higher quality . . . Stiff felt cheaper. No good reason for this, mind you . . . it is just a prejudice I have . . .

vintage68 · Jan 3, 2008

rljsrubicon said:
What do you think about the Jaxonbilt? I'm liking the #9 a lot myself. Ron

The nine looks good, it just looks like every other cattleman I've owned or seen. I like the cavalry 'cause it's just a bit different without making you look like you spend waaaayyyyy too much time with catalogs..!

'course if you go custom it sure won't feel like every other cattleman!

vintage68 · Jan 3, 2008

I also like the Monte Walsh, having seen the movie about a 100 times. When it comes to westerns Tom Selleck makes a great cowboy.

That might be my next Jaxonbilt.

indycop · Jan 4, 2008

vintage68 said:
Indycop can probably agree with this, since he bought my first AB, but that hat has a real intrepid quality to it, like it can withstand a lot of abuse. This new hat feels almost vunerable. But maybe it's a Taoist thing, "bend with the wind, or break like the oak"!!

Yep it definitely has a quality feel, I wonder if it will be soft or stiff when it gets back from Steve after the reblock.

indycop · Jan 4, 2008

vintage68 said:
I just received a custom Jaxonbilt cavalry style hat, and that hat is fairly stiff, so it looks the same every time I walk out the door.
Minimum fuss, that's what I'm all about.

And where's the pictures?

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