Stetson Temples vs Rain

Blackthorn · Nov 28, 2009

Insp. Bumstead said:
Hi blackthorn, while I don't doubt your experience with the your Temple, I have a modern Stetson Downs which did not hold up nearly so well. I was caught by a flash rain while walking through a parking lot, perhaps 20 second of heavy rain total. This was enough to make the brim curl up like a pringles chip. I was able to kind of fix it with steam, but it still has visible ripples in the brim. I did not notice any color rubbing off the hat at the time but there is now a small pinkish discoloration on the crown.

Hi Insp. Bumstead, I have heard enough of this to know it's true and real. There was also a post where someone said their Chatham has been in numerous rains with no ill effect. The Chatham and the Downs look like the same design...I wonder if there's a higher quality felt in the Chatham, or if it's just "hit and miss" quality. The jury is still out, but I think it's good for us to get as much info like yours as we can, to figure this out.

Did you get a different/better hat after your experience, Insp. Bumstead?

J.T.Marcus · Nov 28, 2009

I've designated a Stetson Temple, in Sage, as my rain hat, for going on two years, now. After a light rain, I wait till it dries, then give the felt a light brushing with a clean white handkerchief. If it needs more I use an old toothbrush. I found the "rain spots" to be mostly a change in the direction of the nap, not a loss of pigment. I also discovered that it is important to make sure the brim is shaped the way you want it, while still wet. If you just take it off and hang it on the rack, the brim will change shape. The remedy is to get it wet, again, reshape it, and let it dry that way. (Oddly enough, the best way seems to be brim down, all the way around.) I'm a satisfied customer.

carldelo · Nov 28, 2009

Blackthorn said:
The Chatham and the Downs look like the same design...I wonder if there's a higher quality felt in the Chatham, or if it's just "hit and miss" quality.

Chatham = Sovereign quality felt
Downs = Royal quality felt

Sovereign is one notch higher quality than Royal, and it is a noticeable difference. Other than the felt quality and color selection, the Chatham and Downs are the same. The Ashland is a Downs with an underwelt brim.

Interesting points made by JTMarcus - I'm pretty sure the ripples in the brim of my Chatham are at least partly due to careless storage by me after getting rained on.

Insp. Bumstead · Nov 30, 2009

Blackthorn said:
Hi Insp. Bumstead, I have heard enough of this to know it's true and real. There was also a post where someone said their Chatham has been in numerous rains with no ill effect. The Chatham and the Downs look like the same design...I wonder if there's a higher quality felt in the Chatham, or if it's just "hit and miss" quality. The jury is still out, but I think it's good for us to get as much info like yours as we can, to figure this out.

Did you get a different/better hat after your experience, Insp. Bumstead?

Yep, my go-anywhere hat is now a dark grey Akubra Federation with trimmed brim. The finish isn't as smooth as the Stetson but it shrugs off pouring rain, driving snow, blazing sun, and Beijing pollution. The Stetson is now strictly a fair-weather hat, to keep it from getting worse.

marvelgoose · Dec 4, 2009

J.T.Marcus said:
The remedy is to get it wet, again, reshape it, and let it dry that way. (Oddly enough, the best way seems to be brim down, all the way around.) I'm a satisfied customer.

my wet tale, I stored mine with the brim in the up position. Now that I have read this, I'm afraid to snap the front down!

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=915853&postcount=103

jlee562 · Dec 7, 2009

Well, we got a little bit of rain last night in San Francisco and my Temple was out with me. I had treated it with some water repellent that I got from Penman Hat Co over the weekend and it suffered no ill effects.

Fedora · Dec 7, 2009

I wonder what line the Temple is made of? From some of these stories, it appears the Temple no longer uses the powder, and that makes me want to buy one to see. I alway liked the looks of the hat, as it is a great TOD Indy fedora.

But it is a fair comparison to "sweaty hands" or "high humidity" causing the color to bleed onto the hands or run down one's back as they were this hat.

Yes indeed sir. I never really had any problems with high humidity and the Temple, the felt actually had to stop repelling water for the bleed to occur. But I understand your idea. But, then, it has been years since I owned one, and the memory is not that good, so, I could have seen some color transfer with sweaty hands or a light drizzle and simply forgotten about it. lol I want to be honest here, so there is that caveat! Fedora

J.T.Marcus · Dec 7, 2009

marvelgoose said:
my wet tale, I stored mine with the brim in the up position. Now that I have read this, I'm afraid to snap the front down!

I know of no reason not to snap the brim down. I was just mentioning that my brim seems to hold its shape better if alloowed to dry in the "down all around" position. After it's dry, I wear it up in back and down in front..

kkesler · Mar 13, 2010

Matt Deckard said:
Any more modern Stetson rain stories?

I got caught yesterday in a downpour while loading a trailer, so I couldn't just run inside. I was wearing a brown Stetson Gun Club. Before I knew it chocolate brown water was running down onto my light tan coat (and left stains that didn't wash out

). The hat still looks fine, but I didn't care for the colored water going everywhere.

Stetson Temples vs Rain

Blackthorn

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J.T.Marcus

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carldelo

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Insp. Bumstead

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marvelgoose

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Fedora

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kkesler

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