Dynafelt-How well does it hold up?

[K07]

Hello all,

I recently picked up my second fedora from Hats Plus here in Chicago. I wanted a fedora that cost less than $100 because I don't wear hats and didn't want to invest in something that might end up hanging on the hat rack like my first fedora does. I wanted to try it out and see if it suits me.

It was an impulsive buy and I didn't do any research until after I'd pulled the trigger. It is a Bailey's Dynafelt Bogart in steel. I love the bash and color. My first fedora was an Akubra Federation I purchase solely for displaying and the occasional dress up day at work (I work with kids). I'm a huge Indy fan and never planned on wearing the fedora around town. The crown is too tall for my head, the color isn't my favorite, and I bashed it in the fashion of RotLA so it's asymmetrical style just looks sloppy when not worn with the rest of my Indy gear.

But now this new one I did plan on wearing around town. But the wool vs fur debate has me worried about the durability of my hat. It's a wool/fur blend and I don't see much discussion around these parts about Dynafelt. It was also supposedly pretreated with Teflon for water proofing. How long will that last? And I've read something about Scotchguard being applied to help protect wool from water? What exactly does that mean? I'm a complete noob.

And when do you all sport your wools and furs? Temperatures have dropped here to the 70s and it feels like Fall weather. Do you wait for a calendar date or just when the weather is cool enough?

 

[ingineer]

Well, I have 40 year old Dynafelt western, the body is good the sweat band not so much.
Richard

 

[Lean'n'mean]

I don't have any real experience with Dynafelt but what I have seen is usually composed of around 80% wool 10-15% fur & the remainder is colloquially refered to as 'other fibres' which is just another term for a filler of some kind such as paper.
If you like the hat I wouldn't worry too much about "how it will hold up" ...just wear it & enjoy it.
Scotchguard is a spray used on fabrics to help water repellency, some folks use it on hats but I do not so can't vouch for it's efficacity.

As for when wearing fur or wool felt hats ,that is a matter of personal choice, there is no dictate that states you can only wear a felt hat in winter & not in the warmer months. Wear what you like when you like, if you find it too warm, simply don't wear it.

Have fun with your new hat.....

 

[gtdean48]

Dynafelt is a notch above wool in my book. I have had one that served well as a beater/rain lid.
I don't recall Scotchguarding it but have used Scotchguard on my wool crushers quite regularly for camping & hiking duty.
Repells water very well but like other camping rain gear, repeated treatments are needed.

Oops, almost forgot....welcome to the Lounge...

 

[Kevlar]

Just bought a Dynafelt stingy brim fedora from an Etsy store for less than $50. I knew it was a wool/fur blend and truth be told it feels more like wool and is a tad heavy and stiff. Steel gray with a 1 1/2 in. black ribbon hatband and the usual spray of feathers behind the bow.

Hope it holds up well as I like it a lot and plan to put it in high rotation when the weather gets cooler. It was my birthday present to myself.

 

[K07]

Thanks for the insight, fellas!

I found the blend on mine printed on the hat. It's a 90/10 ratio. So basically it's a wool hat. I put some weather stripping in it so it fits just right now. I'm gonna pair it with my three piece suit and wear it to church this weekend for our son's baptism.

The hat looks especially great with my wool overcoat I wear during the winter. Not sure how to casually wear it though. Seems only appropriate when wearing an overcoat or a suit jacket? I only wear the former during the winter and the latter to special occasions.

 

[K07]

A quick update: I wear my hat practically all the time when I leave the house. I have gotten a ton of compliments from friends, my students, their parents, and complete strangers. I have worn my hat in light rain and snow and it's held up fine! When there is a downpour, I opt for a hood and leave the hat at home to be safe. I don't know how long this hat will last me but I know that if it shrinks or becomes too worn to wear, I will be buying another fedora when this one gives up the ghost! I will also be researching Panama Hats for the summer time since I've become so used to having my head covered during the past few months.

Sorry for the seemingly needless necropost but I wanted to provide an answer to my original question in case another person curious about hats had the same question. I hate finding a question I have on the internet that is never revisited with an answer!!!

 

[KingAndrew]

I have a Dynafelt hat that I bought about 1989, when I was in college. It is a putty-grey stingy from Bollman and was my very best hat for many years. It was very nicely finished and had a style that was very flattering on me. You could readily see that it was higher quality than the wool hats I owned at the time.

I got caught in downpour wearing it one winter's day and when I let it dry, it was too close to the heating vent and shrunk/tapered a bit. I have stretched it back out with a hat stretcher, but it is still a little more tapered than it was originally.

It still looks pretty good and I do wear it occasionally. But now I have quite a few fur felts (some bunny, some beaver). So those are in much heavier rotation than the Dynafelt. Nonetheless, I feel a sentimental attachment to it and it's hanging on the hatrack in my hallway.

By the way, it looks fabulous on my wife, but I haven't convinced her to wear it out anywhere yet. If she ever does, I know the compliments she gets will mean the hat will get more head time from her

 

[K07]

This will likely be my last post in this topic. I have noticed some pink splotchy marks on the brim of my hat and even some on the crown where I would grasp it to take it on and off my head. Perhaps my son is to blame (or I for not hanging it on the hat rack and letting him get access to it) but the liner is falling out of this hat too.

Any idea what caused the discoloration? Can't get good pictures with my phone. I'm guessing it was water? No noticeable shrinkage with the hat which was my main fear. Do fur felts discolor from water? I'm thinking of getting an Akubra Stylemaster in both gray and brown next year. I'll wear this one another season before taking that plunge.