Fedora material query

[silhouette53]

As a prospective fedora wearer (thanks to this great site) I have some questions. Firstly, regarding hat material, I was looking on the Akubra site and they say that their hats are made from pure rabbit fur as it is tough and resiliant. I like the look of the Akubra fedora so that is a possibility for purchase. I looked then on a site for Adventurebilt and their so called Indiana Jones hat, although to me its just a great looking hat with some unfortunate connections which bring about the "Hey, Indy" comments from people. They offer Rabbit or Beaver, the beaver being the more expensive by $75. Is Beaver the ultimate hat material then ? My other question is, does anyone have any experience of buying from Locks the hatters in London as I will be going down there soon to see what they have got to offer. Are all the hats they sell their own make or do they sell others hats too? I live in Birmingham which has ZERO to offer in the way of quality hats - no hat shops at all. You can maybe get a panama hat in a department store but thats about it. Locks website only lists five fedoras only one of which appeals to me in any way (the Louisiana) and at £GB175 I imagine I'd be paying more for a name than a hat ! I guess their history and elite, high rent location is reflected in their prices. I can't see anywhere in London stocking Akubra apart from the Australian Shop which only stocks 'cattleman' type hats.

Any advice please before I hit the big city ? I'd prefer to be fitted for a hat in a hatshop rather than take a chance with a measure tape and buy online

Thanks

Colin

 

[Raindog]

Hi Collin,
Generally speaking Beaver is considered the best material for hats, being very waterproof (like the beaver itself) and tough.
However, rabbit is very good too. I wouldn't particularly choose a hat because it was beaver or rabbit. As long as it wasn't wool I'd be very certain of a good hat.
Akubras are great hats at a good price, as most people agree. I have a twenty year old one, and I still regularly wear it in all weathers. I haven't had a wet head yet.
Adventurebilt by the way are 100% beaver, something very rare in the hat world, and at a price that's very very good. If you really hated the Indiana style I'm sure Steve has other styles and colours he can offer.
Good luck on the trip. I've given up on Englands hat shops now however, and mail order is the best bet for me to get a nice hat :fedora:

Jeff.

 

[Aaron Hats]

Here's a link to a couple other hat shops in your part of the world.
http://www.thehatsite.com/retailmens.html

 

[Mulceber]

Actually, Adventurebilt no longer makes rabbit felt hats. Steve (I think) discovered that the market for them was not nearly as strong as the market for beaver fur hats.

Yes, beaver fur is the best material to make a hat out of. Its very water proof and holds its shape very well. There's also the fact that it is VERY soft to the touch, to the point where once I touched it for the first time, I never wanted to go back to Rabbit felt.

My advice for measuring is don't worry about it. I've measured for both my hats and they turned out fine. Just wrap the measuring tape around your head, just above the ears (be careful not to pull too tight) and record the measurement. If you go for the Adventurebilt, it will feel a bit big when you first get it, but will soon shrink down to your size.

If it were me, I'd go for the Adventurebilt. A great looking hat, made out of the best material a hat can be made of. Whatever you decide, wear it in good health. -Mulceber

 

[Aerol]

London lids

It's been a while since I've been in London, but in the late '90s I was there 3-4 times a year on business. If memory serves, there are three hat stores in the Jermyn St./ St. James's area: Bates, http://www.bates-hats.co.uk/, Herber Johnson, http://www.swaineadeney.co.uk/bespoke_orders/herbert_johnson_ladies_hats, and James Lock, http://www.lockhatters.co.uk/index.taf.

They are expensive, but if you find a hat that fits you, that is, style, color, shape, etc. and feels right, buy it. An inexpensive hat in the closet is a waste of money, an expensive hat that you wear every day is a good buy.

A good hat will last for years. As a reality check, ask your wife what she paid for "this year's must-have purse."

 

[Bargepole]

. . . does anyone have any experience of buying from Locks the hatters in London as I will be going down there soon to see what they have got to offer. . . Locks website only lists five fedoras only one of which appeals to me in any way (the Louisiana) and at £GB175 I imagine I'd be paying more for a name than a hat ! I guess their history and elite, high rent location is reflected in their prices. I can't see anywhere in London stocking Akubra apart from the Australian Shop

This is a cue for a sad tale of woe. When I first started wearing good hats, in the late Seventies, Herbert Johnson (then in Old Burlington Street) was unquestionably Hat Heaven. Since then, the quality and choice have gone into a fairly terminal decline, and never really survived their amalgamation with Swaine, Adeney. Most of their stuff seems to be modern Borsalinos, some rebranded, and the feeling in the Lounge about modern Borsalinos speaks for itself. I was given a Montecristi from HJ a few years ago which was in reality nothing of the sort, and a rather shoddily-made (sewn brim) nothing of the sort to boot. Lock are okay but nothing special; their hats, too, are bought in -- the finished articles, not just the raw hoods, I suspect -- and very overpriced. Bates is the only one which retains a vestige of its old quality, but even it is not what it was. My advice would be to buy online. You could always get yourself fitted in one of the London shops and note the size which seems to work (remembering American hats are one size smaller than English, i.e. an American 7 1/8 is an English 7) or just measure round your head with a tape measure.

I suspect you'll get far better value and quality from Art or Adventurebilt or the (expensive but good) Colorado guys or Optimo than you will anywhere in London -- and those people aren't paying obscene West End rent and rates, either. Or there's always a well-know online auction site...

It saddens me to say this, but it's pretty much the sad truth. London, as far as hats go, is pretty much dead.

By the way, R M Williams in Regent Street has a few Akubra hats; but then, again, you'd be better off getting one mail order.