Nutria felt in the modern day

[Matt Deckard]

So aside from Optimo, has any hatter used Nutria in their hats in recent days?

My graphite gray light weight has been around the world with me and rolled, beaten, crushed, soaked and... well abused since 2004 and it may have shrunk in the crown a bit, yet it's still holding up extremely well. It's been through two blockings so far, but that's because I needed to get it cleaned since it was looking grungy.

It's nearly a half and half beaver nutria blend with a touch of hare.

I do have to say its crown has shrunk less than any other modern hat I have owned. There are no signs of holes being created or the felt breaking down. It's just tough and floppy.

So what's your experience with nutria, and how does it hold up for you?

Are there any hatters using it today?

 

[Lefty]

It's nearly a half and half beaver nutria blend with a touch of hair.

Nutria

+

Beaver

+


Hair

=


Skynyrd

 

[Dreispitz]

Nutria

+

Beaver

+


Hair

=


Skynyrd

fftopic:

but



:eusa_clap

 

[Richard Warren]

You should be more careful where you throw your women.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

I don't have any experience with Nutria, but we all should. New Orleans is just crawling with the darn things. We could probably get all we wanted for a $30.00 brick of .22LR sent to the right local cops. I saw their snipers practicing on them all night on a TV show.

I don't know what processing goes into animal pelts, but the raw material is damn plentiful.

Later

 

[RHY]

Nutria Source

I believe that the nutria that is found in Louisiana were originally imported to be raised on nutria farms for their fur and pelts. As the supply exceeded demand, farms that closed resulted in the liberation of the critters to the wetlands and swamps that provided an environment just like the Amazon where they originated.

Without natural predators, they bred like mice and spread throughout the South. Most folks back then didn't call such results an environmental disaster, but it came close. Any time non-native species are introduced, intentionally or unintentionally, to an environment with nothing to keep them in check, the environmental community now raises alarms to the community.

Here in Hawaii, introduced species that were qualified "disasters" include the Tilapia and Taape fish, the mongoose and cane toads.

 

[RHY]

Stetson Nutria

I got a Stetson Nutria that was in poor shape two years ago for $79. I sent it to Optimo to resize it to slightly larger than 7 1/4, clean it and install new headband and liner. It was reblocked to a Stratoliner style, previously it was like an Open Road. It is a very tough hat and seems to have cleaned up very nicely. Great job by Optimo, as usual!

 

[cookie]

Any time non-native species are introduced, intentionally or unintentionally, to an environment with nothing to keep them in check, the environmental community now raises alarms to the community.

Here in Hawaii, introduced species that were qualified "disasters" include the Tilapia and Taape fish, the mongoose and cane toads.

What about Aussie cane toads imported from HI in the 30s to stop beetles ...now they have reached as far as the Northern Territory!

 

[M6Classic]

Gary White makes my fedoras from a beaver/mink felt. It is better even than some of the high end felts from ages gone by.

Buzz

 

[Matt Deckard]

I haven't seen any of Gary's work in a while. I wasn't too keen on the sweats and felt he was using at the time but it was 10 years ago.

Can you show some photos of the hat he made? inside and out?

 

[M6Classic]

I haven't seen any of Gary's work in a while. I wasn't too keen on the sweats and felt he was using at the time but it was 10 years ago.

Can you show some photos of the hat he made? inside and out?

Unfortunately, I still store all of my pictures on 24mm X 36mm chips of acetate (reference my avatar). In any case a picture won't tell you how fine a piece of felt a hat is.

I have several hats that Gary has made or refurbished and the quality is first rate, even for the hats he made for me more than a decade ago. Also, Gary switched suppliers for his leathers several years ago and all of my hats have original or replacement sweats from that time, so I can no longer comment on ten-year-old sweat bands. My basis for comparison is Herbert Johnson hats from the forties (purchased as vintage) through the early eighties.

Buzz

 

[softouch]

Nutria fur is Good Stuff &

The meat ain't bad either:

Heart Healthy 'Crock-Pot' Nutria

2 hind saddle portions of nutria meat
1 small onion, sliced thin
1 tomato, cut into big wedges
2 potatoes, sliced thin
2 carrots, sliced thin
8 Brussels sprouts
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup water
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup demi-glace (optional)

Layer onion, tomato, potatoes, carrots and Brussels sprouts in crockpot. Season nutria with salt, pepper and garlic, and place nutria over vegetables. Add wine and water, set crockpot on low and let cook until meat is tender (approximately 1-1/2 hours). Garnish with vegetables and demi-glace. Makes four servings.

Other great recipes & info here: http://nutria.com/site14.php

South Louisiana born & raised!lol

 

[Lefty]

To me, the mink/beaver didn't feel any different from just beaver. I can't be sure, but I think the one he showed me was the one on the left corner in the front.

 

[Dreispitz]

The meat ain't bad either:

Heart Healthy 'Crock-Pot' Nutria

2 hind saddle portions of nutria meat
1 small onion, sliced thin
1 tomato, cut into big wedges
2 potatoes, sliced thin
2 carrots, sliced thin
8 Brussels sprouts
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup water
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup demi-glace (optional)

Layer onion, tomato, potatoes, carrots and Brussels sprouts in crockpot. Season nutria with salt, pepper and garlic, and place nutria over vegetables. Add wine and water, set crockpot on low and let cook until meat is tender (approximately 1-1/2 hours). Garnish with vegetables and demi-glace. Makes four servings.

Other great recipes & info here: http://nutria.com/site14.php

South Louisiana born & raised!lol

There is one living in the area, over here ....

 

[rlk]

Gary White makes my fedoras from a beaver/mink felt. It is better even than some of the high end felts from ages gone by.

Buzz

Note the low relative value of mink in the Blown Fur Price listings.

 

[BanjoMerlin]

Very timely topic! Apparently the fashion industry is touting nutria as a "responsible" source of real animal fur. Billy Reid, Oscar de la Renta and J. Mendel have used nutria in their recent designs.

The industry is careful to describe the Nutria as an unwanted, environmentally destructive large semi-aquatic RAT.

So I'm ready to order my new RAT HAT!

 

[RHY]

Toad War

What about Aussie cane toads imported from HI in the 30s to stop beetles ...now they have reached as far as the Northern Territory!

I have seen several documentaries on the Cane Toad problems in Australia. Some how, as prevalent as they are in Hawaii, it seems that the Aussie infestation is a much bigger problem than we could even imagine.

I don't know how the Toads got to Hawaii, by accident or importation, but it is one problem we don't need. We are just trying to keep the Brown Tree Snake out of Hawaii, since they seem to have hopped from islands in the Pacific and are infesting Guam. Hawaii is just a plane ride away from it's next environmental disaster.

 

[jwalls]

Nutria

I've been reorganizing my shop the past couple of weeks. In the process I uncovered a bag of natural dress bodies marked "pure nutria". I really do not remember where I acquired them. I've purchased so much hat stuff over the years that they could be from the 70's. The hand of these bodies is so nice that I'm going to start further processing them to see how much they improve. When I get a hat made I'll post pictures.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Sounds good.

 

[gtdean48]

I've been reorganizing my shop the past couple of weeks. In the process I uncovered a bag of natural dress bodies marked "pure nutria". I really do not remember where I acquired them. I've purchased so much hat stuff over the years that they could be from the 70's. The hand of these bodies is so nice that I'm going to start further processing them to see how much they improve. When I get a hat made I'll post pictures.

Sounds VERY interesting! Another Shelby's Fine Fedora may be in the works... Is the natural Nutria close to natural beaver or darker?