The worst "good hat" that you own

[Sir Tom]

My fist big purchase in hats about 12 years ago, was a Stetson Nostalgia. Honestly it has proved to be a miserable hat in many respects. In others, it takes a beating and keeps on ticking.
The felt, honestly is not much better than wool. There are some defects like a strange line that runs through the hat, it drips brown when it gets wet, ( this by far this is the most annoying) and then the wandering zero as far as fit.
With that said, it has been reshaped many times and keeps crawling back out of the closet. This last incarnation will probably the last restyle.
When I got it it was too big. The last handblock before this one, I added some padding under the sweat band. It would just sit on my head.
Long story short.....It was too big when it was new, now it's fits well with the padding removed. It has shrunk to my size after a decade. Now it actually stays on my head.
These issues make it my go to beater.
In many ways it's more like a cartoon or costume hat. Then again it has seen very rough use and is still around.
This hat has made me wary of another Stetson, especially since Akubra exists although the new Stratoliners and Whippets do look awful tempting.
Untitled by Travis Brown, on Flickr

Untitled by Travis Brown, on Flickr

Untitled by Travis Brown, on Flickr

My every day hat is a Federation IV in moonstone and it has proved to be the real deal. The Fed has proved to be really close to the feel of a vintage hat.
What's your "worst hat"?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

You have more patience and tolerance than I do. If a hat disappoints me I sell it off.

Off the top of my head I can remember a recent manufacture Christys’. The hat was a disappointment me all the way around: excessive taper, poor sizing (fit small), cheap narrow sweatband, and coarse felt. I sold this hat to a fellow Lounge member with full disclosures of its deficiencies. We both just wanted to have some personal experience with the current offering of the brand.

I rotate through a lot of hats so no one hat has seen a lot of use. I agree with your conclusion that if you are going to put a lot of hard miles on a hat it’s hard to beat Akubra. However, I would not describe any of my Akubras as close to the feel of vintage.

 

[Snowman]

My 2015 Royal Stetson Stratoliner would be that hat. It’s the only one of my “good” hats that I bought new, and it’s the worst of the lot. Brim is thin and curly and won’t hold any kind of shape. I like that term “wandering zero” to describe the fit. Sweatband is cheap, and I expect to wear a hole in the felt (which is rather soft but thin). Nonetheless, it sees a lot of wear, but with my rapidly growing collection that may change, and my most expensive hat may become my beater.

 

[Rmccamey]

Mine, too, is a modern Stratolinger, about a 2017 version. The felt is rough and it is harder to crease and the finish is just not that great. However, and this may get my card pulled from TFL, I think it has actually improved since I've owned it. The felt is softer and more pliable now than when it was new and it creases more easily to the point I find myself wondering if it should be in my regular rotation and not just my "work hat".