Wool Felt Stetson OR?

[Inusuit]

I'm currently shopping for vintage Stetson OR in 7 1/2, preferably LO. Some listings on Ebay describe older Stetsons as "wool" or "wool felt." I thought wool felt was a recent development for Stetson's cheaper lines and would be inconsistent with a 3X or higher designation. Also, how mcuh does the absence of a liner detract from the value of a vintage hat? Any informtion or advice appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Lefty]

Many of the hats described as wool are fur. If the hat has an X designation, it's not wool.

As to liners, some old hats came without them, but most of the ones that did still had some sort of marking in the crown. In terms of the value lost by a missing liner, that's pretty much up to you. If you want a perfect example of a vintage hat, you want the liner it came with. If you're just looking for a quality hat and can go either without a liner or with a replacement liner, then it probably doesn't matter.

 

[Inusuit]

Thanks, Lefty, for the response. That's what I assumed. Those sellers mentioning wool are usually not hat specialists. I'd prefer a liner, but large sizes in older hats are scarce, as you know.

 

[dhermann1]

BTW, I believe wool felt has been around as long as fur felt, which is somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 years.

 

[Inusuit]

I didn't know that. I assume Stetson hasn't been using it quite that long. That's a smarta** response, I mean no offense and do appreciate the information.

Inusuit

 

[Lefty]

***

Though it's off-topic, here's my favorite fact about wool hats - their manufacture once involved urine. In an excerpt from an old work on hat making that is included in Debbie Henderson's Hat Talk, the writer describes the boiling of wool in the felt making process. He writes that the wool should be boiled in 3 parts water to one part urine. I assume that the urine was added for a cheap form of acidity, but I'm no chemist.

I've opened the door for potty jokes.
Have at it.


(Another crazy, but off-topic, factoid from the same source: felt was once made from almost anything that would walk by a felter's door, and many things that did not. Dog, cat, every kind of rodent, and monkey were sources for felt at one time or another.)

 

[Inusuit]

So much to learn, so little time...

Inusuit

 

[Lon Goval]

XX Wool

Fair warning for Newbies to hats. Myself included, that's why I use this forum for information (and there is a lot of knowledge here). I've seen a few Stetsons listed that are XX Wool. If I remember right the name "Stallion" comes to mind. I've noticed them in antique stores as well. I'm sure these are modern hats.

On a technical note is wool considered "fur" since it is the fur of the animal or does "fur felt" mean no wool, but any other mix of beaver, rabbit, hare etc.

Ralph

 

[Lefty]

I hadn't seen Xs on wool. It seems pretty pointless to have different ratings on the lowest quality material. I've never seen anything labeled 100% Pure Polyester, and I wouldn't be bragging about the wool content of my hats. Once you've read enough posts and seen enough photos here, you'll be able to spot the difference between an old hat and a new one pretty easily - most of which is done with reference to the sweat and liner. The difference between wool and fur is really apparent once you've handled each. The same is true for higher vs. lower quality felt.

 

[HATCO]

We haven't used synthetic furs in any of our hats AFAIK. If we did we would market it.... I would love to see a hat made of synthetic fur...whether pure or a mixture... I don't think it would have a good feel...

Of course there are synthetic fabric/cloth hats but that's not what we are talking about.

An article from a few years back about the "fur shortage" that someone linked to recently here mentioned that some felters were adding synthetic fibers to fur felt. Anyone know anything about this? It would have to be Hatco, I'd think. Who else would even even have the wherewithal to do the R&D on that?

By the way, vegans don't even use wool (or silk), so they can't wear felt hats at all. A polyester felt hat would be good for that market, I suppose.

 

[HATCO]

Westerns wools do use an X system. There are different qualites of wool just like there are different qualities of rabbit fur..

Fair warning for Newbies to hats. Myself included, that's why I use this forum for information (and there is a lot of knowledge here). I've seen a few Stetsons listed that are XX Wool. If I remember right the name "Stallion" comes to mind. I've noticed them in antique stores as well. I'm sure these are modern hats.
Ralph

 

[Lon Goval]

XX FUR BLEND

I have noticed that Western hats are the only ones I've seen in this case. But as one who sometimes has these rebashed as fedoras I have been watching out for wool blends. I have a Bee hat that has "XX FUR BLEND" on the sweatband and a rectangular size tag stating 10% Fur & 90% Wool. It's in the "sell/trade box" at this time.

Ralph

Westerns wools do use an X system. There are different qualites of wool just like there are different qualities of rabbit fur..

 

[Dinerman]

I would love to know what the composition on the '40s Stetson "Plasti-felt". A couple have showed up on the ebay in the past couple of months.

 

[Lefty]

Check out the ad I just posted in the ebay thread.

 

[Lefty]

There are different qualites of wool just like there are different qualities of rabbit fur..

If I was sweater shopping, that would matter.
I'm waiting for Nike to start selling 3x nylon track suits.