My hat

So... There's plenty of times I go around without anything protecting my noggin, but when it's sun, rain, wind, snow, hail, bird droppings, low clearance... I put on a hat.

As time goes by, and the hair gets thinner (and yeah, it's all grey now), I'm covering up the top more and more.

I'm betting there's darned few on this forum that, even if not wearing it all the time, venture around somewhere without something to provide some elemental protection to the space between the sun and (what's left of our) grey matter.

Like any other guy, there's some things I like in a hat, and there's other things I don't care for, and that is what determines what style.  Baseball caps are favored by many, but I never found them to be all that beneficial to me... I like a wider brim, full around.  I like it to be heavy enough to not flop around, and tough enough to fend off lighter objects, and reduce the energy of smaller ones.

Two-and-something decades back, I was in some East Coast town on business... had some down time on a Sunday, when I went past a millinery (a hat shop), and saw a rack of what appeared to be a quality covering of a style that made sense.  It was a cold, wet day in the fall, and keeping my skull dry, getting the rain off my neck and out of my face was high on my desires... but the 'company standard' headcovering that was assigned for this project (training at a rail facility) offered no functional comfort, only a little bump protection.

I walked out of that millinary about a hundred bucks lighter, with a fine piece of well-chosen canvas, worked into shape by some Canadian hands.  

What a great hat...  

I wore it for a LONG time, eventually, It got really worn, so I decided to exercise the 'lifetime' warranty that I THOUGHT I'd never need.  Frankly, I was willing to BUY a new one, but when I called, they seemed like they had it all together.

So they required me to cut the top out of the existing brim, and send them a picture with the warranty number on the crown in permanent marker.  I did that.

After doing all that, and sending 'em picture of the tag and a verification of size and type, they sent me back a message saying they 'no longer made that model', and the 'nearest type was...'

Which was a somewhat less expensive one that what I had...  and in looking, they didn't have one AS NICE... and if they DID, I would have offered to gladly pay the difference...  but they didn't.

So the replacement hat arrived about two weeks later.

I've worn it less than a dozen times in three years... and each time, I was disappointed.  It's flimsy, cold, and uncomfortable, nothing like the original.  Not made in Canada... it's made in China... and the heavy, durable canvas hat I wanted... they don't offer anymore.

SO...  for those of you that have, and love the older "Made In Canada" Tilley...  I recommend against ever calling in lifetime warranty replacement.  Have it repaired.  The replacement you get will be a typical junk import.

Anywho, worn a hat most of my life, primarily baseball cap. As of late i have several that I wear according to circumstances. For dress/casual, I wear a plaid newsboy hat. If it is real sunny, a baseball cap to keep the sun out of my eyes, and, if I am to be out in the rain, (and I have no idea what it is called, cant even remember where I got it) a wide brimmed, canvas hat that was water proof for the first few years of it's life, but now i need to spray it after laundering. Probably should never have washed it, but, at some point it became necessary. And, in the winter a 'watch cap'.

Thanks for the replies, guys, and Hugh- AMEN-  we NEED to get that manufacturing back.

Most canvas hats need to be waxed lightly to shed water after they've been washed, and it's not a difficult thing to do, just a maintenance routine like anything else.  When I was teaching at railroads, I had a long canvas duck work overcoat that had the reflective trim and company markings, it was a quality made piece that had very little lining (just a little from the shoulders into the sleeves, so that it would easily slide in and out of over regular clothing) and it was made in layered overlap so it could breathe.  I could throw it on over a T-shirt and jeans, and it would keep me dry and not overheat during summer rain, and if I had several layers, I'd be warm and dry under that, too... it hung low enough so that wind and rain wouldn't get to my waistline while working on signalling equipment.  An excellent all-around work-coat, but my client required me to turn it over to them after the contract was complete.  I wanted to BUY one (with no company logos) for my own comfort, but they wouldn't sell me one, as they were concerned that a person could have the logo copied, and then sneak past security...   All I wanted was a nice coat, but the manufacturer wouldn't sell one to me, either...

Anyway, when I get back home from this trip, I'll take pix of my preferred thermonuclear protection and post 'em, in hopes that someone knows a milinary artisan that handmakes something of comparable style, weight, and quality, and see if I can monetarily persuade them to fashion my new favorite headgear.

ACinSC wrote: Dermatologist suggested I wear a wide brim hat. I do try but prefer a ball cap. Do wear the wide brim when I'm on my D 15, mostly. Thanks

Those people are so terrified of the sun it amazes me. Had to go to one for quite a while for my hands. Long story short, finally got past that and haven't had to go back in probably 5 tears now. Anyway, that lady was so pale she looked like two minutes on direct sunlight exposure and she would burst into flames!

I wear a hat when I'm out. The exception is in the summertime when it's good and hot. Hat just soaks up sweat and gets nasty so no hat. I get a real nice tan on my head and go on with life.