Leather Hats

R

RubberJohnny

Joined
Mar 11, 2006
Messages
216
I'm particularly interested in the rogue leather 109 nomad hat, but I don't have any experience with leather as a hat. Would you reccomend leather for allround use?
 
I have had a similar hat for a few years. Leather is not too bad until the temperature starts climbing a bit. Then, I find that it doesn't breath very good.

I have since switched to an Akubra and can not recommend them enough. In Michigan, I can wear it all year round.
 
Generally speaking, leather isn't the greatest for outdoors. It doesn't breath when you sweat, and it stays cold once it gets cold.

If leather gets really soaked, it's amazing how cold and heavy it gets. I got caught out in a storm once wearing a leather motorcycle jacket, and I swear it weighed 50#. Luckily for me it wasn't a survival situation, I just went home. Took a couple days for the jacket to dry out fully.
 
leather is a bad idea, when they get wet it takes a long time to dry. too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter, and can be heavy.
but we all thought they were cool in the 60,s.
 
Had a leather baseball cap as a gift. Thought it was one of the nicest gifts I ever got. The quality was great and it looked really good. Its been hanging on the wall for years, okay I lie, for over a decade. Still looks great and I really appreciate the thought. But as a hat it sucks. :thumbdn: Useless in warm weather and it will positively scramble your brains in hot weather. Like some one said it doesnt' breath at all. By one for a wall hanger and its looks if you want but don't buy it to use as a hat. :cool:

KR
 
Leather hats/caps are not a good idea, for the previously mentioned reasons. I believe it was The "Spaghetti" westerns with Clint Eastward that brought them into short lived popularity. Spend the bucks and get yourself a 5X Stetson or make a statement and get a Fedora. My .02, YMMV.
 
Dreamer said:
Spend the bucks and get yourself a 5X Stetson or make a statement and get a Fedora. My .02, YMMV.
Click to expand...

That is why I like the Akubra so much. They are made just a like a cowboy hat, from fine quality fur felt, but you can get them in almost any style. For those of us that aren't cowboys ;)
 
My dad has an old Wool felt Stetson from several eons ago. I'll try it on instead of my tilley one of these days. Thanks for the info guys!
 
I have a leather western hat that I wear when I'm in the Sierra during the winter. It never gets THAT cold in the Sierra, and the hat does a fine job of defending against that wet, heavy snow that gets dumped in those mountains. It also does well in light-to-medium rainfall. And I find that it is a great sun shade when I visit Arizona in the winter time.

But anything over 70 degrees, and I find the hat is far too uncomfortable.

Anything much under 20 degrees, and I start to think about stocking caps.

As others have stated, Akubra is an excellent alternative and one that I intend to explore sometime this year.
 
bulgron said:
I have a leather western hat that I wear when I'm in the Sierra during the winter. It never gets THAT cold in the Sierra, and the hat does a fine job of defending against that wet, heavy snow that gets dumped in those mountains. It also does well in light-to-medium rainfall. And I find that it is a great sun shade when I visit Arizona in the winter time.

But anything over 70 degrees, and I find the hat is far too uncomfortable.

Anything much under 20 degrees, and I start to think about stocking caps.

As others have stated, Akubra is an excellent alternative and one that I intend to explore sometime this year.
Click to expand...

you didn't get this hat in camo by chance?:D
 
hey, bulgron, i've been over on the scat thread talking shit again.
LOL i know i know, my redneck is showing again.
 
bulgron said:
I had a camo hat that made a cameo appearance before I dropped it in the leaves and couldn't find it again. ;)
Click to expand...

i think Ted Nugent found it.
i saw him making a cameo, wearing one on his TV show, spirit of the wild camo hat.:D
 
I like the leather hats , worn one for more than 6 years now , been on my head in temps around the high 50s C , and in snow , done as good a job as I expect a hat to do .

Note tho , its not a cap , just a basic hat . I am suprised to hear of so many people who have had bad expiriences with them on this thread .
 
Kangaroo leather hats work well in our hot aussie summers. I've worn a couple of different types for a few years in some of the aplocalyptically hot weather in our Pilbara and Kimberley regions. It's a lighter leather that does breath well.

Suprisingly, I've found the ones you can buy at airport tourist stores here in Oz work the best

http://www.jacaru.com.au/

Of course Acubras are popular in the bush here - But I find them a difficult hat to travel with - get crushed too easily.

The only time I don't wear one is when I'm working hard - climbing and humping a heavy pack - then I'll switch to one of these.

http://www.frillneck.com.au/
 
Myal said:
I like the leather hats , worn one for more than 6 years now , been on my head in temps around the high 50s C , and in snow , done as good a job as I expect a hat to do.
Click to expand...

No offense, but you may have low standards. I expect a hat to let my sweat evaporate when it's hot, and keep my noggin and ears warm when it's cold. Leather isn't good for snot in either case. I don't ask one hat to do both, any more than I would ask one knife to split firewood and peel potatoes, although it's certainly possible.

Mind you, I do have a black leather Stetson-style hat that is the bee's knees for a night on the town. Keeps the sun/neon out my eyes and makes me look cooler than a penguin's tail. But I wouldn't wear it in the woods. There are many better options than leather for field-wear.
 
I have a very cool looking leather hat and it sucks when it gets wet. No ventilation in the summertime either.
 
I bought a leather kinda bucket/fishin style hat last summer and I love the thing. On really sunny hot days it can get a little toasty but it was on my head last summer when we did a 14,sumthin Mount Shavano and I had no complaints. As for weather proofing, when I got it I fed it about 6 ouces of neatsfoot oil and thats about it rain is no problem. It fully lined and has 4 vent holes in the sides so it seems to breath ok and the wrap around style brim is great for keeping the afternoon sun off me while fishing. I live in Michigan also though so real hot days are few and far between.
 
I have a leather hat that I wear in mid-temperatures, and like. It's got a stiff brim, great for hanging a mosquito net from. It sheds rainwater, and holds its shape well. In the heat, though, I wear a white cotton hat that I can soak in water for even more cooling. And in cold weather, a knitted cap.
 
GibsonFan said:
No offense, but you may have low standards. I expect a hat to let my sweat evaporate when it's hot, and keep my noggin and ears warm when it's cold. Leather isn't good for snot in either case.
Click to expand...

That is possible , I do have a simple approach to things , but having read the posts here , it seems to me that there are three camps almost , them who read it somewhere , them who tried on and didnt like it , them who tried it and liked it

between the latter two , I strongly suspect it realy comes down to having used a well made hat with at least a sweat band and lining , or having used a cheapie job ( regardless of actual price paid for it )

this tho is just my opinion .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top