Felt

Hats and caps are traditionally made from animal hair, which has been made into felt then shaped into a conical hood.

The Mongolians used to fill their leather shoes with lambswool to protect their feet from the cold weather. When walking, this wool was felted by the humidity, heat and pressure of the foot and so formed the felt insole. Today felt hoods are made using the same principle.

Later hair of beaver, hare and rabbit was used to make better quality felts. Using a wooden or metallic mould, the conical hood is made to the desired shape of head and brim. This is an easy process as long as the felt is wet and warm.

By drying the hood its shape is fixed and the felt becomes resistant to deformation, although maintaining elasticity and strength. The characteristics of the fur-felt guarantee warmth, breathability, and humidity exchange just as modern fabrics do.

Dependent upon the customers needs, the hat may be decorated with ribbon, leather bands or cord around the crown. Inside the hat you may have a band of fabric or leather to make the hat fit better. Also one may wish to have a lining inside the hat for a better finished product. All these things are usually done by hand by the hatter. Hatting is one of the few traditional hand crafts left today.

Straw

For protection from the sun the straw hat is imported from the tropics. Even today all straw hats are hand woven.

Palm leave hats from Ecuador are called PANAMAS, since they were imported through the Panama Canal.

Palm fibre hats from China are called PARABUNTALS or BAKU.

Plam fibre hats from India or Indonesia are called BOWENS.

Wheat straw from Italy made the famous braided Florentine hats.

Fabric and Leather

Today many hats and caps are made from fine woven and knitted fabrics and soft leather.

Some World Famous Qualities

100 X Beaver fur felt - The top quality of the original Stetson western hat made from 100% beaver hair from the soft under belly. A hat for many generations of Texas ranchers.

Fur felt hat - Mainly rabbit hair is used, but for better qualities hare may be substituted.

Woolfelt - Made from pure lambswool

VitaFelt - Ultra light, flexible and waterproof hats made with the finest wool, made exclusive by Stetson in the USA.

Extrafino Panama - Handmade hats from the finest fibres of a special thin palm leaf. A female weaver in Ecuador needs about three months to finish one of these rare hats.

Hat Sizes