Need hat and fabric input

[average gimp]

I'm in the market for a new hat (replacing a straw hat whose brim has had it--heard some bitch snidely comment to her kids about men wearing women's hats, and no, I didn't deck her). I need air flow but straw hats don't hold up and finding them in black (I'm a black hat kind of guy) is next to impossible. Tried the Tilley Airflo LTM6, which doesn't provide actual air flow, although it's a good-looking hat.

What I'm considering is this hat , based on this review, and that traditional boonies don't provide enough brim:

[youtube]Amy9_DBTqNY[/youtube]

My problem is the hat isn't available in all-black. I think the underside should be dark to minimize glare, I hate any shade of brown, and the color combo looks stupid. I also don't like the green of the hat in the video despite the underside of the brim being the right color, and white with a blue brim seems worse. I'm wondering what would work better: fabric paint, spray paint, or dye, bearing in mind the hat would need to be washed sometimes.

OTOH, if you know of a better hat that meets the criteria, I'm open to suggestions. And I did read the "what hat are you wearing" thread, which has lots of nice hats that either don't ventilate, haven't got enough brim, or aren't in black. Oh, also not into cowboy hats: I'm an aging nerd from the 'burbs and can't pull them off. EDIT: Full mesh hats are also out--great ventilation but no real sun protection.

 

[littleknife]

You definitely like challenges, don’t you?

You can buy some custom built high quality fur felt hats, black ones and with eyelets.
It will cost a lot.
You can also find cheaper production black felt hats, but still quality ones, for example from Akubra.

For something even cheaper, but great for UV protection, you may consider palm hats, e.g. from SunBody Hats.
I think even an “aging nerd” can pull off an old-timer cowboy hat like their Black Gus.
You may inquire if they would add eyelets for ventilation (e.g. 3 on each side).
It is a stiff palm hat, stronger than the average straw on the market.
It is not washable, but likely can be cleaned with a damp cloth.
Some light rain will likely not damage it, but a prolonged soaking will.
It is black and has a generous 4” brim.
It is definitely not a “woman’s hat”.

If you can put up with a natural palm hat, which can be soaked and repeatedly re-shaped, I would suggest their Fedora. It is listed with 3” brim, but it can be ordered with brims up to 6” wide!
Some other models to consider would be the Elko with leather band and the Sam Houston. They are also more of a gentleman’s hat than a cowboy one.

These palm hats are UPF50+ certified, they block at least 98% of the UV light. The underside too, since it is the same material.

http://www.sunbody.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&page_id=52

Hopefully others can give you some better recommendation.
Good luck and stay UV-protected!

 

[littleknife]

If the above hats are not of your liking and the black color is not essential, you may also consider the
Tilley TH4 wide brim hemp hat:

http://www.hats.com/media/catalog/product/T/H/TH4_MC202_MAIN.jpg

From the description:

"Hemp is the world's strongest natural fiber with a look reminiscent of linen. Hemp is also breathable and naturally resistant to UV light, mold, mildew, and salt water. The Broader Brim Hemp Hat features an ample-sized downward sloping brim, side ventilation holes, a tie for when it gets windy, and a hidden pocket. This crushable and packable hat is water repellent, floats, won’t shrink, offers certified UPF 50+ sun protection, and is machine washable.”

I think it also looks great on “nerds” and the sloped brim provides good UV protection:

http://ep.yimg.com/ay/beltoutlet/tilley-th4-classic-hemp-with-broader-down-sloping-brim-hat-6.gif

http://d3d71ba2asa5oz.cloudfront.net/32001046/images/2499096.jpg

 

[average gimp]

Littleknife, thanks for the detailed posts. Unfortunately the palm hats are out of budget, having already wasted money on the LTM6, which looks good but sucks for ventilation, and most of them are variants of tan or brown. Frankly even the Black Gus is a little cowboy-ish for my taste, despite its worthwhile brim size and color. As to the Tilley hemp hat, not only is it brown, but has less ability to ventilate than the LTM6.

As posted, I hate brown. I don't wear that color and don't think it goes with anything, and that includes variants such as tan, beige, khaki, and whatnot.

Methinks I'll have to try fabric paint and the DP hat posted earlier.

 

[littleknife]

Hi average gimp,

Don’t give up on the palm leaf hats yet.
Besides SunBody, there is another vendor called Big Band Saddlery in Alpine, TX, who sells Guatemalan Palm Leaf Hats. You can order them over the net from their website.
They carry ‘Unshaped Palm Hats’ with unshaped brim and open crown, with a choice of brims up to 5” wide! I have purchased such hats from them and they are just as good as the SunBody ones, but significantly cheaper. They even have an option to request eyelets for ventilation.

Since palm leaf is a natural fiber, you can dye it black with a fiber/fabric dye like Dylon, which is considered to be a better black color dye, than the Rit brand one:

http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dyeblog/C2070637368/E20100119085729/index.html

Good luck, whatever is your choice.