Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

If there was ever a “magical” hat that did everything I wanted, this may well be it. This is an all-weather, all-season, all-occasion accessory, at least for the weather, seasons, and occasions I deal with. YMMV As a rule I don’t wear hats often, not because I don’t want to, but because while I often have to wear many hats at work, the ones I wear on my time are event-specific. I’m sure many people reading this are the same way or you wouldn’t be researching this product. I own a dozen or more; the ball cap for taking my gat/heater/rod/piece/rifle/shotgun/tank to the range, a floppy one with cotton fly patch for pulling monster Rainbows out of the Buffalo River, a hardhat for the hailstorms, Kevlar helmet for the tornados, pink felt gangsta hat with the feather for strollin’ the ‘hood, camo boonie hat for when I’m trying to hide in the back yard from my wife and her honey-do list, and of course, my straw boater for Karaoke night at the martini bar, just to mention a few. Most times it is a case of “the man makes the hat”, but with this, it’s “the hat makes the man”. If I turn the brim down in front a little, I walk around cracking an imaginary whip (much to the alarm of those around me, at least those that are strangers), and I have the uncontrollable urge to pose in front of any and all large round boulders. I turn both sides up a little and my voice deepens, I swagger more, and tip my hat to all females, calling them “little lady”…all the men are “Pilgrim”. Pin up one side and I develop an accent, saying G’Day to all, even when it’s dark out. This also imbues in me a deep desire to go Walkabout, with one eye on the horizon and the other keeping a sharp lookout for crocs (the critters, not the footwear). Unfortunately this also means I trip over a lot of things since I don’t have a third eye to watch where I’m walking. ‘Nuff of the chit-chat, let’s get to the meat-n-potatoes of the matter… Price: I’m all Bob Barker here. At this price, even if you don’t wear it, hang it on a hook inside your front door and you’ll get more than your money’s worth in cool points from visiting family, friends, and foreign dignitaries. Shipping: Gotta love Prime. Arrived in time. Why do I rhyme? I need to eat a lime. (So I love “The Princess Bride”, sue me…lol). Packaging: Some have said theirs shipped in a flat box. Mine was in an appropriate sized box for it to arrive sitting up. It was sealed inside a plastic bag and had the tag attached to the label. Since I didn’t feel it was really tested during shipping, I immediately unwrapped and sat on it. It popped back like nothing had happened. I threw it against the wall, and it just laughed, ready for more. I was going to have my friend sit on it too, just to show off, but he has a weak bladder and I didn’t want to take the chance. Sizing/Fit: After reading many, many of the reviews here, the main complaint seemed to be sizing. For me, this was a non-issue. I have a big-ol’ melon head. If it weren’t for the fact that I also have a thick, sturdy neck, most folks would probably mistake me for a giant bobble-head when I’m out in public. As most fitted hats are never quite big enough, I was overjoyed to see it came in larger sizes. I carefully measured the circumference of my head where I wanted the hat to sit, and it was right at 24 inches. This made me happy because not only could I order accurately, but it made me feel horizontally symmetrical, with 2 feet on the top and bottom. <pause for eye-rolling> When I checked the sizing chart, I found I was smack-dab between XL and XXL. Since they didn’t have any XXL in stock, I ordered the XL. It fits perfectly. It’s snug without being tight, and like all hats, I expect it will loosen a little as I break it in. I ran a string around the inside of the headband and measured it, and it was just under 24”, so as far as I can tell, the sizing chart is right on. My advice to those thinking about buying is to wrap a string around your head where you want the hat to sit, measure the string, apply to sizing chart, and order accordingly. DO NOT go by whatever size you’ve always worn, because hat manufacturers are just like makers of any other article of clothing from shoes to shirts, they vary from brand to brand. Appearance: The hat I received looks pretty much like the picture listed, both in color and wear. It has some faded/scuffed areas as shown, although in different spots. The wire in the brim seems to be just right; stiff enough to hold its’ shape and be durable, but pliable enough to shape as needed (see above). My wife LOVES this hat. Despite the fact that she is of much slighter stature than I with a proportional noggin, she even likes the size, although it fits down over the outside of her ears. Personally, I think she looks cute in it (please don’t pull my man-card for using that word). She is of fair skin (alabaster or porcelain are terms she prefers), and avoids direct sunlight like a vampire. She wore this a few times out walking the dog over the Big Dam Bridge (no, I ain’t cussin’, look it up), and immediately, with no chance for rebuttal, declared it as her own, with an invitation to take it from her if I dared (I didn’t). She was good enough to tell me to go ahead and order one for myself, which I did. It was delivered to my office yesterday, but I am out of town for the week on business, so I won’t see it for another couple of days. I didn’t dare have it sent to the house as she might squirrel it away for a backup (2 is 1, 1 is none, ya know?). Other folks who saw me in it (before the great abduction) said it looked great. Our little dogs liked it once they realized it was me under there, but our big dog (dawg) becomes alarmed, growling and chuffing in an attempt to scare off what he apparently perceives as a giant bat eating my head. I checked with our 2 cats and duly noted their usual air of indifference. For those wondering, as I did, the strip of leather at the bottom of the hatband in the picture is not an example of poor workmanship, but part of the chinstrap. Speaking of which… The Chinstrap: For the person(s) that said to just cut off the strap if you didn’t like it…WTH? Did you realize that it’s just a single long strip of leather that is easily removed in case you want it later? I haven’t decided if I like it or not. I know they are handy when you want to hang it behind you, but I don’t really think it will be needed to keep it on in the wind. It seems to stay firmly on, and can be pulled down snug if the weather calls for it. Quality/Durability/Weather-proof(edness?): The quality on this leaves nothing to complain about. The stitching is tight and even, with good heavy materials that are cut and finished well. My time machine is down at the moment so I can’t comment accurately on its’ durability, but I see nothing that leads me to believe that it won’t last for as long as my head, or until I lose it (the hat, not the head), whichever comes first. I wore it out in an Arkansas gulley-washer, and while I was swept downriver a ways, the top of my head stayed dry. When I ran my finger along the inside of the crown it felt a bit damp, but nothing dripped through. So then I tried the “Ice Bucket” challenge. My wife dumped a trash can full of ice and water on me from the deck above. Unbeknownst to me, she thoughtfully included a 5Lb block of frozen green shrimp with the ice. It bounced off my hat and didn’t affect it in the least. in the least. in the least. in the least. in the least......upon further reflection, she may have popped it back into shape while I was unconscious. However, since the material isn’t really conducive to fingerprints, I can’t prove this. Wearability: This is a heavier weight hat, though not nearly what a leather hat is like. It’s warm enough to keep your brain at peak operating temperature when it’s cold out, yet not so hot that you’ll fry it when it’s warm. Of course, it’s not summer yet, so I may update this. Usually when it’s blazing out I actually like to wear a hat, not just for the sun protection, but to soak in water and wear to cool me down. Unofficial testing in my wind tunnel also indicated a drastic reduction in my drag coefficient resulting in a 24% increase in my casual walking speed. Of course, this only affects the upper region, so I tend to lean forward more. I have no doubt, that a properly fitted version of this hat could markedly increase the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow, be it African or European. TL:DR – Looking for a great hat? Buy it…wear…you’ll love it… I hope this review helps you with your purchasing decision. If you have a comment, please post it. I promise to respond or rebut to all comments, though not in a timely fashion. I reserve the right to ignore any comments regarding the nature of this review. Disclaimer: I did NOT receive this hat free in exchange for a fair unbiased review. I earned almost every penny that went to pay for it. I did use a quarter I found in front of my office. I posted a note, but nobody claimed it after 30 days, so hey, Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers, right?