When people buy a felt hat, it's usually the shape, colour or style that catches their eye first. The material it's made from often comes much later, and that's perfectly understandable.
Unless you've owned a quality felt hat before, there's no real reason to know the difference between wool felt, rabbit felt and beaver felt. Yet the material has a significant effect on how a hat behaves, how it wears and how it can be worked by the hat maker.
As someone who spends a good deal of time working with felt, I thought I'd explain the materials I use, some of the differences between them and why you might choose one over another.
Wool Felt vs Fur Felt – What's the Difference?
Broadly speaking, felt hats are made from either wool felt or fur felt.
Wool felt is made from sheep's wool. Fur felt is made from animal fur fibres, with rabbit, beaver and nutria being among the materials traditionally used in hat making.
For the purposes of this article, I'll generally refer to them as rabbit felt and beaver felt, as that's how we tend to talk about them in the trade.
It's worth saying from the outset that I don't consider one material to be universally "better" than another. They have different characteristics and are suited to different hats and different requirements.
When the Label Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
One of the oldest tricks in marketing is to make a statement that's completely true, but doesn't necessarily tell you very much.
Take "100% Wool", for example.
It tells you that the felt is made entirely from wool. It doesn't tell you how the felt was made, its density, how it will behave during manufacture or how it will stand up to years of wear. Two hats can both carry a "100% Wool" label and be very different products.
It's a little like the phrase "Genuine Leather."
It sounds reassuring, but it isn't a grading system. It tells you that real leather has been used, but not where on the hide it came from, how it was processed or how well the finished product has been made. Two wallets can both be labelled "Genuine Leather" and be worlds apart in quality and longevity.
The same applies to the X ratings you'll often see on American felt hats. Despite what you might assume, there isn't a single industry-wide standard governing them, so one manufacturer's 10X isn't necessarily comparable to another's.
None of these labels are necessarily dishonest. They're simply incomplete.
I'd much rather tell a customer what a hat is made from and explain why a particular material might be suitable than rely on a label to do the talking.
The Felts I Work With
In my workshop, I work with wool felt, rabbit felt and beaver felt.
Each behaves differently, and each has its place.
Wool Felt
Wool felt has a long history in hat making and remains a useful material for particular styles.
I do use wool felt, although I tend to reserve it for specific hats where I think it is the appropriate choice. One example is my interpretation of the traditional Tarboosh, where wool is well suited to the construction and character of the hat.
Wool felt can also vary considerably in quality, so simply seeing "100% Wool" on a label doesn't tell you everything you need to know.
Why I Like Working With Rabbit Felt
Most of the hats I make are made from rabbit felt — not because wool felt is inferior, but because rabbit felt works particularly well for the type of hats I make most often.
On the workbench, it responds well to steam, blocks cleanly and allows me to achieve the crisp lines and smooth finish I look for in a handmade hat. It performs well in regular use and copes nicely with the sort of weather we tend to get here in Britain.
A well-made rabbit felt hat can also often be cleaned, reshaped or reblocked later in its life. A hat that leaves the workshop in perfect condition can still be cared for and revived years down the line, which speaks to the longevity of the material itself.
For the sort of hats I make most often, it gives me a very good combination of workability and durability — and that's why it's the material I reach for most.
Beaver Felt
I also work with beaver felt, particularly for premium bespoke commissions.
Beaver has a long history in traditional hat making and has some excellent characteristics for the craft. It is a particularly fine material to work with and can produce an exceptional finished hat.
But again, I don't think of it as a case of simply moving up a ladder from wool to rabbit to beaver. The material needs to suit the hat and what the customer wants from it.
So Which Felt Should You Choose?
This is where things become a little more interesting, because the answer depends on the hat.
Some customers come to me already knowing exactly what felt they want. Perhaps they've owned a rabbit felt hat before, or they have a particular reason for choosing beaver or wool.
Others aren't sure, and that's perfectly fine.
When I'm discussing a bespoke hat with someone, we'll talk about the style they're looking for, how they intend to wear it, what they want from the finished hat and, where relevant, which felt would be most appropriate.
I'll make a recommendation if I think one material is particularly well suited to the job, but the customer ultimately chooses what they want.
That's an important part of commissioning a bespoke hat. You're not simply picking something off a shelf; you're having a conversation about what you're trying to achieve.
A Little More Transparency
One of the things I want customers to have when they buy a B.H-Jones hat is a clear understanding of what they're buying.
If a hat is made from wool felt, I'll tell you.
If it's rabbit felt, I'll tell you.
If it's beaver felt, I'll tell you.
And if you're not sure which is right for the hat you're considering, ask me. That's part of the service.
There are plenty of terms in the wider clothing and hat industry that sound impressive without necessarily explaining much. I'd rather talk plainly about the material, explain its characteristics and let you make an informed choice.
After all, the label inside the hat should confirm what you're buying, not be the thing that convinces you it's good.