Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Refab Filson: Wildfowl Hat



Blog reader A. Freeman saw my post about the Tin Cloth Filson Wildfowl hat and was kind enough to submit photographs own his own home Filson rebrication project. I really like his flapless remake of the Waterfowl hat since I agree that the cape (at least for non-waterfowlers) really only has an ornamental function/value. His design also nicely brings back the ghost of the discontinued, uninsulated, short billed tin cloth cap.

Freeman writes:

Wanted to send along a few photos of my "modified" Filson hat. I purchased it while trimming out a house in Minnesota's North Woods some years ago, but with my return to the coast found that it was rarely cold enough to utilize the cape, and thusly it was removed.

I dare-say, at least looks-wise, that it has been much improved. Though with the addition of ear flaps (per the napkin sketch you posted) it would serve well as a cycling hat for those who still choose to go helmetless (I do not).


Do send along photographs of your Filson refab projects. A Freeman has promised some future photographs of a chic boutique bag made out of dumpster dived tin cloth!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful job, well done. I haven't had the heart to buy one and then immediately start chopping it up. This inspires me. As for the utility of the flap, it did come in handy when iceboating on the Mississippi. Pretty hardcore to wear while having a latte though, at least with the flap down. Sort of like wearing spiked boots around town. I did that once. Principal told me to go home and change.

Robert said...

These hats really are awesome. Nice mod. I am a duck hunter, but really, I wear these (I have one in tin and one in shelter) constantly. Sure I wear them duck hunting, but I also wear them to work, the bar, driving around, best hat ever. The cape, though rarely used, is AMAZING when I need it. I wear a hood-less jacket, but if I put the color up and the cape down, I'm golden.

This is love ;)

Arthur said...

digging up an old post, but here goes.

i've considered a very similar mod to my waterfowl hat, but the proportions of a. freeman's seem significantly different. the crown of mine seems pretty shallow, but his seems quite a bit deeper, and i wonder if that's a trick of the picture, or perhaps it differs based on the size of the hat (mine is an XL, and i swim in it). anyway, i'd like to ask him some questions. any possibility of that?