Ordered a Tilley hat and got it from amazon today. Very well built hat, guaranteed for life, and super comfy. Looking forward to putting the hat to good use in Mexico next week!

Good type of hat to have if you are outdoors all the time.

Some years ago, my first Tilley survived being run over by a Toronto streetcar (trolley). Cleaned up and was as good as new.

The early models were too hot in the summer. I think there are newer models that are made with less heavyweight duck material that should be cooler in hot weather. I haven't checked those out.

I hope your new Tilley works out.

Regards,
Alan

You were able to get the coal dust from the steam engine out from the folds?

They make bulletproof ones now?

They are not bulletproof. They just discourage shooters with a decorative ring of Savina peppers.

An ex-coworker's wife used to work at the Tilley factory and picked me up a "factory second" that I use for fishing out on the lakes, nice wide brim on it to protect the neck from the sun. I'm not sure if Tilley still makes them in T.O. or whether they went offshore with production...ironically she is Chinese, so she might have lost her job to a, umm, other Chinese.

Seriously though, please bury it in your backyard for a day or two before wearing it. Nothing screams "Hey! It's my first time in the wilderness but I'm an expert because I bought a Tilley and LL Bean clothes", than a perfectly clean, never been wrinkled Tilley.

Don't get me wrong, I like Tilleys (perfect for sea kayaking) and LL Bean makes some good, if overpriced, clothing, but you can always spot the above guys a mile away.

Those are the guys that have a "Honk if you Love a Good Paddling" bumper sticker on their kayaks.

Ha! I guess you could say that I'm an old school sea kayaker. No stickers here and rudders are for little girls and tourists!!! In fact, I was doing it here so long before it became mainstream that I had fishermen sailing up to me in their lobster boats asking me if I was an Eskimo.

My wife actually just "secretly" threw out my old 'Tilley like' but cheaper knock off of a hat that I used because it was now more white than blue and the salt had rotted so many holes in the fabric that she was afraid to wash it anymore.

In hind sight, had I bought a Tilley, I'd be trading it in for a new one for free if it developed holes.