Companion forum thread to:

Make Your Own Gear: Wide-Brimmed Rain Hat

I wish I had sewing skills. Like the hat.

OK ... you've got me interested! I think I'm going to make this thing for my wife and me. It's a great looking and functional hat.

I have one question right off the bat, but I'm sure there will be more to follow. What do you use for the "wire" to stiffen the brim? What material and what guage did you use?

I have a Tilley and a Pacific Dorfman wool "cowboy" style hat. I have inpected them and they do not have a wire. They are also packable, which is a very important characteristic! I crush these hats into my backpack or luggage and they pop out in amazingly good shape. with a minute of tugging on them, they look as if they have never been folded.

I would seem to me that a metal wire wouldn't be this resilient; that it would permanently bend out of shape. Also, with many manual bendings to reshape the brim, it would seem that the metal would break from fatigue failure.

I'm looking for some guidance here, help!

All three of my Tilley's have a wire in the brim end.

John, thanks for pointing that out. I re-checked mine and yes there is a "wire." I'm pretty sure that it is plastic!

I tried bending it but it doesn't hold the bend. I think metal would hold the shape so that leads me to the conclusion that it is plastic.

Does anyone know where a "plastic wire" can be aquired?

Michael, email Tilley. They may just send you some of what they use?

Michael, the monofilament line for a weed wacker may work.

Eric, that's a great idea. I believe they make a super heavy duty weed-whacker line for thick grass. I'll bet that would do the trick!

Off to Home Depot for camping supplies,.. huh?

> the monofilament line for a weed wacker may work.

It does, most excellently. I have used it a lot.

cheers

Thanks for the confirmation, Roger!

I used a 16 gauge plastic covered copper wire from Home Depot. The plastic lines will work great. The reason that I used the wire was to help shape the rim into a more cowboy style hat. If you just want a flat brim, then the plastic should do just fine.