welcome aboard, pard'
Greetings from Tennessee!
you have found a great group & I dare say you will lose hours here, I think everyone will back me up on this.
The consensus here is that wool, regardless of type, finish or grade, is always going to be inferior to felt made from fur, for reasons that begin at the microscopic level (the way in which the barbed hooks on the shaft of a fiber of wool react to the felting process as opposed to the same of fur... or something along those lines. The pro hatters can correct me) and extend to the aesthetic- e.g. the almost silken finnish achievable on fur felt vs. the inherent coarseness of wool, at least that is what I have gleaned.
But knock around here & you will find the answers to many of your questions, you can use the google "advanced search function" to get better results, IMHO.
also, if you really feel like a heel buying fur based felt, you could go & get a nutria fur felt lid. The little buggers are real pests, as are the Ozzie wild rabbits & hares as I recall... just a thought. There has also been, in recent memory, a discussion or two here on the lounge about non animal based alternatives, but there is really no substitute.
Of course in Atlanta & environs, you could wear a panama (vegatable fiber) almost year round, eh?
BTW, I grew up in Athens in the 70s & 80s, how do you find Atlanta? Did you go to UGA?
Anyway welcome again & I'll get the next virtual
mar
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