A Practical Solution

To a problem that perhaps only I think exists

I’ve written here, and elsewhere, quite a bit about hats through the years. Specifically the hat as used in Freemasonry to denote the presiding officer in a Lodge or Grand Lodge.

Here in the Jurisdiction of Washington, and I presume most everywhere else, we’ve got rules about hats. The Worshipful Master wears a hat while presiding over his Lodge, and all others remain without a head covering. The same holds true for the Grand Master. Except if we are out of doors. Outside, everyone gets to wear a hat.

It’s a good tradition, held over from long ago.

Effanem Hat

What has always rather bothered me though are the hats that are generally worn. Especially in public settings.

We seem to have this odd tradition, at least in my Jurisdiction, that the hat should be an old fashioned Top Hat. How this ever came to be viewed as a ‘Masonic Tradition’ completely baffles me, given that the Top Hat was invented long after Freemasonry was established around the world.

But, whatever the reason may have been, most Masons here seem to firmly believe that the Worshipful Master should be standing in the East, in a Top Hat.

The trouble with this of course is that Top Hats are made from beaver fur. They are still available, but real Top Hats are hundreds of dollars. A good one made here in the Pacific Northwest will cost around $800.

Very few, if any Masons who are elected Worshipful Master are going to run out an buy themselves a Top Hat like that for their year in the East.

What happens instead, more often than not, is they will select one of the very old and beat up Top Hats in their Lodge’s small collection. A Top Hat that sort of fits, and is in horrible shape.

Honestly, this isn’t a good look. It’s an especially a bad look when involved in a public ceremony.

I would suggest that a much better solution is for the Worshipful Master to purchase a hat for his year in the East that is in keeping with his budget, and that he enjoys the style of.

I’ve got a handful of hats purchased for this purpose. The finest of which is a handmade western style that was crafted for me by Brother Roy Jackson in Salmon Idaho. I’ll be wearing it over the next year as Master of Seattle’s Doric Lodge.

But, a hat like that is a commitment. Probably more of a commitment than most men in today’s world want to make.

It seems to me that what would likely be desirable to most Masons assuming the East is an inexpensive hat, in black felt, that isn’t too ‘big’ or ‘loud,’ and that can take a physical beating.

Most Worshipful Masters don’t want to spend a small fortune on a hat that might only be worn a couple of dozen times, and they don’t want a hat that needs to travel around in a specially designed hard case. What they do want is something that looks reasonably good, that any man can pull off, that is easily affordable, and that they don’t have to baby. Indeed a hat that they can accidentally sit on and not ruin or need to have repaired.

I might suggest that I have found this perfect hat for most Worshipful Masters.

It’s an Effanem brand hat. It comes in black, the brim is a conservative width, and it is made of a very soft felt. Importantly, it is extremely inexpensive, and it is made in such a way that it can be crushed without any harm coming to it. Indeed, when purchasing one new, it will come all rolled up. You’ll need to play with it for a minute or two to get it into the shape you want. It’s easier to do this if you use a little steam from a tea kettle.

The Effanem hat is pictured above.

I think it is a really good looking hat, that any man could pull off. It’s made in the USA, and the owner can be proud of its quality.

One of these hats can be purchased for 29.95 from a mail order company called Madsens. They are available for purchase at a few other places via mail order, including Walmart and Amazon, but all are more expensive than Madsens, indeed Amazon and Walmart are almost double the price.

I’m lucky, because Madsen’s is located in my City, and they let retail customers wander through their massive supply of goods. But they are great at phone orders too. As far as I know, they don’t accept orders online, they are a specialty shop, and you’ve got to give them a call.

1-800-822-2808

If you call them, you’ll want to ask for a “Wool Crusher Hat.” That’s what they call them there.

Your choices will be size, from Small to Extra Large, and color. They’ve got the black you want for Lodge, but also red, orange, and green. It’s my understanding that Small = 7, Medium = 71/8, Large = 71/4, XL = 73/8. There might be other sizes available, larger and smaller, but you would need to ask them about that. a large fits my bald head perfectly.

This is, I must admit, a bit of an odd post here on Emeth, but I hope that some of you who are looking to your time in the East will find it helpful. It is, I think, a near perfect solution.

---

Thank you for reading Emeth. I truly appreciate it!

If you are new here, Welcome! I hope that the essays and discussions provide you with inspiration and actionable ideas to improve your own Masonic experience, and help in the quest to create truly Legendary Freemasonry.

If you have been reading here for a while, and find value in this community, then I ask that you consider upgrading to a paid subscription. Emeth could not exist without the support of those who hold paid subscriptions. If you want it to survive into the future, then I hope that you will consider supporting it. You can upgrade to a paid subscription at the link below:

If you already hold a paid subscription, Thank You very much! Your commitment and support is why I do this, and I cannot say thank you enough. Without you, this crazy dream of mine, this effort to create a superb online Masonic experience and community could not exist.

Thank you all!