Many years ago we had a feature called WoodCentral Hat Sightings. Members who owned a WoodCentral hat would photograph it in interesting places around the world. We saw hats in national parks, on mountaintops, at famous landmarks, and in more than a few woodworking shops.
It was a lot of fun.
These days most of us probably travel less than we once did, but something else has happened over the years — those hats have aged.
So here is a proposal for a new version of Sightings.
The “Most Beat-Up WoodCentral Hat” Contest
Instead of where the hat has traveled, the question is:
Who has the most worn-out WoodCentral hat still in service?
Many of these hats are 15–25 years old now. If yours has survived years in the shop, on job sites, in the truck, under finishing dust, and through countless washings, it may be a serious contender.
Possible judging criteria
Post a photo and tell the story. Points for things like:
Visible wear
Faded color
Frayed brim edges
Sweatband deterioration
Stains from finish, glue, or shop grime
Sun bleaching
Structural damage
Crushed crown
Bent or permanently reshaped bill
Repairs, stitches, patches, duct tape, etc.
Authentic shop abuse
Glue drips
Finish splatters
Paint or stain spots
Sawdust permanently embedded in the fabric
Years of service
When you bought it (if you remember)
How often it has been worn in the shop
Bonus points
Hats that have been repaired rather than replaced
Hats that clearly should have been retired years ago but keep showing up in the shop
The spirit of the contest
This is not about who can destroy a hat the fastest. The goal is honest wear earned over time.
Think of it the same way we admire an old hand plane with worn handles and polished metal from decades of use.
If you still have a WoodCentral hat, dig it out, take a photo, and post it. The more history and shop scars it carries, the better.
Somewhere out there is probably a WoodCentral hat that has survived two decades of sawdust. Let's see it.
Entering is as easy as posting a photo of it as a reply to this! Note that replies here are moderated and do not appear until published. My thoughts are that readers can "vote" on the entries using the emoticons. By holding back replies until a certain date, they will all appear at the same time, and the votes would not be skewed by those published first.
The reply below by the lovely Lena Wayback shows how your entries will appear once published. Use the emoticon feature to vote on her if you want. Note that although everyone can see the votes, only those logged in can use it.
