I’m a hunter jumper person, never been hunting, but I’d love to. Just a question - these melton coats are soooo expensive - why?
Oh, and melton is a type of wool? (Sorry, I’m ignorant on all things hunting.)
Tx
jmho !!
Yes melton wool is a kind of pure wool fabric that comes in various “weights” or thicknesses. ANY pure wool apparel is pricey but this wool is tightly woven to be nearly windproof and waterproof. Water usually beads up and rolls off. Mud can be just brushed off once it dries. The material is very, very expensive but it’s worth it as coats last 20 yrs plus if cared for. Easy to repair and sew on. It’s the tightness of the weave that makes it so valuable. It doesn’t tear easily so when ducking branches or stickers it’s worth it. Remember, we are riding cross country in ALL kinds of weather conditions so we need TOUGH, weather resistant, breathable and long wearing material for our coats. We can thank our sheep friends for this!
Thanks so very much for explaining, WG !
Now, I’m fairly allergic to wool. How is melton wool for those allergic to wool?
Anyone making hunt coats yet out of merino wool (much allergenic)?
Yes, I know it’s just a coat and not next to your skin but most wools still make
me itch.
Thanks so much, again
[QUOTE=sonomacounty;6207779]
Thanks so very much for explaining, WG !
Now, I’m fairly allergic to wool. How is melton wool for those allergic to wool?
Anyone making hunt coats yet out of merino wool (much allergenic)?
Yes, I know it’s just a coat and not next to your skin but most wools still make
me itch.
Thanks so much, again[/QUOTE]
You will not feel itchy if the coat fits and you have layers under it. Especially if it’s 27 degrees and spitting sleet. You will lean down and kiss your melton with frozen lips.
Gotcha, thanks FF.
If you are allergic, you can get a coat made of out calvary twill (which is still wool), but a lighter weave, therefore it will not be as warm, nor as windproof/waterproof, as a heavier-weight melton wool coat.
I have both a calvary twill frock for warm days, and a melton wool hunt coat for cold days.
The coats have full linings, too. The custom ones have windproof and insulating linings.
Extra useable bigger pockets that work for extra gloves, energy bars or other food that can be eaten at a gallop. ( because that’s when the fox decides to take off for a screaming run) There is pocket space for the necessities of being out in the trees and bushes for 3 or 4 hours. We do have checks while the hounds are finding the scent line again.
It’s grand fun!
<It’s grand fun!>
I do bet it is !
Thank you all so much !
During the warmer early Fall days, we use tweed cub hunting hacking jackets. These are probably more the weight and breathe-ability of a cool weather show coat for you. We also wear these inside for the hunt breakfasts, since the Formal winter heavy meltons are much too hot in a house.
The light weight jackets are sometimes made with wool or wool blends or stretch materials. They are great for casual dress Fridays at work or attending Steeplechase Races as a spectator.
Years ago,I evented, and I used to use a navy or black light weight coat for dressage or show jumping. Those had linings too. The acetate linings were hot and didn’t breathe, even if the outer material did.
Are we going to see you out this Fall for the CotH hunt?:winkgrin:
I didn’t think melton was a type of wool, but a type of CLOTH.
Hunt coats are expensive also because they are no longer the same as show coats. Design is different. Because of the specialized nature of the hunt coat, there are fewer buyers, so economies of scale don’t apply. And the retail vendors also tend to specialize in hunt garb and gear, so they don’t get the kind of breaks from their suppliers that larger vendors do. There are also very few, if any, “lower scale” retailers for fox hunters.
A melton coat will last a lifetime if the owner’s shape and size doesn’t change. In the deep south, they tend to be far too hot to be practical, even in winter. OTOH, the natural waterproofing makes one worth every penny IMO.
I have known many an owner whose coats, boots and even saddles have shrunk over the course of an off season. 
Yes, Melton is a tight weave of cloth with a slight pile that’s almost felted on top so it’s very dense and wind/water resistant.
You can have wool Melton, you can have wool-mix Melton.
It’s often used for peacoats, hunt frocks and Mackinaw jackets.
To the OP, the reason a good melton coat is expensive is that your quality fabrics are easily $30-$40 a yard. Then add in the skill and difficulty involved in tailoring a good quality coat, and the price might start to seem quite reasonable.
I spent over $200 on a light wool twill for a sidesaddle habit. Lining, boning, interlining, buttons and so on brought to total over $300, and it was absolute murder to make.
Cheapo hunter tweed jackets are mass made in Asia etc. hence the… cheapness.
My local tack shop sells beautiful melton hunt coats, but they also carry several less expensive black wool “knockoff” types for occasional hunters. While obviously not suitable for someone who hunts regularly, the less expensive wool jackets might fit the OP’s needs if she just wants to hunt occasionally. OP can always upgrade to a real melton coat if she becomes a hunting addict.
Question:
Why are hunt coats single vented, not double? Maybe single would be a little warmer than double? But, double might allow a bit more freedom for the rider, no?
I have a seen double vented melton, in my recent searches - so what does that mean? Is the venting related to mens or womens, perhaps?
Yes, I know that it really does not mean much. I’m an academic sort, though, and like to know all the minutia.
Tx so much.
sonoma
I don’t know the reason for the single vent but I do know that back in the 1960s when I was a jr. all of my show coats had single vents as well, that was just the style. I don’t think the double vent appeared until the 1970s but single vents seemed to continue to be the style in the hunt field. Of course, we didn’t have all the options that are available today, nor was everyone so obsessed with "what’s in fashion"as they are in H/J land today. We wore what was traditional and appropriate and didn’t worry about it.
Double vents: British
Single vent: American
That said I had the best single vented hacking jacket when I was a kid (UK) in olive tweed with a green and orange shot silk lining that had a modesty flap under the vent. You never see modesty flaps these days - so cute. :yes:
[QUOTE=Ravencrest_Camp;6224762]
I have known many an owner whose coats, boots and even saddles have shrunk over the course of an off season. :D[/QUOTE]
I really didn’t “grow”… honest!!! But the horse I was trying out last year decided to “swim” the river and unexpectedly leaped into it instead of carefully negotiating the down-bank. So he landed in the deep hole that the landowner had warned us to avoid and we tipped over and went under water. So anyway I was wearing a really nice heavy Melton that Dover used to carry – they don’t anymore – that now seems to have shrunk a bit. It can be worn but its definitely quite snug on me now. (And honestly… it’s not me!!!) Is there any way to stretch a wool coat that got wet back to its original size?
If not, where does one get the really, really heavy wool Meltons these days? I can’t find a good source and in Iowa I think I really do need it to be as heavy as the old Dover coats were.
Horse Country
Has wonderful Meltons in several weights. Their tweeds come in several weights also.
I will not say how many I have, but I will say they recognize my voice when I call.
They tend to be priced to what the market will bare.
