What kind of hat do I need?

[Mandoplumb]

The hat doesn’t matter, one break and everyone will know how good you are regardless of what hat you have on

[JeffD]

The hat doesn’t matter, one break and everyone will know how good you are regardless of what hat you have on

Absolutely correct, sadly. Because I find it much easier to to get a good hat than to get good at the mandolin.

[Dave Hicks]

Well, honestly, was the hat crucial to writing In Memoriam, or was it the facial hair?

[journeybear]

Both, in similar amounts, methinks. Though most likely, both external attributes were secondary to the internal workings of his mind.

He did seem to like that hat, and stuck with it, even after aging - his beard got gray, but the hat stayed the same.

[Dave Hicks]

Both, in similar amounts, methinks. Though most likely, both external attributes were secondary to the internal workings of his mind.

He did seem to like that hat, and stuck with it, even after aging - his beard got gray, but the hat stayed the same.

He had to grow into both, it appears. In Memoriam was constructed bareface, apparently. (Probably not Ulysses, though.)

[Simon DS]

While travelling on a cold day if you’ve ever wondered where to store your mandolin: