Hat Brands & Kitemarks

[flyingfeet]

Ok I thought I would post this whilst hats are the limelight

I need a BSI kitemarked hat to compete in Riding club area competitions.

At the moment I have a Casco arcus which I love and fits really well, but as this is EN1384 I cannot compete under RC rules.

I tried on Champion, Charles Owen, Harry Hall & Just Togs hats (skull & riding hats), but they do not fit. All of them would tip forward and break my nose if I landed on the back of my head.

The only hate that fitted properly was a Gatehouse skull, however despite being BE rated and SNELL... this doesn't have a kitemark either!

So are they are other brands that are a) Kitemarked and b) suitable for the more er "rounded" headed individuals.

If I cannot find one, I guess I'll have to use a badly fitting hat, which is absurd!

 

[Rambo]

Sorry, but being a bit thick....why is EN1384 not satisfactory for RC comps

 

[flyingfeet]

Oh don't get me started on that one!!!

EN1384 is not enough for both Pony Club & Riding Club. The hat has to bear a kitemark. This is not imposed by any other body (BSJA, BE etc), as it would limit competitors to buying a hat in the UK.

Also the kitemark only says that the hats coming off the production line are uniform - nothing else (no extra safety).

 

[the watcher]

It is jolly annoying and as far as i am concerned the BSI have done the best self promotion job EVER! There are better hats out there that cannot be used because the British public have been brainwashed into thinking that the Kitemark is the only standard that matters.

Sadly can't advise, know lots of really good makes but they are american or european and will not be Kite marked

 

[CastleMouse]

Because it is the lowest up-to-date standard, and is a European safety standard, not a higher standard British one, I think?

 

[flyingfeet]

No the kitemark is not a standard - a Kitemarked BSEN1384 and a euro EN1384 hat meet the same safety standards.

The kitemarked one has a quality assurance stamp to say the factory is producing a consistent product.

 

[the watcher]

[ QUOTE ]
Because it is the lowest up-to-date standard, and is a European safety standard, not a higher standard British one, I think?

[/ QUOTE ]

You see, there is the myth..I am not convinced that the British standard is higher! And the lack of a Kitemark simply means that those other manufactuers have not submitted hats for testing to the BSI, not that those hats would fail the tests...because there is a charge for testing of course

 

[magic104]

"It is jolly annoying and as far as i am concerned the BSI have done the best self promotion job EVER! There are better hats out there that cannot be used because the British public have been brainwashed into thinking that the Kitemark is the only standard that matters"
Sorry but where does this come from? Why have BSI done the best promotion job EVER!? What is your understanding of BSI?

 

[HBII]

I have a Charles Owen velvet one I think it is the Show Jump one. I decided to replace my last one that I must have had for 7 years!

I think it has got all the up to date requirements on it!

Hb

 

[flyingfeet]

Unfortunately Charles Owen doesn't fit me at all.

Actually there is one more brand I've found - Christies. Now got to find somewhere to try them on.

Anyone else wearing a different kitemarked brand???

 

[Rambo]

Sounds like there could be a market here......for a stencil of the kitemark

 

[magic104]

I should add BSI don't enforce the rule with either BSJA, PC or any other equestrian society, it is their choice which standards they wish to follow. the_watcher is correct it is upto to the manufacturer to put forward their products for testing & yes they do have to pay for this. These standards are set as follows;
"As the National Standards Body, British Standards would facilitate the development of standards through the consensus of expert representatives from businesses, industry, government, academia, consumers and other societal groups." So it is not just BSI that set them or enforce them. Believe me they put these products through very vigerous testing, the manufacturer's get their monies worth. Remember the equipment and staff have costs attached and BSI is not government run so like any other business need to make an income, hence they charge a price. And yes I did work for BSI, 8.5yrs.

 

[the watcher]

My understanding of it is as they describe on their website;-

'The Kitemark is the worlds best known Product and Service Certification mark and commands respect from consumers and business alike
In fact, many organisations have made it mandatory for their supplier’s products to have been awarded the Kitemark, before they will place an order with them.
Consumers and specifiers trust that products bearing the Kitemark have passed a rigorous certification process and as such will not only be safer to use but will also be fit for the purpose for which they were designed.
Products that benefit from this differentiation will have been assessed to published standards as well as being manufactured using a process governed by quality management systems such as ISO 9001: 2000.
In addition to this, the products and quality management systems of our licensees are audited periodically to maintain product quality.
Recent opinion polls showed that over 60% of consumers would choose a product affixed with the BSI Kitemark over a similarly price product.
The Kitemark is not easy to attain as our clients will testify and it is because of the high standards manufacturers must achieve to be awarded this prestigious mark that ensures the value of the Kitemark'

Obviously i am not knocking the fact that items are tested to a very high level, if buying a children's toy then i would be concerned if there was not a CE or kitemark, however what has happened is that organisations have seized upon it as the ONLY measure of safety, and many other perfectly good products will be excluded as a result..although they will find a market elsewhere in the world. It has the effect of reducing choice for the consumer.

the world is smaller, there are international and US Standards, and more imported products...and not all manufacturers care to jump through the BSI hoops

 

[magic104]

BSI do not ask manufacturers to jump through any hoops. It is the societies setting the standard not BSI, as they do not interfer in the rules that ea society sets. So I do not think "It is jolly annoying and as far as i am concerned the BSI have done the best self promotion job EVER! There are better hats out there that cannot be used because the British public" is a fair comment. People should take it up with the societies setting the rules & ask them if it is really necessary to exclude hats that are EN1384 tested. Ask them why the have put the exclusions in.

 

[flyingfeet]

--------->

So come on people there must be more brands out there than Champion and Charles Owen?

 

[CastleMouse]

The Horka Riding Hat? It's BSEN 1384, but kitemarked.http://www.dressageonabudget.co.uk/riding-hats.php (it's below the Horka Dressage Cap)

 

[Peaches]

Presume the Gatehouse youtried was the HiSpec - what about another Gatehouse model as they are mostly kitemarked?