Experienced hat maker (4)
I believe the answer is:
felt
This clue might be a double definition.
'experienced' is the first definition.
(feeling is a kind of experiencing)
'hat maker' is the second definition.
The answer and definition can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe you can see an association between them that I don't see?
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for felt that I've seen before include "examined by touch" , "Fabric - perceived by touch" , "checked by hand" , "Touched - experienced" , "Cloth of matted fibres; experienced" .)