Show us your knockaround hats

[Good Lukes]

Today, I am wearing my favorite "knockaround" hat, a blue Knox Tom 'n' Jerry stingy-brim fedora from the 1960's. To me, a "knockaround" hat is one you enjoy wearing casually and often, without worrying too much about wear, stains, or a little rough handling. We tend to show all of our “dress hats”, “Sunday hats”, “box/shelf/wall queens”, or “museum/show pieces”. These are hats you try hard to keep in pristine condition, more about preservation than wear and often symbolic of status, rarity, or formal style. In contrast, the knockaround hat is still a decent hat — perhaps, it has a good felt or maybe just a nice shape — but it is not rare, mint, or irreplaceable. They are great for errands, travel, or everyday outings. For example, it might be that serviceable vintage Stetson you picked up cheaply that wears well but is not a top-shelf piece ... or that modern production fedora you keep in the rotation, so your rare Cavanagh or Mallory does not get all the sweat and sun. Do you have one or more "knockaround" hats? If so, please post them in this thread because we want to see them too.

 

[jackadven]

Sadly I don't have any nice vintage hats. But based on your description, my knockaround hat is this Akubra Federation IV. On the plus side, the fact that it's not vintage means I don't mind running it through the weather.

 

[Good Lukes]

Sadly I don't have any nice vintage hats. But based on your description, my knockaround hat is this Akubra Federation IV. On the plus side, the fact that it's not vintage means I don't mind running it through the weather.

View attachment 727439

Hi Jack, I do not yet own an Akubra yet but based on their stellar reputation for rugged yet beautiful hats, I have a feeling they will make many appearances on this thread and they are all welcomed. Cheers!

 

[Clossonrr1]

Today, I am wearing my favorite "knockaround" hat, a blue Knox Tom 'n' Jerry stingy-brim fedora from the 1960's. To me, a "knockaround" hat is one you enjoy wearing casually and often, without worrying too much about wear, stains, or a little rough handling. We tend to show all of our “dress hats”, “Sunday hats”, “box/shelf/wall queens”, or “museum/show pieces”. These are hats you try hard to keep in pristine condition, more about preservation than wear and often symbolic of status, rarity, or formal style. In contrast, the knockaround hat is still a decent hat — perhaps, it has a good felt or maybe just a nice shape — but it is not rare, mint, or irreplaceable. They are great for errands, travel, or everyday outings. For example, it might be that serviceable vintage Stetson you picked up cheaply that wears well but is not a top-shelf piece ... or that modern production fedora you keep in the rotation, so your rare Cavanagh or Mallory does not get all the sweat and sun. Do you have one or more "knockaround" hats? If so, please post them in this thread because we want to see them too.
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You pull it off well!

 

[Onomea]

I had a knockaround hat. I only decided it was a knockaround hat last January.

The hat was a rabbit or hare Italian felt that I purchased by mail from Worth & Worth in NYC circa 2003 when in was living in Tokyo. Probably an online purchase. I recall it cost me $250 plus whatever the shipping was, and at the time seemed to me to be a lot of money for a hat.

I also recall there being some issue about the purchase and corresponding a bit via email with Orlando who I think had just taken over the place.

I wore the hat regularly until 2006 when I bought my first Optimo (and realized hats could be really expensive).

With the arrival of my first Optimo, the W&W was relegated to weekend, casual wear. Comparing it to the Optimo, I also decided it was too soft, floppy, flimsy, and — a mistake in retrospect — sent it out for stiffner to be added. The W&W came back stiffer but with the top half of the crown stained darker from the stiffner. I wore it less, and when I received my second Optimo a couple of years later, basically put it into the closet, carelessly unboxed, and forgot about it.

I retired in 2012, and moved in Japan to a city south of Tokyo. The W&W came along, and while I debated just chucking it as I had better hats, I wound up throwing it into the bottom of an upstairs closet with some old computer gear on a shelf above some old shoes. There it stayed for a dozen years. I’d notice it occasionally and pick it up. The lining eventually fell down from the crown. Developed a couple of moth nips. I’d pop it on my head briefly, remembering old times, and chuck it back into the closet and walk away.

I gradually moved back to the US. (By grdually, I mean back and forth between the two countries, maintaining two houses.) And I brought my hats other than my first Optimo and the largely forgotton, moth bit W&W to the US with me. Last January, on my now two-month annual visit to Japan, I came across the W&W again, and, for whatever reason, begain wearing it again.

The stiffner stain had faded, as had any stiffening effect. The hat, while looking pretty beat up, was a wonderful proverbial “buttery soft,“ pliable, and very comfortable. I liked it.

A knockabout hat! I decided to bring it back to the US with me.

But, being me - I am an inveterate fixer upper — even before I got back to the US, I decided to have it cleaned, reblocked, and a new lining and sweatband put in.

Once here, and into the renewal process, it soon tore irreparably on the block…

So, yes, I had a knockabout hat, but its life in that role was shortlived.

 

[BobHufford]

With the arrival of my first Optimo, the W&W was relegated to weekend, casual wear.

With enough wear even Optimos can reach beater status.