Post New Hats Here!

[RickP]

Goodwill Special. Carroll John Cavanaugh Homburg. This hat was listed as a bowler. I didn't find out it was a Homburg until I pulled it out of the box. Love this one.

Anybody know what this crumbly orange stuff is? I thought it was confetti or something when I first opened the box. Now I don't know.
View attachment 789077 View attachment 789078 View attachment 789079 View attachment 789080 View attachment 789081 View attachment 789082 View attachment 789083 View attachment 789084 View attachment 789085 View attachment 789086

Ive found a couple of rather old hat boxes that had what looked like the remains of a sheet or bag inside. As soon a they were touched, they absolutely turned to amber glitter. I always assumed it was there to protect a new hat in the box back in the day

 

[Judgmentalist]

Ive found a couple of rather old hat boxes that had what looked like the remains of a sheet or bag inside. As soon a they were touched, they absolutely turned to amber glitter. I always assumed it was there to protect a new hat in the box back in the day

Thank you. This is very useful information. I’m sure this is what I’m looking at now.

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

Non brand, but vintage probably late 60's, early 70's, and real "airly light" panama from Ecuador with a fantasy hatband and leather sweatband inside. Also a sizelabel inside. Sold in Germany by Schirm und Hutmoden G. Creuels in Aken (Aachen). I like the look of it.
Needed some steam when it came in. View attachment 789642 View attachment 789643 View attachment 789644 View attachment 789645 View attachment 789646 View attachment 789647 View attachment 789648 View attachment 789649

Love that crown tip label!
Lately, it seems you've found one or more good sources for straw hats: Bravo, Marcel!

 

[Pellie]

Love that crown tip label!
Lately, it seems you've found one or more good sources for straw hats: Bravo, Marcel!

Thanks Matt. Yes i did, but that real vintage panama, i didn't found yet. But i'll keep my eyes open for that!

 

[Judgmentalist]

Mystery Stetson. The guy selling this hat didn't know what model it was and neither do I. I thought it was going to be a beater, and quite possibly my first hat shipped squished into a bag, but neither are the case. It's in good shape and it was well packaged. Feels like good quality felt too.

Let me know what you think; please and thank you.

 

[Frunobulax]

Mystery Stetson. The guy selling this hat didn't know what model it was and neither do I. I thought it was going to be a beater, and quite possibly my first hat shipped squished into a bag, but neither are the case. It's in good shape and it was well packaged. Feels like good quality felt too.

Let me know what you think; please and thank you.
View attachment 790035 View attachment 790036 View attachment 790037 View attachment 790038 View attachment 790039 View attachment 790040 View attachment 790041 View attachment 790042 View attachment 790043

Not all hats have a model name.

 

[moehawk]

I thought they all had model names, but few have them printed on the hat as they were more for calalog use rather than for the public...I may be wrong.

 

[Judgmentalist]

I am calling this one the "proto-BBB."

This hat was made and sold by The Panama Hat Company of the Pacific sometime between approximately 1988 and 2002. In 1988, Brent Black discovered Montecristi hats and began importing and wholesaling them through tourist shops and retailers in Hawaii under this business name.

The company name never gained significant recognition. Around 2002, Mr. Black shifted away from wholesaling (or at least from primarily supplying tourist shops with hat bodies), focused his marketing efforts on his personal name (DBA the original name), and began selling almost exclusively custom Montecristi hats directly to customers through his website.

What makes this hat interesting to me is that it predates the modern Brent Black brand.

When I found this hat for sale online, I thought it would be an interesting opportunity to examine an early Brent Black-era hat and compare its quality, materials, weave, and craftsmanship to the custom hats produced under the Brent Black name today. Regardless of the outcome, it offers a useful reference point for understanding how the company's products evolved over time.

I have found other, higher-WPI hats sold through Hawaiian retailers from this period that appear to bear Mr. Black's characteristic squiggle on the hat body, suggesting that they may have been selected or distributed through these same wholesale channels. This remains speculative, however, and this is the only example I have found thus far bearing The Panama Hat Company of the Pacific branding.

Perhaps most interestingly, this hat's weave count falls below that of the lowest-WPI custom Montecristi hat offered by Brent Black today. I also find the color interesting, as there is noticeably more variation in the straw than I have seen in modern BBB hats. I don't know whether this variation was present when the hat was woven or if portions of the straw darkened differently with age. Still, in my opinion this is a quality hat body. I don't prefer the cloth sweatband, as I personally will never be folding any of my Panama hats. Let me know what you think of the quality and finish; please and thank you.

This hat doesn't fit me, but my wife has agreed to wear it, provided I take her on an appropriate tropical vacation to justify the event. She is a better negotiator than I am.

"proto-BBB" - 308 WPI according to my count

 

[blewnote]

Mystery Stetson. The guy selling this hat didn't know what model it was and neither do I. I thought it was going to be a beater, and quite possibly my first hat shipped squished into a bag, but neither are the case. It's in good shape and it was well packaged. Feels like good quality felt too.

Let me know what you think; please and thank you.
View attachment 790035

That looks like a "modern" production Stetson. I'd guess 1980s on. It has the size in both US hat size and the EU size and the sweatband is a tell (black leather that doesn't look all that high quality).

The felt on these more modern hats is not really in the same league as the vintage stuff, but it's not a dealbreaker for me. What I dislike about the more modern hats is the quality of the sweatband and the blocking profile. I just found a Stetson of similar vintage to yours in a thrift store and the crown is shorter and has more taper than my earlier hats and the profile just doesn't look as good to me. I'm going to see if I can block it into a better shape and sell it along.

 

[Frunobulax]

I thought they all had model names, but few have them printed on the hat as they were more for calalog use rather than for the public...I may be wrong.

You may be right about newer production Stetsons, but I always assumed - given the variety and variations - that many older hats didn't. Most of the older (pre-1960) hat boxes you see don't delineate model names like the newer ones do.

 

[Judgmentalist]

You may be right about newer production Stetsons, but I always assumed - given the variety and variations - that many older hats didn't. Most of the older (pre-1960) hat boxes you see don't delineate model names like the newer ones do.

There are a bunch of model names that I found when I went looking specifically for model names that I haven’t encountered in the wild.

I couldn’t find a model name that was specifically associated with that little medallion on the ribbon.

 

[wsmontana]

Mystery Stetson. The guy selling this hat didn't know what model it was and neither do I. I thought it was going to be a beater, and quite possibly my first hat shipped squished into a bag, but neither are the case. It's in good shape and it was well packaged. Feels like good quality felt too.

Let me know what you think; please and thank you.
View attachment 790035 View attachment 790036 View attachment 790037 View attachment 790038 View attachment 790039 View attachment 790040 View attachment 790041 View attachment 790042 View attachment 790043

It’s a modern Stetson that looks like a Temple (but the hat band ribbon is too narrow for that model). The Royal is Stetson’s lowest quality fur felt hat and in my experience can be pretty sketchy in terms of quality. On the other hand, I own some stellar vintage Royal Stetsons so keep an eye out for those.

If you are going to buy modern Stetsons I would recommend you step up to the Royal Deluxe grade for a fedora or the 6X for a western especially if you can find them in good used condition.

If you want a good modern hat that stands up to the elements I suggest checking out Akubra. I prefer them over modern Royal Stetsons.

 

[Judgmentalist]

Thanks I bought this one because it was cheap. I thought it was going to be a good beater to practice resto work on, but it turned out to be in better shape than I realized. I also need to get my gauge for felt quality fine-tuned, apparently. I was aware this was a lower quality line, but the felt feels fine to me.

I’ve been watching for an Akubra in the size and shape that I want too.

 

[Judgmentalist]

Thanks I bought this one because it was cheap. I thought it was going to be a good beater to practice resto work on, but it turned out to be in better shape than I realized. I also need to get my gauge for felt quality fine-tuned, apparently. I was aware this was a lower quality line, but the felt feels fine to me.

I’ve been watching for an Akubra in the size and shape that I want too.

I like that green one you have up but 7 1/8 won’t work for me.

 

[wsmontana]

Thanks I bought this one because it was cheap. I thought it was going to be a good beater to practice resto work on, but it turned out to be in better shape than I realized. I also need to get my gauge for felt quality fine-tuned, apparently. I was aware this was a lower quality line, but the felt feels fine to me.

I’ve been watching for an Akubra in the size and shape that I want too.

Yeah, that hat looks to be in great condition and if it fits and you like it I see no reason not to enjoy it as is.

Around these parts it is pretty easy to find hats (especially westerns) in much worse condition that are great candidates for restoration practice.

 

[coolhandluke_7]

Stetson OR 6X in Silverbelly...

 

[Judgmentalist]

I have been waiting for this moment for some time.... Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present - my first custom hat!

A Montecristi from our very own Wolfbrae, Mr. Robert Gault.

Thank you Robert, for working with me on this lovely hat.

Robert helped me dial in the size so that it fits perfectly. Most of my hats either fit a little snugly or a little loosely, because I am pretty much right in between a 7 3/8 and 7 1/2. I am also at the top end of the range for "normal oval"; just under the point where it tips into the "long oval" bracket. Mr. Gault is the hatter that helped me figure this out.

Wolfbrae Panama - you can see the green base in the ribbon best in this photo.

This photo really doesn't do justice to the lovely vintage ribbon Robert helped me select. I love the texture, and there is more green than is visible here.

 

[Judgmentalist]

Stetson OR 6X in Silverbelly...

View attachment 790241

love this one

 

[coolhandluke_7]

love this one

Thank you sir. I've been wanting a Silverbelly for a while, but never pulled the trigger on one. I visited the outlet in Garland last Saturday, but didn't find an OR in acceptable condition in my size. There was a 100x in my size for $399, but the crown was pressed all kinds of off center.

Luckily I ran across this one on my lunch break at a western outlet store in the OKC Stockyards today for $269. I gave the in-store hatter freedom to shape the brim in the way that he thought that it would look best. It turned out similar to Ike's Silverbelly, and I like the look.

 

[Frunobulax]

There are a bunch of model names that I found when I went looking specifically for model names that I haven’t encountered in the wild.

I couldn’t find a model name that was specifically associated with that little medallion on the ribbon.

That little medallion was just something Stetson was putting on hats from that period. Dobbs does/did the same thing (both of course being owned by Hatco).

While we have catalogues showing various model names (mostly westerns), the production of hats during the 30s, 40s, 50s, etc. was abundant and varied. Different retailers ordered and sold designs not sold anywhere else, for example. Some hats were sold by retailers under their own brand, but made by a jobber like Lee, for example. Heaven knows what "model" they were sold under.

Stetson sold many popular models, but them and other makers just seemed to sell different designs and styles (which changed from year to year) but didn’t seem to name them that we've been able to determine.

I guess what I'm saying is, unless it's a Strat or an OR or Musketeer, obsessing over the model designation is an exercise in futility.