Ask a question, get an answer

[Who me?]

Hello,
Can someone explain the difference between a Royal Deluxe Stetson, and a Royal Stetson Deluxe?
When did the name change?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[blewnote]

It's buried somewhere here in a thread, but my recollection is that Royal Stetson DeLuxe was in use from around 1946-48 and then they switched to Stetson Royal DeLuxe.

 

[Who me?]

It's buried somewhere here in a thread, but my recollection is that Royal Stetson DeLuxe was in use from around 1946-48 and then they switched to Stetson Royal DeLuxe.

Thanks.
I was thinking 40s.
Funny, all the semantics in the hat game. Guess it keeps things interesting.

 

[Who me?]

What causes the sunken in crown around the headband? Sweatband shrinkage? I’ve seen this on a couple of hats.

 

[Blare]

What causes the sunken in crown around the headband? Sweatband shrinkage? I’ve seen this on a couple of hats.

View attachment 814921

It can happen from shrinkage…. However most times I’ve seen this it happens from stacking. Can usually be corrected to some degree with some steam work

 

[HatsBySam]

Any loungers in Fort Collins, CO? Any fun hat stores to be found?

 

[Onomea]

To increase the size slightly of a beaver felt fedora without a reed, does a professional steam it, set it on a block, and then allow it to dry over time?

Years ago I bought a Borsalino from a shop in Columbus, Ohio. The hat was slightly tight so the sales person put it into a machine - with steam, I think — stretched it, and said, “Here ya go!,” handing it to me to wear. It was initially a good fit, but if I recall correctly it soon shrank back to the slightly too tight fit.

Later forgot the hat in a taxi in Tokyo after a late night out and never recovered it. But I have been thinking about this as I have a beaver felt fedora that is still fine in all respects but just a tad tight, I feel.

I have a good hat jack, as hat jacks go. Hardwood, maple, I think, made as I recall by a Michigan state trooper for his trooper hat, initially, then sold more widely. But I have not had much luck with it.

Perhaps because I did not thoroughly steam the hat prior to employing it?

View attachment 809746

Would appreciate beung educated on this.

No responses so did a bit more research on it. Mostly commonsensical or as expected:

Choose an appropriate steam source. I have a steam machine with various nozzles that I use for cleaning the car, which I experimented with, but it puts out way too much steam at too high a volume. I also hve an iron, of course, but decided to use this Japanese tea pot as it seemed to me by varying the flame under it I could likely control the steam to an extent.

Turn the sweatband inside out. Be sure the sweatband leather is still supple. (Use appropriate conditioner first if not)

Apply steam to the inside of the hatband and to the lower part of the internl crown where the sweatband covers fhe felt. (This selective application, I think,is pretty much impossible. - steam rising and all, the interior crown is gonna get steamed.)

After rotating evenly into steam source and not overdoing any spots, 30 secs to a minute, flip the swearband back down, insert hatjack, expand carefully so as not to overstrain the felt, and then let sit for 24 ~ 48 hours.

Using the lamp to rest the hat and hatjack during the day and to get some ventilation into the crown. Will remove at nightfall before turnimg lamp on as artificial heat is a no-no when drying and setting.

I am looking for just a smidge of increased room. I find my new Penman so comfortable that I am finding my older Optimos, which I purchased remotely (and they are now ~20 years old so may have shrunk) a bit too snug. (John, by the way, finds the whole idea of standard hat sizes for custom hats to be incongruous. A custom hat should be, rather than any standard size, unique to the individual customer.)

If I still find it a tad tight, I will repeat the process.

ETA: After about an hour, noticed a dimple at the front of the crown. Removed the jack, smoothed out the dimple, checked the hat on my head, and reinserted jack more deeply with a bit less tension, basically hoping to keep the size it has now assumed as it sets.

 

[Judgmentalist]

No responses so did a bit more research on it. Mostly commonsensicl or as expected:

Choose an appropriate steam source. I have a steam machine with various nozzles that I use for cleaning the car, which I experimented with, but it puts out way too much steam at too high a volume. I also hve an iron, of course, but decided to use this Japanese tea pot as it seemed to me by varying the flame under it I could likely control the steam to an extent.

Turn the sweatband inside out. Be sure the sweatband leather is still supple. (Use appropriate conditioner first if not)

Apply steam to the inside of the hatband and to the lower part of the internl crown where the sweatband covers fhe felt. (This selective application, I think,is pretty much impossible. - steam rising and all, the interior crown is gonna get steamed.)

After rotating evenly into steam source and not overdoing any spots, 30 secs to a minute, flip the swearband back down, insert hatjack, expand carefully so as not to overstrain the felt, and then let sit for 24 ~ 48 hours.

View attachment 816595

View attachment 816589

Using the lamp to rest the hat and hatjack during the day and to get some ventilation into the crown. Will remove at nightfall before turnimg lamp on as artificial heat is a no-no when drying and setting.

View attachment 816593

I am looking for just a smidge of increased room. I find my new Penman so comfortable that I am finding my older Optimos, which I purchased remotely (and they are now ~20 years old so may have shrunk) a bit too snug. (John, by the way, finds the whole idea of standard hat sizes for custom hats to be incongruous. A custom hat should be, rather than any standard size, unique to the individual customer.)

If I still find it a tad tight, I will repeatbthe process.

Let me know how it goes. I have a couple that I can stretch a bit to get them where I need them to be, but I find in most cases it has to be done repeatedly.

I didn’t speak up to answer because I don’t have enough experience to be an authority on the subject. Having said that, I have finally come around to accepting that for me, mostly, I’m better off finding hats that fit than trying to make them fit if they don’t.

I personally don’t care to stretch them or pad them out either one.

 

[Onomea]

Let me know how it goes. I have a couple that I can stretch a bit to get them where I need them to be, but I find in most cases it has to be done repeatedly.

When you attempt to stretch them, I assume using steam, do you let them set for a couple of days? Per my first post above, if they are stretched but not allowed to set while the stretch is maintained, they will definitely shrink back quickly.

Another thing to watch when stretching is distortion of other parts of the hat. E.g., see my ETA (edited to add) above where I noticed a dimple in the forefront of the crown that I needed to rectify. Brim distortion when stretching a hat is a thing to watch out for, too.

I think some people simply accept that various hats tend to fit them differently, riding higher or lower, tighter or looser, depending on the hat. But, when you find a hat that you feel fits just perfectly — maybe I should say when I find a hat that I feel fits just perfectly — resting lightly on the head with a bit of breathability, the desire to repeat that experience is pretty damn strong.

… I tend to be too fussy, I think. I was remarking to my wife last night that I recall from a cowboy show when I was a kid a scene wherein the cowboy is extremely upset that someone has stolen his hat because “I have been training that hat for months to fit just right!”

 

[Judgmentalist]

When you attempt to stretch them, I assume using steam, do you let them set for a couple of days? Per my first post above, if they are stretched but not allowed to set while the stretch is maintained, they will definitely shrink back quickly.

Another thing to watch when stretching is distortion of other parts of the hat. E.g., see my ETA (edited to add) above where I noticed a dimple in the forefront of the crown that I needed to rectify. Brim distortion when stretching a hat is a thing to watch out for, too.

I think some people simply accept that various hats tend to fit them differently, riding higher or lower, tighter or looser, depending on tne hat. But, when you find a hat that you feel fits just perfectly — maybe I should say when I find a hat that I feel fits just perfectly — resting lightly on the head with a bit of breathability, the desire to repeat that experience is pretty damn strong.

… I tend to be too fussy, I think. I was remarking to my wife last night that I recall from a cowboy show when I was a kid a scene wherein the cowboy is extremely upset that someone has stolen his hat because “I have been training that hat for months to fit just right!”

Hey - yes, usting steam, crank them a tiny bit at a time, let them sit for a couple days to "set up". I have also observed the other things you mention; various areas being distorted potentially, as a result of the stretching, with the severity increasing the more you stretch them, of course.

Nah, I don't think you are too fussy - I'm the same way. Moreso with my Straw hats for some reason. I want it sit exactly where I put it and I don't want to have to nudge it to keep it off my right ear, and I don't want to feel like my head is in a vise either -can be a little tricky to get dialed in.

 

[Onomea]

Coupla days later now, The Optomo stretched a tad, and does feel comfortable, after a 48 hour set.

But, the question is what happens after I try wearing it for a bit, and the heat and moisture I generate hit the leather sweatband…

Will try to remember and come back to report.

Meanwhile, here in the PNC, waiting for the weather to cool a bit so that I can wear my lovely new, and reblocked to my liking, Penman. It is a gorgeous hat, and I am very pleased with it.

 

[RickP]

Akubra experts..... does anyone know if the Campdraft Deluxe ( Heritage felt) had a taller crown than the standard Imperial Campdraft? This mornings Campdraft Deluxe has a crown thats substantially taller than my other Imperial Campdraft. Ive seem RM Williams marked Akubras hats with similar talller crowns, but Ive never seen an actual Akubra Campdraft this much taller. Oh and its a flat brim ( no brim curl on the edges)

Is that normal...did my older hat shrink... or did I just get an oddity?

 

[Matteo Ciompallini]

Hello,
I would like to ask for advice if possible.

I am about to buy the used hat which is dated as pre-war (WW II) possibly used in Poland. I’ve got photos (attached).

I am wondering if this might really be a hat from such era?
Do I think correctly that it is fur hat?

Thank you in advance,
Mateusz

 

[bond]

Yes, those two bits of info are at odds with each other.

Does anyone know if that guy is a fellow lounger? For a while I thought it might be Bond, but I'm not sure he would make a mistake like that.

My guess is that it's a 3X that someone threw a Nutria liner they had lying around into, or a Nutria that for some weird reason got a 3X band during a renovation by a store that had OEM Stetson parts back in the day (although it would beg the question why they wouldn't have been able to find a Nutria branded sweatband in that case).

Yes I bought and sold this hat. It was weird to see a stitched in liner that said nutria but not identified that way on the sweatband too. It’s a great hat regardless of how or why it is like this but since the liner was factory stitched into the hat as was sweatband one can only assume this is how it left the factory.

 

[bond]

Looking for help with identifying this hat from eBay seller. He says it’s a 1940s Stetson no1 and Iam disputing that for various reasons . I would like to hear others expert opinions as to their thoughts on age of this hat. As for my reasons I believe otherwise I am looking at the sweatband being only 1 1/2 wide with black reed both unlikely from a 40s era hat. Also open crown height is only 5 1/2 which is extremely low for this style hat both indicators for me that lead me to believe it’s a 1960s or later hat. I’ve not seen this color liner or color of felt either in older hats. The felt is also indicative of a newer hat and almost feels dry rotted to me and not soft and foldable of typical vintage 40-50s hats. I was also puzzled by the crown ribbon being in a style that I’ve not seen on a No 1 hat of a 40 s vintage hat other than the Fray model hat.
Curious to hear your opinions. Thanks

 

[Judgmentalist]

Yes I bought and sold this hat. It was weird to see a stitched in liner that said nutria but not identified that way on the sweatband too. It’s a great hat regardless of how or why it is like this but since the liner was factory stitched into the hat as was sweatband one can only assume this is how it left the factory.

I was t aware that you could tell a liner was factory-stitched or not. That’s interesting. Did the felt body feel like nutria to you?

 

[blewnote]

Looking for help with identifying this hat from eBay seller. He says it’s a 1940s Stetson no1 and Iam disputing that for various reasons . I would like to hear others expert opinions as to their thoughts on age of this hat. As for my reasons I believe otherwise I am looking at the sweatband being only 1 1/2 wide with black reed both unlikely from a 40s era hat. Also open crown height is only 5 1/2 which is extremely low for this style hat both indicators for me that lead me to believe it’s a 1960s or later hat. I’ve not seen this color liner or color of felt either in older hats. The felt is also indicative of a newer hat and almost feels dry rotted to me and not soft and foldable of typical vintage 40-50s hats. I was also puzzled by the crown ribbon being in a style that I’ve not seen on a No 1 hat of a 40 s vintage hat other than the Fray model hat.
Curious to hear your opinions. Thanks

Link or pictures?

 

[blewnote]

I was t aware that you could tell a liner was factory-stitched or not. That’s interesting. Did the felt body feel like nutria to you?

I'm also curious about this. It was my understanding that the finishing department was by hand (liner and ribbon) and so really anyone with skill could sew a liner into a hat as well as someone at the factory. That's why I thought it might have occured during a renovation at a shop, although as I said it seemed unlikely anyone that had access to OEM parts would put those two things together. If it was a hat collector like us who just threw a Nutria liner into a 3x hat then they did a good job of sewing it in.