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ADAM ALLEY

PabloElFlamenco

Practically Family
Messages
581
Location
near Brussels, Belgium
My Adam hat, a "Chelsea", arrived an hour ago from Middle Island, NY.

It's in good shape, except for one moth nibble exactly on the rim of the brim, and some "rust spots" on the liner. And it pretty much fits.

The hat was very dusty, and brushing it roughly also released a lot of shellac (stiffener) flecks, very recognizable through their color and texture, like splinters of orange-brown mica.

The picture show:

Liner, with shellack flecks and "rust spots"
Adamshat004.jpg


sweat "Adam" logo. Sweat seems in good shape, but very dry....some Lexol preservative will be applied...
Adamshat015.jpg


Adamshat006.jpg


Union made in U.S.A.
Adamshat010.jpg


Adamshat007.jpg


It's ...a hat!
Adamshat022.jpg


Adamshat024.jpg


A ...serious hat!
Adamshat020.jpg


Fresh out of the small box it was shipped in. Here the color is just about right...
Adamshat001.jpg


It now goes into a plastic bag, and into the freezer for three days.
Then a serious steaming, I might take the liner out and wash it with some sensitive fabric washing cream.

Paul
 
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delectans

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,335
Location
Minnesota
Compliments on a fine looking Adam, Paul! Adam hats were definitely great values in their day, as evidenced by the build and felt quality, and even a felted edge...all for $7.50!
 

The Wiser Hatter

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,765
Location
Louisville, Ky
Great Adam I picked up a vented Adam straw from a local Lounger. I told my mother it was an Adam and she said oh yes I remember the Adam hat store downtown. Ah the days when we had hat stores.:)
 

PabloElFlamenco

Practically Family
Messages
581
Location
near Brussels, Belgium
Thanks a lot, guys. BTW, some of you who might have paid more than average attention: ...cut my hair, happened just the other day...let my Adam flag fly!
Short hair -mostly- goes so much better with "classic" hats, fedoras (there's exceptions there to prove the point, though!)
Already snipped out the liner and washed it carefully, the "rust spots" are there to stay, though. Steamed the hat and brushed it well: an almost perfect open crown was attained. Rubbed two coats of Lexol preservative on the sweat, it's in very good shape (none of this cardboard-rip-gone phenomenon, heavens forbid!), and the gold print is all there.

What would be the timeframe for this hat, do you think?

Paul

The hat's almost new, and the damage to it seems entirely due to ...time, just sitting there... not to wear nor tear.
 

Short Balding Guy

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,871
Location
Minnesota, USA
Thanks a lot, guys.

What would be the timeframe for this hat, do you think?

Paul

Paul check post #99 of this thread. I have used this a couple of times to identify the general date based upon the logos that could have been used by Adam.

Nice haircut. Haircut - my head is bald and hence is a more constant size for hats. No hair to interfere with a hat! My story...
 

PabloElFlamenco

Practically Family
Messages
581
Location
near Brussels, Belgium
Yes and thanks Short Balding Guy, based on that and other indications, early to middle fifties would appear to be a reasonable assumption.
Yesterday evening, watching TV, I played around a bit with the hat, as I often do, shaping it, handling the hat to get a general feel. This hat is one of my favorite: supple, pliable, quite thin felt, maintains any nuber of shapes and sub-shapes, a rather light hat (in weight), excellent and ...nearly new. The liner I think I'll leave out, though: smells mouldy, and in spite of washing, the unpleasant odor doesn't go away. I soaked it in Febreze, see what that does, and I'll lay the liner out in the sun to see if that helps.

Cheers,
Paul
 

HatsEnough

Banned
Messages
1,142
Location
Cincinnati, Ohio
You talking to me, randooch? I currently only have the Adam shown above. My first Adam, bought 2 years ago, was one that was beat to pieces, and I sold it last year. It was mothed up and stained so it wasn't really in good shape. I had a movie prop Adam (from the movie Dick Tracy), sold that too because it was not in wearable condition. I also had a 50s or early 60s era executive in green that I sold a year ago because the brim was too short for me. Those are the only Adams I've ever owned.
 

Short Balding Guy

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,871
Location
Minnesota, USA
Showing Adam with fancy ribbon and mesh liner..

Good day folks. I would like to share my Adams creamy brown hat. The label has a "tri..." (and the rest is blurry) listed. I see that post #335, Josh's post/hat, calls this hat a Crusader.

Here is a pic of the hat;
Photo-on-2011-09-25-at-1650-3-M.jpg


Inside;
Photo-on-2011-09-25-at-1651-2-M.jpg


The hat's felt is a smooth creamy brown. The brim snaps down easily. The felt is soft and a mid to light weight. It has the original crease still featured. At the time of sale (50's) Adams were marketed with a pre-formed crease. When I take the hat out to open crown, the hat recalls the factory crease without a pause. The side dents go back farther than the Adams Executive (a hat I wear frequently in creme/silverbelly/brown). The hat has a bit more taper than the Executive, but the looks are deceiving as the crease accentuates the taper it does have.

The selling feature was, and still is, the fancy dancy ribbon and the mesh liner.

In general this model is superb in its execution. It stands aside in the hat world with the lighter weight smooth finished felt, ribbon work and mesh liner. All of this for a paltry price of $7.50 (sales receipt in my hat band).

Thanks for viewing and letting me share my Adams Crusader.
 
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