Another Newbie with many questions...

[Winkydink]

Pardon me if I ask a newbie type question, since I am a newbie. I bought a Village Hat Bogart ($78) about three months ago and love wearing it. The hats dimensions seem to fit my stature and head size. But I have brim, crown and felt envy and lust after a better quality fedora. I have been looking at the hatshop site [http://www.hatshop.com/hand.html# ] and like the Siena or Prescott. Can anyone tell me what would account for the large price difference. Are they both handcrafted?

And thanks to all of the wise and experienced posters, your comments and views have been very enlightening. Your comments have helped to narrow the choices quite nicely. There are so many hats out there making claims for quality that it makes a newbie’s head spin.

Ok just tell me which to buy...

Many thanks,

Winky.

 

[fedoralover]

Your best bet is to just e-mail them and ask. Its obviously hard to tell from just one picture. Most of the time it's a combination of felt quality, sweatband material and workmanship.

Actually your best bet if you know your hat size is to get a vintage one off ebay, or visit Art Fawcetts shop http://www.vintagesilhouettes.com/ and find one there or have him make you a custom one. The custom ones won't run too much more than the $205 and the quality will far surpass what you get off the shelf.

fedoralover

 

[ObscureRefMan]

Welcome fellow new guy! My promotion is on the way, they assure me.

It's funny... The Prescott and the Siena were two of the hats that I was eyeing when I checked out their site. I actually bought a Lagomarsino (the one on my noggin in my avatar) at JJ Hat Shop, and never made it up to Worth&Worth (refer to my thread ). But, hey - I could always use another, more "dressy" hat. And that gray is pretty nice.

Sorry, but I can't give you any input on anything else. I'm still learning as well. But I'm sure you'll get some feedback. This is a great place.

 

[Winkydink]

is this the hat...

Thanks for the welcome.

ObscureRefMan,

Is this the Lagomarsino you are wearing in your avatar?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...0?_encoding=UTF8&n=1036700&s=apparel&v=glance

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/im...70-4348860?_encoding=UTF8&n=1036700&s=apparel

Also, you don't happen to be a reference librarian?

winky.

 

[binkmeisterRick]

Welcome, Winky!

My guess (without looking at the links, I admit) would be that the difference in price is workmanship and felt quality, as fedoralover said. But there are times when the price jumps merley because of the brand or hat manufacturer and it has little to do with the overall quality. I, too, would check out Art's shop, or even see if there's anything good at a local antique shop. Heck, I've even found nice vintage hats in thrift shops, though I recommend a good cleaning there.

bink

 

[BellyTank]

Wool-felt versus Fur-felt?
$200+ =fur/ $90+ = wool?
Looks like some of their models are available in a budget and primo version.
BT.

 

[fedoralover]

The sad fact of the matter is, anything new won't be worth what you are going to pay for it. Go vintage or custom or get the shaft, that's the bottom line.

fedoralover

 

[SHARPETOYS]

If I were you

Art fawcett a fellow lounger has custom made hats from $125.00. I would email him or call him. A custom made hat will make a store mass produced hat look like !!! Well you know what I mean.

http://www.vintagesilhouettes.com/m_hats_new_felts.htm

 

[ObscureRefMan]

I'm not sure, though - I forgot the name. But that looks like it.

I'm not a librarian, just an engineer with a lot of useless knowledge in his head. Like, I know who Winkydink was ("Winkydink... and you, Winkydink... and me." Cartoon character. The show encouraged kids to draw on a special film laid over the TV, to help Winkydink in various ways. Classic!)

 

[Renderking Fisk]

How long have you lived in Brattleboro?

 

[Winkydink]

Lived in Brattleboro since 1993.

Are you the pro-akubra fed hat guy poster from NH. Or are you the anti-akubra guy. I am thinking of a long thread a while ago which got a little testy.

Winky
ps so what hat should i by for the classic film noir look?

 

[Matt Deckard]

Are you the pro-akubra fed hat guy poster from NH. Or are you the anti-akubra guy. I am thinking of a long thread a while ago which got a little testy.

Winky
ps so what hat should i by for the classic film noir look?

We get a little raucus now and again, though we know that everybody is here because they love hats.

If you are looking for top of the line modern I still have to suggest Optimo. The first hat I owned from them has a bit of a chalky feel and is a beaver hare blend.

The later hats I recieved are Beaver Nutria blend and have a completely different feel... more moisture to the touch.

I have been wearing the beaver nutria blends for over a year now and have to say the light weights are super tenacious hats. I have rolled them up and packed them for trips and worn them in torrential rainstorms. I trust it on a trip more than I would trust other hats on the market because it will really take a beating.

I am not a fan of the half beaver half hare blend.

I am a fan of the half beaver half nutria blend particularly because you can roll them up and they pop out and return to their shape fine. They are expensive, though after over a years wear I still love their hats.

The only flaw is the same flaw all modern hats have, and that is why vintage is still king, Modern hats taper, though the nutria blend tapers slower and blocking can fix the problem if you don't let it taper too much.

 

[Renderking Fisk]

Are you the pro-akubra fed hat guy poster from NH. Or are you the anti-akubra guy. I am thinking of a long thread a while ago which got a little testy.

Winky
ps so what hat should i by for the classic film noir look?

Who I am…
If you want to see an example of bad taper you might want to go over to the public library and see if you can find a copy of the 1987 High School year book and look up the Juniors. There you’ll see a VERY badly tapered fedora.

Up until 1987 I was the “Guy With The Fedora…� in Brattleboro. There are pictures of me in the Brattleboro Reformer meeting with Patrick Layhee and the Health teacher Mr. Hummer Holmes painted a picture of my face and fedora next to the clock to keep people from watching it during class.

I used to work at the Via Condotti while it was on Elliot Street, walked everywhere I went and wore a fedora… until I bought a skate board and rode that 8 months out of the year. Folks who live on the old Estey Organ can tell you about the lunatic who used to go tearing down that hill and the time I was thrown, skidded on my knees and elbows and was almost rolled over by a Buick.

The few friends that I had would drive around in an old 1978 Chevy Sedan listening to the Marlboro College Station that used to play Jazz after Midnight.

When I reminisce about the “Small Town In Vermont,� on The Fedora Chronicles and elsewhere, I’m talking about Brattleboro.

The Best Fedoras...
As far as Akubra fedora’s… if you want to bash your own and have it last, Akubra is the one to buy… it’s the fedora I wish I had when I was in Brattleboro 18 years ago. If not, you can get one from two of my favorate vendors, Art Fawcett and Steve Dalk.

Art Fawcett can make you a very accurate “Film Noir� fedora and he’ll make it to suit you.

Steve Delk can make you an accurate “Indiana Jones� fedora which will also suit you.

Both these guys are craftsman… I recommend them both… I HIGHLY recommend Akubra, Vintage Silluettes and Adventurebilt Fedora’s.

 

[Renderking Fisk]

Thanks, I fixed it.

 

[Winkydink]

Now I walk around Bratt with a Fedora on

Now that i am retired, I let my true tastes in clothes come out. I walk aroung town wearing my Bogie fedora, a 6 foot long striped university scarf from Cambridge, my orginal ca. 1978 Brooks Brothers long treed coat, Scotish fabric made in England, a pair of US union made jeans, and 40 year old LL Mocs. Yes friends, nothing from China. It's hard to do, but can be done. Maybe not for long.

Get some strange looks at Price Shopper, gas stations, and the nascar folks. No offense meant. But not as much grief as when I wear my authentic 1947 NY Yankees cap.[if you are into baseball caps the place to go is Cooperstown Ballcap Co. www.ballcap.com Amazing place. Last season, you had to be either dumb or brave to wear a Yankees cap up here.

Sorry for the long digression, pretty presumptuous from a newbie. Anyway, I have emailed both Art and Steve with photos of the style hat [Allan Ladd The Gun For Hire] and they both replied and said no problem they could do it. The thing is: Cost Cost Cost. Beaver, Rabbit. Rabbit 125 Beaver 225. 200+ is a big psychological barrier for me. Then there still is the 1936 Fieldmaster for 130. Being a vegitarian, buying a fur hat can be tricky...

winky.
ps so mr rendering fisk, you went to BUHS?

 

[Renderking Fisk]

I hope folks don’t get bored with this Brattleboro talk…

I went to BUHS from 1983 to 1987 if you count Junior High. I was supposed to be a part of the deligation that was supposed to go Russia but couldn’t because of my Father’s work in the Army.

Yea, I was quite a character… wore vintage or reproduction clothes to school, had a Stetson fedora that I abused… bought several of them and just kept wearing them out. If I knew then what I know now, I would have bought a vintage fedora like some of fellow goons and not have wasted so much money.

My class and those under us were part of a huge national scandel when there was a fight between the teachers, the studens, the parents and the Administration about putting condom vending machines in the bath rooms. I said at the age of 17 that we were being given a mixed message: “Don’t have sex yet… but have some condoms just in case.�

I didn’t finish High School when my father found out what was going on, 3 students died in 4 years, random violence in the halls, the administration tried to rail-road a few teachers… RAMPANT teen-age drug and alchol use in Wilson’s Woods. It was a mess when I left and I have to admit some of the students were to blame cause we didn’t know better.

 

[Andykev]

You have many, many options

Winky, I recommend you get a hat from Art. He has several colors, and some less expensive hats. He also has a TON of vintage hats, so you can get the "real deal" for about $100 or maybe a bit more. He usually "rebuilds" the hats. Remember this: the sweat, liner, and ribbon can be replaced. You want the QUALITY vintage felt. It can be cleaned and resized to your needs. You can't go wrong with a good vintage. And don't worry about it being a USED hat. Once "recrafted" it is like new!

If you buy new, go for the pure beaver by Art. No regrets. Wonderful!

 

[BellyTank]

WinkyDink- ball caps...

I have a small collection of vintage 'ball caps too. I have a '39 Yankees cap among many other '30s/'40s examples. And people used to wear ball caps back in the day- merchandise or plain work style ones.
Most of mine are old Ebetts Field ones and I think one Cooperstown or American Needle. I really like them, they're so different to the modern ones.
I also have many, various US military fatigue and ball style caps from the wartime era too- I love caps.
I had a '40s Homestead Grays jersey for a while(bought for peanuts from an unsuspecting vintage shop in London) and sold it last year-
should have kept it....

BT.

 

[artboynyc]

Bellytank --

I love the idea of a vintage baseball cap. I know my dad would love one too. Where did you find yours?

 

[BellyTank]

ArtBoyNYC Ball Caps...

Try these- these are the sites I've seen most of-
look on eBay too, that's where I scored my most recent one-

http://www.dugout-memories.com/capsteam.html

http://www.stallanddean.com/index.cfm?page=c3&cid2=523&cid=2&cn2=Caps

http://www.ballcap.com/

BT.