Anybody own a Royal Biltmore?

[Pilgrim]

I recently won an auction for a NIB Royal Biltmore, made in Canada. The pictures in the link are a pretty good representation of the hat, except it's more green than the photos captured. That's good - I wanted a dark green, as the university where I work has colors of green and gold. I plan to wear it on days when I'm wearing school colors.

The label inside the hatband says ARCADE PORTOVERDE BDF3565 $72. The felt is a bit "fuzzy" as shown in the pix, but it has nice flexibility and seems to be of good quality. The fit is accurate, too. This model (BDF3565) doesn't seem to be in their current line, so I assume it was from outdated stock.

I checked and Biltmore is still in business and has a website. On the website, they note the Royal Biltmore "consists of a heavier quality fur felt, which also has a smooth finish. The body contains different fur making it more rigid." They also have a company history which makes interesting reading.

Anyone know what position Biltmore occupies in the market? This seems like a decent hat, although the felt finish is quite different from a US dress fedora.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

I like a Biltmore...

...many of your signature brands are really Biltmores. For instance Miller Hats signature hat is Biltmore.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Really, BILTMORE Bob? You like Biltmores? Who wouder figgered it.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Not real expensive...

...and not bad for the money. A little better than, say, Stetson, in my opinion.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

So far, a fellow Bilmore fan.

I have to say, as far as modern hats go, Bob's right. I own a Miller Biltmore and have seen a few, and their hats do seem better than the modern Stetson I have. I'm still partial to my vintage Stetson, but I can't say much negative about the Biltmore. In fact, my only criticism is the leather sweatband. I've worn my Bilt half as much as my Akubra and Stetson, but it's the Bilt's band that is showing damage. But maybe I just got a band from a bad batch. Anyway, for the money, I'd buy another Biltmore before another non-vintage Stetson.

 

[besdor]

Biltmore makes a good hat. They have a line called the Presedental line which is a great quality hat. The problem is that people don't know the brand . When a customer comes in and wants a hat and we show them a Stetson or a Biltomore , they usually will take the Stetson . It's just a name recognition thing .
The same with Borsalino . I've shown people hats made by companies such as Guerra , Lagomarsino , and Cervo .Then we show the Bors and the light goes on above their heads . Even though the other companies can make an equal qua:cool2: lity , the Bors wins out all of the time .

 

[Jake]

I have a steel gray Biltmore President that I wear everday. I has been holding up quite well. ...Jake

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Sleepers of the hat world...

Biltmore makes a good hat. They have a line called the Presedental line which is a great quality hat. The problem is that people don't know the brand . When a customer comes in and wants a hat and we show them a Stetson or a Biltomore , they usually will take the Stetson . It's just a name recognition thing .
The same with Borsalino . I've shown people hats made by companies such as Guerra , Lagomarsino , and Cervo .Then we show the Bors and the light goes on above their heads . Even though the other companies can make an equal qua:cool2: lity , the Bors wins out all of the time .

I like the sweats in the hats I have. Very comfortable. The sweats in mine are holding up very well. Also to note, Biltmore seems to pay more attention to detail than Stetson. The stiching and all the small details seem to be much nicer.

I think I have tryed on just about every hat Biltmore makes, even the wool ones. The Miller storefront is about half an hour south and one right turn from my house.

 

[Johnnysan]

I own three...a Royal Biltmore, a President and an Imperial that I bought from Miller Hats a number of years ago. The Royal Biltmore is a my everyday hat and is a real workhorse. It has held up great but the brim has given me a bit of trouble from time to time as it likes to curl up. The President is a very nice hat and a bit dressier. The Imperial is my dress black and is one good-looking lid! It doesn't get out of the hat case often, but when it does it shines! Biltmores are very good hats at any price...much better than modern day Borsalinos by far.

 

[Johnnysan]

The Miller storefront is about half an hour south and one right turn from my house.

I would be bankrupt within six months.

 

[Pilgrim]

The Biltmore I bought seems to have been stored with the brim turned down all around, so it will take a little training for the back to stay flipped up - but it's coming nicely. It does seem like a substantial, solid hat.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Oh, yeah, baby!

I would be bankrupt within six months.

It takes an incredible amount of dicipline, John. And a wife that will kill me if I bring home another hat, gun or dog. Not to mention boots, knives, canes/walking sticks, fishing rods....

 

[Not-Bogart13]

A Bum with a Good Hat

That would be me if Miller was around the corner! Honestly, I would probably have made the plunge some time earlier into fur felt fedoras if I'd been able actually see and touch Miller's hats. Anyhow, I have to agree with Bob again about the little details like stitching and so on. Stetson seems to be slipping with that sort of stuff.

 

[besdor]

STETSON HASN'T SLIPPED WITH THE DETAILING ,THE'VE FALLEN OFF ALL TOGETHER . THEIR STITCHING IS TERRIBLE AND THEIR PACKAGING IS WORSE .
I HOPE THAT BILTMORE WILL SURVIVE. THEY WERE RECENTLTY BOUGHT UP BY A NEW OWNER WHO SEEMS TO CARE ABOUT HATS . WHAT DIRECTION HE WILL GO WITH THE COMPANY WE WILL HAVE TO SEE. :cool2:

 

[Michael Mallory]

I've owned several Biltmores, and I think they are probably the best mass-produced hat on the market. I like their blocks,which tend to be taller and more fullsome than the other quality mass-producing companies, like Stetson or Bailey. But I've noticed that they don't have the longest lifespan. I've worn out several. On the other hand, that means I have to keep buying new ones. Damn.

 

[Bkdodgers]

Hi all, I'm a longtime lurker, but excited to finally post something. Is there a thread here about Biltmore labels? I recently purchased a "Royal Biltmore" on Ebay, but know nothing about it (the particular hat; I know a bit about Biltmore's history, etc). Can anyone help me with a model name, date, etc? Thanks! (Also, the price seems very low if it's recent, esp if that's CDN! Are/were Biltmores really that inexpensive?)

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Hi all, I'm a longtime lurker, but excited to finally post something. Is there a thread here about Biltmore labels? I recently purchased a "Royal Biltmore" on Ebay, but know nothing about it (the particular hat; I know a bit about Biltmore's history, etc). Can anyone help me with a model name, date, etc? Thanks! (Also, the price seems very low if it's recent, esp if that's CDN! Are/were Biltmores really that inexpensive?)

Welcome! I’m glad you decided to join up.
Your photos didn’t work so I can’t see the hat you’re referring to. Biltmore made different quality levels with different price points. In my limited experience, Biltmore’s fur felt hats are solid no-frills hats. They are sort of yeoman’s hat: serviceable but nothing special. There may well be some older or higher end hats that I’m not familiar with that don’t fit this paradigm.

Since I/we don’t know the vintage of your hat it’s hard to talk about price. Another member posted a photo a day or two ago of a Borsalino from 1981 and the price at the time it sold was substantially under $100. Jump back another few more decades and you got a great hat for $10.

You might already know this, but it’s worth repeating: the Biltmores made in Canada are MUCH better than the current Biltmores made in the US. When Biltmore went out of business several years back Bollman bought the rights to the name and the three hats I’ve had from Biltmore USA (two felts and a straw) were miserable.

 

[Bkdodgers]

Welcome! I’m glad you decided to join up.
Your photos didn’t work so I can’t see the hat you’re referring to. Biltmore made different quality levels with different price points. In my limited experience, Biltmore’s fur felt hats are solid no-frills hats. They are sort of yeoman’s hat: serviceable but nothing special. There may well be some older or higher end hats that I’m not familiar with that don’t fit this paradigm.

Since I/we don’t know the vintage of your hat it’s hard to talk about price. Another member posted a photo a day or two ago of a Borsalino from 1981 and the price at the time it sold was substantially under $100. Jump back another few more decades and you got a great hat for $10.

You might already know this, but it’s worth repeating: the Biltmores made in Canada are MUCH better than the current Biltmores made in the US. When Biltmore went out of business several years back Bollman bought the rights to the name and the three hats I’ve had from Biltmore USA (two felts and a straw) were miserable.

Thanks. How about now?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Thanks. How about now?

Yep, they work now.

We don’t have the dating references for Biltmore like we do for Stetson. Additionally, the model names, if they ever had them, are often not possible to determine if the hat and/or labels don’t have it printed on them.

As to price, you can buy a brand new 2020 Stetson fur felt fedora for $119.95. Also, the exchange rate hasn’t always been what it currently is. I remember when the Canadian dollar was worth more than the US dollar.