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[Judgmentalist]

Hey folks. I'm a perpetual neophyte with hats but was lucky enough to find this Optimo Chicago panama in a thrift store recently. Was trying to find the model, or at least weave style. Any help appreciated!

I love this hat. I would love more details. For example, what size is it? Is there anything in the crown? Anything else stamped on the sweatband? And of course the obvious, which I (just barely) have enough manners to refrain from asking....

The fact that you found this in a thrift store is amazing. My wife has been saying she will find me hats in thrift stores. I have repeatedly told her this will never happen because the hats I want aren't in thrift stores, and if by some miracle they are, they won't fit me.

She has turned this into a game. So far I am winning, but she only has to find one hat that I like, that fits, and she wins. But I also win, because I get a cool hat. This game is confusing.

I will not be showing her this hat. lol.

 

[Judgmentalist]

Oooh, that's a new one for me. Sorry you have to go through that. Report them.

It's happened a couple times, but so far everyone has eventually paid, and as long as it works out in the end I have refrained from creating drama.

 

[HatsBySam]

Here is a question, in two parts; does it drive anybody else nuts when you get an offer on an eBay hat and you accept the offer and then the prospective buyer 1.) has their payment ****ed to some method that doesn't automatically work, which is what is intended and 2.) takes a metric eternity to decide whether they are going to pay for the item or not?

That is all.

I usually give em 24 hours and if they haven’t paid, just cancel and re-list it. Troublesome bidders often become troublesome buyers in my experience, lol.

 

[jba972]

Here is a question, in two parts; does it drive anybody else nuts when you get an offer on an eBay hat and you accept the offer and then the prospective buyer 1.) has their payment ****ed to some method that doesn't automatically work, which is what is intended and 2.) takes a metric eternity to decide whether they are going to pay for the item or not?

That is all.

If I sent an offer and it's accepted I'm rushing to complete the purchase.

 

[Judgmentalist]

If I sent an offer and it's accepted I'm rushing to complete the purchase.

As am I. Apparently some people treat this like a window shopping experience.

 

[jba972]

As am I. Apparently some people treat this like a window shopping experience.

I'd ask them if they were actually interested in completing the sale or were they just taking a survey

 

[Judgmentalist]

Here is a question, in two parts; does it drive anybody else nuts when you get an offer on an eBay hat and you accept the offer and then the prospective buyer 1.) has their payment ****ed to some method that doesn't automatically work, which is what is intended and 2.) takes a metric eternity to decide whether they are going to pay for the item or not?

That is all.

eBay dude paid - in time to go out with today's mail - good for him. I've also yet to have someone manufacture a reason to send one back, but I'm sure my time will come if I sell enough hats.

 

[ruvort]

It's happened a couple times, but so far everyone has eventually paid, and as long as it works out in the end I have refrained from creating drama.

To add a point of view on this:

Ever since eBay and PayPal parted ways, eBay has screwed up a lot of payment methods with PayPal on bids and offers.

To overcome this, I keep a card that will auto decline so that it forces the eBay system to go through the standard checkout process and I can use PayPal like normal.

I'd say as long as buyers issue payment, it's probably worth extending them some grace.

 

[Judgmentalist]

To add a point of view on this:

Ever since eBay and PayPal parted ways, eBay has screwed up a lot of payment methods with PayPal on bids and offers.

To overcome this, I keep a card that will auto decline so that it forces the eBay system to go through the standard checkout process and I can use PayPal like normal.

I'd say as long as buyers issue payment, it's probably worth extending them some grace.

Agreed

 

[M Hatman]

I thought it was my lucky day....the hat even fit!!!!

 

[Steve1857]

1.) Why are bowlers so cheap?

I see super vintage Bowlers in my size with some regularity at what seem like low prices to me, and the same size fedora would either be a gazillion dollars or non-existent - and non-existent is more common.

2.) Why is every Knox Twenty that fits me a stingy-brim?

Like Robert @belfastboy says, how often do you see folks wearing a Bowler.

However, buy them if they're cheap and sell them on. There are still folks out there, like me, who collect them and wear them.

 

[alanfgag]

Plaited ribbon wrapped around and around while being sewn to the previous row. I too would like to know what that is called. It's not as labor intensive as traditional Ecuadorian weaving.

As HatsRme answered above, it is Optimo's contemporary "milan" straw. Originally plaited wheat grass imported from Italy and popular in the 1950s, I am not sure where Optimo sources their hat bodies. It is one of their popular and affordable summer models.

 

[Judgmentalist]

This Sovereign has a clump of what looks like felt attached to the brim. I started picking at it before I realized it was connected. It appears to be seamlessly integrated into the felt. I assume this is a production error from the felt body factory that was missed by quality control.

Is this correct?

Have you guys seen this before? Can it be fixed? If so, how?

 

[Blare]

This Sovereign has a clump of what looks like felt attached to the brim. I started picking at it before I realized it was connected. It appears to be seamlessly integrated into the felt. I assume this is a production error from the felt body factory that was missed by quality control.

Is this correct?

Have you guys seen this before? Can it be fixed? If so, how?
View attachment 807162
View attachment 807164

Unfortunate. Maybe a bit of sandpaper file it down a bit.

 

[RickP]

A bit of 600-800 grit paper on a flat backer should be able to work it down, but dont be surprised if a bit of a discolored spot surfaces. Modern felt hats often use a surface treatment in production ( thats how the get consistant colors) Just go slow and stroke it with the fur direction carefully a little bit at a time. Dont get too aggressive. At least without a brim binding you should be able to steam that area flat and work it on a firm surface underneath

 

[wsmontana]

This Sovereign has a clump of what looks like felt attached to the brim. I started picking at it before I realized it was connected. It appears to be seamlessly integrated into the felt. I assume this is a production error from the felt body factory that was missed by quality control.

Is this correct?

Have you guys seen this before? Can it be fixed? If so, how?
View attachment 807162
View attachment 807164

It kind of looks like it got snagged on something and that pulled apart the felt. Personally I would try to work the raised area back into the felt with a small awl (the tool I have is a bodkin for fly tying). It helps if the felt is wet or softened with steam to work the fibers back together. The area can also be compressed with the handle side of the awl to flatten it back down. Once flat I would add some felt stiffener to the spot to hold it together. Sanding may also work but this is more destructive and could change the color over the sanded area. Good luck!

https://share.google/waVZkH38J7VG7FNrh

 

[ibaOne]

Howdy y'all, Does anyone have this hat in a 62cm they would sell? I bought a hat from someone on this site once before in a similar situation so I'm hoping I can find this!

https://misterfreedom.com/products/scuttler-cap-nos-brown-fleck

 

[blewnote]

What kind of crease is this? I'm sure I've seen it here before but Google was failing me and AI, yet again, is totally incapable (it's not a Cattlemen, Open Road, Center Dent, Trough/Gutter crease... obviously). Center peak with two gutters on either side.

 

[BobHufford]

Centerfire

 

[jlee562]

What kind of crease is this? I'm sure I've seen it here before but Google was failing me and AI, yet again, is totally incapable (it's not a Cattlemen, Open Road, Center Dent, Trough/Gutter crease... obviously). Center peak with two gutters on either side.

View attachment 807645

IIRC, Center Fire, ala Rooster Cogburn.