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[monbla256]

I apologise in advance for the terrible quality... using the phone for the pics just to give y'all a basic idea of the hat in question. Darn battery is dead in my real camera. Here's a couple of pics of my inherited gunmetal coloured Churchill (7 3/8, thank god.. a very comfortable fit even though I have a quite oval head)

So, just a basic idea of the hat in question is included below. Anyone able to tell anything from the pics or should I re-post when clarity is better? I'm mainly interested in the age, quality and type (of materiel- fur??). [huh]

Here's a post on a Churchill from a year ago:

12-20-2009 12:43 AM #35 AlterEgo
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Join Date Dec 2009
Location Southern USA
Posts 316 Well, well, well, the things you learn by sharing info here.

The hat that I called my favorite for a decade and wore all through college and most of my twenties was a Churchill from Neiman Marcus and marked as such.

I bought it at its store in Atlanta in October of 1977, the first time I'd ever been to a NM store. I remember the date well, because my dear grandmother was sick and couldn't get out to buy me a birthday present, so she sent money to me in college instead with a note to buy something really nice and show it to her when I was home for Thanksgiving.

Needless Markup is spot on--that rust-colored suede stingy brim trilby with an Austrian alpine profile was a heart-stopping $55.00, and that was over thirty years ago! Still have the hat, though the moths snacked on the crown a few years ago, so I don't wear it anymore, but the things I did in that hat are too precious to ever let it go. Man, does that hat have some stories to tell!

It appears that upscale retailer Neiman Marcus had a lengthy and ongoing relationship with Churchill for special hats. Makes sense, as the HATCO factory is in Garland, a suburb of Dallas, where NM's headquarters are.

You say HATCO owns the name Churchill, yet I have not seen a hat sold under that name in many, many years. It was a prestige brand, and I wonder if HATCO is saving it for an upper tier of qualty hats some day. Not likely, but one can hope.

I wish the pics showed what a lovely, everyday hat this is. Nothing flash, just the fedora of a man who wore them from the 30s til last month.


fftopic:I had some success removing dust with a clean makeup brush! The hat already looks better, and I didn't have to buy anything. I used a kabuki powder brush and it's a happier hat.

I remember seeing them at the downtown Dallas Nieman's back in the late '60s and early '70s. They weren't cheap hats being sold at Neiman's for sure

 

[ManicMagpie]

I remember seeing them at the downtown Dallas Nieman's back in the late '60s and early '70s. They weren't cheap hats being sold at Neiman's for sure

Thanks for the help tracking this hat down! I appreciate the fast reply. Anyone else have any experience with a "Churchill, Ltd." hat? I have no idea when this one was purchased. I could post better pics soon if that will help. Will the label inside the sweatband give any data? I can't really tell what the sweatband is even made of. Very thin leather or something manmade.

/babble off

Ok, being quiet now. Thanks again!

--Juliana

 

[ManicMagpie]

Hat Help

Mainly conjecture on my part, and I can't help you with the age of the hat, but Churchill is a fairly well-known brand. It's probably fur felt, and looks like it's been treated kindly for a vintage lid. It has an underwelted brim and a nice wide ribbon. Wear it in good health!

Thanks a bunch!! Every bit of info helps rebuild the history. Much appreciated details are noted. It's pretty soft, so you could be right about the fur felt. Doesn't feel like my wool hats.... So that's what that style of brim edge is called. Cool.

Very exciting stuff. I may be becoming an addict. I have a large hat collection, luckily women's hats can be stylish and inexpensive. You guys have to fork out a bit of cash for a truly notable lid. But they are very cool. This hat of my grandfather-in-law's has really piqued my curiousity and got me craving a dashing custom hat that fits properly and has that special flair. Yikes! Better start saving up I guess.

--Juliana

PS. And finding room for all my hats. Even now I stack the ones that will allow it (putting a beret under a cowboy hat, for example). How on earth do you collectors store your hats!?!?

 

[eadeater]

Hi, I was hoping you all might be able to help me out with a quick question; I've done a swift search but nothing seems to come up. I recently bought a hat that was a bit big and in the shop they stuck a strip of soft material on the inside of the brim, underneath a flap of material, that decreased the diameter and the hat fit perfectly. What I was wondering is what that material used is called, and where I might procure some, as I now need to resize another hat. Thanks in advance.

 

[Mobile Vulgus]

One hat I bought had the woven wick of an oil lamp behind the sweatband as a spacer.

 

[Neophyte]

Hi, I was hoping you all might be able to help me out with a quick question; I've done a swift search but nothing seems to come up. I recently bought a hat that was a bit big and in the shop they stuck a strip of soft material on the inside of the brim, underneath a flap of material, that decreased the diameter and the hat fit perfectly. What I was wondering is what that material used is called, and where I might procure some, as I now need to resize another hat. Thanks in advance.

Sometimes it's strips of felt, sometimes strips of foam. Many Loungers around here used rolled up tissue or newspaper. It really doesn't matter what you use to pad the sweatband, as long as it feels comfy to you when you wear it.

 

[gtdean48]

Hi, I was hoping you all might be able to help me out with a quick question; I've done a swift search but nothing seems to come up. I recently bought a hat that was a bit big and in the shop they stuck a strip of soft material on the inside of the brim, underneath a flap of material, that decreased the diameter and the hat fit perfectly. What I was wondering is what that material used is called, and where I might procure some, as I now need to resize another hat. Thanks in advance.

Welcome to the Lounge.
One of the suppliers actually sells rolls of this foam insert like what I received with a new Akubra.
About half way down on this web page, look for "foam reducing tape" = http://www.hatsupply.com/mens_supplies.htm
HTH
PS = actually almost to the bottom of the page...

 

[Neophyte]

DavidMorgan also sells them at a great price. They call them felt hat pads.

 

[gtdean48]

DavidMorgan also sells them at a great price. They call them felt hat pads.

You can go to Wal-Mart in the craft dept & get felt squares that you cut into strips for less than $1.00 too.

 

[Neophyte]

You can go to Wal-Mart in the craft dept & get felt squares that you cut into strips for less than $1.00 too.

Put in $8 bucks for flat rate shipping from DM lol!

 

[gtdean48]

Put in $8 bucks for flat rate shipping from DM lol!

Almost worth it to not have to go to Wal-Mart!!!!!

 

[Neophyte]

Almost worth it to not have to go to Wal-Mart!!!!!

:arated:

 

[ph33nyx]

Being new to the hat world and not having purchased my first yet; I was looking on a site last night and there were options for their hat I had no idea what meant, and was wondering if some one could explain them to me:
1) Crown shape: Pinch front, Teardrop, (from the images they look the same to me)
2) Grosgrain size: (I presume this is the ribbon) ranged from 4-22 ligne (line?) - edit - I see that it does say "Ribbon Size", but how wide would these be?
3) Bow style: 3 corner, box, LS, open road, SL, swing, 2 loop, 2 loop contrast

Thanks

 

[Neophyte]

Being new to the hat world and not having purchased my first yet; I was looking on a site last night and there were options for their hat I had no idea what meant, and was wondering if some one could explain them to me:
1) Crown shape: Pinch front, Teardrop, (from the images they look the same to me)
2) Grosgrain size: (I presume this is the ribbon) ranged from 4-22 ligne (line?)
3) Bow style: 3 corner, box, LS, open road, SL, swing, 2 loop, 2 loop contrast

Thanks

Would you be able to provide the site's URL?

 

[ph33nyx]

Would you be able to provide the site's URL?

http://www.thefedorastore.com/Beaver-Brand-Custom-Teardro-p/d1228-wool-felt.htm

 

[Lloyd]

Click on the question marks next to Brim style ribbon etc and you'll get pictures of the different options, or of a ligne ruler for the ribbon size selection.
PS
11 french lignes equates to one inch

 

[eadeater]

Thanks very much, that's exactly what I was looking for!!

 

[Jedwbpm]

So who is making all the hats for HBO's Boardwalk Empire.

Jeff

 

[Midwest Boater]

ive linked to ebay auctions before but ive forgotten how to do it can i get some help here please ?

 

[zetwal]

ive linked to ebay auctions before but ive forgotten how to do it can i get some help here please ?

Can you ask this another way? I would like to help but don't understand what you are asking.