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Boater faction!

Mr E Train

One Too Many
Messages
1,050
Location
Terminus
Lefty said:
Size matters. If it's a 7 1/4 or bigger, it's a good buy. 7 1/8 or smaller and you may or may not get your money back.

It's vintage, pristine and it says "Stetson" on it. He'll be in good shape either way.
 

skyvue

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,221
Location
New York City
ThesFlishThngs said:
I reckon you people in the know can tell me if this boater is worth the money; it's on offer at a vintage market and I'm considering going back tomorrow to get it. The dealer said she'd take $25, is that a good deal?

If it's a size 7 7/8, then it's a great deal. If it is, pick it up and then sell it to me for $50, and we'll both be happy.
 
Messages
17,477
Location
Maryland
Portis "EZY - Flex" Boater

"EZY - Flex" Portis Boater with 2 3/4 inch brim.

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4830078347_067dd70bc7_b.jpg


4830078471_60b49098b6_b.jpg


4830078519_56f7e23326_b.jpg


4830690952_f276e28025_b.jpg
 
Messages
17,477
Location
Maryland
Garrett,

Amazing finds and such beautiful weaves! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

By the way the Kaufman is similar to my M. E. G. & Cie posted a couple pages back.
 

Brad Bowers

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,187
Here's my latest Boater. I wanted something to wear instead of my really nice '30s Dobbs, so I picked this up for a song. It's a 7 3/8 LO, my exact size, though slightly large, as most Hat Corporation hats seem to be on me. It's slightly large enough that I can't wear it in the wind.

The eBay auction showed that the sweatband was completely loose from the hat, so much so that it didn't end up shipping with the hat! I've not heard back from the seller on that yet.

I only wanted the original sweatband for reference, in case there are any tags on it. I was going to put a new sweatband in, as I've already done.

50sCavBoater1.jpg


50sCavBoater2.jpg


The hat needed cleaning, but it was mostly caked-on dust. I was afraid it was mold, but that turned out to not be the case. A soft-bristled toothbrush and a little bit of water did the trick, though you have to be careful with the water, as the gelatin used to stiffen the hat is water soluble. I didn't want to try any solvent other than water, because you never know how it might react to the threads that stitched the hat together.

A naphtha bath on the removable hat band did little to alleviate the stains on it, as seems to be the case on many Cavanagh hatbands I've tried to clean. There are a few holes around the band, but I don't think anybody's going to care other than me. So many people get a kick out of seeing me wear my Boater that they'll never notice the flaws.

As for age, the hat is no older than the '50s. There are no labels inside the hat other than the cloth size label glued inside the crown, but that's consistent with my '30s Dobbs. The straw on this Cavanagh is thicker than my Dobbs, and the stitches are not concealed as on the older hat. I've compared the two hats, but I can't tell if this Cavanagh was made in Italy or in Norwalk. I was hoping the sweatband would give a clue, as the later Hat Corp. straws ususally have "Made in Italy" stamped on the sweat.

My '30s Dobbs has a nice reverse taper all the way around the crown, but they were made on five-piece blocks back then to give them that taper. This one has no taper, and so doesn't look as sharp. The construction quality isn't as nice as the '30s Dobbs, either, but that's to be expected, as Boaters weren't necessarily a big seller by the '50s. They did experience a bit of a revival around the time of the '59 Derby Revival, as Hat Corporation of America pushed them in marketing. Perhaps this hat dates from then.

Still, for a cheap, wearable Boater that I don't mind beating around in, it will work just fine.

Brad
 

Mobile Vulgus

One Too Many
Messages
1,144
Location
Chicago
Here's my boater...

I can't wear it at all, though, even if I wanted to. I am a size seven and this thing is gigantic on me. Even stuffing the band wouldn't work it's so big on me!

Speaking of the band, that black cotton band was added much later. It is roughly sewn in and the cloth looks synthetic to me. I've had the hat for about 15 years, so the band could have been added relatively recently. I bought the thing for about $20 in an antique mall.

Still, it's a good looking hat outside if not in.

boater_side.jpg


boater_inside.jpg
 

Boodles

A-List Customer
Messages
425
Location
Charlotte, NC
Can you tell us more about the sweatband?

Mr Bowers,
Please tell us more about how you did the replacement sweatband or perhaps you have done so already but elsewhere? That is a nice piece of work. I have passed up more than one nice boater because of a loose sweatband.
No shop, I am aware of, seems interested in repairing the sweatband in a boater.
Brad Bowers said:
Here's my latest Boater. I wanted something to wear instead of my really nice '30s Dobbs, so I picked this up for a song. It's a 7 3/8 LO, my exact size, though slightly large, as most Hat Corporation hats seem to be on me. It's slightly large enough that I can't wear it in the wind.

The eBay auction showed that the sweatband was completely loose from the hat, so much so that it didn't end up shipping with the hat! I've not heard back from the seller on that yet.

I only wanted the original sweatband for reference, in case there are any tags on it. I was going to put a new sweatband in, as I've already done.

50sCavBoater2.jpg


The hat needed cleaning, but it was mostly caked-on dust. I was afraid it was mold, but that turned out to not be the case. A soft-bristled toothbrush and a little bit of water did the trick, though you have to be careful with the water, as the gelatin used to stiffen the hat is water soluble. I didn't want to try any solvent other than water, because you never know how it might react to the threads that stitched the hat together.

A naphtha bath on the removable hat band did little to alleviate the stains on it, as seems to be the case on many Cavanagh hatbands I've tried to clean. There are a few holes around the band, but I don't think anybody's going to care other than me. So many people get a kick out of seeing me wear my Boater that they'll never notice the flaws.

As for age, the hat is no older than the '50s. There are no labels inside the hat other than the cloth size label glued inside the crown, but that's consistent with my '30s Dobbs. The straw on this Cavanagh is thicker than my Dobbs, and the stitches are not concealed as on the older hat. I've compared the two hats, but I can't tell if this Cavanagh was made in Italy or in Norwalk. I was hoping the sweatband would give a clue, as the later Hat Corp. straws ususally have "Made in Italy" stamped on the sweat.

My '30s Dobbs has a nice reverse taper all the way around the crown, but they were made on five-piece blocks back then to give them that taper. This one has no taper, and so doesn't look as sharp. The construction quality isn't as nice as the '30s Dobbs, either, but that's to be expected, as Boaters weren't necessarily a big seller by the '50s. They did experience a bit of a revival around the time of the '59 Derby Revival, as Hat Corporation of America pushed them in marketing. Perhaps this hat dates from then.

Still, for a cheap, wearable Boater that I don't mind beating around in, it will work just fine.

Brad
 

Brad Bowers

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,187
Sure thing. Here's how I did it:

Stitch Awl Tutorial

The one big difference is in the basting stitch. I didn't want visible holes through the straw, so I ended up using a whip stitch. Insert the needle through one of the existing stitch holes in the reed tape, with the needle going in at an angle that's almost parallel to the brim. The needle should go through the straw with the needle coming out from under the first braid, so you don't get visible holes. If this sounds confusing, I'll try to post a photo later today.

It's not as tight of a baste as in the tutorial, but it seemed a fair compromise. You just have to be more accurate when you're using the awl, pulling down tight on the leather.

Brad
 

Boodles

A-List Customer
Messages
425
Location
Charlotte, NC
Nice piece of work, Mr. Bowers.

Perhaps I should pick up a beater boater and give it a go to build some skil.

Thanks for taking time to show us what you did. I'll keep looking in case you do post a photo.

Brad Bowers said:
Sure thing. Here's how I did it:

Stitch Awl Tutorial

The one big difference is in the basting stitch. I didn't want visible holes through the straw, so I ended up using a whip stitch. Insert the needle through one of the existing stitch holes in the reed tape, with the needle going in at an angle that's almost parallel to the brim. The needle should go through the straw with the needle coming out from under the first braid, so you don't get visible holes. If this sounds confusing, I'll try to post a photo later today.

It's not as tight of a baste as in the tutorial, but it seemed a fair compromise. You just have to be more accurate when you're using the awl, pulling down tight on the leather.

Brad
 

David Conwill

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,854
Location
Bennington, VT 05201
I went to the [political party withheld] State Convention here in Michigan last month, and saw but one boater. I myself wore a panama, but I think a boater will be in order for future events.

-Dave
 

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