CHURCHILL HATS

[J.T.Marcus]

I was at the HATCO outlet store in Garland (TX), Saturday. The floor man and I were making conversation, when he mentioned tha Churchill is (or was) one of their brands. Anybody have a Churchill or know anything about their history? Thanks.

 

[CasaBlancaChuck]

I bought a very nice vintage Churchill Ltd. fedora at a flea market last year. It is a very high quality stingy brim "noir" detective style, medium brown with a wide black ribbon and bow. It has a sown in satin liner, and a real leather sweatband. The sweatband is embossed with te-dum... Neiman-Marcus Men's Store. There no mention of any manufacturer other than Churchiill Ltd. on both the liner and sweatband. It also features the Cavanagh brim edge (rolled over). One of my favorites.
Best wishes,
Chuck

 

[AlanC]

I have a Churchill Open Road style hat that was also originally from Neiman Marcus. It was unworn. It's pretty stiff, though. Here are a couple of pictures from the ebay auction:

 

[thunderw21]

I have a vintge one and I like it. It's my everyday hat. It's a nice hat with soft felt.

 

[indycop]

I have a vintge one and I like it. It's my everyday hat. It's a nice hat with soft felt.

Is that a diamond bash? I really like it!

 

[thunderw21]

Is that a diamond bash? I really like it!

You are correct sir!

 

[fatwoul]

You are correct sir!

Is there such a thing as a "kite" bash? Cos the diamond bash on your hat there looks more kite-shaped in that picture; I mean, the diamond looks to have a bigger point at the front than the back.

Anyway, looks good, and a great everyday hat. Looks like a well-travelled but well-looked-after friend.

 

[thunderw21]

Is there such a thing as a "kite" bash? Cos the diamond bash on your hat there looks more kite-shaped in that picture; I mean, the diamond looks to have a bigger point at the front than the back.

Anyway, looks good, and a great everyday hat. Looks like a well-travelled but well-looked-after friend.

I'd consider it a variation on the diamond bash. Never heard of a 'kite' bash before but it sounds good.

 

[feltfan]

I have a Churchill Open Road style hat that was also originally from Neiman Marcus. It was unworn. It's pretty stiff, though. Here are a couple of pictures from the ebay auction:

I have one like this, too. It's a Churchill 35.
The felt is very fine and somewhat stiff, very similar to other
60s hats I have, including my Cavanagh 100 "Denver" and
Resistol 100 "Kings 50" ($50). A very fine fiber felt. Not as tough
as the Cav 100 and a bit easier to stretch. Not my favorite style
of felt, but undeniably nice and I do like my Churchill.

Mind you, anything made today under that name will probably not
be in the same league.

 

[deanglen]

I have a Churchill Open Road style hat that was also originally from Neiman Marcus. It was unworn. It's pretty stiff, though. Here are a couple of pictures from the ebay auction:

Did you re-bash it?

dean

 

[nulty]

I had a Churchill probably very similar to the pic thunderw21 ahs posted above..

I ultimately sold it . It was fine hat with soft thick felt but in the end it was too thick.

I wear a hat most everywhere most all of the time and this one you just couldn't wear it in a store or places as such. It was too warm.


I'm learning that Hatco still owns brands names as such as Knox, Dobbs and Churchill and I believe , even Cavanagh.

Aside from Marketing hats under these names what difference is there in hat style and quality from name to name ?

Back in the day under Hatco you could see the difference between a Dobbs and a Stetson....


Does anyone have any thoughts ?

 

[J.T.Marcus]

Nulty, You're right on those HATCO brands. I'm becoming a regular at the outlet store. The different brands,and Stetson and Resistol cowboy hats, are all manufactured in Garland, Texas, now. (There is a Hatco plant still operating in Longview, Texas. The St. Louis, Mo. plant closed a few years ago, and that outlet store closed just this year.)

After seeing and touching the different brand lines (many times), I can tell you there is a brand difference. It's hard to explain, but it's there.

One example is the Stetson Dexter/Knox Dr. Knox. I had a chance to compare them, side by side, on Saturday. They are supposed to be the same hat. The big difference, however, is the sweatband. The Stetson has the high gloss black leather we've come to expect. The Knox, on the other hand, has a fine textured, almost suede leather sweatband. It's a delight to the eyes and the fingertips. So, it may be like the difference between a Ford and a Mercury, but the difference is there.

 

[jimmy the lid]

I remember in the early 60's that my Dad used to wear Churchill hats. Does anyone know when Churchill was initially bought out, and by whom?


Cheers,
JtL

 

[indycop]

Is there such a thing as a "kite" bash? Cos the diamond bash on your hat there looks more kite-shaped in that picture; I mean, the diamond looks to have a bigger point at the front than the back.

Anyway, looks good, and a great everyday hat. Looks like a well-travelled but well-looked-after friend.

Its gotta have a tail on it to be a kite bash!! Haha!

 

[indycop]

So is a churchill hat not a copy of what winston churchill wore? Kinda like a churchill cigar being so named because of his fondness for big cigars.

 

[AlanC]

Did you re-bash it?

Not yet. It may require extreme measures.

 

[Will Morgan]

As an aside, in the mid sixties my father David Morgan would occasionally take Akubras that had been damaged in the overseas shipping to 'Curly' Churchill who was a renovator and custom hat maker in Seattle up until maybe the late sixties when he sold his blocks and hat making equipment.

David says Curly never provided hats to big companies definitely a different Churchill but still, a Churchill who had been in the hat business so I thought it worth mentioning!

 

[nulty]

Nulty, You're right on those HATCO brands. I'm becoming a regular at the outlet store. The different brands,and Stetson and Resistol cowboy hats, are all manufactured in Garland, Texas, now. (There is a Hatco plant still operating in Longview, Texas. The St. Louis, Mo. plant closed a few years ago, and that outlet store closed just this year.)

After seeing and touching the different brand lines (many times), I can tell you there is a brand difference. It's hard to explain, but it's there.

One example is the Stetson Dexter/Knox Dr. Knox. I had a chance to compare them, side by side, on Saturday. They are supposed to be the same hat. The big difference, however, is the sweatband. The Stetson has the high gloss black leather we've come to expect. The Knox, on the other hand, has a fine textured, almost suede leather sweatband. It's a delight to the eyes and the fingertips. So, it may be like the difference between a Ford and a Mercury, but the difference is there.

Thanks J.T for that example to get some perspective. I'll bet it's an adventure for you each time you enter that store.....I've heard you can pick up a deal there now and again....

 

[mingoslim]

On CHurchill Hats . . . .

I remember in the early 60's that my Dad used to wear Churchill hats. Does anyone know when Churchill was initially bought out, and by whom?
Cheers,
JtL

Churchill was a line of fine quality hats int he late 40s and 50s. I do not know when the company was founded, but the Churchill line was bought out by Resistol in the 1950s, though Resistol continued to produce hats under that name for quite some time.

 

[Colby Jack]

Thats interesting Will...I bet your dad has lots of inside stories about the hat business!
Colby Jack