Decisions, decisions!

[tandmark]

Hi,

The spectral howl of the wild fedora is wafting again through my window. And in response, I'm thinking of getting a new one (a fedora, that is, not a window). This time I'm looking for a fur-felt hat with a wide brim around 2 3/4' to 3" and a light-colored felt. The price point above which I start to balk is $150.

Currently, the front-runners are the Domanico (made by Guerra for Miller Hats, http://www.millerhats.com/italian_index/italian2.html) and the Chicago (from the Brazilian firm Stefeno, http://www.thefedorastore.com/Stefeno-Premium-Fur-Felt-Chicago-Fedora-Hat-p/chicago.htm).

Even though the Domanico is actually over my price point and the more expensive of the two by a solid $40, I'm leaning away from the Stefeno. This is on the grounds that, for all I know, Stefenos are made by the slave labor of imprisoned dissidents, as well as contaminated by enough mercury to set off a TSA metal detector.

But, seriously, it's only sized in S/M/L/XL, which isn't a good sign for a hat in its price range.

So do any of you own comparable Guerras & Stefenos? Do you have any positive or negative feelings about them that you would share?

And does anyone know of any other similar hats in the $150 range?

Cheers,
Mark

 

[SonOfaPreacher]

Hello, well I just recieved my Beaver brand a few days ago, and am thouroghly impessed, the price I paid is well within your budget as stated. I am more than willing to fill you in on my impessions of my hat.
Cheers.
S.R.

 

[Donato]

Have you considered an Akubra?

They are highly regarded on this forum. I own two and the quality for the money cannot be beat for a non-custom made fedora. If you do a search you will find many online websites that sell them, mostly in Australia, but a few in the USA too. One of my favorites for pricing is www.australiangear.com - they have a nice selection of hats in the two styles you like.

 

[tandmark]

Hiya,

SonOfAPreacher/Donato: Which models of these brands did you have in mind? I've got 3 Beaver Brand and 2 Akubras, and have looked at a few of the hats they offer besides the specific models I own. I don't know of any hats from either brand that's quite right.

Donato: All the wide-brim Akubras I can think of offhand look like cowboy or outback hats, not like fedoras. I kind of like the Stylemaster; it's a fairly straightforward fedora. But it doesn't have enough brim and it doesn't appear to come in any very light colors.

By the way, Australian Gear sells it in your choice of two colors for US$97, while Everything Australian sells it in your choice of seven colors for US$79. That's why they're *my* favorite for pricing, and everything else, for that matter, except for the Akubra Federation which they don't sell.

SOAP: The Beaver Brand fedora costs over $225 as a custom order. Their silk-finish hat runs $180, which is still uncomfortably above my price point, and I'm not really sure if I want a hat with that finish. Their other wide-brim models look like cowboy/outback/gaucho hats.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Mike in Seattle]

If you're interested in an Akubra - David Morgan's in Bothell just off the 405. You can see all the different models, see the different colors, try them on, and do side by side comparisons...and you save shipping charges, which at most vendors tacks on $10-15 or more. And Byrnie Utz is in downtown Seattle - 3rd & Union.

 

[Donato]

Hiya,

SonOfAPreacher/Donato: Which models of these brands did you have in mind? I've got 3 Beaver Brand and 2 Akubras, and have looked at a few of the hats they offer besides the specific models I own. I don't know of any hats from either brand that's quite right.

Donato: All the wide-brim Akubras I can think of offhand look like cowboy or outback hats, not like fedoras. I kind of like the Stylemaster; it's a fairly straightforward fedora. But it doesn't have enough brim and it doesn't appear to come in any very light colors.

By the way, Australian Gear sells it in your choice of two colors for US$97, while Everything Australian sells it in your choice of seven colors for US$79. That's why they're *my* favorite for pricing, and everything else, for that matter, except for the Akubra Federation which they don't sell.

SOAP: The Beaver Brand fedora costs over $225 as a custom order. Their silk-finish hat runs $180, which is still uncomfortably above my price point, and I'm not really sure if I want a hat with that finish. Their other wide-brim models look like cowboy/outback/gaucho hats.

Cheers,
Mark

Thanks for the tip about EverythingAustralian.com. I bought my Stylemaster from them, but my Bogart from Australiangear.com. I own, as you might have guessed by now - the Stylemaster in Acorn Fawn, which is tan color, not dark and the Bogart in Black (it also comes in grey). If you are interested in a fedora with a 2 3/4" brim, the Stetson Dexter is a possibility. I had one for one week but returned it because I thought the high crown made me look dorky, but the brim is wider and it is a fedora. Then there is the Stetson Temple that has a 2 5/8" brim - not bad. You can also check out Millerhats.com where with some of their Miller fedoras you can choose the brim size - the longest is 2 3/4". For example: http://millerhats.com/mdressfelt_index/derby1.htm
Hope this helps you with your decision.

 

[SonOfaPreacher]

I bought the centerdent in Kangaroo. Very nice color, the crown has very little taper, 2 3/4" brim, 4 1/2" to the dent 5 1/2" to the top of the crown. the fur felt is very soft and plyable. the fit is very good. It looks a little like an Openroad. And shipped to me for $138.00.

 

[Mr. Lucky]

Have you looked at Bencraft? They have some nicely priced Borso's.

 

[tandmark]

Howdy again,

Thanks Donato for the suggestions about Stetsons. I'll check them out over the next couple of days.

Thanks Mr. Lucky for steering me towards Bencraft's selection of Borsalinos. Seems to me I was looking at them just before Christmas. Not sure why I didn't add them to the little want-list that opened this thread. I'll check them again later this week.

Mike in Seattle: I've been buying from David Morgan since his shop was located in Ballard. So if I knew of an Akubra that fits the bill, I'd probably drive out to Bothell to see what he's got. Which Akubra models should I be looking at that have wide brims, look fedora-like instead of outback-like or cowboy-like, and come in silverbelly or some similar off-white shade?

SonOfAPreacher: I'd guess that the reason you got your center-dent Beaver Brand fedora so cheap, is that it was being sold as part of The Fedora Store's In Stock Program. The way this works is that The Fedora Store has the Beaver guys make up a few of one model of hat in the most popular colors & sizes, then sells them at a nice discount. I got a Beaver Brand teardrop fedora in kangaroo brown that way, just last year. But to get a hat of the style & size that I want would cost me more than I'm ready to pay, as they don't have any on offer as part of the In Stock Program.

Doesn't anyone have anything to say about Guerras, or Stefenos?

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Mr. Lucky]

Doesn't anyone have anything to say about Guerras, or Stefenos?

Cheers,
Mark

Don't know much about Guerras, but any fur felt hat that DOESN'T come in numeric sizes (Stefano) instills grave concern in me noggin'.

 

[thefedorastore]

Stefano hats are in fact imported fur felts, but the company is most definately in the USA. I know the owner, who used to work for Stetson before starting his comany, TLS Intl, which has created the brand Stefeno. Good fur felt hats, with nice sweats and liners for the price. No mecury, and I am assured no slave labor ;-)

 

[Marty M.]

are made by the slave labor of imprisoned dissidents, as well as contaminated by enough mercury to set off a TSA metal detector.

.
Marty Mathis