Ebay Hats: Victories, Defeats, Gripes & Items of Interest

[jimmy the lid]

Great info -- thanks. At the time that Hat Corp. became a union shop -- what particular brands were under its lid, so to speak?

Cheers,
JtL

 

[rlk]

It should clean up nicely. Nice score! I've noticed that Cavanagh sweats do tend to crumble. If you want to wear it, have a new sweat installed, but save the old one.

Is there a Union label inside anywhere?

Brad

Thanks Brad. I don't see the Union Label, it might have gone with the liner. The felt shapes beautifully despite the crust and there appear to be no signs of moth activity or actual stains. Brushing it, however, requires a mask. Do you think this is a 1930's hat?

 

[Brad Bowers]

Thanks Brad. I don't see the Union Label, it might have gone with the liner. The felt shapes beautifully despite the crust and there appear to be no signs of moth activity or actual stains. Brushing it, however, requires a mask. Do you think this is a 1930's hat?

Possibly '30s, but it looks like it has a reeded sweatband, which is usually considered a later adaptation. But the price doesn't exclude it from being '30s. I once thought that the bow style on the sweat was indicative of age, with a regular bow early on, the 3-leaf clover by the '40s, and back to a regular-style bow in the late '50s. But I'm not convinced this is an accurate assessment.

Brad

 

[Brad Bowers]

Great info -- thanks. At the time that Hat Corp. became a union shop -- what particular brands were under its lid, so to speak?

Cheers,
JtL

Cavanagh
Dobbs
Knox
Crofut & Knapp
Dunlap
Berg
Byron

They were no longer making hats for Disney by 1943, from what I've found.

Add Champ to the list after 1956.


I should add that the United Hatters of North America (predecessor to UHC&MWI) was gone from the factory in 1909, so if anyone has a Crofut & Knapp, Dobbs, or Disney with THAT label, it's from 1909 or earlier.


Brad

 

[rlk]

Cavanagh Fedoras Age

My other Grey Cavanagh Fedora is very slightly darker both felt and ribbon, 2-1/4 brim and I don't find a Union Label either. It has one tassel on the sweatband bow, while the crusty has two if that means anything. It says $25.00 and has a 2" Sweatband while crusty is 1-3/4" with a $20.00 tag.

 

[Woodfluter]

Great hat, RLK!

I agree with Brad (who by the way is total king of Cavanagh knowledge in my book) that you have a superfine hat here that will clean up with fantastic results.

Per Brad:
"I've noticed that Cavanagh sweats do tend to crumble. If you want to wear it, have a new sweat installed, but save the old one."

With all the usual caveats, my one and only Cavanagh (and favorite hat, seen in my avatar) has no union label and the sweatband is like new apart from some surficial salt deposits that cleaned off nicely with water. Could have passed for brand new except that you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone putting in leather of that quality now.

Brad, why would Cavanagh, if they aspired to be the Cadillac of hats, settle for second-rate leather in their sweatbands? Unless it looked great when new but wouldn't stand the test of time. I'll have to defer to your observations in any case...I'm just puzzled. Mine perhaps the exception...

- Bill

 

[Brad Bowers]

My other Grey Cavanagh Fedora is very slightly darker both felt and ribbon, 2-1/4 brim and I don't find a Union Label either. It has one tassel on the sweatband bow, while the crusty has two if that means anything. It says $25.00 and has a 2" Sweatband while crusty is 1-3/4" with a $20.00 tag.

Okay, that helps. The crusty (needs a better name!) has a pretty narrow brim for the '30s, so I would say that makes it more likely late '50s or so - which does fit in with my sweatband bow theory.

The other hat is more likely mid-'40s to mid-'50s.

Brad, why would Cavanagh, if they aspired to be the Cadillac of hats, settle for second-rate leather in their sweatbands? Unless it looked great when new but wouldn't stand the test of time. I'll have to defer to your observations in any case...I'm just puzzled. Mine perhaps the exception...

I'm sure it was first rate leather at the time, but just doesn't hold up over the decades. They never expected anyone to be wearing these hats fifty, sixty, seventy years later. If they did, they would imagine them being renovated from time to time, as well. And thanks, I am now the Cavanagh King!lol

The union label thing is useful but only to a certain extent, obviously.

Did you look on the back of the size tag sticking out inside the hat? Sometimes they are on there. I also saw that small label under the sweat, but couldn't recogize anything on it.


Brad

 

[Lefty]

Dobbs 20, 7 3/8, $69

Ecuadorian Panama Hat Co. leghorn, 7 1/4, only $13

 

[Wil Tam]

I just scored a Stetson Gun Club Hampshire Club?


----------------
Now playing: Radiohead - Just (Do it to Yourself)
via FoxyTunes​

 

[rlk]

Okay, that helps. The crusty (needs a better name!) has a pretty narrow brim for the '30s, so I would say that makes it more likely late '50s or so - which does fit in with my sweatband bow theory.

Actually it has the wider brim, 2-9/16" ,the sweatband however is the narrower (and lesser quality)1-3/4" with the double loop bow and double tassel. Nothing on the back of the size tag.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Actually it has the wider brim, 2-9/16" ,the sweatband however is the narrower (and lesser quality)1-3/4" with the double loop bow and double tassel. Nothing on the back of the size tag.

My mistake, I misread it. Sorry.

Okay, narrower sweatband (hope I got it right this time!), but that's also indicative of a later hat.

Brad

 

[Lefty]

The Berg seemed reasonable (because the name isn't as popular), but whoever took Vic's Playboy for $83 - around $75 with the 10% off coupon they gave out today - just got a heck of a deal.

 

[carouselvic]

Carter stole it.

 

[carter]

Carter stole it.

I didn't get a 10% off coupon but I'm pleased to have won a sweet hat.

 

[MattJH]

ARGH! Another I'm-So-Frustrated post. I got called into a meeting shortly before the Playboy auction ended and completely missed it and there wasn't anything I could do about it. Carter, you are lucky, I was ready to compete! I've ALWAYS wanted a Playboy, especially in Black! If for any reason you aren't satisfied with it, please please please please please let me know. Please? Pretty please?

 

[carter]

OK, but don't hold your breath.
You and I are in the same Scavenger Hunt.
I'm just glad a few more of the Big Heads on this forum weren't involved and that the auction ended this morning.

 

[MattJH]

I understand! But maybe the hat will be a little bit tight on you or a little bit big on you. Or maybe you won't like it when you put it on. Or maybe you think it makes you look silly. Or maybe the brim and ribbon dimensions won't work on you at all. Or maybe you want to help me celebrate my upcoming 32nd birthday on the 31st. I mean, you never know!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

ARGH! Another I'm-So-Frustrated post. I got called into a meeting shortly before the Playboy auction ended and completely missed it and there wasn't anything I could do about it.

Not true. You could have used an online, pre-programmable sniping sevice, such as www.auctionsniper.com


.

 

[MattJH]

Not true. You could have used an online, pre-programmable sniping sevice, such as www.auctionsniper.com
.

What I mean is I was called to a meeting that wasn't planned. I was dragged, kicking and screaming, from my desk and into a conference room. There seriously wasn't anything I could do about it.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

What I mean is I was called to a meeting that wasn't planned. I was dragged, kicking and screaming, from my desk and into a conference room. There seriously wasn't anything I could do about it.

Oh, I see. Sorry about that!