Fepsa, Milano, Dorfman-Pacific, Garland, etc.

[tonyb]

In another recent thread analogist told of how Marc Kitter (of Adventurebilt Deluxe) gets his hat bodies from a Portugese outfit called Fepsa.

I just Googled Fepsa and discovered that a few months back they supplied a shipment of hat bodies to Milano Hat of Garland, Texas.

I had noted in yet another thread how Milano makes a pretty darned nice Western hat, judging by what I handled at a local Western store, which is part of a small chain whose house brand is made by Milano. Their high-end offering has a very nice hand.

According to Milano's website, they are now a wholly owned subsidiary of Dorfman-Pacific. Their site says they are located in Texas, but I saw no reference as to precisely where in Texas. Hatco is also in Garland, right? Is there any relationship between the two? Or is this just a coincidence? Or is Garland becoming the new Danbury?

 

[carter]

There is no readily apparent relationship between HATCO and the Milano Hat Co. or Dorfman-Pacific. Milano is located in a different part of Garland, TX than HATCO. Milano produces Larry Mahan and Justin* felt and straw western hats. Here is a copy of the bill of lading from Milano's import of hat bodies in July of this year.

Recent MILANO HAT CO INC Shipments:

OCEAN BILL OF LADING
BILL OF LADING NO. UPOF7042514589
SHIPPER
FEPSA FELTROS PORTUGUESES SA
RUA COMENDADOR RAINHO 192 S J MADEIRA 3701-910 PT
CONSIGNEE
MILANO HAT CO INC.
1565 HIGHWAY 66 GARLAND TX 75040 US
VOYAGE NO.
00167


[Shipped from] Lisboa [Portugal] to [FOB] Savannah, Georgia [were] 62 CTNS [of] FUR/WOOL FELT HAT BODIES [weighing] 2868 KG.

The arrival date was July 09, 2008.

*added in edit

 

[cookie]

keep us posted on this ...along with the Brazilian stuff this is all good...

 

[analogist]

Milano Hat Co. FEPSA bodies

If I am not mistaken, the top-of-the-line Indiana Jones Hat with an MSRP of $500 is made by Milano Hat Co. and marketed by Dorfman Pacific. It is 100% beaver felt by FEPSA and is produced in a very limited edition which was targeted to be a collectible. Time will tell if it will happen.

analogist

 

[tonyb]

There is no readily apparent relationship between HATCO and the Milano Hat Co. or Dorfman-Pacific. Milano is located in a different part of Garland, TX than HATCO. Milano produces Larry Mahan felt and straw western hats.

So, what's your opinion of the Larry Mahan hats? I don't recall ever encountering one in the felt (or straw, as the case may be).

If memory serves, what I saw at the Western wear shop indicates that with Milano you get about what you pay for, or perhaps just a bit more, in comparison to most of the competition. Their "mid-range" lids were plenty good enough, but nothing special. But the high-end hat had an extraordinarily nice feel and finish. And the price was reasonable, too. If a guy was in the market for a hat of that style, I'd recommend he put it near the top of his list.

 

[Lon Goval]

Larry Mahan's Collection

I have a tall crown Larry Mahan's "Collection" (western) hat in straw. It has a 6 1/2 crown and 3 7/8 brim. I don't know where I acquired this one and don't really wear it because it's so tall on me. I would start running into everything. It has a crown liner "pad" glued to the inside top of the crown and says "Byer-Rolnick" on it. Resistol is not mentioned anywhere. Does this mean it's an older (maybe pre-70's) hat?

Ralph

 

[carter]

So, what's your opinion of the Larry Mahan hats? I don't recall ever encountering one in the felt (or straw, as the case may be). ...

I've never personally handled any of their products. Someone in the Western, anyone? thread may have some information regarding their quality.

I spoke to a lady at their facility by phone today. She confirmed that there is no relationship between the Milano Hat Co. and HATCO.

I have a tall crown Larry Mahan's "Collection" (western) hat in straw. It has a 6 1/2 crown and 3 7/8 brim. I don't know where I acquired this one and don't really wear it because it's so tall on me. I would start running into everything. It has a crown liner "pad" glued to the inside top of the crown and says "Byer-Rolnick" on it. Resistol is not mentioned anywhere. Does this mean it's an older (maybe pre-70's) hat?

Ralph, you must be a long oval.

The rights to make the Larry Mahan Collection changed hands in 1986 from Hatco to Milano.
Mahan was born in 1942 and retired in [I believe] 1975. He started the Larry Mahan Collection after he retired from the Rodeo. That would indicate that your hat was made sometime between 1975 and 1986.

 

[tonyb]

You're a veritable font of information, carter. Thanks for the research.

A week or so ago I found myself in one of the stores in the small chain I alluded to earlier (the original store, which I swung into in my search for horsehair and beaded bands with which to adorn the more Western-leaning lids some folks have asked me to make for them). The young woman sales clerk told me that a hat sales rep told her that Stetson and Resistol and Milano were all one and the same. I politely suggested that I wasn't so sure of that, that I couldn't say with absolute certainty that her understanding was incorrect, but I kinda suspected that the rep had either misspoken or she had misunderstood. I mentioned that Stetson and Resistol are both Hatco brands (seemed like she'd never heard of anything called Hatco) and that Milano is a subsidiary of Dorfman-Pacific, which I believe is the company responsible for the officially licensed Indiana Jones hat they carry. (Overpriced at 40 bucks, I'd say, seeing how it barely rises to the level of costume quality. But kids like 'em, the sales gal said. If they can sell 'em, I can't fault 'em for carrying 'em. After all, they have to pay rent and the hired help and all of that.)

 

[besdor]

Milano Hat company is a competitor to Hatco . They were purchase a little while ago by Dorfman . Their factory is also in Garland TX.
Fepsa makes bodies for a lot of private manufacturers here in the USA. They are competition to Winchester in TN . Fepsas bodies are by far the best out there. I have seen pure beaver bodies recently that were used to make a special hat for a local pastor . The hat will last him 20 years.



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[Bruce Wayne]

If I am not mistaken, the top-of-the-line Indiana Jones Hat with an MSRP of $500 is made by Milano Hat Co. and marketed by Dorfman Pacific. It is 100% beaver felt by FEPSA and is produced in a very limited edition which was targeted to be a collectible. Time will tell if it will happen.

analogist

i have one of those, it is really nice...

 

[tonyb]

Milano Hat company is a competitor to Hatco . They were purchase a little while ago by Dorfman . Their factory is also in Garland TX.



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

Yup, that's just as I suspected. Thanks for the confirmation, though.