First Stetson

[ingineer]

Andrew;
buy the Campdraft forget about branding.
The Akubra was the OZ version of the OR that was licensed by Stetson. plus it is truer to the vintage ones with a higher crown that allows a fedora crease.
new ORs are stiff even at 6x and hard to re-crease
a lower level modern Stratoliner ie Royal is schlock , the worse 150 buck hat i ever bought.
yeah, 60/7-1/2 we are both screwed, nearly impossible to find vintage, and when you do so much money that it is better to have custom made.
yea of klein kopen, don't lead him astray.

 

[Bigger Don]

I'm getting the feeling that people here have no interest in helping me NARROW DOWN my options!

This group? Ha! There'll encourage you to expand your collection beyond anything you an imagine. The collective mindset isn't "Which to buy?" but "Which to buy next and which to wait to buy."

That said, I am no expert n hats, so I can't advise this or that. However, I can tell you how I would go after a decision. For full disclosure, I am

Vintage or modern?
How patient are you waiting for the right hat?
Are there vintage colors you can't get in new or more recent editions?
How important to you is vintage?

Open Road or Stratoliner?

Do you have someplace you an try on each one to get a feeling for how you like each one looks on you?

 

[Bigger Don]

a few of mine fedora creased

I'm still trying to figure this out. The way I see it with my old eyes, you grabbed it by the crown from behind and left that as the bash. Maybe it's the shadows, maybe it's my PC/screen, maybe it's the bourbon, maybe I'm a bit dehydrated from yard work.

 

[Bob Roberts]

you're screwed

Hahahahahaha...

 

[Bob Roberts]

Andrew;
buy the Campdraft forget about branding.
The Akubra was the OZ version of the OR that was licensed by Stetson. plus it is truer to the vintage ones with a higher crown that allows a fedora crease.
new ORs are stiff even at 6x and hard to re-crease
a lower level modern Stratoliner ie Royal is schlock , the worse 150 buck hat i ever bought.
yeah, 60/7-1/2 we are both screwed, nearly impossible to find vintage, and when you do so much money that it is better to have custom made.
yea of klein kopen, don't lead him astray.

Im agreeing with this. Look for a vintage and if no luck grab a Camp Draft.

 

[andrew_AU]

Andrew;
buy the Campdraft forget about branding.
The Akubra was the OZ version of the OR that was licensed by Stetson. plus it is truer to the vintage ones with a higher crown that allows a fedora crease.
new ORs are stiff even at 6x and hard to re-crease
a lower level modern Stratoliner ie Royal is schlock , the worse 150 buck hat i ever bought.
yeah, 60/7-1/2 we are both screwed, nearly impossible to find vintage, and when you do so much money that it is better to have custom made.
yea of klein kopen, don't lead him astray.

Thanks Ingineer. Akubra's are easy for be to get, being that I'm in Australia. I've got a silverbelly CD and one in BGG on order. I also have the Akubra RM hat which is pretty much a mid brown CD with a slightly higher crown. I think part of the appeal of Stetson is that they are hard to get here in Australia. Perhaps I'm fixating too much on the brand as you say.

A moonstone CD on the other hand.....

 

[DougC]

Yeah--I appreciate the sentiment that you want what is more scarce! I want a digger hat and I live in Texas--you want a Stetson and live on the other side of the world. I have several Open Roads of all ages and a Cornhill Premium Stratoliner. My ORs inlcude a 3x and Royale De luxe from the 50s, a 20x modern OR from a local hat shop, a modern 4x (which is pretty sad felt) and a 7x (I don't know the year! ALL beaver! Great hat!)--I picked it up from a fellow lounger. There is another OR in the collection that is probably a 1950s Royal Deluxe too--I had to change the sweat band and forgot what it was aside from being too big; I had it sized down--I can tell you it is great felt! I also have a Borsolino Alessandria (spelling may be off)--very nice hat, but not a Stetson! I also have a heritage felt Campdraft that I REALLY like.

From what I have read in this thread, I suggest the Premium Strat. The crown is high and the brim is moderately wide. Felt is alright compared to the vintage hats I have and I think on par (if not nicer) than the Campdraft. I got my Strat from Delmonico. Here is a link

http://www.delmonicohatter.com/Stetson/TFPSTRB12241973.htm

I like the silverbelly Strat --the color just wasn't available when the premium came out...Good luck making a choice! (oh yeah--I have a tiny size 7 head--I can find any thing in my size.)

 

[moontheloon]

Yeah--I appreciate the sentiment that you want what is more scarce! I want a digger hat and I live in Texas--you want a Stetson and live on the other side of the world. I have several Open Roads of all ages and a Cornhill Premium Stratoliner. My ORs inlcude a 3x and Royale De luxe from the 50s, a 20x modern OR from a local hat shop, a modern 4x (which is pretty sad felt) and a 7x (I don't know the year! ALL beaver! Great hat!)--I picked it up from a fellow lounger. There is another OR in the collection that is probably a 1950s Royal Deluxe too--I had to change the sweat band and forgot what it was aside from being too big; I had it sized down--I can tell you it is great felt! I also have a Borsolino Alessandria (spelling may be off)--very nice hat, but not a Stetson! I also have a heritage felt Campdraft that I REALLY like.

From what I have read in this thread, I suggest the Premium Strat. The crown is high and the brim is moderately wide. Felt is alright compared to the vintage hats I have and I think on par (if not nicer) than the Campdraft. I got my Strat from Delmonico. Here is a link

http://www.delmonicohatter.com/Stetson/TFPSTRB12241973.htm

I like the silverbelly Strat --the color just wasn't available when the premium came out...Good luck making a choice! (oh yeah--I have a tiny size 7 head--I can find any thing in my size.)

This is the Premier silverbelly Strat you are speaking of.
It is a fine hat.
Excuse the harshly lit blurry indoor pics

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rclark]

I vote for Campdraft if you are going for a modern hat. Taupe fawn CD is hard to beat for the price.

 

[1mach1]

I vote for Campdraft if you are going for a modern hat. Taupe fawn CD is hard to beat for the price.

Can't disagree.

 

[DougC]

Moontheloon--Nice hat! I forgot to mention the liner. the Strat has a much nicer liner than any of the modern hats I have except for the 20x open road. You really can't compare the modern liners with the vintage liners--apples and oranges. Not that either is nicer--just not comparable especially with the paper/plastic in the vintage hats.

 

[DanO]

Check out the vintage Playboy in classified, sz7,box

 

[andrew_AU]

Check out the vintage Playboy in classified, sz7,box

This one???

 

[andrew_AU]

Check out the vintage Playboy in classified, sz7,box

Thanks DanO. But I'm a 7 1/2

 

[lbgradwell]

I'm in the same predicament, but, as a 7-5/8, I'm even more screwed... I am pretty much resigned to just going with a Campdraft.

...a lower level modern Stratoliner ie Royal is schlock , the worse 150 buck hat i ever bought.

Are you saying the modern Royal-grade Stratoliner was poor value at US$150 or is it unsafe at any speed, so to speak? Would I regret a brand new one delivered for C$100? Or am I better off passing and putting that C$100 towards yet another Akubra?

 

[ingineer]

[QUOTE="lbgradwell,
Are you saying the modern Royal-grade Stratoliner was poor value at US$150 or is it unsafe at any speed, so to speak? Would I regret a brand new one delivered for C$100? Or am I better off passing and putting that C$100 towards yet another Akubra?[/QUOTE]

i agree with moon, would not and did not give one as a gift. the Royal strat is too fragile, there is the sweat imprinting on the felt, crackerjack pin, etc..
does not appear that it will last more more than a few years. a shame because no brand fits me like a Stetson.would not buy it w/o seeing it my hands
i'm running out of colours to buy in the CD, have three.
i'm tending to buy more custom, i would put a down with Northwest or Gannon if i did not have so many Akubras

 

[andrew_AU]

My 'first Stetson' is an Akubra Campdraft Deluxe in Moonstone

 

[LuvMyMan]

I'll make it simple: you want a vintage open road.

Silverbelly is probably the most all around versatile color. ORs are relatively easy to find because there's a lot of them out there (as well as clones), and they're not as coveted as other vintage models like the whippet or stratoliner.

They look good brim up or brim down. You can crease it like a fedora, or go for a western crease.

I just sold three hats all vintage to one person...a never worn vintage dobbs 20 thin ribbon...a 1950's Stratoliner and a early 1960's Stetson that is most likely a odd ball thin ribbon bantam weight done on a Stratoliner block..both those were like a 9 or 10 in condition and I had vintage oval hat boxes with the straps all included. Oh...all were 7 1/2 size....

I have one hat left to sell...a 7 1/2 vintage resistol thin ribbon...it was refurbished by Resistol in the early 1960's but the hat itself is older. It is a silverbelly color. If you have an interest PM me...the resistol I think is a 6 x hat....has the original hat box, too! it would make a great daily driver hat for you while you look for other hats to own....haha!

 

[Redfokker]

I just sold three hats all vintage to one person...a never worn vintage dobbs 20 thin ribbon...a 1950's Stratoliner and a early 1960's Stetson that is most likely a odd ball thin ribbon bantam weight done on a Stratoliner block..both those were like a 9 or 10 in condition and I had vintage oval hat boxes with the straps all included. Oh...all were 7 1/2 size....

I have one hat left to sell...a 7 1/2 vintage resistol thin ribbon...it was refurbished by Resistol in the early 1960's but the hat itself is older. It is a silverbelly color. If you have an interest PM me...the resistol I think is a 6 x hat....has the original hat box, too! it would make a great daily driver hat for you while you look for other hats to own....haha!

Darn...too big for me, I'm a 7 1/4LO. Would need too much padding!

 

[FedOregon]

It seems like you prefer western and outback styled hats so you have some great ideas and suggestions here with the Campdraft, OR and Premier Stratoliner.

I would not, however, pass up a Stetsonian if it was priced right. I grabbed one for my daughter and it really is an outstanding hat.

As mentioned earlier, when you get up over $250 you are into the range of custom hats with 100% beaver felt. The only used hat I splurged on that even approached the over $200 was a 50s Royal Stetson, just because.