Uncle Vern
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 171
A few days ago, I was browsing through a local antique store and came across a perfectly hideous hat--a grey gambler-style with a 3-inch pencil-roll brim and a circular telescpe crown, and sporting what appeared to be the plumage of an entire adult pheasant glued to the front of the crown, the kind of hat that I'd only wear if I was looking to get into a fistfight in a bar and wanted to lose. There were numerous worm holes. Although my main interest is in western-style hats, I've always hated those gambler-riverboat styles, and I nearly passed it up, but instead I flipped it over, there to discover that it was a 4X beaver Stetson, I'd guess 60's to early 70's, with mint headliner and sweatband. The asking price was $6.00. I bought it to take home and play with.
I managed to removed the dead bird, along with the wood glue, staples and scotch tape that had been used to hold the feathers onto the front and sides of the crown. The hat still looked relatively clean. I sanded out the worm holes and took some mild detergent to the hat body. It's coming along nicely. At some point, I pushed up the crown so I could dust it. When I shoved it back down, it's default crease was suddenly that of a homburg, with a single center crease, smooth, sloping sides and a pleasing arch to the crown when viewed from the side. I reminded me of another hat, a Prince Albert homburg offered by Miller Hats, 3-inch rolled brim and all. It's very close in proportion to the Miller.
I began to see the hat in a different light. I added a simple, 3/8th-inch leather band for now, but I might break down and try a wide silk ribbon. The hat is, for all intent and purpose, a 4x beaver, wide-brimmed Stetson homburg. I wonder if Stetson used to make a wide-brim homburg that could be shaped into a gamler-style hat? It would seem logical that a company would try to get as many models out of one body as they could. I'm looking at the gambler-style hats with a new eye.
I managed to removed the dead bird, along with the wood glue, staples and scotch tape that had been used to hold the feathers onto the front and sides of the crown. The hat still looked relatively clean. I sanded out the worm holes and took some mild detergent to the hat body. It's coming along nicely. At some point, I pushed up the crown so I could dust it. When I shoved it back down, it's default crease was suddenly that of a homburg, with a single center crease, smooth, sloping sides and a pleasing arch to the crown when viewed from the side. I reminded me of another hat, a Prince Albert homburg offered by Miller Hats, 3-inch rolled brim and all. It's very close in proportion to the Miller.
I began to see the hat in a different light. I added a simple, 3/8th-inch leather band for now, but I might break down and try a wide silk ribbon. The hat is, for all intent and purpose, a 4x beaver, wide-brimmed Stetson homburg. I wonder if Stetson used to make a wide-brim homburg that could be shaped into a gamler-style hat? It would seem logical that a company would try to get as many models out of one body as they could. I'm looking at the gambler-style hats with a new eye.
