How do you "mark" your hat as yours?

[K.D. Lightner]

I imagine years ago it was important to have an i.d. on your hat, to differentiate it from others who might have the same style or color. I can't tell you how many times I have walked up to a red car in a parking lot, started to put my key in the door, and then realized it was not my Saturn but another red car. Easy to do.

I have two custom made hats that have my name embossed in them and I have a couple of hats, one a cowboy hat, that has the "like hell it's yours..." on it. I have some old vintage hats I scored off ebay that has someone's initials inked inside the sweat band.

I hadn't thought about a business card -- will have to have some personal cards made now that I am retired from my job.

Don't know if anyone would steal my fedoras; I usually keep them near me when I go out or, being female, on my head. A business card would ensure a restaurant or business would be able to contact me. A thief wouldn't care what was on the hat.

karol

 

[mjbrekke]

I like the business card idea; I'll have to try that. Marking the inside of the sweatband so that it's not usually visible makes some sense to me, too. But, on the other hand, if it were stolen, in Minnesota odds are that it's because someone was freezing to death, and I can't begrudge them too much for that.

 

[TomMason]

I tuck my business card under the sweat ban. This is the way my father did it, and I am told, that is is quite traditional. As to writing your name on the sweat ban, or leaving it by some other means, I think that is just fine - a wonderful reminder that some other man, at some other time, had that hat. Part of a chain.

I have a beautiful Stetson St. Regis, owned by Mr. H. L. Lion of Midway, Mass. He purchased it at the Jordan Marsh Company in Boston. Here's to you Mr. Lion, where ever you are, your hat lives on.

 

[Michael D]

Nearly 25 years ago my wife bought me an old Mallory from a thrift store in Denver for $15. On the inside of the sweatband was a name and 1954, the year I was born.

Ever since then I write my name, phone number and the date I bought the hat inside the sweatband.

Once I left my gray Stetson Indy that I bought in 85 at a movie theater. It had all that information in it... never got it back. Oh well, it gave me an excuse to buy another hat.

Mike

 

[RedPop4]

Well, I just stood up, pulled out my wallet and put my business card inside my sweat band. Now that I read it's tradition, I like it even more. Thanks for the heads-up

I agree that with the decline of civility, the "Like Hell it's Yours..." could be another step on that slow road to oblivion. Remember, though, the provenance of these. It appears from the previous posts that this was during the World War II era, and it seems to me, that they were used by soldiers when amongst other soldiers. If so, this is quite "in character" for G.I. Joe and all his comrades that were risking it all for us at that time. In that historical context it gets a pass from me, although I don't disagree the other point at all.

 

[besdor]

Initials in hats

In our stores , we still use the gold stamping and also can do the initials with the holes .The problem with the machines is that once they break , there is no one who knows how to fix them. Luckily , we have plenty of them .
If anyone from the lounge wants their name stamped in their hats , when in NY come on in . No charge !!
What we are also doing is using a P Touch label maker to put in a complete name . They work great . I've recommended this metod to other store:cool2: s.

 

[Neophyte]

I've glands on my cheeks and palms that produce a unique odor that I'm incredibly sensitive to, which I proceed to vigorously rub on all my earthly possessions. Don't worry, it's quite sanitary.

 

[BanjoMerlin]

An old thread but, back when I frequented places where people actually would steal your hat those "put it back" cards didn't do much good. The slimeballs all had their own cards and would switch theirs for yours while picking up your hat.

A business card provides an honest person with the opportunity to return your hat should you forget it somewhere. Ink on the inside of the sweatband and a Smith & Wesson provides you the opportunity to retrieve your hat from a thief.

 

[skyvue]

Man, I'm glad I live in a civil and sedate city like NYC, where I don't have to worry about my hats being pilfered, and not one of the anything-goes, every-man-for-himself burgs in which some of you appear to reside.

 

[Neophyte]

I have more valuable stuff than my hat, and I live in Tennessee, where a hat is more likely to be viewed as a nerdy costume item than a valuable personal possession. I think I'm safe.

 

[Lefty]

Didn't we just have the best answer to this question right here?

 

[ccajackson]

An old thread but, back when I frequented places where people actually would steal your hat those "put it back" cards didn't do much good. The slimeballs all had their own cards and would switch theirs for yours while picking up your hat.

A business card provides an honest person with the opportunity to return your hat should you forget it somewhere. Ink on the inside of the sweatband and a Smith & Wesson provides you the opportunity to retrieve your hat from a thief.

Reminds me of one of my father's old comments regarding locking your luggage when flying: "Locks only serve to keep honest people out of your stuff." [huh]

Sadly, the same seems to hold true for hats.

C-C

 

[facade]

I am not a proponent of the "Like hell it's yours...." We have chipped away at our civility with little things like this. If someone wants to take your hat, this will not encourage them to put it down. On the other hand if a person mistakenly takes your hat, perhaps a more gentelmanly way of letting them know would render your lid back to it's resting place.

Gosh I was just thinking the same thing. If you are going to wear a genteman's hat, why put an ungentlemanly message in it?

Then again a hat does not a gentleman make. Which would be very weird thing indeed since I see more women then men wearing men's dress hats.

 

[fenris]

Over here it's very unlikely that a hat would get stolen as they do not see it as a valuable item and it's pretty hard to fence an item that nobody has an interest to buy.

The worst thing that could happen is leaving your hat in a bar or restaurant... that's when the name / business card / like hell it's yours tag will come in handy.

 

[suitedcboy]

It's on my head so it must be mine. You can have my hat when you pry it off my cold dead head.
They made me take it off when I had rotator cuff surgery but they gave me a couple of those personal property bags and I borrowed the skin marker and put my name on bags. I guess if I trusted them with my life I could trust them with my hat. I'm suspicious though, the surgeon said, "sharp hat". I bet he wore it during surgery.......

 

[The Good]

Probably way too subtle, but I wrote with a pencil my initials "J.B." on the back of the Akubra size tag. Too subtle to be noticed by any stranger who may chance upon it... any tips for if I were to go about carving my initials on the leather sweatband? That may be a consideration eventually.

 

[grundie]

I've had two hats stolen from me. On both occasions it was by drunk girls in passing hen parties. Steal my fancy phone or laptop and I won't really be all that bothered. Steal my hat and I will erupt in to a fiery range infested monster who will hunt you down like the little animal you are.

I have always been tempted to put a label in the hat saying something like "You stole the only thing I had to remind me of my father who passed away before I knew him, Happy now?" in the hope that it guilts them into giving it back to me.

 

[scottyrocks]

The hat I am out with is never far enough away from me for me to worry about it.

 

[BanjoMerlin]

Didn't we just have the best answer to this question right here?

Put me in the "thought it but didn't say it" category!

 

[Mr Vim]

Are you in places where there are lots of hats like yours sitting around?

I'm going to second that, my hat is never lost, because no one here has the brass to wear a fedora.