I need some HAT help!!!!

[tropicalbob]

I've seen quite a few review saying the Filson is great for rain but terrible for heat. lol I didn't realize we had a gold era for hats. I just read that Kirk Douglas is one of the last surviving actors from the Golden Era of movies. I didn't realize we had one of those either, and I certainly wouldn't think the Gold Age of movies was over by 1970. That said when I do wear my large brim hats around, on the bus, in the car, or just sitting in the post office, they can be cumbersome, since the brim often hits things and I don't have a place to put it. The ultra-orthodox around here, wear hats with huge brims even during the hottest part of the summer on the bus and everywhere. Inconvenience never seems to hold them back. But for anyone who has ever seen Fiddler on the Roof would know that tradition comes first in their community.

But anyways I just specifically want an outback hat. I don't really need one. Just that hat in the camping store looked cool and brought back nostalgic feelings for crocodile dundee.

Have you looked into Sunbody Hats? There are a couple of threads here about them, and I highly recommend them for a good, well made straw that will take a certain amount of punishment. They're also very accommodating as far as customizing your order. Prices are usually at much less than $100.00.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

The cattleman looks nice. I just start wearing my stylemaster around. If im gonna buck convention I'll start out small. Besides I rrrealy like the reference to crocodile Dundee, just think it's cool, reminds me of my childhood, how cool was that when he told those muggers, "thats not a knife"? Thats a very Americans thing to do, buy something cuz u think it's cool. Israelis don't seem to do it..but of all the hat brands people here seem to rave about akubra, why?

I don’t think many here think Akubra makes a great hat. What Akubra does is make a good hat at a good price. Add to it that many come open crown, which a lot of us prefer, and with some classic dimensions. Akubras are also hard wearing hats that shrug off a reasonable amount of abuse. Akubra is a good deal, but in my opinion, it is not a great hat: the felt is often coarse and cardboard feeling, the finishing is average, and the sweatbands are cheap. I have several and I’m thinking about buying another.

In my opinion, the Stetson Royal De Luxe Premier and the Excellent quality offerings are better hats, but they cost considerably more than Akubras. Borsalino also makes a great hat, but they are even more than the Stetsons. Akubra has a well-earned place in the market as a value hat. If you follow the WHAYWT thread you’ll see that Akubra is not the favorite, but it makes frequent appearances. Akubra also makes styles (Outback, etc.) that many of the other companies don’t.

If you want a truly great hat, I think you need to find something on the vintage market, or commission a custom. I’ve noticed that new members to The Lounge are often pushed toward Akubra due to the relative affordability and decent styles. Don’t confuse that as meaning that the majority think they make the best hats.


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[belfastboy]

I'd recommend you watch eBay for a hat in your price range. An Akubra cattleman might be the right one for you.

Only you figure out what works for you in your weather. If you like it, it's a great hat.

The dirty little secret is that quite a few folks here have hats collecting dust that they don't like or maybe their tastes have changed.

busted!

 

[Frunobulax]

I noticed that, I was just looking at the Stetson website, it can be a bit confusing. Akubra's might be $200ish but that's in AUD, and Stetson is in USD, so they are obviously a lot more expensive. I have a cheaper stetson rain gable hat, it's nice enough, but the quality is cheap in look and feel compared to my akubra. Any other hat makers recommended?

Once you get past HatCo products (Stetson, Dobbs, Resistol, etc.), Borsalinos, Tonaks and places like Lock and Co. or Herbert Johnson, you're down to Bollman, which isn't a good choice. There is also Miller Brothers here in the US.

Then you're into customs.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I noticed that, I was just looking at the Stetson website, it can be a bit confusing. Akubra's might be $200ish but that's in AUD, and Stetson is in USD, so they are obviously a lot more expensive. I have a cheaper stetson rain gable hat, it's nice enough, but the quality is cheap in look and feel compared to my akubra. Any other hat makers recommended?

Stetson makes a wide variety of hats; from cheap cotton blend hats to 100% beaver fur felt. Whether or not they are a good value or your style is something you have to decide.

As I prefer fur felt hats, there aren’t many companies who still make hats that I’m interested in. I focus on vintage hats and custom hats. You can get a custom for less than you might think. I can recommend Agnoulita for an entry level custom with prices starting at $160ish. If you can spend more, Gannon, Hufvud, Phoenix, Northwest, and many more custom hatters have something to offer.

Your best course is to go through the What Hat Are You Wearing Today (WHAYWT) thread and see what hats you like and look for one of your own.


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[deadlyhandsome]

You wear a hat all the time? What got you into it? If you have a custom made, then I guess it would be based on some historical classic design?

I wear a hat most of the time when I’m not at work and occasionally when I’m working. I went the custom route because I have a larger head and it’s tough to find the hats I like in the vintage market. I’ve commissioned several different styles of hat, but I’ve never tried to replicate movie or individual’s style. I wear fedoras, wide ribbon, thin ribbon, lords hats, homburgs, dress westerns, “cowboy,” stingy brims, and wide brims. Rather than stick with one style I’ve come to enjoy most all of them. If you own enough hats you start to figure out what styles and dimensions you prefer so it’s easy to tell a hatter what you want. You can also send the hatter a photo of someone else’s hat and ask them to duplicate it in your size or to add your specified tweaks.

For many of us, collecting becomes a hobby and we enjoy the thrill of the find (vintage), or being part of the creative process (custom). I’m a lightweight around here with somewhere around 100 hats.

If you haven’t already, you should dip a toe in the vintage hat market...ask for some guidance to make sure you’re getting a quality hat, and be prepared to be blown away. Vintage hats can be soooo much better than those made today.


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[nyyankees]

Hi all. First post - apologies if this is not in the right section. I need some advice on the sizing of a Stetson Hemp Stratolioner I recently purchased. A little background - I have an Open Road, a Stratoliner SE, Stratoliner Ultralight, and Bozeman all in 7 1/8 57cm, and a M for the Bozeman. When I bought the Stratoliner hemp on-line I saw that it stated that it runs a half size larger. The store included some felt hat reducer and their advice was that the hat was close to 7/18 so they said they'd include the felt strips. Even with the reducer strip in the back it's a tad big. My question is this - if a hat runs a half size larger is it better to stay with your regular size and use sizing strips or should I be going down to a size 7 56cm? I have tried other 56 hats before and they were too tight. I know this is somewhat subjective but I thought I'd throw it out there to see what your experience has been. Thank you!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Not an answer to your question, but I own three hemp Strats and they all fit a touch on the small side. Go figure.

It’s always better to have a hat that is a half size too big than one that is a half size too small. Can you buy local where you can try them on?

If you have a hat that is a fraction of a size too tight this is where a hat stretcher or a band block comes in. It you just need to nudge the fit ever so slightly these devices work wonders.


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[nyyankees]

Thanks. Makes sense. The store I buy from is in NYC and they're great. I'm in Philly and in the NYC a fair amount just a pain to travel on Amtrak with a huge hat box! I guess from a sizing standpoint I need to figure out how to measure out a 56 and add a half size and compare that to my head measurement!

 

[Rockwater]

I have 4 of the hemp Strats. Two ran larger than expected, so my experience has been both ways, size wise.
On a couple, after getting soaked a few times and sun faded, shrinkage occurred. But, they easily stretched back to size.

 

[Scooterz]

I wear a 7 1/4 and bought a Hemp Strat in Sand from Monaville Cowboy. It is pretty big. More than a 1/2 size I think. I say its probably at least a 7 3/8, I have quite a bit of felt spacer material in it. I stumbled onto a brown pre-owned one cheap in 7 1/8. It fits well. It would not surprise me if the size varied from batch to batch some.

 

[Ursus45]

New to hats in general. I don’t plan to wear one every single day unless I find one I really love. Special occasions and such only.

I’d love something in a Western style, I spent a few years in Texas so I’m a big fan of those. I’ve tried a few different ones on, I haven’t found one that I like yet.



I’d love any reccomendations based on my face shape or any other factors.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

New to hats in general. I don’t plan to wear one every single day unless I find one I really love. Special occasions and such only.

I’d love something in a Western style, I spent a few years in Texas so I’m a big fan of those. I’ve tried a few different ones on, I haven’t found one that I like yet.



I’d love any reccomendations based on my face shape or any other factors.

Brother, that’s a hard request. So many different styles are out there. You’re going to need to narrow it down. Better yet, spend a few days (or months ) going through the What Hat Are You Wearing Today thread and see which hats look best to you.


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[Rmccamey]

Lots of variables. You should go through a bunch of the threads, mainly the What Hat are You Wearing Today, to see lots of examples to find a few that interest you.

 

[jlee562]

New to hats in general. I don’t plan to wear one every single day unless I find one I really love. Special occasions and such only.

I’d love something in a Western style, I spent a few years in Texas so I’m a big fan of those. I’ve tried a few different ones on, I haven’t found one that I like yet.



I’d love any reccomendations based on my face shape or any other factors.

...wanted to circle back around to this one.

There are face shape guides on the interwebs, and there is some truth to them, but IMHO they are more like broad suggestions than hard and fast rules to be followed to the letter.

We are primarily vintage enthusiasts, which is a bit of a different flavor than modern hats. There's a lot of 4" brims out there currently, which is a lot of hat. I mean, of course I have some big hats (e.g.: my avatar photo), but if this is a special occasion thing, something more modest might be more appropriate. I'm a relatively recent convert to the 3" brim, which seems to have been more available back in the day.

The Open Road is a venerable dress western, an iteration of which you can buy off the rack currently. The Akubra Campdraft is its Australian cousin and unlike the current Stetson Open Road, comes open crown, for you to shape. This particular style has been around for 70+ years for good reason. Dresses up or more casual and the classic silverbelly color is very versatile. The Akubra is slightly larger in brim and crown which may or may not be an advantage depending on the individual. Some folks feel strongly about a specific brim width, while others of us like to mix it up.

Of the current Stetson lineup, I'd pick the Royal Deluxe Open Road, or the One Two Three (JJ hat center has this listed as the Calico), but those are just the ones that speak to my tastes. Akubra hats are well made and durable, though they use inexpensive leather for their sweatbands which have a propensity to shrink. Compared to other manufacturers they're also ever so slightly more coarsely finished. Stetson quality control can be inconsistent, so if you're buying online, I would suggest going through a dealer with a good return/exchange policy. I have had positive purchases from: JJ Hat Center, Delmonico Hatter, Hats Direct (Akubra), and though I haven't personally made a purchase from him yet, One 2 Mini Ranch is operated by an upstanding lounger.

In an ironic twist, despite having just cautioned you about Stetson quality control, you can actually get some pretty good deals from calling the Garland outlet store as long as you know your size and a few models you're looking for. Most of the time the flaws are pretty negligible and if you don't plan to wear it all the time, that's also an option.

 

[Rapier]

I have been reading the posts for several years for information as I have only one hat of note; Stetson Mercury (in Saddle, 7 1/8). I would like to thank you all for the great information I have gleaned over the years of lurking.

I have changed from lurking to a member in seeking some advice; my wife wants me to get several more hats (curses right?) however she has only ever liked how the the Mercury looks on me.

The big motivator is that I need a better level of sun protection here in NC. I have been looking online (there is not a hattery I am aware of in the RTP area) but without a eyes on it is harder. So I basically have a blank check to get some hats my wife will like.

I would like to cover the basics, rain, sun, casual. Any advise on what might look good? And any suggestions on a millinery relatively close to RTP NC?

Thanks for you collective time!
Jeffrey

 

[Tukwila]

I like a nice Panama hat for sun, preferably with some ventilation known as semi-calado.

For heavy rain i like Tilley or Outdoor Research hats.

A nice fur felt hat can handle some rain with no adverse affect. I have a vintage Stratton converted into an outback style i use for rain and casual wear.

 

[belfastboy]

I like a nice Panama hat for sun, preferably with some ventilation known as semi-calado.

For heavy rain i like Tilley or Outdoor Research hats.

A nice fur felt hat can handle some rain with no adverse affect. I have a vintage Stratton converted into an outback style i use for rain and casual wear.

I second the suggestion of a Panama. They cannot be beat for as the best hat for heat and humidity. On the cheaper side Stetson makes a few good straw hats with open weave (an Airway w/chinstrap for $75), wide brim that I use as my hiking hat. They are of course more casual looking, a bit western in look.

If you want another felt then consider a custom. The Mercury at $185 is not a lot cheaper than a custom rabbit and you can tweak the profile a bit. There is a Goorin Bros in Charleston (not sure how far that is from you). I don't like their hats but it is a good place to try on different profiles/proportions to get a better idea of what you like.
In Akubra, a lower end but GREAT value hat, there are a few models that are close to the Mercury profile....The Sydney, the Stylemaster, The Bogart, The CEO. David Morgan online offers them, as well as HatsDirect and Everything Australian.
I hate Tilley or bucket style hats and in the rain wear my fur felt hats. I have a custom 50/50 beaver/rabbit blend that is my foul weather outdoors hat as well as a few Akubras. They take the weather very well.

 

[1967Cougar390]

If you are looking for felt hats I’d second the Akubra. I’m in South Carolina and I’m sure the weather can be pretty close to yours on most days. I have the Akubra Sydney and Stylemaster and both are great hats. Less expensive than the Mercury. The Sydney comes open crown so you can crease it how you and your wife think looks best. Both are available online at David Morgan. I stopped in at Goorin Brothers in Charleston but that’s a good ride from your location. They have a large selection but nothing stood out to me when I was in their store. It’s a great place to try sizing differences between manufacturers.

Steven

 

[Rapier]

Thank you for all the great suggestions!
I will start looking online and seeing what styles and colors match up best.
So far I have been informed a Navy, Grey and Tan must be added to the collection to match various outfits.
Although she was eyeing the Akubra Stockman (fawn) as my daytime knockabout.

I wonder if I get a say in the process as something in loden would be nice