I need some HAT help!!!!

[belfastboy]

What's the general consensus on velour hats? (Affordability, durability, etc.)

I think I'm narrowing the field incredibly with each new preference.

(Not saying I am set on velour, but it seems fancier than wool and , well, I'd only personally consider second hand fur)

A velour fur felt is miles ahead of anything wool. It is a style/personal preference question. Do you liike the look of the longer hair finish or not. Maybe a bit more upkeep over the short nap....5 minutes a week versus zero...........Most felt suppliers charge a slight premium for their velours to reflect the extra time to prep them. But in the end it is a fur felt just one with a longer fur finish.

 

[Deeeluxe Definitely]

A velour fur felt is miles ahead of anything wool. It is a style/personal preference question. Do you liike the look of the longer hair finish or not. Maybe a bit more upkeep over the short nap....5 minutes a week versus zero...........Most felt suppliers charge a slight premium for their velours to reflect the extra time to prep them. But in the end it is a fur felt just one with a longer fur finish.

Ah, so there is fur still involved in making a velour hat?

I have more to learn than I thought I did. Thanks for the patience.

 

[belfastboy]

Ah, so there is fur still involved in making a velour hat?

I have more to learn than I thought I did. Thanks for the patience.

the 'velour' aspect refers to the finish on the felt. There are multiple finishes either the manufacturer or the hat maker put on the felt. Personal preferences. I have velour, suede, antelope, angora, flecked/melange.......hatters & manufacturers place their own names to their treatments.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

A velour fur felt is miles ahead of anything wool. It is a style/personal preference question. Do you liike the look of the longer hair finish or not. Maybe a bit more upkeep over the short nap....5 minutes a week versus zero...........Most felt suppliers charge a slight premium for their velours to reflect the extra time to prep them. But in the end it is a fur felt just one with a longer fur finish.

My wife hates velour and any sort of long hair finish. I like them a lot. Fur felt velour is like any other finish in that there is a wide range of qualities. Some of the Canadian Biltmore hats with velour finishes are nice for the price. The Europeans were the real masters of velour and similar finishes. Find an older European velour and you’ll be in for a treat. I’m still looking for a Hückel seal velour of my own.

 

[belfastboy]

My wife hates velour and any sort of long hair finish. I like them a lot. Fur felt velour is like any other finish in that there is a wide range of qualities. Some of the Canadian Biltmore hats with velour finishes are nice for the price. The Europeans were the real masters of velour and similar finishes. Find an older European velour and you’ll be in for a treat. I’m still looking for a Hückel seal velour of my own.

I think they make a great replacement for a cat or dog......something i can pet without having to clean up after it nor feed it.

 

[jlee562]

My wife hates velour and any sort of long hair finish. I like them a lot. Fur felt velour is like any other finish in that there is a wide range of qualities. Some of the Canadian Biltmore hats with velour finishes are nice for the price. The Europeans were the real masters of velour and similar finishes. Find an older European velour and you’ll be in for a treat. I’m still looking for a Hückel seal velour of my own.

Garrett very kindly gifted me an old Velour that needed a sweat. I'm still looking for a block for it, but excited about rebuilding it.

The stylings of some of those 60's velours are, shall we say, not quite as timeless as other midcentury hats. For instance, don't bother with the Playboy II, you are better off with a modern hat or custom!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Garrett very kindly gifted me an old Velour that needed a sweat. I'm still looking for a block for it, but excited about rebuilding it.

The stylings of some of those 60's velours are, shall we say, not quite as timeless as other midcentury hats. For instance, don't bother with the Playboy II, you are better off with a modern hat or custom!

I’ve owned a few of those ‘60s velours. Even if you’re willing to put work or money into them there isn’t any possibility of redemption. I’ll also say that I’m not impressed with the single sided velour currently made by Tonak.

 

[Deeeluxe Definitely]

I think they make a great replacement for a cat or dog......something i can pet without having to clean up after it nor feed it.

They can't love you back, though.

...Can they?

After all, I'm learning a lot here.

Now that I understand better, I don't think the velour is for me.

 

[oble]

So I’ve found the perfect hat that I feel comfortable wearing around town without feeling too self conscious about. The thing is it is a straw hat. The tag says “Sunbody”. Seems not too “western” and not too “dressy”. It might be nice to find one with a similar shape/size in fur felt that could be worn everyday. I do have a 50s 3x that I also like but is quite heavy and feels too nice for everyday wearing.

Curious if anyone has brand/style/ maker suggestions. I really appreciate the knowledge and expertise here. Thanks!

 

[oble]

Forgot to mention Brim measures 2 1/2” and the crown measures approx 4 1/2 “

 

[Who?]

Get quotes from a couple of custom hat-makers. Send them photos.

They will make anything you want, and it will fit perfectly. You are only limited by how much you are willing to spend.

A lot hinges on two things 1. why do you wear a hat, and why have you chosen that style?
and 2. are sure that style is what you really want to wear, before you have one made for you?

May we know where you are? If you are in Hilo, HI, where the UV index can reach 15, or in Seattle, where the sun is not as much of a problem, might give different answers as to what you should wear.

 

[BobHufford]

Forgot to mention Brim measures 2 1/2” and the crown measures approx 4 1/2 “

If you can stand another 1/4" on the brim I would look at an Akubra Campdraft. It could easily be creased like this and is one of the better bargains for a fur-felt hat. Especially if it is your first new one. The vintage market probably has many, many hats that would fit this bill as well, but you would have to dig.

 

[oble]

Get quotes from a couple of custom hat-makers. Send them photos.

They will make anything you want, and it will fit perfectly. You are only limited by how much you are willing to spend.

A lot hinges on two things 1. why do you wear a hat, and why have you chosen that style?
and 2. are sure that style is what you really want to wear, before you have one made for you?

May we know where you are? If you are in Hilo, HI, where the UV index can reach 15, or in Seattle, where the sun is not as much of a problem, might give different answers as to what you should wear.

Thank you for the thoughtful answer. Ive always liked how fedoras look and enjoy wearing them but as I live in rural New England finding something that is not too much of a dress hat has been the challenge.

I’ve been wearing this straw hat pretty comfortably now for a while and feel that it fits that bill.

I like the suggestion of reaching out to custom hat makers. Thank you for this suggestion.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

So I’ve found the perfect hat that I feel comfortable wearing around town without feeling too self conscious about. The thing is it is a straw hat. The tag says “Sunbody”. Seems not too “western” and not too “dressy”. It might be nice to find one with a similar shape/size in fur felt that could be worn everyday. I do have a 50s 3x that I also like but is quite heavy and feels too nice for everyday wearing.

Curious if anyone has brand/style/ maker suggestions. I really appreciate the knowledge and expertise here. Thanks!

SunBody hats are not known as light weights: I’d be surprised if your 1950s 3X was heavier unless it’s a large western hat.

I love custom hats and working with various hatters, but if I’m honest the best vintage hats are better than my custom hats…although I have some that are close. If you wear a vintage friendly size you should check out the used hat market.

For custom fedora makers, I’d say Wolfbrae is hard to beat and if your budget will stretch I’d look hard at Gannon too. Of course, there are many custom hatters making great hats. After a three year break I’m trying Agnoulita again. He claims his build quality and materials have gone up a lot and if so they are a bargain with 100% beaver hats at $288 with free shipping. We’ll see.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

If you can stand another 1/4" on the brim I would look at an Akubra Campdraft. It could easily be creased like this and is one of the better bargains for a fur-felt hat. Especially if it is your first new one. The vintage market probably has many, many hats that would fit this bill as well, but you would have to dig.

Great choice recommending an Akubra. The Campdraft is just about the perfect hat. I wish it had another 1/2” of crown, but that’s being pretty picky.

 

[Who?]

Great choice recommending an Akubra. The Campdraft is just about the perfect hat. I wish it had another 1/2” of crown, but that’s being pretty picky.

Currently $160 from David Morgan, and all sizes, but the only color he has is black. You might want to think about ordering from Australia, if you don’t want black.

Folks here can advise on who are the better sellers in Australia.

 

[oble]

If you can stand another 1/4" on the brim I would look at an Akubra Campdraft. It could easily be creased like this and is one of the better bargains for a fur-felt hat. Especially if it is your first new one. The vintage market probably has many, many hats that would fit this bill as well, but you would have to dig.

Great suggestion! Thank you. I will look into them.

SunBody hats are not known as light weights: I’d be surprised if your 1950s 3X was heavier unless it’s a large western hat.

I love custom hats and working with various hatters, but if I’m honest the best vintage hats are better than my custom hats…although I have some that are close. If you wear a vintage friendly size you should check out the used hat market.

For custom fedora makers, I’d say Wolfbrae is hard to beat and if your budget will stretch I’d look hard at Gannon too. Of course, there are many custom hatters making great hats. After a three year break I’m trying Agnoulita again. He claims his build quality and materials have gone up a lot and if so they are a bargain with 100% beaver hats at $288 with free shipping. We’ll see.

That’s funny, I just weighed both hats and they are exactly the same weight. Not sure why I though the Stetson was heavier.

Thank you for your honest insight on custom vs vintage. I do really like Stetson. Just want to be able to find something with the dimensions that I like. I better start searching.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Thank you for the thoughtful answer. Ive always liked how fedoras look and enjoy wearing them but as I live in rural New England finding something that is not too much of a dress hat has been the challenge.

I’ve been wearing this straw hat pretty comfortably now for a while and feel that it fits that bill.

I like the suggestion of reaching out to custom hat makers. Thank you for this th

That is Sunbody version of the Stetson “Open Road”. Stetson does still make that model but it comes pre-creased in a cattleman’s style. To get the look you are going for your two best options are the Akubra campdraft. It comes open crown so you can style it how you like. With shipping is roughly $200 Canadian.
https://everythingaustralian.com.au/row/campdraft-hat.html
https://hatsdirect.com/collections/akubra-open-crown/products/campdraft-open-crownhttps://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/akubra-campdraft.32716/

Or go custom and you will get exactly what you want fully customizable. Usually $300 and up depending where you get it from.

Johnny

 

[belfastboy]

Great suggestion! Thank you. I will look into them.

That’s funny, I just weighed both hats and they are exactly the same weight. Not sure why I though the Stetson was heavier.

Thank you for your honest insight on custom vs vintage. I do really like Stetson. Just want to be able to find something with the dimensions that I like. I better start searching.

Check out MiamiBruno on Ebay. He usually has very nice vintage hats for sale ....good quality, full disclosure on condition, at fair prices. He is a quality seller and has great hats in the dimensions you desire. It just depends on your size.

 

[belfastboy]

Great suggestion! Thank you. I will look into them.

That’s funny, I just weighed both hats and they are exactly the same weight. Not sure why I though the Stetson was heavier.

Thank you for your honest insight on custom vs vintage. I do really like Stetson. Just want to be able to find something with the dimensions that I like. I better start searching.

I am a custom hat maker. My pricing for a European rabbit felt hat using all best quality components is still $250US. Beaver is $325. But I think buying an Akubra to begin with is a great idea. They represent great value in hats. It is a lower cost way to help you discern what works best for you.