Open Crown Stetsons: A Call (Plea) to Retailers!!

[Dallashat]

Now if we could talk them into adding a pencil curl to the open road . For that "classy look"

 

[RBH]

Now if we could talk them into adding a pencil curl to the open road . For that "classy look"

If the Open Road had a pencil curl.....it would not be a
Open Road.

 

[DJH]

This (yet to be trimmed) 150th Stetson Motor that Matt posted, is a nice looking hat

 

[splintercellsz]

Agreed full heartedly. Very nice too see some older styles making an appearance.

 

[tonyb]

This (yet to be trimmed) 150th Stetson Motor that Matt posted, is a nice looking hat

...

Yes, it is. Very nice indeed.

Multiple rows of wholly decorative edge stitching. It's all the rage, eh?

 

[DJH]

It'll never catch on, Tony!!

 

[tonyb]

There was a version of the Stetson Flagship way back when that had what they called a "wafer edge" held down with three rows of stitching. (I got a greenish one around here somewhere.) The wafer edge was a variation on an overwelt theme. The brim material at the edge was thinner (sanded down to that thickness, I suspect) so that when it was welted over on top of itself the resulting edge was less bulky than a regular old overwelt. Seeing how one row of stitching would likely have been adequate to the task, the three rows would seem mostly for their decorative effect.

I don't know what sort of sewing machinery was used on the old Flagships, nor do I have the first clue as to what they use now. A friend, an expert seamstress, on seeing that Flagship of mine said, "nobody is that good." She theorized that they may have had a machine that put down all three rows in one pass.

A single row of stitching is about as easy as falling off a log. Two rows are only slightly more difficult. But maintaining uniform spacing between rows gets to be a trick when you're doing three or more. A person gets to appreciating that box full of attachments that came with that old sewing machine.

 

[javadave61]

Hello everyone... I just spent most of my day reading this entire thread. What a learning experience! And it sure did get me through a few sedating meetings at work.

Please allow me to summarize what I read:

- Long ago, when classic hats fell out of fashion, Stetson basically dropped out of the quality felt dress hat business in favor of cheaper felt alternatives.
- Committed hat enthusiasts kept Stetson's feet to the fire, but basically to no avail. Not a good business model to invest in high quality felts.
- Then in the recent past, Stetson began producing some classic styles, like the Stratoliner and Whippet, but in a mediocre to inferior felt.
- Despair ensued in the lounge (hence pages 1-9 or so).
- Then it happened... new felt! Much higher quality "Premiere" felt.
- This felt is essentially found in two basic hat styles: the Stratoliner and the Stetsonian.
- Colors were limited (lots of browns), but expanded to some greys, but no real move beyond that.
- Matt Deckard joined up with Stetson to help breath some life into this mini revival. And he began producing one prototype after another. Gorgeous hats.
- Tommyk subtly, but persistently, asked the question about every fourth page about when we'd ever see these in production! Keep it up Tommy!
- And in the last few pages, something about "Excellent Quality" felt.

So, may I offer a few questions to aid in my learning?
- Do you think Stetson has found this effort worthy enough to continue heading in this (positive) direction?
- Do you think young people will ever discover these hats and cause them ever again to "go viral"?
- What are the chances we'll ever see a Premium felt hat in a department store?
- What is the Excellent quality felt hat? Is this a step above the Premiere felt?
- What do you think Stetson's next move is in terms of its next premium hat?
- What are we expected to see unveiled with the 150th anniversary?
- Do you think the quality control issues have gotten better?

Okay, so that's a lot. But if anyone wants to grab a question and expound, man, I'd love to hear your wisdom. Thanks again for all the contributions to this thread. It should be included in the basic primer of learning about this hobby. I'm still a newby, and this thread helped push me further along towards obsession.

 

[javadave61]

By the way, thanks to Tommyk's commitment to posting Deckard prototypes, I may have discovered definitively that my Garland Outlet Premiere Royal Deluxe was indeed a Deckard Special! Though I think my ribbon is thinner.

l

 

[javadave61]

Bumping my own post because I posted it late at night when no one was looking... I'd love to hear the community's wisdom...

Hello everyone... I just spent most of my day reading this entire thread. What a learning experience! And it sure did get me through a few sedating meetings at work.

Please allow me to summarize what I read:

- Long ago, when classic hats fell out of fashion, Stetson basically dropped out of the quality felt dress hat business in favor of cheaper felt alternatives.
- Committed hat enthusiasts kept Stetson's feet to the fire, but basically to no avail. Not a good business model to invest in high quality felts.
- Then in the recent past, Stetson began producing some classic styles, like the Stratoliner and Whippet, but in a mediocre to inferior felt.
- Despair ensued in the lounge (hence pages 1-9 or so).
- Then it happened... new felt! Much higher quality "Premiere" felt.
- This felt is essentially found in two basic hat styles: the Stratoliner and the Stetsonian.
- Colors were limited (lots of browns), but expanded to some greys, but no real move beyond that.
- Matt Deckard joined up with Stetson to help breath some life into this mini revival. And he began producing one prototype after another. Gorgeous hats.
- Tommyk subtly, but persistently, asked the question about every fourth page about when we'd ever see these in production! Keep it up Tommy!
- And in the last few pages, something about "Excellent Quality" felt.

So, may I offer a few questions to aid in my learning?
- Do you think Stetson has found this effort worthy enough to continue heading in this (positive) direction?
- Do you think young people will ever discover these hats and cause them ever again to "go viral"?
- What are the chances we'll ever see a Premium felt hat in a department store?
- What is the Excellent quality felt hat? Is this a step above the Premiere felt?
- What do you think Stetson's next move is in terms of its next premium hat?
- What are we expected to see unveiled with the 150th anniversary?
- Do you think the quality control issues have gotten better?

Okay, so that's a lot. But if anyone wants to grab a question and expound, man, I'd love to hear your wisdom. Thanks again for all the contributions to this thread. It should be included in the basic primer of learning about this hobby. I'm still a newby, and this thread helped push me further along towards obsession.

 

[jlee562]

It seems there's some uneveness in different runs of the new hats, and there are some quality control issues. I ended up with two black Strats because my first one ended up tapering. I had mentioned it here on the lounge, and Mr. Deckard contacted me to offer a replacement (stand up guy, btw). Apparently what had happened was that a run of bodies that should have been made into the standard (blocked in crease) Stratoliner got blocked as Premiere Strats. Wrong grade felt + 'wrong' block = taper and shrinkage.

That having been said, I believe Hatco/Stetson is definitely on the right track. My replacement Strat is a fine hat indeed. I've still got to get my hands on the new excellent quality felt....

Matt has been sharing bits and pieces of what's coming down the line and I'm very interested in the pure beaver belly Silverbelly and the the featherweight Whippet.

As far as the resurgence of hats. I don't know that they'll ever be back in department stores, but I think there's definitely a market for them, as long as you know how to reach it. I mean, obviously a $300 hat is a luxury item...but Goorin bros. has expanded a pretty big operation selling $100+ wool hats. Optimo operates two brick and mortar stores selling hats that start at $650.

Stetson fits nicely inbetween them and has the advantage of being a much better known brand.

 

[Frunobulax]

It seems there's some uneveness in different runs of the new hats, and there are some quality control issues. I ended up with two black Strats because my first one ended up tapering. I had mentioned it here on the lounge, and Mr. Deckard contacted me to offer a replacement (stand up guy, btw). Apparently what had happened was that a run of bodies that should have been made into the standard (blocked in crease) Stratoliner got blocked as Premiere Strats. Wrong grade felt + 'wrong' block = taper and shrinkage.

That having been said, I believe Hatco/Stetson is definitely on the right track. My replacement Strat is a fine hat indeed. I've still got to get my hands on the new excellent quality felt....

Matt has been sharing bits and pieces of what's coming down the line and I'm very interested in the pure beaver belly Silverbelly and the the featherweight Whippet.

As far as the resurgence of hats. I don't know that they'll ever be back in department stores, but I think there's definitely a market for them, as long as you know how to reach it. I mean, obviously a $300 hat is a luxury item...but Goorin bros. has expanded a pretty big operation selling $100+ wool hats. Optimo operates two brick and mortar stores selling hats that start at $650.

Stetson fits nicely inbetween them and has the advantage of being a much better known brand.

I also think tat, if the higher quality felt production continues, those techniques filter down to the lesser qualities. A rising tide and all that.

 

[javadave61]

Thanks Jared. I was amazed at reading about Mr. Deckard intervening and getting you that replacement. Glad to hear it.

When I was in Dallas at the Hatco Outlet a few weeks back and picked up the premiere Strat, I hung out at the steaming table as the guy reshaped it for me. Meanwhile, half a dozen folks standing there waiting to get their westerns shaped (it is Texas after all, and the number of Western hats dominate that store), the Strat became the talk. They didn't know what it was. Loved the look. Asked about it... It was quite a moment to realize that this small sample of people had no idea about what a "western fedora" was, and you could tell they loved it. My sense is, with all rage over these cheaply made trilbys, there has to be quite a sizeable potential market of people who would love to find themselves standing under a premiere Strat instead of those cheap Target hats.

I hope Hatco makes inroads into this potential market. Otherwise, I'm afraid they'll stop trying.

 

[javadave61]

...if the higher quality felt production continues...

Let's pray it does.

 

[Bob Roberts]

But... its so great to see a bunch of the Young Dudes, and some musicians and clubbers, etc... Goin out and BUYING AND WEARING those less expensive shorties as well as fedoras n porkpies, that they are picking up at JC Penny and Target. Good bless 'em! They are gettin into Hatness.

 

[javadave61]

But... its so great to see a bunch of the Young Dudes, and some musicians and clubbers, etc... Goin out and BUYING AND WEARING those less expensive fedoras n porkpies, that they are picking up at JC Penny and Target. Good bless 'em!

Right Bob... The whole rejection of the fedora was sociological back in the 60s. Today, it's just a matter of fashion. As long as the fashion grows in favor any (non-baseball) hat, that's good!

 

[gtdean48]

But... its so great to see a bunch of the Young Dudes, and some musicians and clubbers, etc... Goin out and BUYING AND WEARING those less expensive shorties as well as fedoras n porkpies, that they are picking up at JC Penny and Target. Good bless 'em! They are gettin into Hatness.

SO glad that Zac Brown is wearing decent lids over that watch cap now....

 

[hatophile]

SO glad that Zac Brown is wearing decent lids over that watch cap now....

And his music is pretty good too, for a Georgia boy.

 

[Bob Roberts]

Right Bob... The whole rejection of the fedora was sociological back in the 60s. Today, it's just a matter of fashion. As long as the fashion grows in favor any (non-baseball) hat, that's good!

+1

 

[Bob Roberts]

SO glad that Zac Brown is wearing decent lids over that watch cap now....

+1