Post New Hats Here!

[Dreispitz]

This is my newly arrived Dobb Twenty, the one I bought from rlk (thanks again!). This time, the customs charged me another $10... It just had to happen, sooner or later.

Ah, never mind that. The hat is really beautiful, with a taupish color and nice proportions. The only downside: there is a small dark smudge at the top-front of the crown, it has a few moth nibbles on the underside of the brim and the sweat is almost dead, but at the moment I'm not willing to put in one of those ugly new black ones you get these days.

For now, I went with a deep center dent again to bring out that lovely reverse taper.

Size 6 7/8
Brim 2 1/2
Crown 4 3/4 (creased)
Ribbon 1 7/8

Is anyone willing and able to date this one?

N I C E !

 

[J.J. Gittes]

This is my newly arrived Dobb Twenty, the one I bought from rlk (thanks again!). This time, the customs charged me another $10... It just had to happen, sooner or later.

Ah, never mind that. The hat is really beautiful, with a taupish color and nice proportions. The only downside: there is a small dark smudge at the top-front of the crown, it has a few moth nibbles on the underside of the brim and the sweat is almost dead, but at the moment I'm not willing to put in one of those ugly new black ones you get these days.

For now, I went with a deep center dent again to bring out that lovely reverse taper.

Size 6 7/8
Brim 2 1/2
Crown 4 3/4 (creased)
Ribbon 1 7/8

Is anyone willing and able to date this one?

I'd say mid to late 30's due to the un-reeded sweatband and general proportions and style. I may be completely wrong but It gives off a 30's vibe to me. Anyone else feeling it?

 

[Brad Bowers]

Is anyone willing and able to date this one?

Mid-'50s, based on the patent number, which was assigned March 24, 1953. Everything else about the hat also says mid-'50s to me.

Brad

 

[BobC]

Eventually Bob will be engorged on Whippets, and will have to satisfy his appetites elsewhere.

He must have some canine in him - can't eat chocolate Whippets.

Maybe.

 

[ScottF]

Mid-'50s, based on the patent number, which was assigned March 24, 1953. Everything else about the hat also says mid-'50s to me.

Brad

Brad - I did the 'Google Patents' search on 403324 (beneath the 'Self-conforming' stamp in my Resistol) and got the following. Could you please double-check my work?

Cigarette Mouthpiece Patent

 

[Brad Bowers]

Brad - I did the 'Google Patents' search on 403324 (beneath the 'Self-conforming' stamp in my Resistol) and got the following. Could you please double-check my work?

I've checked your work, and I'll have to give you a failing grade.lol

403324 is the registration number for the trademark "Self-Conforming," not the patent number.

We've talked about Resistol's Self-Conforming sweatbands before, but I can't remember if we were ever able to track down the patent for it.

Brad

 

[ScottF]

I've checked your work, and I'll have to give you a failing grade.lol

403324 is the registration number for the trademark "Self-Conforming," not the patent number.

We've talked about Resistol's Self-Conforming sweatbands before, but I can't remember if we were ever able to track down the patent for it.

Brad

:eusa_doh: That's the 2nd time I've failed this course!

Thanks!

 

[anon`]

A few patents relating to sweatbands, all of which contain the term "self-confirming." The fourth patent was clearly filed by the same company that brought us Lee hats. Not sure who Max Popper is, but his three patents are all variations on a theme; no doubt that the latter two are improvements on the original. All three of them speak to a sweat that conforms to the wearer's head, and at least two of them include a provision for ventilation not unlike the corrugated Borso sweats. The first patent listed appears to be specific to stiff hats like bowlers, based on my glance at the drawing, and might've been intended to introduce "one-size-fits-all" models. There is a reference to minimizing the need for sizing and blocking in the description, I believe.

Maybe some other intrepid hat fan can dig up even more details!

US Patent 1,212,132: Hat
-Application filed 16 February 1916 by William Connor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
-Granted 9 January 1917

US Patent 1,748,792: Ventilating Strip For Hats
-Application filed 11 July 1928 by Max Popper of Brooklyn, New York
-Granted 25 February 1930

US Patent 1,890,407: Ventilating Strip For Hats
-Application filed 4 October 1928 by Max Popper of Brooklyn, New York
-Granted 6 December 1932

US Patent 1,892,515: Hat Construction And The Art Of Making The Same
-Application filed 23 August 1930 by Frank H Lee of Danbury, Connecticut
-Granted 27 December 1932

US Patent 1,895,392: Ventilating Strip For Hats And The Like
-Application filed 29 June 1929 by Max Popper of Brooklyn, New York
-Granted 24 January 1933

 

[colps]

I was looking at the sterling beaver saloon today, the have some awesome hats Wondering if anybody who had one would care to comment?

 

[Mario]

Mid-'50s, based on the patent number, which was assigned March 24, 1953. Everything else about the hat also says mid-'50s to me.

Brad

Very interesting detail, thank you for the info!

 

[Spats McGee]

I was looking at the sterling beaver saloon today, the have some awesome hats Wondering if anybody who had one would care to comment?

I looked up "Sterling Beaver Saloon" on Google. That appears to be a forum for a hatmaker who is not discussed 'round these parts. If you search these forums for "gladhatter," you'll find some old discussions about him.

 

[AlphaP]

Scored a vintage black hat last weekend. Costed 37usd... Could've tried to get it for a bit less but it was the only hat in good condition after searching four antique stores in the area.

It's a funyi hat (also known as "the" tango hat), which in essence is a high-crowned, fedora-like hat with a massive ribbon and what I ended up calling "multipurpose and multidirectional brim" because of how you can end up twisting the brim to get different effects. Ideally, a funyi hat has one of the sides turned upwards, sometimes with a feather on the ribbon. You would also see the brim snapped all the way down ala Carlos Gardel and that's how I found the hat, however, this one in particular has one of the sides ready to be easily turned up.

One funny thing during the purchase: the guy kept apologising, "sorry I don't have any new hats, this is a truly vintage hat so it might not be what you're looking for since it's so old and outdated. You can get new funyi hats somewhere else..."
Me: "Pack it now, you've made a sale!"

The guy was super happy that someone so young would actually use it (oh, also we ended up listening to vinyls there) and promptly begged me to take care of the poor thing. Some people have been getting vintage hats to use them in plays or concerts and most of the time they quickly break them due to lack of proper hat knowledge and careless handling.

Picture time!









Was planning to get a Panama hat but since it's been so cold...

edit:

Another thing that surprised me: this hat fit my head instantly. Gotta love when that happens, almost as if the thing was waiting for you to pick it up!

 

[mayserwegener]

Scored a vintage black hat last weekend. Costed 37usd... Could've tried to get it for a bit less but it was the only hat in good condition after searching four antique stores in the area.

It's a funyi hat (also known as "the" tango hat), which in essence is a high-crowned, fedora-like hat with a massive ribbon and what I ended up calling "multipurpose and multidirectional brim" because of how you can end up twisting the brim to get different effects. Ideally, a funyi hat has one of the sides turned upwards, sometimes with a feather on the ribbon. You would also see the brim snapped all the way down ala Carlos Gardel and that's how I found the hat, however, this one in particular has one of the sides ready to be easily turned up.

One funny thing during the purchase: the guy kept apologising, "sorry I don't have any new hats, this is a truly vintage hat so it might not be what you're looking for since it's so old and outdated. You can get new funyi hats somewhere else..."
Me: "Pack it now, you've made a sale!"

The guy was super happy that someone so young would actually use it (oh, also we ended up listening to vinyls there) and promptly begged me to take care of the poor thing. Some people have been getting vintage hats to use them in plays or concerts and most of the time they quickly break them due to lack of proper hat knowledge and careless handling.

Picture time!


Was planning to get a Panama hat but since it's been so cold...

edit:

Another thing that surprised me: this hat fit my head instantly. Gotta love when that happens, almost as if the thing was waiting for you to pick it up!

Interesting! I like seeing vintage hats from other locations. Did you put in the spacers and modify the sweat? Is there a paper label behind the sweatband? Looks to be of good quality.

 

[rlk]

C&K Knapp-Felt Homburg

As soft as a Fedora and quite narrow brim(2-1/4 if it wasn't curled). Open crown would be a full 6". Crown was bashed in the literal sense and doesn't know what its crease is. The sweatband leather is quite good(2" full) but the thread is fragile and snapping where disturbed. Unreeded with taped seam. Requires a reblock to start fresh on the crown. I gave it something close to what I think the hat was originally(by feel) for the photo. The newspaper under the sweat was 1963 so nowhere near the hats origin.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Fantastic C&K, rlk! I'm saving the photos for my reference files, hope you don't mind.

That's too bad about the newspaper. Seems like maybe the gentleman put the hat away for three decades, and then perhaps a son decided to wear it in '63.

Brad

 

[rlk]

Any age approximation, Brad? Unfortunately anywhere I lift the sweat up the stitches go so I haven't looked under the liner. Its a totally different hat(felt and proportions) from my much larger Dobbs with the taped seam and unreeded sweat(5-lobe sweat bow).

 

[Brad Bowers]

Teens or '20s, at a guess. I haven't seen nearly enough C&K hats to get a really good feel for dating them. It's probably no newer than early-'30s, though.

Brad

 

[rlk]

Cervo Bantam

Postal services survived! More to come.

 

[billysmom]

As soft as a Fedora and quite narrow brim(2-1/4 if it wasn't curled). Open crown would be a full 6". Crown was bashed in the literal sense and doesn't know what its crease is. The sweatband leather is quite good(2" full) but the thread is fragile and snapping where disturbed. Unreeded with taped seam. Requires a reblock to start fresh on the crown. I gave it something close to what I think the hat was originally(by feel) for the photo. The newspaper under the sweat was 1963 so nowhere near the hats origin.

Gorgeous hat, rlk! Great find :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Sue

 

[rlk]

C&K Knapp-Felt Homburg

Has unusual horizontal creases front and back. I'm not sure if these were intentional or from compressing the hat. I've seen these on some western hats but not a dress hat.