Post New Hats Here!

[Feather*Stone]

Karen and Johnny, I can't seem to get your photo to appeAr on my kindle, but I'm sure others will be able to offer you a wealth of info.

Sorry about that...cleaned up the photo URL.

 

[alanfgag]

Hi y'all, this is our first time posting. My husband and I recently acquired a beautiful Stetson Royal De Luxe very thin ribbon felt hat in a Knox hat box. We know nothing else about it and are curious about what style and age it is. This is our second acquisition of late via local Estate Sales in Texas. We're loving all the fascinating info that's to be had here in TFL, but it's kind of overload for newbies! So we're hoping this is place to start with our request for help in solving the mystery of this new OLD hat. I've posted a great number of photos on my Flickr photostream in hopes that some of you folks with knowledge can take a look-see and fill in some details.

Welcome and thanks for the interesting puzzler. Most of what we can decipher on old Stetsons is tied to the sweatband and liner details, sometimes with help from the size tag (missing here) and the red manufacturing label behind the sweat. This sweatband with no markings might have been the result of a renovation. The sewing on the rear seam and sweatband bow suggest a replacement, which makes one wonder if the liner is original to the hat. If it is, the western would date somewhere around 1950, give or take a couple of years in either direction. The felt from that period should be rather nice, though Royal Deluxe was a lower mid-range quality level. I have a similar western from that period, with raw 3" brim and 1/8" thin ribbon, though it is a 7X clear beaver quality.

Hunt through the sticky to important Hat Forum threads and you will find lots of reference for dating Stetson Hats.

 

[alanfgag]

The Borso looks very promising, Geldoc!

 

[Feather*Stone]

Thanks for the post, Alan, and for sharing your photo as well. The felt of our hat is super soft to the touch, but construction seem firm. Afraid to mess with the hat too much since we don't know what we're doing or how much fiddlin' with an old hat can take.

 

[Monte]

Monte - looks like a nice open road

Thanx, It's nice to just stumble across something this rare.

Nice find Monte. Good job on the clean up.

Sent from my SGH-T959V using Tapatalk 2

Thanx, it really needed it. The shop only wanted $18 because of the stains. It wasn't that hard to soak it, dry it, brush and shape.

REAL nice find, Monte.

The hat chooses the man, sometimes.

Afraid to mess with the hat too much since we don't know what we're doing or how much fiddlin' with an old hat can take.

That lid looks like it doesn't need too much fiddlin' at all.

 

[ManofKent]

Great find Monte.

Interesting Stetson Feather*Stone

 

[Chepstow]

dh66 and Charlie, thanks guys for your simpathy and kind words! I hope I can it repair.

Some nice new hats guys, Geldoc and Monte. Sharp hats!

 

[Chepstow]

Arrived today, newly acquired Mayser Homburg Spezial, very nice Hat in mid gray!
Some soiling at the liner and some stains on the ribbon!
Otherwise in good Condition!

 

[T Jones]

Arrived today, newly acquired Mayser Homburg Spezial, very nice Hat in mid gray!
Some soiling at the liner and some stains on the ribbon!
Otherwise in good Condition!

Nice Mayser my friend. I think I'm persuaded to looking into buying a Hombourg. I let a nice one get away from me a few weeks back.

 

[Chepstow]

Thanks TJ, a Homburg is a nice Hat, I guess you look great with it! I know, you hate black, but that is what you mostly will find!

 

[Liddleman]

Well, not only a new hat for me but my first ever felt hat was delivered today. When I opened the package was really pleased with it's lovely condition but unfortunately just on the small side. It's a Champ Featherweight and would like to know the colour that Champ gave to it and also any idea of its age ?. The iPhone photos are quite decent for colour match but perhaps a little more 'silvery' if anything in the real world. Anyway, although not a perfect fit, it is a start. Best, Tim

 

[jskeen]

Ok, So your the one. I was watching that and pretty sure I threw a bid in the last few seconds, but you obviously wanted it more than me. Congrats, it looks like a nice one. Champ felt is usually pretty light and may stretch out a bit easier than most if you just wear it around for a while. Try hanging it in the bathroom while in the shower and putting it on as soon as you get your hair dry.

 

[ManofKent]

Liddleman - nice hat. If it's only a tad too small it might be worth getting a hat jack - I generally only stretch up to one size (and prefer just 1/2 a size), but it's a very useful tool. I gave up hunting for one in the UK and picked one up from the states (if you search ebay carefully enough some have reasonable postage costs).

 

[Liddleman]

That sounds a good idea MoK, I'll have a look around the auction site in the morning. although I think this hat is probably at least a size too small. Sorry I beat you for it JSK !!

 

[dh66]

It's a nice looking hat, I hope you can get it to fit. Sizing is always a ****shoot when buying online, especially vintage.

Sent from my SGH-T959V using Tapatalk 2

 

[ManofKent]

That sounds a good idea MoK, I'll have a look around the auction site in the morning. although I think this hat is probably at least a size too small. Sorry I beat you for it JSK !!

It's surprising what difference 1cm makes in a hat. Have a measure of your head - a US 7 3/8 should be approximately 59cm. Don't forget the Americans don't know how to label hats and their sizes are a size smaller than ours

 

[Liddleman]

I've measured the hat two or three times and it's +- 58, I'm guessing must have shrunk, and I go -+ 59. I've no other hat to compare so will take your advice and go for the Hat Jack that will most certainly come in handy for future hats also.
Yes, those Americans are sure funny with those sizes

 

[Brad Bowers]

To answer your question about the age of your Champ, it's between the mid-1960s and 1972.

Brad

 

[Liddleman]

Thank you Brad, that's much appreciated. New to this but it really does give me a thrill to think I've something that has survived nigh on fifty years and to be in such fine condition.

 

[bond]

Here's my eagerly awaited Milan from Peter bros in Texas . Shane had a nice vintage Block that matched my specs perfectly. 4 1/2 in front and 3 3/4 in rear. Brim is about 2 3/4.
I also posted pic of a vintage Borsalino pug that I've been waiting to use and I think it works well on this one. It was a Pleasure to do business with Peter bros.