Post New Hats Here!

[ManofKent]

Scott - nice Monticristi - th weave looks sweet.

Alan - a great rescue!

 

[mayserwegener]

Tonak Gazela, size 59cm, probably early 1950s. From a Czech seller. This is from shortly after JHS became TONAK. Really nice felt + plush finish. An all around great hat!

 

[Rogera]

That sir is a beautiful hat mayserwegener!

 

[mikespens]

That sir is a beautiful hat mayserwegener!

I'll second that Steve. Great color that really shows off the plush.

 

[Geldoc]

That's an elegant hat. A bit of the old world aesthetic.

 

[Landman]

Beautiful Tonak!

Alan, thanks for the info. I never realized the old Stratoliners had unreeded sweatbands.

 

[bond]

Alan , nice vita felt strat, is there such a thing as a vita felt whippet too?

 

[Chepstow]

Alan, that is a good rescue and the gorgeous Strat will be grateful!

Steve, fantastic find and hat that old Tonak!

 

[ManofKent]

Lovely Tonak Steve

 

[ManofKent]

A very cheap pick up from ebay. Linney 'Chester':





Pleasantly surprised by the construction. As good as any other modern production UK hats - decent enough sweat (better than many a vintage English hat), and the (Tonak?) felt isn't bad. Slightly too much taper, and the crease is very insipid, but with a bit of reshaping it'll a make a perfectly wearable hat.


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update - I soaked the felt last night and reshaped with a shallow diamond (not enough crown height for anything else really), and sharp pinch. It's dried overnight, and whilst it needs a bit of fine-tuning has come out okay. Photo angle doesn't show it well, but on the head, the side taper is dramatically reduced. Despite being saturated and left a little too close to a radiator it hasn't noticeably shrunk either.

 

[mayserwegener]

Roger, Mike, Mike, Geldoc, Manfred, Richard, Thanks!

 

[mayserwegener]

A very cheap pick up from ebay. Linney 'Chester':

Pleasantly surprised by the construction. As good as any other modern production UK hats - decent enough sweat (better than many a vintage English hat), and the (Tonak?) felt isn't bad. Slightly too much taper, and the crease is very insipid, but with a bit of reshaping it'll a make a perfectly wearable hat.


-----------

update - I soaked the felt last night and reshaped with a shallow diamond (not enough crown height for anything else really), and sharp pinch. It's dried overnight, and whilst it needs a bit of fine-tuning has come out okay. Photo angle doesn't show it well, but on the head, the side taper is dramatically reduced. Despite being saturated and left a little too close to a radiator it hasn't noticeably shrunk

Looks great! Your are correct about it being a TONAK. It appears the entire hat was made by them. I can tell by the parts (liner, sweatband).

 

[Chepstow]

Richard, very nice hat and looks reshaped very good!

 

[Blackjack]

Nice job!!!!!!

 

[alanfgag]

Steve, that is a great looking Tonak - beautiful post war European styling.

Alan , nice vita felt strat, is there such a thing as a vita felt whippet too?

I wouldn't be surprised if a war era Whippet was sold in vitafelt, though I don't recall seeing one here. I own several thin ribbons and a homburg.

Alan, thanks for the info. I never realized the old Stratoliners had unreeded sweatbands.

The early 1940s Strats that have appeared here are unlined hats with thin unreeded sweatbands typical of the lightweight felts of the period. The Premier is a somewhat heavier felt but also unlined with a non-reeded sweatband. Both are more flexible and, to my mind, more luscious than their 1950s siblings. Perhaps there were other quality levels sold at this time, but I don't believe we've seen an example.

 

[mayserwegener]

Alan, Thanks! Great find with Stetson Vita Felt Strat! Looking forward to your rescue mission!

BTW anyone heard from Robert (RLK)? I miss his great finds / comments/ ect!

 

[ManofKent]

Looks great! Your are correct about it being a TONAK. It appears the entire hat was made by them. I can tell by the parts (liner, sweatband).

Thanks for the confirmation Steve, and thanks to all for the comments. It's a decent enough inexpensive hat - if they made them with a little more crown height and less taper I'd consider buying one at full retail.

 

[mayserwegener]

Richard, Tonak will do it but it would require a 60 piece minimum. They actually agreed to produce something similar (same dimensions, open crown, silver gray Velour) to my late 30s JHS Sigma Velour but I never followed through.

 

[ManofKent]

Richard, Tonak will do it but it would require a 60 piece minimum. They actually agreed to produce something similar (same dimensions, open crown, silver gray Velour) to my late 30s JHS Sigma Velour but I never followed through.

It's a shame they don't have their own direct retail arm. I guess there's not a lot of money in hat retail.

 

[buler]

Alan, Thanks! Great find with Stetson Vita Felt Strat! Looking forward to your rescue mission!

BTW anyone heard from Robert (RLK)? I miss his great finds / comments/ ect!

Robert's ok. Talked to him last week. I believe he is just taking a hiatus.

B