Scala hats made in USA?

[Blackthorn]

I know this is almost sacreligious here, but...I bought a used Scala fur felt fedora here a few weeks ago and I have to say I love this hat. I had understood previously that they were made in Sri Lanka or China, but this one has a tag in it that says "Made in USA," in three languages. Does anyone know different?

I wish all my other bigger brand name hats were this well made.

 

[St.Ignatz]

I have one made in The Czech Republic and I am very pleased with the quality. It's marked 100% fur felt. Should we start a "Shunned Scala" thread? Dorfman-Pacific gets a higher degree of respect and greater leeway than your American or my Czech made numbers. We are all guilty of some degree of hat snobbery but to ignore what in reality are different hats is something I didn't expect on this site. The arguments made about vintage vs modern Stetson manufacture highlight the impasse faced by more than a few of our fellow loungers. There are classic, outstanding, quality, serviceable , good, poor and not fit for a mule hats sometimes made by the same company. Lets deal with the hat in question and not just the name on the liner....then again maybe not. Just a ramble with a suggestion at the end to make it seem less like a rant.
Tom D.

 

[jlee562]

Scala is a DP brand, is it not?

 

[besdor]

When Dorfman started the Scala brand , the hats were made in the USA by Bollman. Then they were produced in the Czek Republic by Tonak. When that became too expensive, they went to China for the fur felts. Howevr, from what I was told , that was a disaster as the quality control is terrible .Who knows where they will try next!


Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[St.Ignatz]

When Dorfman started the Scala brand , the hats were made in the USA by Bollman. Then they were produced in the Czek Republic by Tonak. When that became too expensive, they went to China for the fur felts. Howevr, from what I was told , that was a disaster as the quality control is terrible .Who knows where they will try next!


Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

Thanks Besdor.

 

[Blackthorn]

I wish I knew where to buy another Scala just like this one in my avatar (made in USA) but in deep brown instead of green, in my size.

 

[BanjoStrings]

Personally, i own two scala hats, the first a black straw, the second a black felt with red plume, the first one was a good hat to me, though a little mishappen from being crushed a few too many times, the second, i am in love with. It has gone through some light rain, and faired perfectly, even a light sleet. The plume has fallen out but went back in and has never given me problems before. I frankly dont see the disdain towards them. However I am new to the hat wearing business, and I may be ignorant. That being said I love my Scala

D

 

[gtdean48]

... I frankly dont see the disdain towards them. However I am new to the hat wearing business, and I may be ignorant. That being said I love my Scala

D

First, welcome BanjoStrings. There are other pickers here.
Feathers/Plumes are a personal taste item, like boaters & Homburgs & WARs.
Keep loving & wearing that Scala.

 

[hatflick1]

Here's one source for Scala, although I don't know if the hats featured are
what you're hoping to find.

http://www.hats-plus.com/search.aspx?SearchTerm=scala

 

[Mr E Train]

First, welcome BanjoStrings. There are other pickers here.
Feathers/Plumes are a personal taste item, like boaters & Homburgs & WARs.
Keep loving & wearing that Scala.

WARs? I guess I should know what that stands for, but I don't. I'm sure when you tell me I'll be like "Oh, of course!"

 

[BanjoStrings]

First, welcome BanjoStrings. There are other pickers here.
Feathers/Plumes are a personal taste item, like boaters & Homburgs & WARs.
Keep loving & wearing that Scala.

Thanks you very much!

 

[Blackthorn]

Here's one source for Scala, although I don't know if the hats featured are
what you're hoping to find.

http://www.hats-plus.com/search.aspx?SearchTerm=scala

Thanks, Hatflick.

 

[Dewhurst]

I have only seen Scala caps made in the USA, no Fedoras. So, that is a cool find there Blackthorn. I wonder, is it currently being manufactured, or is it an old model?

My experience with Scala branded hats has been favorable. Some have been great, none have been utter crap (thus far).

Maybe we are all just getting lucky.

[huh]

 

[MCrider]

That being said I love my Scala

D

And that's all that really matters isn't it?

 

[gtdean48]

WARs? I guess I should know what that stands for, but I don't. I'm sure when you tell me I'll be like "Oh, of course!"

Wide A$$ Ribbons....

 

[Blackthorn]

I have only seen Scala caps made in the USA, no Fedoras. So, that is a cool find there Blackthorn. I wonder, is it currently being manufactured, or is it an old model?

My experience with Scala branded hats has been favorable. Some have been great, none have been utter crap (thus far).

Maybe we are all just getting lucky.

[huh]

It looks brand new, Dewhurst, but I got it used here on FL a couple of weeks ago from the Classified. Since it's made in the USA, I'm guessing it must be an older hat that was well taken care of.

I checked out that site that Hatflick suggested and they do have the Scala model I'm looking for, but only in black or gray. My wife will scalp me if I get another gray hat. I hope to find a Scala C crown in brown, somewhere.

Btw Dewhurst, I like your new avatar better than the old one.

 

[Dewhurst]

Btw Dewhurst, I like your new avatar better than the old one.

Thank you, Blackthorn!

(And then, a day or two later I go and change it on you!)

 

[Mr E Train]

Wide A$$ Ribbons....

Oh, of course! lol

 

[AlterEgo]

As stated previously, notwithstanding the overall reputation of a brand name, one really has to evaluate a particular hat in order to pass judgement.

I have seen hats made by Dorfman Pacific--maker of Scalas--range from catbox liner quality to pretty darn good, and it certainly sounds like this lid is of the latter persuasion.

I have a wool felt made-in-USA DP I got some 15 years ago on a whim at a camping/hiking store simply because the loden color and leather band were a perfect match to the Patagonia shirt and Woolrich corduroys I bought there that day.

Like all wool felts, it gradually assumed the inevitable lugubrious droop at the brim-crown nexus, yet it refuses to die--and, believe me, I've tried my darndest to kill it! It still holds its starting position as my cool weather yard hat.

I had it on running an errand to Home Depot when a customer wearing a tweed Rex made a favorable comment on mine. I told him thanks, but that it was just an old Dorfman-Pacific I wore in the yard. Before I could make a nice remark about his hat--

"Dork-man. Horrific." he sniffed, strutting away with his nose in the air.

Fact of the matter was, my DP is probably a better hat than his department store Rex, but I kept my mouth shut because I don't need to disparage others to make me feel good about myself.

Anyway, maybe those older, USA-made Dorfmans are much better quality than its more recent offerings.

 

[Dewhurst]

As stated previously, notwithstanding the overall reputation of a brand name, one really has to evaluate a particular hat in order to pass judgement.

Agreed.

I had it on running an errand to Home Depot when a customer wearing a tweed Rex made a favorable comment on mine. I told him thanks, but that it was just an old Dorfman-Pacific I wore in the yard. Before I could make a nice remark about his hat--

"Dork-man. Horrific." he sniffed, strutting away with his nose in the air.

A shame. Snobs can crop up anywhere. Even in the hat world.