So, what happened with the bound-edge Nostalgia?

[KY Gentleman]

What we did order for the falll was the new Whippet hat. It is a teardrop shaped hat with a wide binding. It will be available in three colors . If the hats come in like the sample, it will be a great seller.This hat looks just like the original version from the 1940's.[/url]

Will you have this in 7 3/4?

 

[besdor]

Yes, there will be plenty of 7 3/4's. I wish they had the block for a 7 7/8 and a 8. We get lots of calls for those.



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[JohnnyB53]

There seems to be another way to get a well-made hat of vintage proportions with an open crown that's priced between an Akubra and a VS or other custom--the made-to-order Beaver Brand hats offered by The Fedora Store with a 4-6 week wait. It costs a little more than a Sovereign Stetson, but the options are many and their reputation for quality is high. So far I've seen no reports of shrinking crowns or running colors, and plenty for high quality and durability.

At around $229, they have any number of fedoras available with your choice of brim width, brim trim (raw, welted, or edged), crown crease (or left open crown), and a wide variety of colors. Sizes range from 6-5/8 to 7-7/8.

Example.

They even have a 7" open crown model with 2-3/4" raw brim and full range of colors and sizes for $209 here:

I'm happy with my Akubras, but if I wanted a hat a certain way, wanted it to hold shape and last awhile, and wasn't quite ready for the custom shop jump, I'd look at the made-to-order Beaver Brand.

 

[carter]

Good information.

JB53, Thanks for posting this. This may be the best route, short of a custom hat, for someone who desires a lot of options in selecting their fedora.

 

[carldelo]

I am not sure if the block on the new Whippet is the same as the Chatham but it is a very nice looking hat. The sample which I saw was in a color called Tawny. It felt like a beaver quality hat but it is made in the soverign quality. It will sell very well. I just pray that the delivery of the hats come in like the sample.





Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

That sounds pretty good to me - I need a tan, er, tawny hat - I look forward to seeing them when they arrive...

 

[Fletch]

This is a textbook example of how to kill a hat before it gets out of the box.
Generate some buzz about the hat.
Take a goodly amount of time on delivery to the merchant.
Deliver a subpar product to the merchant.
Merchant returns all the hats.
Buzz kill.

I really question the quality of Quality Control at HATCO.

It certainly betokens a lack of enthusiasm.

You know, when you think you know your market better than your retailers or the public, you can be very reluctant to move off that dime. It can come to the point of putting out a half@ssed product without really intending to.

Time was, the public accepted what was offered them because they didn't know any better. Now that people are better informed, old-line businesses don't always respond well.

 

[carter]

Why should the customer be enthusiastic if the manufacturer isn't?

.... I asked about the Nostalgia and was told that it is still available but there wasnt much enthusiasim in the response. I think that Hatco wants more preblocked hats . They sell much better. We did order some Nostalgia's but the hats came in wrong. The quality wasnt up to par.
...For some reason the Nostalgia in the Carabou Gray was very mottled. ... I think Analogist has the only one that came in decent.

Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

I was talking with Jimmy Pierce this morning and mentioned the mottled grey felt noted by Steven. He told me that the reason this happens is because there isn't enough dye used in the felt to achieve a light/medium grey and still mask the natural color variances in the felt.
It may be that Analogist's Nostalgia was an initial production sample and simply had a better dye job.
At least this is one theory about why the grey felts received by Bencraft had a mottled appearance.
My question is why HATCO couldn't recognize and correct this problem. They produce their own felts.
Is this just a poor quality control issue?
Or is it a lack of enthusiasm for their own product, as noted by Fletch?[huh]

 

[handlebar bart]

This is so discouraging. So he Nostalgia is a loss? And now a new Whippet, though it seems it is a reworked low, tapered crown current production hat. Why would Stetson ruin the legacy of one of their most coveted hats by making a cheap clone in name only. I hate to say it but the new 'Whippet' posted above (post #15) is horrible and is no whippet.

 

[besdor]

We could still order the Nostalgia with a bound edge if we wanted to . Its just that there are limited numbers of people that would want the hat. I think the Whippet will be a better seller because it is preshaped. The trend today in hats with the public is low crown and small brims. We have a hat called the Mercer from Stetson that has a 1 1/2" brim and a bound edge. We have reordered the hat a few times already . We have shown the Nostalgia to people that come in to our stores and most people think the crown is too high. Hatco made this hat about 15 years ago in a few different colors. Back then the hat had a 2 3/4 inch brim . It sold well but styles have changed.




Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[duggap]

the picture Carldelo was referring to looks pretty good. The crown looks a little taller than the Cheatham, to me. I hope it comes in that way. Guess we will just have to wait for Steven to give us an update. I know he will tell it like it is for us.

 

[carter]

We could still order the Nostalgia with a bound edge if we wanted to . Its just that there are limited numbers of people that would want the hat. I think the Whippet will be a better seller because it is preshaped. The trend today in hats with the public is low crown and small brims. We have a hat called the Mercer from Stetson that has a 1 1/2" brim and a bound edge. We have reordered the hat a few times already . We have shown the Nostalgia to people that come in to our stores and most people think the crown is too high.Hatco made this hat about 15 years ago in a few different colors . Back then the hat had a 2 3/4 inch brim . It sold well but styles have changed.
Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

Steven, Do you recall the style name of the hat that HATCO made 15 years ago?

 

[barrowjh]

Compliments to Bencraft for sending back the inferior mottled grey. I was excited about the Nostalgia, had been monitoring that thread, and had thought of ordering a couple as gifts for this past Christmas; what a disappointment if Bencraft had sold them anyway.

Comments about the public's preference for short crowns and narrow brims is consistent with what I saw in Optimo's inventory during a brief visit there last Summer; the sales gal there said I needed a 2 1/4 but nothing bigger than a 2 3/8ths brim. The avatar Borsalino and most of my Winter fedoras are 2 1/2. For someone not accustomed to wearing hats, the tall crowns and wide brims from the 30's-50's period are intimidating.

 

[mayserwegener]

I have a Nostalgia and it is nice but I like my Miller/Guerra Treviso better. It comes open crown (little to no taper on mine) and very nice felt (no binding though). Also reasonable price at $165.00. I searched around but didn't see mentioned.


http://www.millerhats.com/productimages/1192.jpg

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Steven, Do you recall the style name of the hat that HATCO made 15 years ago?

If he's talking about why I think he is, it was also called the Nostalgia. I saw a dead stock example about two years ago.... in like a size 6, of course! :eusa_doh:

 

[Fletch]

I'll confess, it took me awhile to assess my latest-run Nostalgia. I finally decided that altho I like the large crown and the wide ribbon band, I don't care for them together! The overall effect was a caricature on me, even with my 7 5/8 head and full face.

Altho when you think about it, that's the meaning of "nostalgia." Not the thing as it was, but as people perceive it was.

 

[Rick Blaine]

Altho when you think about it, that's the meaning of "nostalgia." Not the thing as it was, but as people perceive it was.

Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: you find the present tense, but the past perfect!
~Owens Lee Pomeroy



Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
~ Stan Kenton

 

[carter]

If he's talking about why I think he is, it was also called the Nostalgia. I saw a dead stock example about two years ago.... in like a size 6, of course! :eusa_doh:

We need to find some dead stock 7 5/8's! Maybe johnnyphi is on the case.

 

[Pilgrim]

I took my own action. I'm having the Greely Hatworks add binding to the edge on one of my hats. I'll see how it turns out.

 

[Rick Blaine]

I took my own action. I'm having the Greely Hatworks add binding to the edge on one of my hats. I'll see how it turns out.

Hornet Hats answered in the affirmative when I asked about brim binding and ribbon alterations on a Christys' Adventurer.For what its worth, they are down to $69 USD.

 

[Topdog]

I guess then if someone were to want a Nostalgia, now is the time to order as it may be dropped from the stetson lineup due to poor sales.