Stetson Fashion Collection 1940s Stratoliner Fur Felt Fedora Hat

[Lefty]

It's probably best just to let it go. You're getting out of this quite well, and we've all seen the photos of the hats. Everyone's getting a little too hot about a hat that was almost certain to fail, and then failed. No one is going to sue anyone over this little quibble.

For some reason, this thread is making me think of Baron's return policy.

 

[rlk]

Might be a reasonable idea to offer the hat with two crown options, as is done with a number of Western styles: The standard "dress teardrop" or an open crown of 5-3/4". This would accommodate (nearly)everyone.

 

[JimWagner]

I too have had Moose River hats from LL Bean by Stetson. One was Silver Belly with a thin ribbon & the other was Olive with a leather band.
The new Stratoliner that I received can be described as almost identical to the thin ribbon Moose River with the addition of a bound edge, the plane pin, & Stratoliner stenciled on the sweatband.

So they basically took a $120 hat, stuck a $5 liner in it (that's what it cost me to have a Stetson liner installed in my Moose River), put about $2 worth of ribbon on the edge, stuck on a really cheap pin, called it a Stratoliner and jacked the price up another $60 and thought no one would notice?

If anyone has an older Moose River and a vintage Stratoliner, how do the dimensions compare? Crown height, taper, brim width?

I've never held a vintage Stratoliner and really don't know how they compare.

All of that said, my Silverbelly Moose River is one of my favorite hats and it's been my fishing hat for many years. It's showing its age and is pretty sweat stained. Certainly not a dress hat at this point. I might have had to think about it for a while, but if this Stratoliner had been marketed as a dress version of the Moose River, i.e. a Moose River hat body with a liner and bound edge I still would have probably bought it. And been very happy with it.

If a vintage Stratoliner and a Moose River are actually the same dimensions then I'd be happy and in possession of an interesting bit of trivia - that a Moose River is a dressed-down Stratoliner.

If the only thing in common between this new Stratoliner and a vintage Stratoliner is the name then I would feel like I'd been had. Not so much that I wouldn't keep the hat for the reasons I've already stated, but it would still be disappointing on some level.

 

[gtdean48]

No problem with what Carl & JLee have stated, except JLee calling me Mr Dean!
My view is the Whippet offering never mentioned being inspired by the Fedora Lounge.
The Stratoliner Society was referenced giving me the perception that this was going to be something more of a re-issue = "bring it back".
The statement that it wouldn't be open crown didn't mean to me it would be physically so short & nothing like a Strat crown even with a C-crease.

 

[billyspew]

I didn't expect much more from this. However I do have to applaud the thefedorastore's dignity in the matter and his efforts to at least try and get the Strat reissued.
I may order a black one anyway, to at least show support to both modern manufacturers and thefedorastore.
The way I look at it is, it is a step in the right direction.

 

[gtdean48]

...If anyone has an older Moose River and a vintage Stratoliner, how do the dimensions compare? Crown height, taper, brim width?
...

I gave my last surviving Moose River to my Brother In Law.
My vintage Stratoliner is 5 1/2" Open Crown, straight sided, no taper, brim width = 2 3/4". I had another Strat that had a 2 5/8" brim.

 

[carldelo]

So they basically took a $120 hat...

You've got to check current hat prices - a new Chatham or Whippet is $150 - $180 depending on where you look.

 

[DougC]

I, for one, am glad I sent in my Heritage fur Camp Draft order in rather than order another Stetson. I think vintage dimensions are the way to go. As for my legal opinion on GTDean48's and the Fedora Store's positions, I would never share that on the internet--that, my fellow loungers, is what the Texas bar keeps telling us will get us in trouble.

Hope every one enjoys their Stratoliners when all of the hats are received in good condition.

 

[rlk]

Is the felt on this new hat lighter than the Open Road model?

 

[gtdean48]

Is the felt on this new hat lighter than the Open Road model?

Yes, definitely lighter than Open Road & the Road Master for that matter.

 

[gtdean48]

It's probably best just to let it go...

I know somebody has highjacked JtL's login & posted some bogus photo of him in a flat cap. What have you done with the REAL Lefty????

 

[Lefty]

I know somebody has highjacked JtL's login & posted some bogus photo of him in a flat cap. What have you done with the REAL Lefty????

I change it up to keep everyone on their toes. Whether I'm in it or just an observer, you can be sure that I'm pulling some strings. (evil laugh)

 

[JimWagner]

You've got to check current hat prices - a new Chatham or Whippet is $150 - $180 depending on where you look.

I did. Take a look at L.L. Bean's Moose River, which is what I was referring to. $119. In none of my posts on this have I mentioned any hats other than the Moose River or the Stratoliner.

 

[VetPsychWars]

I thought I would contribute some pictures because I don't have the same view of this hat. I do think I got my money's worth, though I got some discounts.

I'm sure what Hatco did was see what bodies and blocks they had to see if they could reproduce the hat acceptably with minimal cost. I don't see anything wrong with that. There are pictures of the hat online, so I knew what I was getting.

I would guess that the Borsalino Allessandria being sold by Peter Brothers is probably what you want if you want something more like what Stetson sold as the Stratoliner in the 40s.

In the pictures below, from left to right, a 70s (I think) Stetson Open Road, the new Stetson Stratoliner, a vintage Borsalino, and a Mallory "Dynafelt". I include the last two so you know that I'm aware of the type of hat represented by the original Stratoliner. The colors are not true, the grey Borsalino is a lot lighter than pictured, and the two Stetsons look a lot alike in the sun.

The weight of the felt in the two Stetsons is the same. The Borsalino is very light weight, and the Mallory is lighter than the Stetsons but heavier than the Borsalino.

Tom

 

[Rick Blaine]

MOOSE RIVER is exactly what I thought when I saw the new Strat.
Nothing wrong w/ that, but it was pretty doggone clear that is what we were looking at from the outset, eh?

Duane is a good egg, a great lounger & sadly largely absent, nigh on these last couple of years, much to the detriment of the lounge IMO.

He offered us discounts & provided an "inside the industry" view matched only by Aaron & besdor. He has always appeared to be a righteous guy & he seems to have done the right thing by all involved here, no? I'd hate to see you go Big Guy, no matter how infrequently you post.

Thing is, Mr. Dean has every right to be pissed. Do not feel isolated G.T. Everyone (or at least the O.C.D. afflicted hat buyers among us, like me ) here has experienced precisely what you did. Doubtlessly, you too, have been through similar, well before this unfortunate occurrence. But it sounds as though you are now being well looked after. (however I am from GA, and brother, if you can wear a fur felt after March, I salute ya'!)

FWIW, I wish HATCO had pursued something similar to the NOSTALGIA in block & proportions for the new Strat (and Whippet) rather than being more conservative. But I never bought a Nostalgia, so maybe I should shut up! In my defense, I am not a wide ribboned guy & the ROADMASTER has since mutated into something more moose river/bear creek-ish too.

...my (unsolicited) .o2

 

[gtdean48]

Rick, I wear felt in GA in September!

 

[W4ASZ]

Rick, I wear felt in GA in September!

In North Georgia you are less likely to fall out.

Oh, and "slander" it ain't. I won't be buying a new Strat anyway, but I have been pleased with my nearly two year old Roadmaster and I do have an eye on a 15x western blend fortified with the magic ingredient, nutria, somewhere down the road, after the South Georgia summer ends in November, or whenever. :yo:

 

[RBH]

I recieved mine today. Nothing wrong with it and and Duane treated me very nicely.
One engine was a little short, but I think it would look better if all 4 were a little snubby.
The felt feels soft and smooth, the color caribou is fantastic.
The only thing that will keep me from buying another [unless like Robert stated they offer an open crown version]
is the too low crown.

 

[RBH]

I forgot to add my brim is 2 3\4.
Also I now notice TheFedoraStore no longer references The Lounge or The Stratoliner Society on the
new Stratoliner page.

 

[HATCO]

Out of all profiles that we have the 10 is the most popular with retailers and consumers and the 01 not to far behind. I'll give you a guess to the profile that sells the least. We discontinued the Nostalgia due to low volume. In the 3 or so years that it was offered it never sold more than 300 units a year. The last 2 years I don't think it broke 200 units. The Royston a silk finish open crown Dobbs sold even less and was discontinued after 1 year. From a business standpoint to make the Stratoliner a success it makes sense to offer it in a profile that will sell. That said, we are willing to make any profile a retailer requests provided they meet our minimum order which is 48 per color. I think in the past we even lowered it for a retailer here to 24 on a group buy, but nothing came of it, because in the end what everyone wanted was a little bit different from each other.