Tell Me This Isn't Normal

[BayouBeard]

So I just got in a brand new Stetson Chatham and the hat looks beautiful and the style is perfect. I love everything about the hat...everything except the ribbon. More specifically where the ribbon is bound to the hat itself. There is a painfully obvious area where the stitching around the base of the brim is showing below the ribbon. I tried to adjust the ribbon down to cover it, but where the ribbon itself is bound to the hat it's binding. Tell me this isn't normal...

See pictures below



When the ribbon is adjusted down you can see a noticeable unevenness.

 

[The Good]

I think it is normal. My Akubra hats seem to have it slightly, as well as my vintage Stetson St. Regis hat, looking at them right now. You could try to gently lower the ribbon, but be careful.

 

[Bushman]

Seems to me your ribbon got pinched a bit. Just looked over the ribbon on my Chatham and it's perfectly even.

 

[jlee562]

It's "normal" for a modern production hat....but you are correct to think that properly done, the ribbon should hide the brim break and that stitching. Honestly with the way the brim is flanged, I wouldn't worry too much about it. If it really bothers you, you can have the ribbon redone.

 

[tommyK]

These quality control issues are not uncommon with modern hats. You can correct it. Rip the stitch out from the inside (preferably with a proper stitch ripper tool) and resew it to properly cover. You might ask someone you know who sews but it's not hard to do.
It's an easy fix you shouldn't have to do but, it's worth doing if it bothers you. Once you've done it you won't be afraid to do it again if necessary.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

It's not right. Modern Stetsons are all over the place on quality and it's always on the finishing details. I went through a stack at Salmagundi in JP here in Boston over the weekend and saw all sorts of inconsistencies. As sad as the quality control issues are, I was still impressed with how much a modern Whippet looks and feels like a vintage Whippet. I'm still going to buy one, eventually. You could easily fix that though, but you shouldn't have to.

 

[BayouBeard]

I was thinking the same thing...it's not right and I shouldn't have to fix it. So I called Delmonico and explained the situation to them, and the response I got literally blew me away!

He immediately apologized that they did not catch that before sending the hat out. They are sending a new hat with a prepaid shipping label to send this one back! Talk about excellent customer service! The mistake Stetson made is in no way a reflection of Delmonico...however...the way they handled the situation just got them a new customer for life!

 

[The Good]

I was thinking the same thing...it's not right and I shouldn't have to fix it. So I called Delmonico and explained the situation to them, and the response I got literally blew me away!

He immediately apologized that they did not catch that before sending the hat out. They are sending a new hat with a prepaid shipping label to send this one back! Talk about excellent customer service! The mistake Stetson made is in no way a reflection of Delmonico...however...the way they handled the situation just got them a new customer for life!

I'm glad that you are able to have this problem solved. Upon closer inspection, I don't think my hats have quite the same thing; the ribbon appears to be lifted from the base, slightly, but not uneven.

 

[tonyb]

Yet another good reason to buy from an established, reputable retailer. The best make good when the circumstances call for it, even when the manufacturer doesn't and the retailer has to eat the loss.

 

[Rick Blaine]

Agreed

I was thinking the same thing...it's not right and I shouldn't have to fix it. So I called Delmonico and explained the situation to them, and the response I got literally blew me away!

He immediately apologized that they did not catch that before sending the hat out. They are sending a new hat with a prepaid shipping label to send this one back! Talk about excellent customer service! The mistake Stetson made is in no way a reflection of Delmonico...however...the way they handled the situation just got them a new customer for life!

Those guys are the best! :thumb:

 

[Brother cavefish]

Rip the stitch out and redue it

 

[89quattro]

I was thinking the same thing...it's not right and I shouldn't have to fix it. So I called Delmonico and explained the situation to them, and the response I got literally blew me away!

He immediately apologized that they did not catch that before sending the hat out. They are sending a new hat with a prepaid shipping label to send this one back! Talk about excellent customer service! The mistake Stetson made is in no way a reflection of Delmonico...however...the way they handled the situation just got them a new customer for life!

I had a similar issue, the tacking stitches that attached the ribbon to the crown were not applied properly...on some of the stitches the raw end was sticking out from the ribbon, looked like a piece of 8 # test monofiliment. Additionally, the stitches were applied in the wrong spot which resulted in the ribbon not sitting flush with the bottom of the crown. This resulted in an unsymmetrical look when the hat was worn.

I contacted them for guidance, but was somewhat surprised by their e-mail response which was "...that the way Stetson attaches their ribbons, and the misalignment should be a simple fix...". Not sure what that meant, as I wouldn't expect a $165 item to need repairs before use.

I had to return the hat at my expense. I waited a week after it was delivered, and followed up to inquire on the status. A few minutes after I sent the e-mail, I received a canned response stating that my credit card was credited. Again, there was no offer of some accommodation for my shipping expense. I also submitted a factual product review, but it was never published.

I didn't get it replaced by them, but instead took advantage of holiday coupon code from another vendor that was still working, and bought it at $129 with shipping. I can report that the hat was received in good order.

 

[-30-]

"...on some of the stitches the raw end was sticking out from the ribbon, looked like a piece of 8 # test monofiliment."
89quattro.

Borsalino?
LOL


Regards,
J T

 

[Hat Dandy]

I had a similar problem with a modern hat purchase. I simply pulled the stitch out and restitched it. I'm also considering redoing the stitching on some of my other hats so they are less obvious.

 

[89quattro]

I had a similar problem with a modern hat purchase. I simply pulled the stitch out and restitched it. I'm also considering redoing the stitching on some of my other hats so they are less obvious.

That is fine if you can and want to perform the fix, but why should anyone be required to repair a new item before use? Doing so gives the manufacturer no incentive to improve their product, and even worse, gives the impression that the end user might actually accept more defects. Think about it...Stetson is releasing new hats that are "top quality" and will command a price point > $300; would you accept such an item with defects that you could repair yourself? I've seen numerous posts speaking to ribbon issues on the premier Stratoliner, and expect the new pricier models will be built with the current level of poor quality control.
The quality of the product will only improve if customers speak up, and the company takes appropriate correct actions. Then again, maybe they just don't care.

 

[BayouBeard]

Lol...the 8# monofilament sticking out of the ribbon. I saw that on mine as well. And here I am thinking that it's normal as this is my first real fedora. I hope the replacement Chatham they send is without issue. I would think that after bringing it to their attention that they would give the hat a good once over before sending it out. Keeping my fingers crossed....

 

[BayouBeard]

89quattro....I couldn't agree more. Why should anyone have to patch up or repair a $175 hat. I do all my own maintenance on my vehicles and feel very comfortable doing so. With that being said...I shouldn't have to change out brake pads on a brand new vehicle because the factory installed them backwards.

 

[-30-]

The problem also comes down to that there are truly few real Hatters; they are nothing but Hat Retailers. A true hatter, to my mind, wouldn't allow

a defective piece of merchandise to leave the store, as he is actually the final inspector of the product, presale. When within a resale position, especially

that of hats, the busy times do not vastly outweigh the slack, so it's either return the defective product to the manufacturer from whom it was wholesaled

or get out your own needle and thread and do your duty for the customer before he buys from you. The hat business is bad enough as it is, eg: glued-in

linings; the XXXXXXXX thingy; the "Beaver" BS; why all of this carries to new lows when it appears that the wearing of a Gentleman's Cover is on the

upswing? My own remedy for all of the above was/is to buy from a Custom Hatter, the lists within these forums are long, or buy Vintage.

End of Rant.


Regards,
J T

 

[RJR]

Hard to argue against our custom hatters.

 

[tonyb]

I suspect that with better training and supervision the people who tack on ribbons at the finishing plant would do a consistently neater job in the same time it takes them to do a sometimes sloppy one. But I would never expect them to take the care a custom hatter does with his (or her) ribbon work, because it just wouldn't be cost effective. Blind stitches on the bows and itty-bitty stitches at the bandline take lots of time. I'd be truly surprised to ever again see any but the highest-priced production hats that DON'T have stitches well north of the bandline.