The Cavanagh Club

[Brad Bowers]

Sure looks like felt, but I don't know why it would be stitched, unless that keeps it from being too stiff. Seems to be there to help the hat hold its shape, though.

I can't make anything out of the marks on the tag, but was hoping it was either the salesman's initials or indicated part of the complex Cavanagh sizing system, as in "7 1/8 minus one scant."

Fascinating. These oddball hats are far more interesting than the everyday snap-brim, which Cavanagh sold more of than any other type of hat. Keeps me on my toes!

Thanks, Lefty.

Brad

 

[rlk]

looks like a pincord corduroy(16-21 per inch)

 

[munchausen]

Yay, I get to join another club now. Perhaps my favourite vintage hat, it's a Cavanagh Thirty Five. The brim's quite short, haven't measured to confirm stingyness. Driespitz had mentioned it is a blue onyx colour, but I can't see it as yet. I should give it a good brushing. Excited that I not only have a self felted edge, but a Cavanagh Edge nonetheless! When I got it, I was explaining it to my wife. I'm sure she thinks I'm mad.

I like their touches as well, makes this hat feel even more special. Looking forward to owning a 100 sometime in the future.

Please excuse my attire.

 

[Dreispitz]

Yay, I get to join another club now. Perhaps my favourite vintage hat, it's a Cavanagh Thirty Five. The brim's quite short, haven't measured to confirm stingyness. Driespitz had mentioned it is a blue onyx colour, but I can't see it as yet. I should give it a good brushing. Excited that I not only have a self felted edge, but a Cavanagh Edge nonetheless! When I got it, I was explaining it to my wife. I'm sure she thinks I'm mad.

I like their touches as well, makes this hat feel even more special. Looking forward to owning a 100 sometime in the future.

Please excuse my attire.

Hi Münchhausen!

Very nice one, that is! Welcome to the club! The blue onyx destination was mentioned somewhere in the date, the seller gave. How about posting some pictures of the hat´s privates (I mean further evidence to be found under the sweatband)

 

[Lefty]

looks like a pincord corduroy(16-21 per inch)

Very nice. I never would have thought to call it any kind of corduroy. This is certainly an odd hat.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Women's Equestrian Derby

I killed three birds with one stone on this hat. I've been wanting to add a brown Derby to my collection, a Cavanagh women's hat, and an equestrian Derby. Got it all in one package for a little over $20, and it's in my wife's hat size. She says I have to buy her a horse now so she can wear it.lol

The felt is heavier than a typical 20th Century Derby, which is to be expected with an equestrian hat. It's also a lot fuzzier finish than I've ever seen on a Cavanagh before.

What's interesting about this Derby is that I was hoping it was a '40s hat, due to the address on the liner tip...but nope, no such luck. It has the narrow, 1 1/2" sweatband and glued-in liner. This grey Cavanagh of mine has the same features, and I always guessed it was late-'60s because of them.

Since the Park Avenue address is on the liner tip, it can't be any later than 1964, so Cavanagh was obviously using glue and narrow sweats earlier than I thought. Perhaps it was on the more inexpensive ones, but my grey Cavanagh doesn't seem like a low-price hat at all, other than those two features.

So, I think this Derby is probably 1960-1964, somewhere in there. I can't imagine it's older than that, though I'd love to be proven wrong.

I still want to find a brown Cavanagh Derby in MY size.lol

Brad

 

[Dreispitz]

Hello Brad,

great find! The narrower sweatband could be a tribute to a lady´s design.

Dreispitz

P.S. Is your light gray Cavanagh "platinum" colour?

 

[Brad Bowers]

Hello Brad,

great find! The narrower sweatband could be a tribute to a lady´s design.

Dreispitz

P.S. Is your light gray Cavanagh "platinum" colour?

Possibly, but since the sweatband is the same as on my grey hat, I think it was probably just a standard size, for whatever reason.

As for the platinum color, I have no idea, as there is no label in it that states the color or model. Wish I knew. I don't even know how much it cost, originially.

Brad

 

[carouselvic]

As far as glued liners in hard felted hats, both of my "The Royal Stetson" derby hats have glued liners. They date from 1935-WWII.

 

[jamespowers]

As far as glued liners in hard felted hats, both of my "The Royal Stetson" derby hats have glued liners. They date from 1935-WWII.

For glued in hat liners, we have to be sure that the hats were not renovated by less experienced or lazy hatters who just didn't sew the hat liner back in as it was before. Just check for small holes in the liner around the periphery that could have benn used to sew it in before. Sometimes these are pretty well closed due to the liner being cleaned as well.
I have had a few over the years that were glued in when they should have been sewn in when renovated. :eusa_doh: [huh]

 

[jamespowers]

I still want to find a brown Cavanagh Derby in MY size.lol

Brad

Have one made and sew in a cavanagh liner.

 

[mayserwegener]

As far as glued liners in hard felted hats, both of my "The Royal Stetson" derby hats have glued liners. They date from 1935-WWII.

I agree. The old bowlers I have with liners are not sewn in. Also when I had Optimo put a liner in a old bowler they used glue.

I believe Dreispitz has a Cavanaugh bowler with a sewn in liner but it has added strip of felt. I think it might be posted in this thread.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Always something to be wary of, but I'm pretty certain that's not the case for my two hats. As for Derbies, I can see where that would be an advantage. Having sewn in many liners, but only in soft hats, trying to sew through the felt of a heavily-shellacked, concave shape sounds like way too much trouble. Both of my '20s Dobbs Derbies have the liners resting loose in the hat, not stitched or glued, though one was glued at the very top of the liner tip inside the top of the crown at one time. I don't know if that was factory or not. The factory sweat with department store stamp was still in it, so that part hadn't been renovated.

Have one made and sew in a cavanagh liner.

Too funny.lol

One interesting thing about the equestrian Derby is that it doesn't have the modern, 1959 styling, but since this is for something so traditional, perhaps they didn't use modern styling on equestrian Derbies. Juat a thought.

Brad

 

[mayserwegener]

Both of my '20s Dobbs Derbies have the liners resting loose in the hat, not stitched or glued, though one was glued at the very top of the liner tip inside the top of the crown at one time. I don't know if that was factory or not.
Brad

Very similar to my experience. I do not have any that were stitched.

 

[billysmom]

Twins!

I now own two long haired Cavanaghs. This one from Garrett (one of my favorite hats!):

1 7/8" brim, 5" uncreased crown

And now this one from eBay:

1 3/4" brim, 5" uncreased crown

More details of the black one:

And the obligatory noggin shot, even though taking images of people wearing black hats is fairly futile:

Both are unbelievably soft! The black one's a bit sleeker and shinier and the brown one's fluffier and has a less formal air to it.

Sue​

 

[Viper Man]

Very nice, Sue. You wear it well! :eusa_clap

 

[djgo-cat-go]

Cross-posted in new hats-section

 

[Dreispitz]

Nice one! I am really amaized about the scale of different subtle tinges of light gray Cavanagh came up with!

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

P.S. we can now found a Cavanagh Europe Club

 

[carouselvic]

For glued in hat liners, we have to be sure that the hats were not renovated by less experienced or lazy hatters who just didn't sew the hat liner back in as it was before. Just check for small holes in the liner around the periphery that could have benn used to sew it in before. Sometimes these are pretty well closed due to the liner being cleaned as well.
I have had a few over the years that were glued in when they should have been sewn in when renovated. :eusa_doh: [huh]

These two Royals that I speak of are without a doubt unaltered in anyway shape or form.

 

[Brad Bowers]

P.S. we can now found a Cavanagh Europe Club

Would that be the Cavanagh Club - Continental Chapter?

Brad