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The Cavanagh Club

Aureliano

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,753
Location
Macondo.
$25 at local vintage store. Had to bring it home. My size, too. Pristine but very sticky here and there. Guess the shellac.

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Brad Bowers

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,187
Nice find at a nice price!

Stiffened with gelatine, actually, as it doesn't color the straw like shellac. But, it's also more susceptible to moisture, water, humidity, etc. Makes it sticky.

Brad
 

Aureliano

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,753
Location
Macondo.
And this, bought during my absence. Marked 6 7/8 but measures 22 1/2 in circumference. Strange. I can't see any evidence of stretching, either. Beautiful frayed ribbon. Not as gray as I would have wanted ;) (a bit of a brownish hue under natural light) but it'll have to do until something else shows to trade this with. Under a strict policy since I left. One hat comes home, one leaves.

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Aureliano

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,753
Location
Macondo.
Nice find at a nice price!

Stiffened with gelatine, actually, as it doesn't color the straw like shellac. But, it's also more susceptible to moisture, water, humidity, etc. Makes it sticky.

Brad

No wonder. I'm not going to touch it. I'll leave it for Graham to clean it when I go to Chicago. Thanks, Brad.
 

Sprinkles

One of the Regulars
Messages
105
Location
NH-USA
Nice find at a nice price!

Stiffened with gelatine, actually, as it doesn't color the straw like shellac. But, it's also more susceptible to moisture, water, humidity, etc. Makes it sticky.

Brad

Does that lend itself to easy identification? i.e. all lighter boaters are stiffened with gelatine and all darker boaters are stiffened with shellac? Generally they only seem to come in these two shades "lighter" and "darker".
 

Brad Bowers

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,187
Does that lend itself to easy identification? i.e. all lighter boaters are stiffened with gelatine and all darker boaters are stiffened with shellac? Generally they only seem to come in these two shades "lighter" and "darker".

Not to my knowledge. All C&K/HCA Boaters were stiffened with gelatine, which was standard throughout the industry at least through the first few decades of the twentieth century. I don't know that anyone used shellac. I don't have my notes with me at work, but the color as I remember was based on any chemical bleaching done to the sennit straw. Some darkening is also probably due to age, as well.

Brad, could you estimate a date on my boater?

1960s, by the lack of address on the tip protector.

Brad
 

Brad Bowers

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,187

Very cool Cavanagh, Robert. I can't remember, but that may be the earliest '50s Cavanagh I've seen with the "Cavanagh Edge" stamp. Every Cavanagh you see with the "Cavanagh Edge" stamp is usually missing the address in the liner, meaning late-'50s through the 1960s.

Too bad it has a few nibbles.

A bit shorter brimmed than Robert's great find (1 7/8"), but here's my Cavanagh 'Louis':


Any help with dating would be greatly appreciated!

Richard, that's an early- to mid-'60s Cavanagh. Looks good on you!

Brad
 

ManofKent

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,039
Location
United Kingdom
Thanks Brad - It's in near new condition and came boxed. I'm just grateful that not that many people currently appreciate these smaller brimmed hats and the prices can still be remarkably low.
 

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