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Winchester Hat Corporation -- Making the Felt

DJH

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,355
Location
Ft Worth, TX
Cool - thanks for posting the video. It compliments the photos earlier in the thread nicely.
It's interesting to see how the bodies for a lot of our custom hats are made.
 

H Weinstein

One of the Regulars
Messages
224
Location
Maryland
This tour of the Winchester Hats factory is such a fascinating thread! I dug it up and reviewed it before ordering a western hat from Stratton, which is the retailing affiliate of Winchester (I forget who owns whom). Just thought this was worth bumping back up the "active thread" listings so folks who may have missed it could take a look. Winchester apparently supplies most of the basic hat bodies to custom hat makers in the US, if I'm recalling that correctly. So wherever your hat comes from, it may well have originated at the Winchester factory.

Renewed thanks to Jimmy the Lid and everyone else who contributed to this thread!
 
Messages
11,369
Location
Alabama
I found this thread this morning and just finished reading it. Brought back a lot of memories. In the late 70's I moved from North Al to Tullahoma, TN just a few miles down 41a from Winchester. I was working for the family business (welding supplies) at the time and they were expanding their storefront operations into areas they had previously only serviced through their route truck sales.

After about a year in the store I was moved onto a route truck and serviced the surrounding areas. Winchester Hat Corp. was one of the customers on my weekly route through the area. I sold industrial gases and related welding supplies to their maintenance dept. I often had to walk through the factory to find the supervisor and seeing the same building and some machines I saw years ago was fun. I was always fascinated by the place.

During my time in the area they also operated a retail hat store. I bought a couple hats from them that I wish I still had. Especially after stumbling upon this thread. Sadly, they closed the retail store a number of years ago.
 
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
I know this is an old thread, but some interesting stuff here. I know that Winchester doesn’t sell to the public, but is there a way to see all of their current beaver felt colors? It would be wonderful to see the spectrum of what’s available.
 
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
I found some old posts from @Rabbit
Missing colors but it’s a start.

a400348771327d8dfd91a5d96979a7c9.png


f19cff2a3511364b6a05e7d91f2b2e38.png


600ccf93e218b3a867991a68d5b1e546.png


b6c84b7526a06a87e6d741fa8aa41067.png



Many thanks Rabbit.


https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/color-comparison-help.73801/page-2



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Moviehats

One of the Regulars
Messages
205
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
I know this is an old thread, but some interesting stuff here. I know that Winchester doesn’t sell to the public, but is there a way to see all of their current beaver felt colors? It would be wonderful to see the spectrum of what’s available.
They never questioned me about if I was a business or not and they sent me swatches too. Very nice people there.
 

Art Fawcett

Sponsoring Affiliate
Messages
3,717
Location
Central Point, Or.
Deadly,
Blue smoke, Dove, and Oxblood were proprietary to me at first but now any hatter can have these dyed for them , however, they have to follow the rules I have to follow, 36 hat bodies minimum of the color. This leaves out many who aren't willing or unable to invest that much on a bet. There is no longer a "propriety" color as when I started doing my own colors, the other hatters complained that they couldn't do it and thought it was unfair. Winchester bent to their complaints, and I don't blame them. The phones were full of "unfair competition" complaints. I actually had one hatter call them and said he was my "partner" and was entitled to my colors. I know this because they called me while he was on the phone with his lies.
Interesting business, eh?
 

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