1920s pinches (Prohibition)

[davidraphael]

I'm sure this is common knowledge to most of you, but I was interested to see, while watching Ken Burns' recent documentary series, Prohibition, that 'front' pinches were very wide back in the 20s, ie, much further back along the hat; in some cases nearer the back than the front.

In fact you'd be hard pushed to call it a 'front' pinch at all. The hats had more of a 'side' pinch. And judging by the plethora of footage from the '20s in the documentary it seems that, while there were different pinches, including the classic tight front pinch, 'side' pinches were actually the norm, whether you were the president or, as in the case below, Al Capone.

(the 3-part documentary series is highly recommended, by the way)

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As a last note, I was also surprised just how many men didn't have a pinch in their hats at all.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

I think thing where not set in stone back in the day when everyone wore hats. The way the hat was worn was how the indivdual wanted to wear it.

almost to a thousand post's

 

[scotrace]

Those are 1920's creases. I like to take a soft hat and show the decades by changing the way a hat is creased. If you look at FDR's "Campaign Hat," it is a battered 1920's job.

 

[kaosharper1]

I was watching it last night. It has so many high quality films of the era and great views of how hats were worn back then. It struck me how sloppy most of the hats were as far as their ceases went. No dents was common, but the side dents which are almost like a cattleman's crease and give these hats a lot of taper was very common it seems.

 

[Dinerman]

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Long side dents on fedoras and homburgs go as far back as the turn of the 20th century, if not farther. By the end of the '30s, they were pretty much gone.

 

[KingTigerII]

Long side dents on fedoras and homburgs go as far back as the turn of the 20th century, if not farther. By the end of the '30s, they were pretty much gone.

Which is a shame because I like them like that

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Which is a shame because I like them like that

Luckily, the side pinches and cattlemen's creases survived many more decades on "Open Road"-style fedoras.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Those are 1920's creases. I like to take a soft hat and show the decades by changing the way a hat is creased. If you look at FDR's "Campaign Hat," it is a battered 1920's job.

That was FDR's "lucky" fedora. He wore it on the campaign trail --including in the rain-- for every election cycle: 1932, '36, '40 and '44.

By 1944, the battered old lid looked bloody awful, but apparently it did get the owner elected!

 

[HatsEnough]

Just thinking, but I don't have a single hat with side pinches. Not a one.

 

[Sam Craig]

When you look at those great hats from the 20s and 30s, one of the reasons the side creases work so well is the combination of the crown shape, and the great quality of the felt.
They were so soft that they took the side creases and held them as a dry crease.
It's a great look and some of us are old enough to remember when older men still wore their hats this way.
Sam

 

[KingTigerII]

Luckily, the side pinches and cattlemen's creases survived many more decades on "Open Road"-style fedoras.

I'm fairly new to the game (Wool Fedoras only right now ) but If I wanted the Side Pinch, could I do that to say a Federation IV from Hats Direct?

I'd want one like the Gentleman in the Middle Left of the Third Picture davidraphael posted. Do you think that is Possible?

And if anyone has not watched the Documentary, do it as soon as possible - it is just too darned good!

 

[alanfgag]

I'm fairly new to the game (Wool Fedoras only right now ) but If I wanted the Side Pinch, could I do that to say a Federation IV from Hats Direct?

I'd want one like the Gentleman in the Middle Left of the Third Picture davidraphael posted. Do you think that is Possible?

And if anyone has not watched the Documentary, do it as soon as possible - it is just too darned good!

Welcome KT!

I have never seen the Fed IV (many here like it) so I don't know how the felt responds, but the style is suitable and since it is supplied open crown I would think, with steam, it would hold a nice side pinch. You might also consider Sam Craig's post above and keep an eye out for a period hat, which would have the lines and that lovely responsive felt that many of us cherish. Fedora styles from the twenties and thirties in good shape can get expensive. But if you are willing to try a homburg (something like the hat to the right of the one you've pointed out) you can often find a very nice vintage example at a price less than the Fed IV. The hat in my avatar is from the thirties, but I think I was wearing it unpinched in this photo.

 

[mattface]

I don't think my new Knox is that old, but it surely has (or had at one point) side dents. I actually plan to rebash it into a C or diamond depending what it seems to want, but I guess I could leave it as it is if I want to play prohibition.

 

[Nobert]

This is the bash I usually go for. Maintaining it has largely been a matter of remembering to grip my hat from the top rather than the front when taking it off or lifting it in greeting.

 

[FedoraFan112390]

I love the side bash too. I also love the look of a battered hat--you should have nice ones for sure but a battered old one like FDR's has a certain charm to it too. My favorite kind of bash is like the kind my Great Uncle's hat had:

Or like Indiana Jones:

 

[KingTigerII]

Welcome KT!

I have never seen the Fed IV (many here like it) so I don't know how the felt responds, but the style is suitable and since it is supplied open crown I would think, with steam, it would hold a nice side pinch. You might also consider Sam Craig's post above and keep an eye out for a period hat, which would have the lines and that lovely responsive felt that many of us cherish. Fedora styles from the twenties and thirties in good shape can get expensive. But if you are willing to try a homburg (something like the hat to the right of the one you've pointed out) you can often find a very nice vintage example at a price less than the Fed IV. The hat in my avatar is from the thirties, but I think I was wearing it unpinched in this photo.

Thanks for the Response and welcome Alan. My problem with Period hats is my big ol' melon of a head. I wear a 7 3/4 and trying to find a vintage hat that I like in that size is almost impossible! I'm not a Homburg fan due to the rolled brim. I like the brim floppy and lone enough to drape over my eyes when I am in a trench (That whole Mysterious Stranger look has always fascinated me). Thanks for the Tips and Info though!

 

[monbla256]

When you look at those great hats from the 20s and 30s, one of the reasons the side creases work so well is the combination of the crown shape, and the great quality of the felt.
They were so soft that they took the side creases and held them as a dry crease.
It's a great look and some of us are old enough to remember when older men still wore their hats this way.
Sam

You make some good points Sam. The other thing to remember was that these men WORE their hats, DAILY IN ALL SORTS OF WEATHER, and most as my father and his uncles etc. never had usually more than 2/3 hats to pick from at a time. They also did not all ride in cars and walked far more than the majority of us do today so a hat got exposed and USED far more than most of us afficianado's do today, especially those who are true COLLECTORS with many, many hats. This type of situation as far as a hat goes, can have a far greater effect on the look of a hat than just having it in a collection and maybe wearing it once or twice a week. ( And I am old enough to remember them )

 

[mayserwegener]

If a person had a few hats the better ones or more formal ones were probably worn less. This is a good thing for us vintage hat people.

 

[Mulceber]

Thanks for the Response and welcome Alan. My problem with Period hats is my big ol' melon of a head. I wear a 7 3/4 and trying to find a vintage hat that I like in that size is almost impossible! I'm not a Homburg fan due to the rolled brim. I like the brim floppy and lone enough to drape over my eyes when I am in a trench (That whole Mysterious Stranger look has always fascinated me). Thanks for the Tips and Info though!

You make good points about the difficulty of finding a size proper to you. Frankly, even if you did manage to find a 20's style hat in a 7 3/4 on ebay, the price would likely be somewhere in the $400 range due to the fact that people nowadays tend to have larger heads and there's a great demand for really vintage hats. :eusa_doh: You're better off contacting someone like Art Fawcett or Tumwater Hat Co. It will be expensive (somewhere in the $300 range), but you'll be getting EXACTLY what you want in EXACTLY your size and the hat will last a life time. I'm not as much of an authority as many of the people here, but I've handled and worn hats from some of the best craftsmen in the business and these beauties are worth the expensive price tag. -M