2015 Stetson Excellent Quality GREEN THIN RIBBON (Preview & Review)

[rclark]

Here's a crummy snapshot of mine with a quick dry crease:

 

[triple-d]

Looking good Rick.......the color in this pic very good!

 

[moontheloon]

I ordered mine with Ernest DelMonico over the phone just a few minutes ago.
so in a few weeks I'll have some pics and thoughts for anyone interested ... no one I'm sure

but I went with the sage ... seems like a popular choice... but I really did prefer it to the other options

I was on the fence between the sage and the caribou ... and the ribbon and trim color on the sage won me over

what a gorgeous hat ... can't wait to get it

most of my business goes to DelMonico these days...even though there are some really good shops right in my backyard

 

[tommyK]

Moon, this is another instance where I asked about these at the NYC shops and neither JJ or Bencraft had much interest in getting the excellent quality or ordering me one. Maybe that's changed since I was there. I was in JJ over a year ago with my open crown Stratoliner and they knew nothing about them. Now they carry a bunch of open crown Stetson's, so there is hope.

 

[moontheloon]

Moon, this is another instance where I asked about these at the NYC shops and neither JJ or Bencraft had much interest in getting the excellent quality or ordering me one. Maybe that's changed since I was there. I was in JJ over a year ago with my open crown Stratoliner and they knew nothing about them. Now they carry a bunch of open crown Stetson's, so there is hope.

I didn't want to say anything but I went to JJ asking about this hat and they did not seem interested in carrying it .... so I take my business elsewhere

... and also their affiliate was the one who told me that Knox I have was from the 1950s when it is actually '70s

 

[tommyK]

Moon, I'm sure they've got their reasons for not stocking every model by every maker and all the sizes they'd have to stock. It's not easy keeping a business going in NYC. I get it. But, if Delmonico's is willing to special order a hat for a customer and Hatco will supply it than that's an edge they have in the market. It gets them a lot of business from Loungers it seems.

As to salesmen, JJ has at least two guys that are very knowledgeable about vintage but ultimately they're there to sell new hats so not all of them need encyclopedic knowledge of vintage hats. If you catch Besdor at Bencraft, he is a font of knowledge but again, he's there to sell new hats so I don't bug them too much about that stuff. That's why we all come here!

 

[Bob Roberts]

Moon, I'm sure they've got their reasons for not stocking every model by every maker and all the sizes they'd have to stock. It's not easy keeping a business going in NYC. I get it. But, if Delmonico's is willing to special order a hat for a customer and Hatco will supply it than that's an edge they have in the market. It gets them a lot of business from Loungers it seems.

As to salesmen, JJ has at least two guys that are very knowledgeable about vintage but ultimately they're there to sell new hats so not all of them need encyclopedic knowledge of vintage hats. If you catch Besdor at Bencraft, he is a font of knowledge but again, he's there to sell new hats so I don't bug them too much about that stuff. That's why we all come here!

+1

 

[moontheloon]

Moon, I'm sure they've got their reasons for not stocking every model by every maker and all the sizes they'd have to stock. It's not easy keeping a business going in NYC. I get it. But, if Delmonico's is willing to special order a hat for a customer and Hatco will supply it than that's an edge they have in the market. It gets them a lot of business from Loungers it seems.

As to salesmen, JJ has at least two guys that are very knowledgeable about vintage but ultimately they're there to sell new hats so not all of them need encyclopedic knowledge of vintage hats. If you catch Besdor at Bencraft, he is a font of knowledge but again, he's there to sell new hats so I don't bug them too much about that stuff. That's why we all come here!

wasn't badmouthing JJ ... I love the store
I just thought it was odd that the store that claims to be the main Stetson dealer in NYC with the huge Stetson sign out front did not carry this high end hat and had pretty much no interest in ordering me one.
I'm sure if Jose was there he would have.

and as for the Knox misdating ... they asked me to bring it in ... I didn't go seeking their knowledge ... they offered telling me that they could for sure date it .

and I never mentioned Bencraft ... I did not go there seeking this hat ... and I also love that store

and it was you just 3 or so posts ago who brought all this up... I had not named any stores

 

[hatsRme]

My guess: Thin ribbons, or western influenced lids aren't big movers in NYC. Time and space are limited in retail, and certainly at a premium there, so they necessarily focus on the styles that are most popular in that market. Completely understandable strategy. Cutter Bill doesn't sell a lot of stingies for the same reason, in "reverse."

Kudos to Ernie Delmonico for seeing and seizing the internet market while maintaining their brick and mortar location!

 

[RJR]

Amazing what "service" will do.....

 

[moontheloon]

My guess: Thin ribbons, or western influenced lids aren't big movers in NYC. Time and space are limited in retail, and certainly at a premium there, so they necessarily focus on the styles that are most popular in that market. Completely understandable strategy. Cutter Bill doesn't sell a lot of stingies for the same reason, in "reverse."

not sure this is true because they have tons of Premier Strats

but your logic does make sense

plus if they do not carry it I'm not sure ordering one is very beneficial to them... or even possible... I have no idea I'm not a retailer

either way... no love lost for the store at all ... just surprised thats all

 

[KingAndrew]

I don't usually associate Westerns with New York City, but JJ seems to be the only place with the Boss Raw Edge reissue and they keep selling out of it. Why they might miss out on the Strat is anybody's guess.

 

[tommyK]

wasn't badmouthing JJ ... I love the store
I just thought it was odd that the store that claims to be the main Stetson dealer in NYC with the huge Stetson sign out front did not carry this high end hat and had pretty much no interest in ordering me one.
I'm sure if Jose was there he would have.

and as for the Knox misdating ... they asked me to bring it in ... I didn't go seeking their knowledge ... they offered telling me that they could for sure date it .

and I never mentioned Bencraft ... I did not go there seeking this hat ... and I also love that store

and it was you just 3 or so posts ago who brought all this up... I had not named any stores

Sorry if it seemed I was coming down on you or JJ or Bencraft, Moon. The inflection of the voice in my head doesn't always come across in the typed word. I like JJ and Bencraft too. I've bought a hat from each of them in the last 6 months. It's a great experience to go to a real hat shop and try on hats.

 

[moontheloon]

Sorry if it seemed I was coming down on you or JJ or Bencraft, Moon. The inflection of the voice in my head doesn't always come across in the typed word. I like JJ and Bencraft too. I've bought a hat from each of them in the last 6 months. It's a great experience to go to a real hat shop and try on hats.

yeah tough to read intended tone sometimes

just wanted to be clear that I wasn't $*%t talking shops that I frequent ... certainly do not want to come off that way

all good my friend

and I am very excited to receive my Excellent Strat from DelMonico

 

[Rogera]

Here's a crummy snapshot of mine with a quick dry crease:

My goodness that's pretty. I love that color!

 

[mingoslim]

My Sage Excellent arrived this week, and overall, I am pleased. It is NOT as good as my vintage hats, but is as good as any modern hat out there. The color is terrific. The felt a little heavier than I had hoped for. The overall finish is good . . . But I am not sure that it is good enough for the price . . . I will be happy to wear it, don't get me wrong, but I am not likely to replace my vintage Borsos .

Once I have a chance to properly steam and block it, I will post some pics.

 

[Qvist]

How does the felt compare to Akubras Heritage quality felt? Gorgeous hat by the way!

 

[JerseyDevil]

Guys, what is your thoughts on this Beaver 150th by Stetson? Considering it...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STETSON-150...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item35e9778eee

 

[Hatlover]

Me too. I was told the closest to an open crown Open Road is a Grand Central in silverbelly, which comes open crown, and you can give it a cattleman's crease. The hatband is thicker, though, which you might like.

I hope the quality of the "excellent" is way above the quality of the "premier". I bought a premier Strat and gave it to my son. I was less than impressed. Out of blind patriotism, I would most likely buy a Silverbelly excellent open road IF they make one.

 

[Bob Roberts]

Guys, what is your thoughts on this Beaver 150th by Stetson? Considering it...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STETSON-150...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item35e9778eee

Short crown. Small brim. Looks stiff.