A Noob's First Fedora / A Little Guidance Please

[Who?]

I will add my voice to the chorus advising you to forget about wool hats.

Stick to fur felt.

 

[Trouser Bark]

It is good to hear the unanimous downvote for wool. The cost difference is huge and the temptation is real. Thanks for the explanation as well. I never would've guessed.

 

[Trouser Bark]

This is turning out a little differently than I expected. Apparently 7-5/8 heads are either less common or they don’t wear hats as often. FleaBay is full of hats in some sizes but not so much when you hit 7-5/8.

If you are the same size and have a versatile fedora that isn’t getting much noggin time feel free to shoot me a note. Beyond that the pickins are slimmer than I had expected. Maybe new is the best option.

 

[ILB Frank]

This is turning out a little differently than I expected. Apparently 7-5/8 heads are either less common or they don’t wear hats as often. FleaBay is full of hats in some sizes but not so much when you hit 7-5/8.

If you are the same size and have a versatile fedora that isn’t getting much noggin time feel free to shoot me a note. Beyond that the pickins are slimmer than I had expected. Maybe new is the best option.

Apparently, vintage heads weren't that big. If you go new, I would recommend custom. It is not nowhere near as hard as trying to get a custom leather jacket. There are loads of great hatmakers mentioned on this forum. I can personally recommend Gannon and Wolfbrae as I have used each and they make great hats. They are also very reasonably priced.

 

[Rmccamey]

Larger sizes are tough to find. You might watch Deadlyhandsome on Ebay, he usually carrys some larger sizes.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trkparms=folent:deadlyhandsome*1|folenttp:1&_trksid=p3542580.m47492.l71970&_ssn=deadlyhandsome*1

This is turning out a little differently than I expected. Apparently 7-5/8 heads are either less common or they don’t wear hats as often. FleaBay is full of hats in some sizes but not so much when you hit 7-5/8.

If you are the same size and have a versatile fedora that isn’t getting much noggin time feel free to shoot me a note. Beyond that the pickins are slimmer than I had expected. Maybe new is the best option.

 

[Trouser Bark]

Larger sizes are tough to find. You might watch Deadlyhandsome on Ebay, he usually carrys some larger sizes.

Thank you! I'll keep an eye on his store!

 

[Trouser Bark]

Thanks again to all for the help. I have another pesky question please. There's a hat f/sale on FleaBay that may not fit the full spirit of a typical fedora but that might be a little easier for my chicken self to get used to as a first real hat. To my eye it's a crossover between a western hat design and a fedora. It's one of JJ Hat Store's New York Limited Edition hats from about 5 years back. I like the hat, the exterior of it looks good to my untrained eye, but the inside looks like a high miler for sure. Any idea what might cause that or if the liner's condition should put me off? From the description it would fit my apparently outsized skull.

The seller wants $300 for it which seems a little rich given the liner's condition but you all know far better than I. What say you?

It's a pure beaver.

 

[Rmccamey]

Hmmmm. The seller would have to do a lot of convincing for me to fork over that kind of money when I could get a new custom for not a lot more, particularly when it is not a vintage hat.

Thanks again to all for the help. I have another pesky question please. There's a hat f/sale on FleaBay that may not fit the full spirit of a typical fedora but that might be a little easier for my chicken self to get used to as a first real hat. To my eye it's a crossover between a western hat design and a fedora. It's one of JJ Hat Store's New York Limited Edition hats from about 5 years back. I like the hat, the exterior of it looks good to my untrained eye, but the inside looks like a high miler for sure. Any idea what might cause that or if the liner's condition should put me off? From the description it would fit my apparently outsized skull.

The seller wants $300 for it which seems a little rich given the liner's condition but you all know far better than I. What say you?

It's a pure beaver.

 

[Trouser Bark]

Hmmmm. The seller would have to do a lot of convincing for me to fork over that kind of money when I could get a new custom for not a lot more, particularly when it is not a vintage hat.

That seems completely reasonable to me. Any idea what might cause that sort of damage to the liner or have you seen anything like it before on a relatively new hat?

Any idea what a reasonable offer might be?

...or what it might cost to have a hat shop put a fresh liner in?

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Thanks again to all for the help. I have another pesky question please. There's a hat f/sale on FleaBay that may not fit the full spirit of a typical fedora but that might be a little easier for my chicken self to get used to as a first real hat. To my eye it's a crossover between a western hat design and a fedora. It's one of JJ Hat Store's New York Limited Edition hats from about 5 years back. I like the hat, the exterior of it looks good to my untrained eye, but the inside looks like a high miler for sure. Any idea what might cause that or if the liner's condition should put me off? From the description it would fit my apparently outsized skull.

The seller wants $300 for it which seems a little rich given the liner's condition but you all know far better than I. What say you?

It's a pure beaver.

I am 99% sure that this seller is an active lounger. I don't want to call him out publicly but I'll private message you his TFL user name and I'd recommend you contact him directly. Tell him that you are brand new to hats and looking for your first good quality hat in size 7-5/8. They are scarce at the moment and you wonder if he has any for for sale and tell him your budget. He's a really great guy.

If you are truly interested in this Excellent Quality Stetson (they are decent hats and I'll tell you more in the PM), then maybe make him an offer here rather than on eBay (he won't have to pay an eBay fee if he sells it to you here).

Also, you just have to keep going back to ebay obsessively. Hats will show up (usually all at once, unfortunately), it just depends on how much patience you can muster...

 

[Rmccamey]

No idea on price, there are too many variables to consider. Try to do some comparisons on Ebay to get an idea.

I have not seen that on a liner but it could be sun damage, hair gel, or poor original printing. There are several excellent milliners on the Lounge but I would think a new liner would be fairly inexpensive, maybe $30 plus shipping...just an educated guess.

That seems completely reasonable to me. Any idea what might cause that sort of damage to the liner or have you seen anything like it before on a relatively new hat?

Any idea what a reasonable offer might be?

...or what it might cost to have a hat shop put a fresh liner in?

 

[Trouser Bark]

Gentlemen... I very much appreciate all the input and expertise you've shared w/ me; genuinely so.

Due largely to the help you've provided I've made what I suspect will be the first of several hat purchases. Just to toss it out there I don't consider myself to be a delicate little flower and in many respects the opposite is true. That said, despite having found fedoras interesting for several years (and never having sated that bug), there's no one I can recall in my area having worn a fedora... which has meaning that is difficult to articulate. A fedora on my head or wooden shoes on my feet; either would stand out as unusual in my part of the world.

I do occasionally see cowboy hats though and I suspect a more western style might be easier to pull off here as a first fedora. Due in part to the help of fellow TFL folks and in particular to one engaging seller I have now to wait for this to arrive. It is en route right now.

Thanks again for all your help and patience w/ my fedora noob questions.

 

[Rmccamey]

Gentlemen... I very much appreciate all the input and expertise you've shared w/ me; genuinely so.

Due largely to the help you've provided I've made what I suspect will be the first of several hat purchases. Just to toss it out there I don't consider myself to be a delicate little flower and in many respects the opposite is true. That said, despite having found fedoras interesting for several years (and never having sated that bug), there's no one I can recall in my area having worn a fedora... which has meaning that is difficult to articulate. A fedora on my head or wooden shoes on my feet; either would stand out as unusual in my part of the world.

I do occasionally see cowboy hats though and I suspect a more western style might be easier to pull off here as a first fedora. Due in part to the help of fellow TFL folks and in particular to one engaging seller I have now to wait for this to arrive. It is en route right now.

Thanks again for all your help and patience w/ my fedora noob questions.

Very nice. A bit of an outback vibe to it. Wear it proudly.

 

[Trouser Bark]

Very nice. A bit of an outback vibe to it. Wear it proudly.

I will do that! It does seem to have a style that's at the confluence of outback > western > fedora > casual that defies convention. JJ Hat Store apparently bought them as an in-store special and called it their New York Limited Edition. Somehow that doesn't help categorize the style. Whatever it is, I like it for certain.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Gentlemen... I very much appreciate all the input and expertise you've shared w/ me; genuinely so.

Due largely to the help you've provided I've made what I suspect will be the first of several hat purchases. Just to toss it out there I don't consider myself to be a delicate little flower and in many respects the opposite is true. That said, despite having found fedoras interesting for several years (and never having sated that bug), there's no one I can recall in my area having worn a fedora... which has meaning that is difficult to articulate. A fedora on my head or wooden shoes on my feet; either would stand out as unusual in my part of the world.

I do occasionally see cowboy hats though and I suspect a more western style might be easier to pull off here as a first fedora. Due in part to the help of fellow TFL folks and in particular to one engaging seller I have now to wait for this to arrive. It is en route right now.

Thanks again for all your help and patience w/ my fedora noob questions.

I have one of these hats but with a wide ribbon/bow treatment. Honestly it's one of my most unique felts and I like it quite a lot. It's rugged and has a nice hand and the sweatband is also decent quality. Congrats on a worthwhile first purchase!

 

[Who?]

Well chosen.

 

[quetzalli]

I've read the first 20 pages of threads in the Hat forum and searched around for a sort of general noob tutorial and haven't found one. I see bits of helpful info buried in monstrous threads but nothing intended to show generally how to make the transition for a heretofore non fedora wearer.

I see comments on pairing, color, etc. but I'm looking for a specific thread for those of us that have no prior experience and would like to benefit from the mistakes you all have already made.

A pile of questions...

- How do crushable fedoras work and if it's such a great solution why aren't they all like that?
- It's cold where I live. Is it beaver, rabbit or wool that would work best in cooler temps?
- I see where one poster passed another wearer and said the other guy's hat was wool... how would he know?
- Why are there seemingly more than 100 different fedoras at some mfg's and nearly all look identical?
- Is there a suggested first hat for a guy that wears button down L/S shirts and leather jackets?
- I see a combination of four letters that some use when talking about their head shape. How do I learn more about that?
- There's something recognizable about an Indiana Jones but it looks like it may be the functional equivalent of a baseball cap.
- Is there a step up model that doesn't carry the connotation of a wearer attempting to emulate his fave movie star's costume?
- Why are there differences in available stiffness?
- Is there a brim width that generally doesn't require you to remove the hat when you get in a vehicle?
- Why do vintage fedoras often have odd creases in the brim and uneven shapes? Is that just mistreatment and poor storage?



A zillion questions and I'm ready for the next step.

I've been the baseball cap guy and for the last ten years have worn flat hats. I still like the flats but there's something captivating about a nice fedora.

Things I know I like are brims that don't have a taped edge, something that's not too dressy, and a color that's easy to pair.

Things I know I don't have what it takes to wear are stingy brims and trilby styles.

For chilly climates:

• Beaver felt: Dense, water-resistant, and warm—ideal for harsh winters.
• Rabbit felt: Lighter and more affordable, but less durable.
• Wool: Budget-friendly but less insulating. Avoid straw—it’s for summer!
  Pro tip: Beaver blends (e.g., 80% beaver/20% rabbit) offer a balance of warmth and cost