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[belfastboy]

View attachment 382673 View attachment 382674

Thanks gentlemen. For now, I’m trying a minor change by opening the pinch. I actually like this look better than the thin pinch on this hat.

Not really noticeable in the picture.

 

[Zombie_61]

I experimented with my Borsa and tried moving the pinch but the area was so worn it was impossible to move it without it making the worn area even more obvious so like the flaws in myself........I learned to live with it.

I believe this is one of the more important posts ever created on the 'Net, a reminder to us of the impermanence of...well, everything. Nothing remains the same forever. Oh, we can preserve certain things for a while, and if a hat is that important to you buy a protective case, put the hat in it, and admire it from within the relative safety of it's new environment:

Otherwise just take care of it and wear it for as long as you can and be happy, and replace it with another hat when/if the time comes.

 

[belfastboy]

I believe this is one of the more important posts ever created on the 'Net, a reminder to us of the impermanence of...well, everything. Nothing remains the same forever. Oh, we can preserve certain things for a while, and if a hat is that important to you buy a protective case, put the hat in it, and admire it from within the relative safety of it's new environment:

Otherwise just take care of it and wear it for as long as you can and be happy, and replace it with another hat when/if the time comes.

I have a lot of training from my childhood to overcome. Both parents were born very poor entering their teen years during the Depression. They rose into the middle class, buying a home and equipping it with modern conveniences.

As a teen I was not allowed to sit on the new couch because i was too big and 'squished' the cushions. My mom was always admonishing me to pick up my feet so I didn't wear out the carpet....and of course we had the 'good dishes' that we never ever used.....because they were too good, too nice. So I do have strong tendencies to 'save' things or at least not wear them out. I am pleased to report that my wife (similar background/but poverty that extended into her youth) and I work hard at using and enjoying our 'stuff'. We take care of it, respect it but push ourselves to use that which we have accumulated. For instance we have no more 'good' dishes.....we use them every day and celebrate if my clumsy hands should damage one. But I do have to stay conscious about it as those lessons from childhood run deep.

The irony of my Mom's good dishes is that after she died I gave them away (largely unused) to Goodwill.

 

[Snowman]

I believe this is one of the more important posts ever created on the 'Net, a reminder to us of the impermanence of...well, everything. Nothing remains the same forever. Oh, we can preserve certain things for a while, and if a hat is that important to you buy a protective case, put the hat in it, and admire it from within the relative safety of it's new environment:

Otherwise just take care of it and wear it for as long as you can and be happy, and replace it with another hat when/if the time comes.

I have a lot of training from my childhood to overcome. Both parents were born very poor entering their teen years during the Depression. They rose into the middle class, buying a home and equipping it with modern conveniences.

As a teen I was not allowed to sit on the new couch because i was too big and 'squished' the cushions. My mom was always admonishing me to pick up my feet so I didn't wear out the carpet....and of course we had the 'good dishes' that we never ever used.....because they were too good, too nice. So I do have strong tendencies to 'save' things or at least not wear them out. I am pleased to report that my wife (similar background/but poverty that extended into her youth) and I work hard at using and enjoying our 'stuff'. We take care of it, respect it but push ourselves to use that which we have accumulated. For instance we have no more 'good' dishes.....we use them every day and celebrate if my clumsy hands should damage one. But I do have to stay conscious about it as those lessons from childhood run deep.

The irony of my Mom's good dishes is that after she died I gave them away (largely unused) to Goodwill.

I see the wisdom, and agree with, the philosophy of “use things up and then replace them.” I also am strongly influenced by my depression-era grandparents, who never let anything go to waste. Both my wife and I understand poverty, though neither of us thought we were poor growing up (we were). I just try to make things last (my wife has made me stop wearing clothes that I had when we were married over 30 years ago). I too have things that are saved “for a special occasion,” but I’m trying to adopt the credo that “every day I wake up is a special occasion.” Interesting about the dishes - my wife wanted new dishes, and decided to buy a full set of English china for everyday use. My mom’s china (the special occasion stuff) sits in a cabinet on display, like the hat in Zombie’s photo. By the way, this hat is going to be worn, and worn, and worn; it’s one of my nicer ones, and I just want to keep it looking that way.

 

[belfastboy]

I see the wisdom, and agree with, the philosophy of “use things up and then replace them.” I also am strongly influenced by my depression-era grandparents, who never let anything go to waste. Both my wife and I understand poverty, though neither of us thought we were poor growing up (we were). I just try to make things last (my wife has made me stop wearing clothes that I had when we were married over 30 years ago). I too have things that are saved “for a special occasion,” but I’m trying to adopt the credo that “every day I wake up is a special occasion.” Interesting about the dishes - my wife wanted new dishes, and decided to buy a full set of English china for everyday use. My mom’s china (the special occasion stuff) sits in a cabinet on display, like the hat in Zombie’s photo. By the way, this hat is going to be worn, and worn, and worn; it’s one of my nicer ones, and I just want to keep it looking that way.

Bro, celebrate that you can fit into clothes from 30 years ago.....I sure as hell cannot! I have shoes that are 30 years old, but I tend to have shoes I love refurbished until the leather uppers fall apart. And yes, I value the perspective handed down to me from my parents about respecting and valuing the things we own. As a child my father would have shoes that fit once in 3 years....first year too big, second year they would fit, and the third year too small with cardboard inserts to cover the holes in the sole.

We very much eschew the throwaway culture, buy the best we can afford, use it, enjoy it but take care of it so it continues to serve us.

 

[Snowman]

Bro, celebrate that you can fit into clothes from 30 years ago.....I sure as hell cannot! I have shoes that are 30 years old, but I tend to have shoes I love refurbished until the leather uppers fall apart. And yes, I value the perspective handed down to me from my parents about respecting and valuing the things we own. As a child my father would have shoes that fit once in 3 years....first year too big, second year they would fit, and the third year too small with cardboard inserts to cover the holes in the sole.

We very much eschew the throwaway culture, buy the best we can afford, use it, enjoy it but take care of it so it continues to serve us.

I didn’t say I could fit into those clothes - I said she made me stop wearing them!

 

[Steve1857]

I'm so in agreement having come from working class roots myself. However, I still love this .

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

I'm so in agreement having come from working class roots myself. However, I still love this .

Hilarious!! Bout choked.
B

 

[belfastboy]

I'm so in agreement having come from working class roots myself. However, I still love this .

Brilliant as only the Brits can be.

My mom never talked about her childhood because I think the memories were so painful. But if I pushed I could get her to tell the odd anecdote from time to time. My father never ever talked about his childhood. I heard the stories from aunts and uncles after he died.

 

[Robieman]

Ok, I got a question for you more learned than me. (That may actually include everyone!)
I did check the how to date by liner and by size tag, but didn’t find one for re-order tags. If there is one, please advise and I’ll check it. But am gonna ask my question anyway. Picked up another 3X western recently. Virtually identical hat in size and color as one I’ve had a year or so. The new addition has a 3 cord ribbon, where the one I already had has a single cord ribbon. The older one has the last drop embroider liner with the oil skin behind, and the yellowish liner cover. (Posted picks back when I first got it). This newer addition has the round logo liner without a liner cover. It has the older hunched beaver and stars, on the liner and sweat. The sweat of the one I already had has the same logo on the sweat, with the exception of it had the words John B Stetson at the bottom. Finally, my question is, do the re-order numbers represent when a hat was made, in sequence? In other words, is a lower re-order number an older hat than a larger number? I’m thinking that perhaps this newest one I got may be older than the one I’ve had a while.

 

[The Shoe]

I'm so in agreement having come from working class roots myself. However, I still love this .

Brilliant! I haven't seen that clip for ages (though I may have paraphrased it from time to time).

 

[StoryPNW]

I'm sure this has been answered a million times but a quick search didn't reveal what I was looking for. Do most on the forum wear their vintage hats on a regular basis? I understand a vintage beaver felt is not going to be your kick around the job site kind of hat, but do you worry too much about dirt and weather and day to day wear and tear on vintage hats?

 

[belfastboy]

I'm sure this has been answered a million times but a quick search didn't reveal what I was looking for. Do most on the forum wear their vintage hats on a regular basis? I understand a vintage beaver felt is not going to be your kick around the job site kind of hat, but do you worry too much about dirt and weather and day to day wear and tear on vintage hats?

No real consensus on this. Some folks do, some don't. Most of our vintage hats are rabbit or rabbit blends....not many are 100% beaver. Most of my hats get worn regularly....for dress and or for kicking around. I do have a few beater hats that I wear if working/sweating and a few that are purely for dress but those are new custom made. The only vintage hats I own that get babied are my 2 1950's pristine Borsalinos. The rest have to earn their keep.

 

[Steve1857]

I'm sure this has been answered a million times but a quick search didn't reveal what I was looking for. Do most on the forum wear their vintage hats on a regular basis? I understand a vintage beaver felt is not going to be your kick around the job site kind of hat, but do you worry too much about dirt and weather and day to day wear and tear on vintage hats?

Good question. I guess it depends on your job and when you're wearing it. Generally speaking, you can wear a vintage hat every day, After all, that's what they were made for.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I'm sure this has been answered a million times but a quick search didn't reveal what I was looking for. Do most on the forum wear their vintage hats on a regular basis? I understand a vintage beaver felt is not going to be your kick around the job site kind of hat, but do you worry too much about dirt and weather and day to day wear and tear on vintage hats?

I try to take care of my vintage hats, but I don’t freak out when it comes to wearing them as “daily drivers.” Most all of the vintage fedoras are rabbit and/or hare and pure beaver vintage fedoras are not common.

 

[belfastboy]

No real consensus on this. Some folks do, some don't. Most of our vintage hats are rabbit or rabbit blends....not many are 100% beaver. Most of my hats get worn regularly....for dress and or for kicking around. I do have a few beater hats that I wear if working/sweating and a few that are purely for dress but those are new custom made. The only vintage hats I own that get babied are my 2 1950's pristine Borsalinos. The rest have to earn their keep.

One other aspect to keep in mind is that good fur felt is very forgiving.

Decent fur felt hats can be used/abused AND refurbished back to almost new. I follow a number of western custom hat makers that also do refurbs. Some will post before/after pics of them transforming a hat that was dumpster material and bringing it back to like new.....it borders on the miraculous. My thought is; wear them, enjoy them and when/if the time comes send them out for a refresh.

 

[StoryPNW]

Awesome, thank you guys, I just got my vintage Open Road and really want to wear it for every day normal stuff, just didn't know how much I should baby something like that, I know it's not super rare or anything, but still special to me.

 

[belfastboy]

Awesome, thank you guys, I just got my vintage Open Road and really want to wear it for every day normal stuff, just didn't know how much I should baby something like that, I know it's not super rare or anything, but still special to me.

I have cheap beater hats that are special to me...doesn't make sense but then it doesn't have to. Take care of your hat. When it gets wet let it dry at room temp placing it gently in an area where it won't be crumpled or deformed. It will not deform in just the drying if you set it down gently. Once in a while give the leather sweat some conditioner. Give the hat a regular brushing with a hat brush....not a brush with stiff bristles . It will wear the fur prematurely as it abrades the hat with each brushing. Buy some Scout brand spot remover for the 'oh shit' times you get a stain on it. And enjoy!

 

[Steve1857]

Awesome, thank you guys, I just got my vintage Open Road and really want to wear it for every day normal stuff, just didn't know how much I should baby something like that, I know it's not super rare or anything, but still special to me.

Cherish it, enjoy it, wear it!

 

[Zombie_61]

Awesome, thank you guys, I just got my vintage Open Road and really want to wear it for every day normal stuff, just didn't know how much I should baby something like that, I know it's not super rare or anything, but still special to me.

This was my first "real" (quality) hat. Akubra Fed IV, so modern production:

Not vintage (which by most accounts is much better felt) but, as you can see, ten years worth of wearing, re-creased a few times, soaked through the felt in a few heavy rainstorms, and no obvious signs of it's age. Hell, I think it looks better now. I'm a little disappointed, actually. I like "beater" hats, and I bought this hat hoping it would be one by now. No such luck, and considering the excellent conditions of some of the vintage hats I've seen here on The Lounge I'm thinking I'll be dead and gone before this one even begins to look like a beater.