Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.
Messages
19,414
Location
Funkytown, USA
Appreciate the answeres, @Frunobulax @belfastboy. It’s just that online pictures can always be deceiving, complicated further more by variation in production runs.

And even moreso in person, from my experience. Several on here have described Stetson's Caribou as a mid-gray; however, I own two in Caribou - one from ~2010 and the other from ~2015. Both have a distinct violet hue.
 
Messages
12,009
Location
East of Los Angeles
That is my recollection as well. My Monnstone had a really nice blue undertone to it.....not sure why the hell I sold it.
I find I rarely wear mine, but not because of the color. Long story short, I ordered the regular/Imperial Quality felt, and received the hat in the *deluxe/Heritage Grade felt. I know quite a few people prefer the Heritage Grade felt and pay extra for it (and the "superior" sweatband), but that hat was never as comfortable on my head as my good old Imperial Quality Akubras which, in my experience, formed to the shape of my head far better than the "deluxe" version.


* I did inform The Hattery of the error, and they responded by telling me to keep the hat with their compliments.
 

LEOSTARK

New in Town
Messages
49
I find I rarely wear mine, but not because of the color. Long story short, I ordered the regular/Imperial Quality felt, and received the hat in the *deluxe/Heritage Grade felt. I know quite a few people prefer the Heritage Grade felt and pay extra for it (and the "superior" sweatband), but that hat was never as comfortable on my head as my good old Imperial Quality Akubras which, in my experience, formed to the shape of my head far better than the "deluxe" version.


* I did inform The Hattery of the error, and they responded by telling me to keep the hat with their compliments.
Pretty interesting. Have you gave a thought as to why imperial hats were more comfortable to you? Is it because of the sweat band or the overall characteristics of the felt on the heritage felt? I ask that as I am eyeing out Fed IVs.
 
Messages
12,009
Location
East of Los Angeles
Pretty interesting. Have you gave a thought as to why imperial hats were more comfortable to you? Is it because of the sweat band or the overall characteristics of the felt on the heritage felt? I ask that as I am eyeing out Fed IVs.
I'm almost positive that it's the difference between the felts that was the reason. I use distilled water in a spray bottle to help shape my fur felt hats because I don't have a way to use steam. The usual procedure is to spray the felt until it's good and wet, give it a few minutes to let the water soak in, then shape the crown and brim as I'd like and set the hat aside to dry at room temperature. With the Heritage Grade felt I had to spray and re-shape the hat four or five times because the felt resisted it's new shape and kept trying to return to it's original "open crown" shape. All things being equal I'd bet the Heritage Grade felt is more durable and would probably last longer, but I still prefer the Imperial Quality. Besides, at this point I'd bet my hats will outlive me anyway. ;)
 

Samson25

Familiar Face
Messages
92
Location
E.U.
I have vintage and modern nutria fur felt hats, and I too am a proponent of it’s use. There have been a few new sources of nutria felt in the last few years. Unfortunately, the pricing has been more than beaver fur felt, and I think the current nutria felt is slightly inferior to the current beaver felt. It can make a great hat, but the current nutria felt from Sunrise Hat Supplies is more temperamental and inconsistent compared to beaver offered by the big felt makers. That has more to do with the felting and dye process the maker of Sunrise’s felt is using than the qualities of nutria.

Here’s a thread on the largest source of nutria (aka “coypu”) felt in the US:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/sunrise-hat-company-felt-nutria-and-hatters’-tools.98328/page-2
Thanks Brent for the link. I did check them out but it seems like eveything is out of stock there. I will continue researching. Thanks !
 

Samson25

Familiar Face
Messages
92
Location
E.U.
I'm almost positive that it's the difference between the felts that was the reason. I use distilled water in a spray bottle to help shape my fur felt hats because I don't have a way to use steam. The usual procedure is to spray the felt until it's good and wet, give it a few minutes to let the water soak in, then shape the crown and brim as I'd like and set the hat aside to dry at room temperature. With the Heritage Grade felt I had to spray and re-shape the hat four or five times because the felt resisted it's new shape and kept trying to return to it's original "open crown" shape. All things being equal I'd bet the Heritage Grade felt is more durable and would probably last longer, but I still prefer the Imperial Quality. Besides, at this point I'd bet my hats will outlive me anyway. ;)
Yo Zombie....Did the same distilled water in a spray bottle thing to my Campdraft and my Hornskov. Got that advice here on FL ( I think from Belfastboy).
I also followed a strict protocol to appease the "bash setting gods" by burning some excellent Frankinsense and some premium herb to help with the drying process.
Nope...Didn't want to take any chances.
Very happy with my results.
 
Last edited:

ILB Frank

One of the Regulars
Messages
205
I searched the forum as best I could but so many words are excluded that if this answer is in the forums, I couldn't find it...

Does anyone know why they would put a hatband over the existing ribbon hatband (as opposed to removing the ribbon and then putting the hatband on)? My guess is this is mostly with western hats only because those are the hats I see the most.

Thanks.
 

Steve1857

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,839
Location
Denmark
I searched the forum as best I could but so many words are excluded that if this answer is in the forums, I couldn't find it...

Does anyone know why they would put a hatband over the existing ribbon hatband (as opposed to removing the ribbon and then putting the hatband on)? My guess is this is mostly with western hats only because those are the hats I see the most.

Thanks.
Can you come with photo examples?
 
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
I searched the forum as best I could but so many words are excluded that if this answer is in the forums, I couldn't find it...

Does anyone know why they would put a hatband over the existing ribbon hatband (as opposed to removing the ribbon and then putting the hatband on)? My guess is this is mostly with western hats only because those are the hats I see the most.

Thanks.


I see this on some types of bohemian hats. It’s a look, but it one that I’m partial to.
 
Messages
12,009
Location
East of Los Angeles
...I also followed a strict protocol to appease the "bash setting gods" by burning some excellent Frankinsense and some premium herb to help with the drying process.
Nope...Didn't want to take any chances.
Very happy with my results.
I don't have any frankincense, but I have burned sage to cleanse a hat or two that didn't want to cooperate. Worked like a charm! As for the other herb, I usually wait until after I'm done playing with the hat(s) so I won't get too distracted.
 
Messages
12,009
Location
East of Los Angeles
I searched the forum as best I could but so many words are excluded that if this answer is in the forums, I couldn't find it...

Does anyone know why they would put a hatband over the existing ribbon hatband (as opposed to removing the ribbon and then putting the hatband on)? My guess is this is mostly with western hats only because those are the hats I see the most.

Thanks.
I've only seen this on "Western" hats with a leather or other kind of braided hat band placed over the original ribbon. It may have become a "thing", or a popular style choice, but I'd bet it started as good old laziness: "Oh, I'll just put it on over the ribbon; nobody will care. Besides, it's my hat and I'll do what I want with it."
 

ILB Frank

One of the Regulars
Messages
205
Some quick examples from the net...
 

Attachments

  • Hat Ex1.png
    Hat Ex1.png
    180.8 KB · Views: 77
  • Hat Ex2.png
    Hat Ex2.png
    142.9 KB · Views: 71
  • Hat Ex3.png
    Hat Ex3.png
    246.3 KB · Views: 73
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
Some quick examples from the net...


The “why” is that some like the look. Some also wrap the crown in bandannas or stick feathers behind the ribbon or band. It’s just a personal preference. Stetson and others offer some hats this way and some custom hat makers do similar for their customers. Even the traditional single ribbon or band is cosmetic as it covers the sweatband stitches and adds some visual appeal.

Here’s three hats from Hornskov’s Bohemian Collection:

3F930C55-4F9A-4D16-8CA2-9FCA71177D39.jpeg
DD9EFFB9-7489-42DB-8514-1C2D1DA7BBA3.jpeg
1542BFB3-246B-4BC5-93C0-F763925FABB0.jpeg


It doesn’t appeal to me, but different strokes…
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,144
Messages
3,075,084
Members
54,124
Latest member
usedxPielt
Top