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[Euvoren1930]

Hello,
I hope you are doing well.

I am just curious about this hat I found on eBay, it is an imperial Japanese civilian's hat, and it is similar to a fedora (the hat in question).

Question 1: is this a fedora? or is there a special name for it in Japan? I've seen people calling all types of antique hats fedoras (Trilbies, Hombergs, etc.), and it just makes me wonder if there's a special name for it...

Question 2: where can I find one of these in the enormous size that is 7 & 5/8 U.S. size? I'm assuming not many places.

thank you,
Euvoren.

 

[Steve1857]

Hello,
I hope you are doing well.

I am just curious about this hat I found on eBay, it is an imperial Japanese civilian's hat, and it is similar to a fedora (the hat in question).

Question 1: is this a fedora? or is there a special name for it in Japan? I've seen people calling all types of antique hats fedoras (Trilbies, Hombergs, etc.), and it just makes me wonder if there's a special name for it...

Question 2: where can I find one of these in the enormous size that is 7 & 5/8 U.S. size? I'm assuming not many places.

thank you,
Euvoren.

Welcome to the Fedora Lounge (FL), Euroven1930. It is indeed a Fedora. Trilbies can be said to be Fedoras of a smaller stature. Homburgs are a whole different type of hat. It has nothing to do with vintage/antique hats.

Check out the FL for available hats in your size. It's a large one, but not necessarily unfindable.

Where in the world are you? That might help narrowing your search.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Hello,
I hope you are doing well.

I am just curious about this hat I found on eBay, it is an imperial Japanese civilian's hat, and it is similar to a fedora (the hat in question).

Question 1: is this a fedora? or is there a special name for it in Japan? I've seen people calling all types of antique hats fedoras (Trilbies, Hombergs, etc.), and it just makes me wonder if there's a special name for it...

Question 2: where can I find one of these in the enormous size that is 7 & 5/8 U.S. size? I'm assuming not many places.

thank you,
Euvoren.

Hat nomenclature can be confusing. If in broad strokes, a fedora is a soft felt brimmed hat then a lot of styles could be called fedoras. To confuse things more, the term “fedora” wasn’t universal in its application and in the UK the term trilby was more common early on for hats we would definitely consider full sized fedoras today. Some manufacturers in the USA just listed them all as soft felt hats to distinguish them from stiff felt hats like the bowler/derby. I think most of us now see the trilby or stingy brim as a style of fedora and not as a separate type of hat as it’s all a matter of degree as far as what distinguishes them. Homburg etc. have universal and unique characteristics that, I believe, put them in a separate categories.

The hat in your photo is a fedora. Similar hats are easy to find in your (our) large hat size. Easy, that is, if you want a new hat factory hat or a new custom hat. Vintage hats are out there, but require a lot of searching and they don’t often come cheap. I’d wish you good luck, but as we’re the same size….

Brent

 

[Euvoren1930]

Hat nomenclature can be confusing. If in broad strokes, a fedora is a soft felt brimmed hat then a lot of styles could be called fedoras. To confuse things more, the term “fedora” wasn’t universal in its application and in the UK the term trilby was more common early on for hats we would definitely consider full sized fedoras today. Some manufacturers in the USA just listed them all as soft felt hats to distinguish them from stiff felt hats like the bowler/derby. I think most of us now see the trilby or stingy brim as a style of fedora and not as a separate type of hat as it’s all a matter of degree as far as what distinguishes them. Homburg etc. have universal and unique characteristics that, I believe, put them in a separate categories.

The hat in your photo is a fedora. Similar hats are easy to find in your (our) large hat size. Easy, that is, if you want a new hat factory hat or a new custom hat. Vintage hats are out there, but require a lot of searching and they don’t often come cheap. I’d wish you good luck, but as we’re the same size….

Brent

Oh wooooow, is this competition in the last part? Crazy…

I think that first part makes sense,

But if I wanted to find specifically a Japanese hat from the 30s or 40s, am I out of luck?

Thanks,
Euvoren

 

[Euvoren1930]

Welcome to the Fedora Lounge (FL), Euroven1930. It is indeed a Fedora. Trilbies can be said to be Fedoras of a smaller stature. Homburgs are a whole different type of hat. It has nothing to do with vintage/antique hats.

Check out the FL for available hats in your size. It's a large one, but not necessarily unfindable.

Where in the world are you? That might help narrowing your search.

Thank you for the welcome, I have heard people refer to triblies as fedoras before, but I never thought of it like that. I have one homburg, but my parents think it’s still a fedora. May I ask what you mean by the last part though?

I know my size is pretty big, but I plan on trying to find one… hopefully an actual Japanese hat will be able to fit.

I’m in the U.S., specifically the east coast, so quite far from Japan.

Thanks,
Euvoren

 

[Zombie_61]

...I know my size is pretty big, but I plan on trying to find one… hopefully an actual Japanese hat will be able to fit...

You will be better off using actual measurements--specifically the inner circumference of the hat's crown/sweatband and the circumference of your head--rather than sizing that might not be accurate.

 

[The Shoe]

Hello,
I hope you are doing well.

I am just curious about this hat I found on eBay, it is an imperial Japanese civilian's hat, and it is similar to a fedora (the hat in question).

Question 1: is this a fedora? or is there a special name for it in Japan? I've seen people calling all types of antique hats fedoras (Trilbies, Hombergs, etc.), and it just makes me wonder if there's a special name for it...

Question 2: where can I find one of these in the enormous size that is 7 & 5/8 U.S. size? I'm assuming not many places.

thank you,
Euvoren.

Quite frankly, I don’t like your chances. I’m living in Japan and I see some nice looking vintage hats come up occasionally on the local markets, but I’ve never found one in my size (7⅜), let alone yours. Another thing to consider is that Japanese tend to have rounder heads than the more oval European heads.
I tried some Bunjirow (custom hat maker in Osaka) hats on in their shop. They used a fairly firm felt (mainly beaver) and I found all of their hats uncomfortable. They pressed on my forehead while having spaces on the side. They told me the Japanese have rounder heads and that they only had the rounder shaped blocks.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Oh wooooow, is this competition in the last part? Crazy…

I think that first part makes sense,

But if I wanted to find specifically a Japanese hat from the 30s or 40s, am I out of luck?

Thanks,
Euvoren

I decent fedora in the size and from that era could equal a mortgage payment. I also don’t know if fedoras were being made in Japan in that era…you’re way out of my knowledge base. I think you could look for years and never come close, but then you never know. Sorry.

 

[Euvoren1930]

You will be better off using actual measurements--specifically the inner circumference of the hat's crown/sweatband and the circumference of your head--rather than sizing that might not be accurate.

Ok, how would I feed that measurement into eBay or a similar website? Like “vintage Japanese fedora xx mm circumference” for example?

 

[Euvoren1930]

I decent fedora in the size and from that era could equal a mortgage payment. I also don’t know if fedoras were being made in Japan in that era…you’re way out of my knowledge base. I think you could look for years and never come close, but then you never know. Sorry.

It’s ok, don’t be sorry, if nothing comes up, I’ll just numb myself to the interest like I can always do, they were made there during that time, but as most people seem to think, it’s the size that’s going to make it a rarity

 

[Zombie_61]

Ok, how would I feed that measurement into eBay or a similar website? Like “vintage Japanese fedora xx mm circumference” for example?

It would probably be best to search using your hat size, then verify the measurements with the seller before you make the purchase. The hat might still have it's original size tag, but it would be nearly impossible to know everything that has happened to a fur felt hat from the 1930s/40s that might have caused it to shrink a little or a lot. Keep in mind, not everyone knows how to measure a hat, so the seller's measurements might also be inaccurate. Sad to say, that's just part of the game with vintage hats.

If all else fails, try to find a photo or two of the style you're looking for, then contact some of the custom hatters mentioned here on The Lounge to see what they can do for you. In the end you might end up with exactly the hat you want, and save a few bucks in the process.

 

[Steve1857]

Thank you for the welcome, I have heard people refer to triblies as fedoras before, but I never thought of it like that. I have one homburg, but my parents think it’s still a fedora. May I ask what you mean by the last part though?

I know my size is pretty big, but I plan on trying to find one… hopefully an actual Japanese hat will be able to fit.

I’m in the U.S., specifically the east coast, so quite far from Japan.

Thanks,
Euvoren

I meant knowing where you were in the world could help in some way.

I'm still not sure though what you mean by Japanese made hats/Fedoras from the 30s. Do you have photos and makers names?

 

[Euvoren1930]

I meant knowing where you were in the world could help in some way.

I'm still not sure though what you mean by Japanese made hats/Fedoras from the 30s. Do you have photos and makers names?

I posted an eBay link, but I’ll post a Google Images search and the listing again. They’re very similar to a western fedora – Images, Listing – it means exactly what it sounds like, an antique, 1930s or 1940s fedora made in Japan. I apologize if that is not quite obvious, but I can’t tell so easily since I’m the one writing… also, I’m sorry for not responding until today.

Edit: the maker names are still a mystery to me, I didn’t look too terribly hard because I didn’t like my odds either… especially with my knowledge base. Something felt missing, you know?

 

[Euvoren1930]

It would probably be best to search using your hat size, then verify the measurements with the seller before you make the purchase. The hat might still have it's original size tag, but it would be nearly impossible to know everything that has happened to a fur felt hat from the 1930s/40s that might have caused it to shrink a little or a lot. Keep in mind, not everyone knows how to measure a hat, so the seller's measurements might also be inaccurate. Sad to say, that's just part of the game with vintage hats.

If all else fails, try to find a photo or two of the style you're looking for, then contact some of the custom hatters mentioned here on The Lounge to see what they can do for you. In the end you might end up with exactly the hat you want, and save a few bucks in the process.

yeah, I didn’t think so much about them shrinking, but now that seems quite annoying… I gotta be honest, I’m not much of a vintage hat guy. Vintage anything else? For some reason absolutely, I’m wearing a WW1 Zeppelin jacket right now. But I just can’t see the difference between a stylish hat, and one not so much sometimes.

But for the size, you just measure the inner circumstance, no? I feel like that‘s a solid guess.

Thank you for the recommendation, I feel like if my creativity ever gets going, I could totally go to a custom hatter, and get the hat of my dreams! But for this, it’s more just the joy of the originality that drives me. If it’s made today, that kind of ruins it, it’s not anything against those hatters at all, they probably make a beautiful hat, but I like to stay original sometimes. Hence why I’m wearing a jacket that’s older then literally 99.99% of the world’s population at least.

Anyways, I guess I could always just save the search on eBay, right?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I posted an eBay link, but I’ll post a Google Images search and the listing again. They’re very similar to a western fedora – Images, Listing – it means exactly what it sounds like, an antique, 1930s or 1940s fedora made in Japan. I apologize if that is not quite obvious, but I can’t tell so easily since I’m the one writing… also, I’m sorry for not responding until today.

Edit: the maker names are still a mystery to me, I didn’t look too terribly hard because I didn’t like my odds either… especially with my knowledge base. Something felt missing, you know?

I’m not seeing anything to suggest the hats were made in Japan. They could have been, but just as likely…I think more likely, they were imported to Japan. Japanese men wearing fedoras does not mean the fedoras were made in Japan. Not all countries were equally involved in making soft felt hats. The lack of seeing such hats on the international vintage market makes me wonder if they exist at all. I’m not any sort of authority on this, but I do watch the vintage hat market pretty closely. The fact the the eBay hat has UK sizing also makes me think it was imported.

The photos you linked to showed hats that could have been made by any of dozen hat companies.

Sounds like a challenging (frustrating?) hunt. Good luck.

 

[dkstott]

Has anyone purchased hats or caps from Thomas Farthing in England recently?
I saw some old posts on their hats and caps on the lounge, but nothing recent

They've got some interesting caps;

Newman Baker Boy - (Mid-Width) White & Black Herringbone

Classic, mid width 8-piece Baker Boy cap made from 100% virgin wool. Woven in Donegal, Ireland. 8 Piece Baker Boy Cap Pure Wool Satin Lining 2.2" Brim Mid Width (11") Dry Clean Only Made In Belgium

thomasfarthing.co.uk

I like the fact they offer 3 different widths in the 8 panel caps with dimensions and state the length of the brims.

That's not something that you see very often on any Cap sellers websites.

According to the website, their caps are sewn in Belgium.

 

[belfastboy]

Has anyone purchased hats or caps from Thomas Farthing in England recently?
I saw some old posts on their hats and caps on the lounge, but nothing recent

They've got some interesting caps;

http://[URL]https://thomasfarthing.co.uk/products/newman-baker-boy-mid-width-white-black-herringbone

[/URL]

I like the fact they offer 3 different widths in the 8 panel caps with dimensions and state the length of the brims.

That's not something that you see very often on any Cap sellers websites.

According to the website, their caps are sewn in Belgium.

Lovely looking caps and their Donegal tweed looks amazing. I wish I had room for another as I would buy one of these. You likely know this but remember the difference in British sizing.

Don't ask how I know!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Has anyone purchased hats or caps from Thomas Farthing in England recently?
I saw some old posts on their hats and caps on the lounge, but nothing recent

They've got some interesting caps;

http://[URL][URL]https://thomasfart...n-baker-boy-mid-width-white-black-herringbone

[/URL][/URL]

I like the fact they offer 3 different widths in the 8 panel caps with dimensions and state the length of the brims.

That's not something that you see very often on any Cap sellers websites.

According to the website, their caps are sewn in Belgium.

I don’t wear the caps I have and I was still tempted by a few of these. The temptation was easy to resist as they didn’t have any of the caps I liked in stock in my size.

While I don’t see one of their caps in my future, I did find one of their fedoras to be a distinct possibility. It’s a handsome hat with a 3.25” brim and 6.25” open crown….I’ve requested an email when they have it in stock (supposedly this month).

https://thomasfarthing.co.uk/products/claremont-fedora-cadet-grey

 

[belfastboy]

I don’t wear the caps I have and I was still tempted by a few of these. The temptation was easy to resist as they didn’t have any of the caps I liked in stock in my size.

While I don’t see one of their caps in my future, I did find one of their fedoras to be a distinct possibility. It’s a handsome hat with a 3.25” brim and 6.25” open crown….I’ve requested an email when they have it in stock (supposedly this month).



View attachment 461609


https://thomasfarthing.co.uk/products/claremont-fedora-cadet-grey

Who is the maker in Seville? They make a lot of the Hasidim hats. Is it Selentino? It is a nice looking hat and encouraging that they make one in these dimensions open crown.

 

[M Hatman]

I don’t wear the caps I have and I was still tempted by a few of these. The temptation was easy to resist as they didn’t have any of the caps I liked in stock in my size.

While I don’t see one of their caps in my future, I did find one of their fedoras to be a distinct possibility. It’s a handsome hat with a 3.25” brim and 6.25” open crown….I’ve requested an email when they have it in stock (supposedly this month).



View attachment 461609


https://thomasfarthing.co.uk/products/claremont-fedora-cadet-grey

THAT seems like a properly proportioned hat!!!!! Let us know....