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[naelo]

Thanks for all of your help

I want to thank those of you who gave me some needed advice and info on the vintage Borsalino Fedora that I posted photos of last week. Your input was invaluable. I will go ahead and post the same question and photos on The Borsalino Brotherhood thread and see what else I can learn -- or perhaps to even sell it to an avid collector who can appreciate it, without having to list it on Ebay. My best to you all.

 

[Yeps]

Quick question especially for those loungers from down under:

What is a good hat shop in Darwin? My sister is in Australia (way up on some remote island) and is thinking about getting a hat for herself, and I was recommending Akubra to her. The only city she will be in any time soon is Darwin. Is there a place to buy a nice hat?

 

[bobjoy30]

Recognize this hat???

I know it is a Stetson from around 1955, but that is about it. I've seen a few old ads, but the hats themselves are very hard to find. I won one on ebay a few months ago, but since then, this is the only other I've seen. Can anyone give me some info/history of these hats and maybe where I could even find one to purchase?

 

[cookie]

It's a Milan by the looks of it ...there is a thread for this stuff already - Milan Mania.

 

[mayserwegener]

Punti or Point?

Is this sizing unit French and just used by Italian companies?

 

[rlk]

Is this sizing unit French and just used by Italian companies?

Its certainly standard on older French Hats. I don't know who started it. Here's someone's theory of origin. http://www.hatsuk.com/hatsuk/hatsukhtml/bible/hatsize.htm

 

[bobjoy30]

Is it possible to rebash a straw hat?

How are hat rebashings performed? Can anyone give me some information on the process?

 

[AXL DEMOCRACY]

Can someone point me to a thread that gives good advice about cleaning a sweatband?
I have a very old Panama Straw with a leather sweatband. The hat is in very good but very worn condition as is the sweatband.
Since I got it about six months ago I have worn it almost every day and have stained the sweatband quite a bit with my sweat which has left some white marks and has made the sweatband a bit "crinkly." I am hoping it doesn't break at some point. Wondering if there is anything I can do clean the stains out and preserve the sweatband?

 

[danofarlington]

Can someone point me to a thread that gives good advice about cleaning a sweatband?
I have a very old Panama Straw with a leather sweatband. The hat is in very good but very worn condition as is the sweatband.
Since I got it about six months ago I have worn it almost every day and have stained the sweatband quite a bit with my sweat which has left some white marks and has made the sweatband a bit "crinkly." I am hoping it doesn't break at some point. Wondering if there is anything I can do clean the stains out and preserve the sweatband?

Personally I wouldn't sweat the sweatband, and just pay someone to replace it.

 

[Lefty]

Crinkly is just wear - your shoes get wrinkles, and so can your sweat. There's crinkly but supple, which just requires wiping down with a damp napkin, and then there's crinkly and brittle, which needs to be replaced.

Without a photo, you also might mean that it's wavy. If you're stuffing something behind the sweat to make the hat tighten up, that can cause ripples, which would gradually come out after the stuffing is removed.

 

[AXL DEMOCRACY]

Thank you for the responses! The sweatband doesn't look like it is going to break (*crosses fingers*) but is getting worn. But good to know the sweatband could be replaced if needed.

 

[NDByers11]

Adventurebilt

What is the longest anyone has ever waited for an AB? I don't think my wait time is the longest, but I ordered back in April of 2008 and have not received any word for a long time.

 

[zetwal]

Oh my goodness. That's a L O N G time to wait. You say yours isn't the record? What is?

 

[danofarlington]

What is the longest anyone has ever waited for an AB? I don't think my wait time is the longest, but I ordered back in April of 2008 and have not received any word for a long time.

They're waiting for that perfect rabbit to hop by the blind.

 

[Adcurium]

Knox Premier

I'm considering a "Knox Premier 5th Avenue" from an online retailer, but they don't know much about it. I asked for the brim size, and was told it is 1 3/4, which I found to be rather small. Can anyone give me info on this?

Andrew

 

[Lefty]

What is it that you want to know? It's certainly possible that a Knox (or any brand of hat) has a 1 3/4 brim. If that's not your brim preference, it's time to move on.

 

[Adcurium]

Well, I guess just general info on quality of the brand and such. Whether the brand would be worth $30 or $40 if the hat is in decent shape, etc.

But, I might pass on it b/c I was initially looking for a brim of 2 1/4 or 2 1/2.

 

[zetwal]

Well, I guess just general info on quality of the brand and such. Whether the brand would be worth $30 or $40 if the hat is in decent shape, etc.

But, I might pass on it b/c I was initially looking for a brim of 2 1/4 or 2 1/2.

That's a fair price for a good hat in good shape. But if you really do want a brim in the 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 range you should probably hold out. Anything under 2 inches will have a completely different look.

 

[Aureliano]

I've been buying hat flanges and know what the numbers carved in the wood mean: style, size and brim. So far so good. Does anyone know what number corresponds to what style? for example I have one with an 810 style number... any ideas?

 

[jwalls]

The numbers and letters on the flanges and blocks may be either the hat maker's or the manufacturer's codes. I have blocks of the same style marked #221 and #52.