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Messages
12,384
Location
Albany Oregon
dimensions will not tell you decade
once you develop a keen eye for hats simply looking at dimensions might give you a round about ball park but is it the last thing you want to use to date a hat

a lot of times you can see a hat from the 1900s to 1920s and tell it is most likely not a 50s hat ... but dating a hat by dimensions is not the way to go

I have 50s hats that could pass for a 30s style all day ... so

dating hats is a mysterious science that most of us around here waste countless hours trying to master :)

it's all about the innards
+1 Stingy is not necessarily a 60s thing.
 

moontheloon

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,592
Location
NJ
It would be so much easier if hatters had long ago adopted the practice of putting the date of manufacture/completion somewhere on the hat.
it's rare ... but they are out there
sometimes we are fooled by a cleaning date placed under the sweat ... but hats with completion dates are out there

but yes ... it would be wonderful if that was common practice throughout the decades
 

ScottF

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,755
Homburg question: Is there any noticeable variance over the years between where the roll in the brim begins? i.e-are older Homburgs more Homburgish?

I've noticed more and more actors in movies depicting pre-war scenes, wearing homburgs as fedoras. Sometimes they look okay, sometimes not-so-much. I tried fedora-izing a black homburg many years ago, and it didn't work. Tried it again yesterday with an early 1950's homburg and it actually looks good - my girlfriend liked the look better than my late 1940's wide-brim fedora.
 

lauro13

One of the Regulars
Messages
121
Location
San Francisco
Can anyone point me towards a good source for a Panama hat? Haven't been on the forums for quite a long time. Is Panama Bob still around? All I can come up with is Brent Black.
 
Messages
11,369
Location
Alabama
Can anyone point me towards a good source for a Panama hat? Haven't been on the forums for quite a long time. Is Panama Bob still around? All I can come up with is Brent Black.

Panama Bob is somewhere in the twilight zone. Have a look at Panama Hats Direct for different grades and pretty good reviews.
 

srq2002

Familiar Face
Messages
68
Location
Sarasota, Florida
I know JJ Hat Center carried them for a while ... you may want to call and see if they still do
Moon, I know there has been some angst of late about the direction of Akubra quality, so I'm a bit stuck... I'm looking for a hat with something of a vintage Stratoliner style that can handle occasional rain and provide good sun protection here in sunny Florida. A CD or a Bushman seemed possible, but I'm concerned... a Borsalino Alessandria seems to have the dimensions, but I'm told they won't handle the water. Any safe tip?
 

moontheloon

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,592
Location
NJ
Moon, I know there has been some angst of late about the direction of Akubra quality, so I'm a bit stuck... I'm looking for a hat with something of a vintage Stratoliner style that can handle occasional rain and provide good sun protection here in sunny Florida. A CD or a Bushman seemed possible, but I'm concerned... a Borsalino Alessandria seems to have the dimensions, but I'm told they won't handle the water. Any safe tip?

Best advice I can give is get a CampDraft.

Probably less than half the price of an Alessandria ... and will probably take more of a beating

It's not Borsalino ... it will be a bit heavier and more stiff ... but will provide what you need

and for the price you won't mind being a little more reckless with it


Sent from my space aged handheld communication device and universal translator
 

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