Ask a question, get an answer

[moontheloon]

1930s I would guess

That logo with the London, Paris, New York and Philly was first used in commerce August 1930. The registration number for this logo is#0333198. The logo like it with THE ROYAL started in 1935. The last dated hat that I have seen was 1942

 

[Willybob]

Thank you Moon. I'm going to try to track down the store that sold it to see if they retain any historical info. Its a fun little investigation.

 

[dsb_mac]

Could anyone suggest how I can get a south american style woven hat band? I don't know where to find them.

https://imgur.com/a/U4Lk6

 

[Michael R.]

Could anyone suggest how I can get a south american style woven hat band? I don't know where to find them.

https://imgur.com/a/U4Lk6

I can't see anything , but @FedOregon Doug might know . The link works , looks Peruvian .

 

[dsb_mac]

I can't see anything , but @FedOregon Doug might know .

srry some kind of snafu with my img insert. I edited in another link.

 

[FedOregon]

Could anyone suggest how I can get a south american style woven hat band? I don't know where to find them.

https://imgur.com/a/U4Lk6

i saw a lot of those on our last trip to Cuenca. Not in shops as much, but in the local markets. They are wool, heavily stiffened and steam pressed into their rigid shape. I did not see hardly any of the more traditional black wool hats I saw on my first trip in 2012.

Those more recent hats looked like they were made in bulk in Colombia, Peru or even China. I see them really cheap on ebay sometimes when my google-fu search skills are sorely lacking.

Traditional south American hats to me means paja toquilla straw, handmade in Ecuador in areas like Montecristi, Cuenca, Ibarra, etc.

I have a Brent Black Montecristi in the Classifieds here for $325 shipped in the US. Brent can sell you one of his hats, which start around $500.

Hatters here are the board who can make you a great Ecuadorian straw hat are Art Fawcett of Vintage Silhouettes, Mike Miller of NW Hat Co, John Penman of the Penman Hat Co, Esther Weis Millinery, Black Sheep Hat Works, etc, etc.

I came back from Cuenca with 20 hats/hat bodies but they are all sold.

I hear people here say they have had good luck with Panama Hats Direct. I cannot vouch for the product or honesty of other sellers on ebay. There are several who sell overpriced lower quality hats as Montecristi when they are anything but... and some who sell paper "straw" as Panama. Buyer Beware.

 

[Bob Roberts]

What's the difference between a "kettle" curl and "pencil" curl? Size and depth of the curl?

 

[Paravians]

Long time lurker here, now I have finally created an account, at the moment just for this question:
Stetson has given exclusivity for the European market to a German company, which carries only a fraction of their catalogue. Some hats are the same as in the USA (in fact I got a Sardis made in USA), others are unique to here (EU) and made who knows how and where.
Now I am shopping for a Stratoliner, which here comes in two flavours.
One is the model with the 'airplane' pin just like the one sold in the US (DelMonico etc.) here
the price is a whopping £289 (~374USD).
The other is a Stratoliner never seen on American markets (without the airplane pin, different colours, lining etc.) here. The cost is a more reasonable £129 (~167USD).
Upon my inquiry about the differences, I was told that the expensive one is made of 'soft' rabbit and the 'cheap' one was animal fur (?) thus stiffer (?).
Could anyone with more experience than me have a look at the two links above and post their opinion? Whatever I choose I feel like I get ripped off either way.

 

[Rogera]

I wonder if the second one is wool.

 

[Paravians]

No it also says 100% 'animal fur', but if the first one at 374USD is just rabbit and 'softer' (as they say), I wonder what they mean with the second one... donkey fur!?

 

[moehawk]

Second one says fur felt in the description...also says 100% animal hair...

 

[Paravians]

Both descriptions say 'fur felt'....

 

[KarlCrow]

why take the risk? You can get a similar looking akubra campdraft open crown and crease it yourself from everything australian for about €100, shipping takes about a week-10 days.

 

[humanshoes]

What's the difference between a "kettle" curl and "pencil" curl? Size and depth of the curl?

I believe (and I could certainly be wrong) that they're just different names for the same horse with the only difference being the size of the curl. The curling shackles I purchased from JW Hats in Utah came in 1/8", 3/8", and 5/8".

 

[Bob Roberts]

I believe (and I could certainly be wrong) that they're just different names for the same horse with the only difference being the size of the curl. The curling shackles I purchased from JW Hats in Utah came in 1/8", 3/8", and 5/8".

Thanks. Would love to see pics if you have any.

 

[KarlCrow]

or an akubra fed IV from hats direct as someone else is suggesting in a similar thread.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

I wonder if the second one is wool.

No it also says 100% 'animal fur', but if the first one at 374USD is just rabbit and 'softer' (as they say), I wonder what they mean with the second one... donkey fur!?

Well... wool comes from an animal and it is fur... but not the kind of fur that makes good hats...

 

[RJR]

I wonder if the second one is wool.

Fair question.

 

[Paravians]

Where I live (Ireland) customs charge 23% VAT (tax) on both goods AND shipping, then on that total, a further 12% or more for customs. Additionally, via post would take ages, via courier is another $40. I'd rather buy from Europe (no tax and free shipping, quick etc.), plus I really fancy the Stratoliner because of the particular shape and the brim that snaps up or down, ribbon etc. As said, I already have a Stetson Sardis which is kind of a outback/travelling hat so right now I'd rather buy a real fedora, the Stratoliner ticks all the boxes. I wish I was in the USA cannot understand why Stetson is messing up with overseas customers like this.

 

[KarlCrow]

I live in ireland and everything australian, let us say put a value on what they ship that defeats the radar. No idea about hats direct, ask either way.