They are off the rack, not suited for your tastes as a hat aficionado. I started out with a wool Scala fedora, after I got my first vintage felt, I never looked back. I'm sure their boater is OK, and for 30 bucks it will do until a good vintage boater floats your way. Just remember, you get what you pay for. Patience Grasshopper...
Thank you so very much for your honesty and advice. I have a Great Gatsby themed summer garden party to attend next month and am desperately trying to source a decent example of a boater. I have been striking out thus fur for vintage however I did come across a boater from the UK made by Olney. That appeared to be a very solid looking hat and that was only about $60 on eBay. Any tips on where I could look for vintage in a 7 1/2-7 5/8?
Naw, Gilligan wore a simple white sailor's hat with the brim turned down.
Scala vented panama brisa. GREAT hat.
Thanks Bob!!
Wlcm. Tried to upload a pic but couldnt. Nothing wrong with any of the Scala straw products.Thanks Bob!!
Well than looks like one of the Scala straw boaters may just need a new home! As Red said at least until a nice vintage piece rears its head
Alden 403 Moc Toe Boot - Brown Chromexcel - $680 The classic "Indy" style Alden Boot in the classic Horween brown Chromexcel. 
Grant Stone Diesel Boot Dark Olive Chromexcel - #395 Goodyear welted, Horween Chromexcel, classic good looks. 
Himel Bros. - The Ross Mk. 1 Leather Jacket Classic D-pocket motorcycle/aviator style jacket.
I think I noticed that Olney. There is a dedicated threat here called the Boater Faction, it has not been on the first page for a while. There are boaters floating around the Bay on a regular basis right now. Some people want crazy money for theirs. Larger sizes are always a premium, but beware. I like an auction that has good detail shots of the crown top and edges, that is where you will see damage most often. Interior shots usually show a logo with hair oil stains pretty often. The key is to look for a good sweat attachment all around, you can fix them though. If you have the time before the garden party, I'd hit Ebay hard for one (I have been needing another boater myself, but I'm a 7 1/4LO) Vintage is always better, and with a boater, I would want to examine a modern production in person for QC Issues. My 2 cents. I bet there are more knowledgeable folks that will chime in as well. Boaters are cool, you need one.
Thanks for adding this, I have not seen any of their straws in person. Mike has some of the "plastic" straws in stock at NW hats, but I didn't get to see their boaters. For immediate gratification, off the rack Scala or Biltmore is probably the way to go.
1. as many as it takes. Seriously. Google the felting process and you will see comments like "more beaver = better quality", but that doesn't include blends of other furs, such as Nutria. Then you need to know "how many hats are we producing?" or, "are we making stingy brim bodies or full sized westerns?" and "what is the capacity of the equipment", and what quality product do we want?..etc. This is an impossible question, and perhaps better sent to Winchester or Stetson..since they run "batches" of felt of all degrees depending on the run.
An advantage to going to a custom hatter is that if the felt body is not up to their standards....flawed felting, poor dye job etc, it will be rejected and a flawed hat will not be inflicted upon you.
I thought about calling Mike at NW hats to see if he could make me one with a vintage look and feel if my search fails. Granted it wouldn't be ready for next month. I'm tracking that Olney pretty hard right now and found another one that claims to be vintage from the 30s that I am doubting is that old from Italy. It was made by Ponte Rialto and is a pretty sharp looking boater. Im not sure if I'm allowed to share an active listing on eBay but I will post a few photos until I can find the rules on that.
Both of these brands are discussed at length on the Boater Faction thread. Without further details is is hard to tell if it is 1930s, probably not, but still a quality boater. Only believe about 40% of an Ebay description, hats listed as 1940s are often a 1980s POS, and with boaters, patina often will show a hat's vintage. Ponte Rialto is a great maker, if the price is right, go for it. I haven't read the Boater thread for quite a while, it contains all of the information you could possibly need to make a decision. With your size issues, it is a strike while the iron is hot kind of thing.
