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[srcphoto]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I've found a lead for any one interested in a Mint Stetson Playboy in a size 7 1/8.

Too small for the likes of me, but the hat looks in great condition.

ts listed on Facebook Marketplace, and is located in New Jersey. If one puts Stetson Playboy in the search parameters, it should show. At $100 OBO it should be a no-brainer for any of you in that hat size.

Just thought to pass forward.

Its listed on Facebook

 

[MisplacedHillbilly]

I've got a bid on a western hat on Ebay, having a hard time finding info on "Genuine Acobra" as everything comes back with Akubra. I've searched Google using "Fedora Lounge " and the search function here with no results. Anyone have a clue?? Thanks

 

[Frunobulax]

View attachment 372130
I've got a bid on a western hat on Ebay, having a hard time finding info on "Genuine Acobra" as everything comes back with Akubra. I've searched Google using "Fedora Lounge " and the search function here with no results. Anyone have a clue?? Thanks

Texas hat company is still in business. Maybe give them a call.

 

[MisplacedHillbilly]

Texas hat company is still in business. Maybe give them a call.

I may do that if I win the bid, right now I've bid a whopping 15 bucks lol.

 

[MisplacedHillbilly]

This is the hat I'm bidding on, I figure its worth a gamble for under 20 dollars. I'll just have to see if anyone else is going to bid. I'm not going to much higher on a hat that I'm unsure of the exact quality and type of felt.

 

[Rmccamey]

So.... I've noticed, rightly or wrongly, that many old hats of the early 1900s of @Ross Young and @alanfgag and others appear to be in almost NOS condition. Alternately, I have seen several pre-1900 hats, here and in museums, that seem distinctly fragile, almost brittle. Am I dreaming or was there some change in felt preparation around 1900 that may cause this to happen? Or is it simply that at some age the hair fibers go from flexible to stiff and brittle?

 

[alanfgag]

So.... I've noticed, rightly or wrongly, that many old hats of the early 1900s of @Ross Young and @alanfgag and others appear to be in almost NOS condition. Alternately, I have seen several pre-1900 hats, here and in museums, that seem distinctly fragile, almost brittle. Am I dreaming or was there some change in felt preparation around 1900 that may cause this to happen? Or is it simply that at some age the hair fibers go from flexible to stiff and brittle?[/

I think there are a number of forces at work to shape your observation. One, in my case, is that I tend too acquire hats that are in excellent condition - a practice made possible by my relatively small size seven head.

I don't have much experience with hats manufactured before 1900 - very few of these remain and most of the examples in my collection from 1850-1900 are top hats made from silk plush. I do own and have handled quite a few hats from 1900-1920 and these seem to run the gamut in terms of felt and construction quality. Stetsons were, for the most part, a premium brand and the felt used was excellent and has held up marvelously. Lesser brands were marketed to fill the space below Stetson's five dollar retail and the quality/character of felt often suffers some in comparison. That said, the prime reason that hats from this era survive poorly is do to insect ravages and dry rot affecting the leather, ribbon and sewing materials used to accomplish the finishing. How and where they lived their lives and the amount of wear they received seems to have most significant impact on this. Some hats survived with very little damage (some might have received little to no wear from their original owners) others were worn well. The felt seems to be the most consistently durable component - I have never found a hat that was unwearable due to a fragile felt body, even if holes developed from heavy handling. Certain sweatbands seem to be more prone to being fragile than others. A shout out here to the Stetson The Fray sweatband... I've owned a number of these and to a one, they have lasted 100 years and seem to have 100 years left in them. I sometimes shudder to wonder what these were treated with to make them almost indestructible.

There is the legend/history of mercury used in the felting process - I know little about this - how it helped and when it was discontinued. Others might weigh in on this and share other thoughts.

 

[Rmccamey]

Thanks for the informative reply, Alan.

I think there are a number of forces at work to shape your observation. One, in my case, is that I tend too acquire hats that are in excellent condition - a practice made possible by my relatively small size seven head.

I don't have much experience with hats manufactured before 1900 - very few of these remain and most of the examples in my collection from 1850-1900 are top hats made from silk plush. I do own and have handled quite a few hats from 1900-1920 and these seem to run the gamut in terms of felt and construction quality. Stetsons were, for the most part, a premium brand and the felt used was excellent and has held up marvelously. Lesser brands were marketed to fill the space below Stetson's five dollar retail and the quality/character of felt often suffers some in comparison. That said, the prime reason that hats from this era survive poorly is do to insect ravages and dry rot affecting the leather, ribbon and sewing materials used to accomplish the finishing. How and where they lived their lives and the amount of wear they received seems to have most significant impact on this. Some hats survived with very little damage (some might have received little to no wear from their original owners) others were worn well. The felt seems to be the most consistently durable component - I have never found a hat that was unwearable due to a fragile felt body, even if holes developed from heavy handling. Certain sweatbands seem to be more prone to being fragile than others. A shout out here to the Stetson The Fray sweatband... I've owned a number of these and to a one, they have lasted 100 years and seem to have 100 years left in them. I sometimes shudder to wonder what these were treated with to make them almost indestructible.

There is the legend/history of mercury used in the felting process - I know little about this - how it helped and when it was discontinued. Others might weigh in on this and share other thoughts.

 

[Snowman]

Can any Akubra fans help me with this? I’ve read how great they are in the rain and how well they hold up. I just got my first Akubra, a Federation IV. The brim is soft, almost floppy, and I am hesitant to get it wet at all. I envision it just curling up like my modern Royal Stetson. Is stiffener called for? Should I baby it? What say ye, Akubra fans?

 

[Zombie_61]

Can any Akubra fans help me with this? I’ve read how great they are in the rain and how well they hold up. I just got my first Akubra, a Federation IV. The brim is soft, almost floppy, and I am hesitant to get it wet at all. I envision it just curling up like my modern Royal Stetson. Is stiffener called for? Should I baby it? What say ye, Akubra fans?

My first Akubra was a Fed IV back in 2008. This being my first "real" hat as well, I was surprised by the lack of tension in the brim. The issue was that the brim was rather flat, and I would later learn it had what aficionados call a "shallow flange" (i.e., it didn't curve upward much nearer the outer edge). Over the first couple of weeks of wearing it the flange became slightly more pronounced, but I now have three Fed IVs and I've never been able to actually "snap" the front of the brim down on any of them. I finally shaped the brim just as I had shaped the crown--spray it with distilled water, let the water saturate the felt, shape, and set aside to dry. Not a perfect solution, but the brims have held their new shapes rather well even after 13 years of use.

I wish I'd brushed it before I took those 2018 photos. It also has a different crease, but the brim was unchanged and you can somewhat see how flat it still was/is. It's soft but not "floppy" unless there are strong winds. *shrug* I like the Fed IV, but can see why some hat wearers wouldn't.

 

[Steve1857]

Can any Akubra fans help me with this? I’ve read how great they are in the rain and how well they hold up. I just got my first Akubra, a Federation IV. The brim is soft, almost floppy, and I am hesitant to get it wet at all. I envision it just curling up like my modern Royal Stetson. Is stiffener called for? Should I baby it? What say ye, Akubra fans?

My first Akubra was a Fed IV back in 2008. This being my first "real" hat as well, I was surprised by the lack of tension in the brim. The issue was that the brim was rather flat, and I would later learn it had what aficionados call a "shallow flange" (i.e., it didn't curve upward much nearer the outer edge). Over the first couple of weeks of wearing it the flange became slightly more pronounced, but I now have three Fed IVs and I've never been able to actually "snap" the front of the brim down on any of them. I finally shaped the brim just as I had shaped the crown--spray it with distilled water, let the water saturate the felt, shape, and set aside to dry. Not a perfect solution, but the brims have held their new shapes rather well even after 13 years of use.

I wish I'd brushed it before I took those 2018 photos. It also has a different crease, but the brim was unchanged and you can somewhat see how flat it still was/is. It's soft but not "floppy" unless there are strong winds. *shrug* I like the Fed IV, but can see why some hat wearers wouldn't.

My first Akubra was a Fed IV back in 2008. This being my first "real" hat as well, I was surprised by the

My Fed IV Deluxe is neither soft nor floppy, but rather quite stiff.
They're Australien style, hence the "flatness", so I think that has to be taken into the equation. They're not European or American snappable Fedoras, but, as Zombie says, they can be turned down at the front.

 

[Snowman]

My Fed IV Deluxe is neither soft nor floppy, but rather quite stiff.
They're Australien style, hence the "flatness", so I think that has to be taken into the equation. They're not European or American snappable Fedoras, but, as Zombie says, they can be turned down at the front.
View attachment 373148 View attachment 373149

My first Akubra was a Fed IV back in 2008. This being my first "real" hat as well, I was surprised by the lack of tension in the brim. The issue was that the brim was rather flat, and I would later learn it had what aficionados call a "shallow flange" (i.e., it didn't curve upward much nearer the outer edge). Over the first couple of weeks of wearing it the flange became slightly more pronounced, but I now have three Fed IVs and I've never been able to actually "snap" the front of the brim down on any of them. I finally shaped the brim just as I had shaped the crown--spray it with distilled water, let the water saturate the felt, shape, and set aside to dry. Not a perfect solution, but the brims have held their new shapes rather well even after 13 years of use.

I wish I'd brushed it before I took those 2018 photos. It also has a different crease, but the brim was unchanged and you can somewhat see how flat it still was/is. It's soft but not "floppy" unless there are strong winds. *shrug* I like the Fed IV, but can see why some hat wearers wouldn't.

Thank you, gentlemen, for your responses. Both your lids look exceptional. Having only worn mine for the first time today, I can say that I do like it. It has a really dense felt crown that holds a dry bash quite well, but I was surprised by the soft brim. I wasn’t expecting the stiffness of a western, but I did think it would have more firmness than it does. I will post photos soon in the appropriate threads. I think I lost the intent of my question in my narrative. Rain or not? Will it hold up, or will the brim go all wavy?

 

[johnnycanuck]

Thank you, gentlemen, for your responses. Both your lids look exceptional. Having only worn mine for the first time today, I can say that I do like it. It has a really dense felt crown that holds a dry bash quite well, but I was surprised by the soft brim. I wasn’t expecting the stiffness of a western, but I did think it would have more firmness than it does. I will post photos soon in the appropriate threads. I think I lost the intent of my question in my narrative. Rain or not? Will it hold up, or will the brim go all wavy?

Out of all my hats I own, when the weather get bad this is the hat I grab. Federation III Deluxe. An older model then the IV but same construction. I always find getting an Akubra wet in the rain really helps the hat to loosen up from factory to really become your own individual hat. Just remember to to put it in the shape you want it in before you put it down to dry. BTW this hat is at least 15 years old now. Long story short, you do not have to baby this hat. Brim and felt will be just fine.
Johnny

 

[Zombie_61]

Thank you, gentlemen, for your responses. Both your lids look exceptional. Having only worn mine for the first time today, I can say that I do like it. It has a really dense felt crown that holds a dry bash quite well, but I was surprised by the soft brim. I wasn’t expecting the stiffness of a western, but I did think it would have more firmness than it does. I will post photos soon in the appropriate threads. I think I lost the intent of my question in my narrative. Rain or not? Will it hold up, or will the brim go all wavy?

My dark brown Fed IV has been through a few rainstorms and got wet enough to soak almost completely through the felt. After I got home each time I examined the crease and brim, made any necessary adjustments, then set the hat aside to dry at room temperature, and so far I haven't had any issues with the felt (what they used to call regular/Imperial Quality, by the way) or the brim going "wavy".

Also, I have to agree with what Johnny wrote above. My Akubras like rain, and the occasional exposure to rain water seems to somehow make the felt nicer.

 

[Snowman]

My dark brown Fed IV has been through a few rainstorms and got wet enough to soak almost completely through the felt. After I got home each time I examined the crease and brim, made any necessary adjustments, then set the hat aside to dry at room temperature, and so far I haven't had any issues with the felt (what they used to call regular/Imperial Quality, by the way) or the brim going "wavy".

Also, I have to agree with what Johnny wrote above. My Akubras like rain, and the occasional exposure to rain water seems to somehow make the felt nicer.

View attachment 373286
View attachment 373287
Out of all my hats I own, when the weather get bad this is the hat I grab. Federation III Deluxe. An older model then the IV but same construction. I always find getting an Akubra wet in the rain really helps the hat to loosen up from factory to really become your own individual hat. Just remember to to put it in the shape you want it in before you put it down to dry. BTW this hat is at least 15 years old now. Long story short, you do not have to baby this hat. Brim and felt will be just fine.
Johnny

I knew I could count on you guys. Now that the voice of experience has spoken, I can comfortably proceed with the intended purpose for this hat. Looks like I’ll have the opportunity tomorrow, as storms are forecast here. Thanks!

 

[dkstott]

My akubra banjo Patterson is 3 years old. I've lost count of how many times it's been soaked from rain, snow during daily hikes. It's been soaked like Stevie Ray Vaughn couldn't stand the weather video a lot. In heavy wind, the front brim does the flap like John Wayne hat in The Searchers and then goes back.

When I get home, I use a towel to get rid of excess water. Set it aside, away from heat in the shape I want it. It's ready to go the following day.

 

[Snowman]

My akubra banjo Patterson is 3 years old. I've lost count of how many times it's been soaked from rain, snow during daily hikes. It's been soaked like Stevie Ray Vaughn couldn't stand the weather video a lot. In heavy wind, the front brim does the flap like John Wayne hat in The Searchers and then goes back.

When I get home, I use a towel to get rid of excess water. Set it aside, away from heat in the shape I want it. It's ready to go the following day.

Thanks. That’s what I wanted to hear.

 

[Dagga]

hello, i'm new to this page. i'v been helping my father in law to empty some houses (from the
deceased). And we found alot of hats whom he wanted to throw away, or sell very cheap. i have contaced a museum that wanted 1 hat, since the factory that made them went out in 1999. so i was wondering if any here could lend me some help to get these hats a better home i'm saving some myself, and first now that i got my hands on some "good" hats i'v gotten a fancy for it. pictures will come, i just need to clean some of them first without hurting the fabric

Sorry in advance for the bad english, and hope you understand.
Best Regards
-Dagga

 

[Frunobulax]

hello, i'm new to this page. i'v been helping my father in law to empty some houses (from the
deceased). And we found alot of hats whom he wanted to throw away, or sell very cheap. i have contaced a museum that wanted 1 hat, since the factory that made them went out in 1999. so i was wondering if any here could lend me some help to get these hats a better home i'm saving some myself, and first now that i got my hands on some "good" hats i'v gotten a fancy for it. pictures will come, i just need to clean some of them first without hurting the fabric

Sorry in advance for the bad english, and hope you understand.
Best Regards
-Dagga

All I can say is take photos and post them (you may need a certain number of posts before you can put photos in). While we don't normally give advice on value, we'll be happy to try to help you identify your discovery and as much information as we can.

 

[Dagga]

thank you, we would just want to know if it's worth finding an owmer for, or if we just should sell them as "carnival" costumes that's the main issue with them, most of them are from Norway, but saw some from London "Moores and Failsworth" are some of the brands been removing some stains with just a wet cloth piece so hope they can get they're time to shine