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[Blare]

This was my first "real" (quality) hat. Akubra Fed IV, so modern production:

Not vintage (which by most accounts is much better felt) but, as you can see, ten years worth of wearing, re-creased a few times, soaked through the felt in a few heavy rainstorms, and no obvious signs of it's age. Hell, I think it looks better now. I'm a little disappointed, actually. I like "beater" hats, and I bought this hat hoping it would be one by now. No such luck, and considering the excellent conditions of some of the vintage hats I've seen here on The Lounge I'm thinking I'll be dead and gone before this one even begins to look like a beater.

OK so the Akubra held up quite well… How the heck did YOU not age in ten years!?!?!

 

[Snowman]

I'm sure this has been answered a million times but a quick search didn't reveal what I was looking for. Do most on the forum wear their vintage hats on a regular basis? I understand a vintage beaver felt is not going to be your kick around the job site kind of hat, but do you worry too much about dirt and weather and day to day wear and tear on vintage hats?

I wear mine every day, sometimes a different one every day. If it is raining hard, I bring out the Akubra, but otherwise my vintage hats are on. My ORs and Strat get the most frequent use. Ironically, the newer (2015) Stetson that I bought that started the hat thing with me gets the least wear, to the point that I am thinking of selling it. They are made to be worn, and with reasonable care they hold up to steady use.

 

[Blare]

If you ever want to see some really fabulous rare vintage hats get put through their paces to work…. I recommend any of the posts by @Short Balding Guy Eric very much believes his vintage hats should be used for the purpose intended and not locked away in a box. While I do admire him for this… and do my best to wear mine well…. I still get a bit nervous at the idea of trimming trees in nearly flawless 70 to 80 year old hats.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

OK so the Akubra held up quite well… How the heck did YOU not age in ten years!?!?!

Right! There’s some serious voodoo going on there.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Right! There’s some serious voodoo going on there.

T-shirt fared best.
B

 

[Zombie_61]

OK so the Akubra held up quite well… How the heck did YOU not age in ten years!?!?!

Right! There’s some serious voodoo going on there.

Gentlemen, if I knew the answer to that I'd happily share it with you. Good genes, I suppose.

T-shirt fared best.
B

Oh, you have no idea. I'm pretty sure that's not the same t-shirt in both sets of photos though.

 

[regius]

Lately I’ve been paying attention to this crown style, the forward slope, is there a term for it? And any good makers that offer this style? https://willowlanehats.com/products...LV5_gVmdFzENaQ6djdg8tFCIU6RGv3MBoCRy4QAvD_BwE

 

[jlee562]

Lately I’ve been paying attention to this crown style, the forward slope, is there a term for it? And any good makers that offer this style? https://willowlanehats.com/products...LV5_gVmdFzENaQ6djdg8tFCIU6RGv3MBoCRy4QAvD_BwE

Often referred to as the Gus crease.

Many western hat makers offer this. Stetson has one or two off the rack hats blocked like that, IIRC.

Here's Adam Savage's hat:

My late 40's Stetson Junior Cowboy:

my self-made hat:

 

[FedoraRedHat]

Anyone have an opinion of Selentino (Tonak) hats? JJ Hat Center is selling them almost exclusively due to supply chain issues with other brands.

Here are some pictures of two of their hats. They're priced $250-350. I personally stay away from any hat brand which puts the bubble in the center crease. It seems to tell me that they're catering to the amateur audience, since most similarly priced center crease hats from brands like Akubra, Stetson, and others don't have the bubble in the crease, they just make the crown a bit taller.

 

[PDXHAT]

https://stetson.com/products/pure-stratoliner-alabaster

I'm trying to get a sense of how white this hat is. I assume it tilts more to snow white than the silverbelly? Delmonico's looks almost ash colored, while this pic direct from Stetson looks snow white. Which is closer? Anybody have this hat?

 

[MisplacedHillbilly]

Lately I’ve been paying attention to this crown style, the forward slope, is there a term for it? And any good makers that offer this style? https://willowlanehats.com/products...LV5_gVmdFzENaQ6djdg8tFCIU6RGv3MBoCRy4QAvD_BwE

My personal favorite crease, as @jlee562 mentioned above often referred to nowadays as the "Gus" crease after Robert Duvall's character Gus McCrea in Lonesome Dove. If you're already familiar with how to steam and shape felt hats you can convert other hats to this style.

I re-creased both of these, 90's 5x Stetson in the forefront had a lower crown and barley allows the crease and fit my noggin inside. The older 80's 7x Resistol in the back has a taller crown an thusly allows a more dramatic slope.

This 90's 4x Resistol George Strait was also redone by me,this is my beater work hat and no longer has any of the usual western stiffness. In fact I can just about roll it up and stick it in my pocket and it returns to this shape readily.

 

[belfastboy]

Anyone have an opinion of Selentino (Tonak) hats? JJ Hat Center is selling them almost exclusively due to supply chain issues with other brands.

Here are some pictures of two of their hats. They're priced $250-350. I personally stay away from any hat brand which puts the bubble in the center crease. It seems to tell me that they're catering to the amateur audience, since most similarly priced center crease hats from brands like Akubra, Stetson, and others don't have the bubble in the crease, they just make the crown a bit taller.
If you use the google search...'The Fedora lounge, selentino' a number of reviews should come up. I know I have read a few over the years. A mixed bag if I remember correctly.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Anyone have an opinion of Selentino (Tonak) hats? JJ Hat Center is selling them almost exclusively due to supply chain issues with other brands.

Here are some pictures of two of their hats. They're priced $250-350. I personally stay away from any hat brand which puts the bubble in the center crease. It seems to tell me that they're catering to the amateur audience, since most similarly priced center crease hats from brands like Akubra, Stetson, and others don't have the bubble in the crease, they just make the crown a bit taller.

I’ve owned/own several of them. The lower grade models such as the Sterling are not very impressive, but the top of the line hats are nice…if you like the styling. The low tapered crowns and smaller (2 3/8” is common) brims are not to my liking, but the felt is usually nice. Even the low end Sterling is better than the Stetson Royal line.

If you like the looks, shape, and proportions of these hats there isn’t anything wrong with them and they are better than lots of other hats out there.

Check out this thread:
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/czech-republicans-tonak-huckel-no-name.36821/page-13

 

[Rmccamey]

Here is a bone felt from Wolfbrae which, to me, is a very creamy smooth off-white color. In the sun it looks, as you say, very white. I'm not sure exactly how it stacks up against the Stetson Alabaster.

 

[Rmccamey]

Often referred to as the Gus crease.
Many western hat makers offer this. Stetson has one or two off the rack hats blocked like that, IIRC.

A NOS Stetson Beaver 100 - before and after - - crease and pencil curl by Art Fawcett. It is something like a Gus but with a little less rake. The original design was from a picture of Steve as Tom Horn.

 

[belfastboy]

A NOS Stetson Beaver 100 - before and after - View attachment 384605 View attachment 384606 - crease and pencil curl by Art Fawcett. It is something like a Gus but with a little less rake. The original design was from a picture of Steve as Tom Horn.


View attachment 384609 View attachment 384610 View attachment 384611

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One of Rand's Custom Hatters most popular styles in the Tom Horn...modelled on McQueen's hat from the movie.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

One of Rand's Custom Hatters most popular styles in the Tom Horn...modelled on McQueen's hat from the movie.

The Quigley is just an evolution of the basic style.

Sometimes the differences between one crease or style of western and another can be so small or nuanced that I can’t distinguish them. Other times the differences are more substantial.

 

[jlee562]

I haven't seen this hat in person, but I'm pretty sure the hat in the Delmonico pic has bad lighting. If I had to guess, I would expect it to be closer to the Stetson pic than the Delmonico pic.

Look at their photo of the Pure Open Road:

Assuming one Pure beaver felt in Alabaster is the same as the other, I think the Strat looking darker must be lighting or a lack of post processing.

 

[regius]

A NOS Stetson Beaver 100 - before and after - View attachment 384605 View attachment 384606 - crease and pencil curl by Art Fawcett. It is something like a Gus but with a little less rake. The original design was from a picture of Steve as Tom Horn.


View attachment 384609 View attachment 384610 View attachment 384611

View attachment 384612 View attachment 384613

amazing, Tom Horn is the one last McQueen movie I have yet to watch, will do now.
In terms of reshaping, I've been meaning to ask, can "re-shaping" also stretch out the volume of the crown to make more room? Because my Stetson dune right now simply don't have enough overall vol, if I pinch it down at the front like that, it reduces the overall available height for my head.

 

[Rmccamey]

In terms of reshaping, I've been meaning to ask, can "re-shaping" also stretch out the volume of the crown to make more room?

In general terms, not really. Reblocking and rebuilding a hat can buy some crown height but that usually comes at the expense of brim width. Part of the issue, at least for me, is my head shape and the hat crease. It is difficult for me to wear most hats with a Cattlemen's crease as the side pinches rub my head. But, I can wear a Gus crease or a teardrop all day long without issue.