Ask a question, get an answer

[belfastboy]

I have an old, beat up, stained and misshapen beaver fedora that I think would benefit from a cleaning, new ribbon, sweat band etc. is there someone out in the fedoraverse that is generally agreed to be good at this? Much appreciated. I think I coined a new phrase.

Closer to you than I am there is FineVintageFedoras on Etsy. Scott does this work at a fair price. He is in Wisconsin. There is also a hat shop in Milwaukie....McGlauchlin. They used to do refurbs, they may still do. There are two guys here in the lounge, more in the midwest they have their own thread. If interested in them I can search it out for you.

 

[Frunobulax]

Closer to you than I am there is FineVintageFedoras on Etsy. Scott does this work at a fair price. He is in Wisconsin. There is also a hat shop in Milwaukie....McGlauchlin. They used to do refurbs, they may still do. There are two guys here in the lounge, more in the midwest they have their own thread. If interested in them I can search it out for you.

FineVintageFedoras is @bond.

 

[belfastboy]

FineVintageFedoras is @bond.

is that his Instagram pages? I haven't seen him around the Lounge for a while.

 

[Frunobulax]

is that his Instagram pages? I haven't seen him around the Lounge for a while.

Maybe only a few times in the past year. You were right to point him to FVF at Etsy. Better chance of getting him.

 

[Lew Decker]

Closer to you than I am there is FineVintageFedoras on Etsy. Scott does this work at a fair price. He is in Wisconsin. There is also a hat shop in Milwaukie....McGlauchlin. They used to do refurbs, they may still do. There are two guys here in the lounge, more in the midwest they have their own thread. If interested in them I can search it out for you.

If it’s no trouble. You stated ‘closer to you than I am’ do you refurbish hats?

 

[belfastboy]

If it’s no trouble. You stated ‘closer to you than I am’ do you refurbish hats?

Yes, I am on the west coast of Canada, Vancouver area.

 

[Mighty44]

I don't know where else to put this. It's just an observation, I find it funny that one color, even such a staple as silverbelly, can be so inconsistent. I have four silverbelly hats now, two Stetson and two Resistol, and none of them really match, and some are surprisingly different. These are from the 50s to maybe late 60s or early 70s hats.
View attachment 567516

It is part of the charm of old hats, for sure. I’ve got 5or 6 silverbelly hats, all different. I like the ones that are more yellow or green the best.

 

[belfastboy]

It is part of the charm of old hats, for sure. I’ve got 5or 6 silverbelly hats, all different. I like the ones that are more yellow or green the best.

This is true of modern felts....even from the same felt manufacturer the colour can vary widely.

 

[M Hatman]

Merry Christmas....EVERYONE!

 

[VoodooSan]

This is on the headband of a beater fedora I found in a antique store, 25 or so years ago. I suspect it's a generic logo, that went into cheap hats for mass marketing, but I could be wrong. Does this ring any bells with you more-knowledgeable aficionados?

 

[Rmccamey]

Anyone ever been here who can give us a report?

"The Detroit Historical Society Collection is home to approximately 1,800 hats: Men’s, women’s, children’s, winter, summer, military, formal, casual, etc. These function as a critical part of the larger Costume and Textile collection which, at 20,000 artifacts strong, is the single largest grouping of objects in our holdings. A good chunk of the 1,800 hats were sold from Detroit department stores or were created by local designers, but the majority of them were collected to serve as representatives of certain periods and styles."

 

[Frunobulax]

Anyone ever been here who can give us a report?

"The Detroit Historical Society Collection is home to approximately 1,800 hats: Men’s, women’s, children’s, winter, summer, military, formal, casual, etc. These function as a critical part of the larger Costume and Textile collection which, at 20,000 artifacts strong, is the single largest grouping of objects in our holdings. A good chunk of the 1,800 hats were sold from Detroit department stores or were created by local designers, but the majority of them were collected to serve as representatives of certain periods and styles."

They have an online collection page. I went and searched for hats and a boatload of photos popped up. Many seem to be of store displays, but they have individual pics, too.

Bookmarked for further study.

 

[Granville]

Anyone ever been here who can give us a report?

"The Detroit Historical Society Collection is home to approximately 1,800 hats: Men’s, women’s, children’s, winter, summer, military, formal, casual, etc. These function as a critical part of the larger Costume and Textile collection which, at 20,000 artifacts strong, is the single largest grouping of objects in our holdings. A good chunk of the 1,800 hats were sold from Detroit department stores or were created by local designers, but the majority of them were collected to serve as representatives of certain periods and styles."

I may have just picked up something that escaped the grubby hands of Detroit's Historical Society. See my post in What hat are you waiting for? for the details -- I may or may not have bought this hat! Messed up listing on ebay led to a great deal -- if I guessed right on what was really up for sale!

 

[The Shoe]

I’m inexperienced with wind trolleys. Up until now, I’ve only had one hat, an Akubra Campdraft that has one. The one on my new Hornskov seems very loose. Is this necessary for actual functionality or is this odd?

 

[Frunobulax]

I’m inexperienced with wind trolleys. Up until now, I’ve only had one hat, an Akubra Campdraft that has one. The one on my new Hornskov seems very loose. Is this necessary for actual functionality or is this odd? View attachment 574184

Just pull it back. It's a slip knot/noose, so it will tighten against the crown.

 

[BobHufford]

I’m inexperienced with wind trolleys. Up until now, I’ve only had one hat, an Akubra Campdraft that has one. The one on my new Hornskov seems very loose. Is this necessary for actual functionality or is this odd?

You may have to flip it over so it tightens towards the back.

 

[Blare]

I may have just picked up something that escaped the grubby hands of Detroit's Historical Society. See my post in What hat are you waiting for? for the details -- I may or may not have bought this hat! Messed up listing on ebay led to a great deal -- if I guessed right on what was really up for sale! View attachment 574183

I seem to have managed to end up with a few different hats sold originally at The J.L. Hudson Company.

 

[Granville]

I’m inexperienced with wind trolleys. Up until now, I’ve only had one hat, an Akubra Campdraft that has one. The one on my new Hornskov seems very loose. Is this necessary for actual functionality or is this odd? View attachment 574184

I like having the wind trolley, BUT, when they become a pain in the ass I snip 'em off. If everytime I flip the hat onto a shelf (or into my backseat) it comes loose, no matter how much I 'tighten' the slipknot, I CAREFULLY get rid of it. But I'm not a reseller (maybe someday... and then I'll regret it) so off it goes. After all, I'm never going to use it! I've never seen someone in a movie with the trolley cord attached to their lapel. Did anyone in the real world EVER do that? I also cut out the plastic tip liners if they're greasy with brylcream. I like getting them with the plastic so I can reveal the virgin satin and let it caress my pate. I do have two hats that were virtually never worn, or otherwise have what appear to be pristine plastic, so I've resisted removing them. But again, I'm not that kind of collector. I never understood folks that collected the "new in the box" stuff and put it on a shelf as an investment. If I want the thing I want to hold it in my hands, put it on my head, read the comic book.

 

[The Shoe]

Just pull it back. It's a slip knot/noose, so it will tighten against the crown.

Thanks Jim. I tried, but couldn’t for the life of me get it to tighten up. Finally, I pulled it the other way and it tightened up right at the front of the hat. That’s when I realised…

You may have to flip it over so it tightens towards the back.

I needed to flip it over so it tightens towards the back! Thanks Bob. Problem solved.

I like having the wind trolley, BUT, when they become a pain in the ass I snip 'em off. If everytime I flip the hat onto a shelf (or into my backseat) it comes loose, no matter how much I 'tighten' the slipknot, I CAREFULLY get rid of it. But I'm not a reseller (maybe someday... and then I'll regret it) so off it goes. After all, I'm never going to use it! I've never seen someone in a movie with the trolley cord attached to their lapel. Did anyone in the real world EVER do that? I also cut out the plastic tip liners if they're greasy with brylcream. I like getting them with the plastic so I can reveal the virgin satin and let it caress my pate. I do have two hats that were virtually never worn, or otherwise have what appear to be pristine plastic, so I've resisted removing them. But again, I'm not that kind of collector. I never understood folks that collected the "new in the box" stuff and put it on a shelf as an investment. If I want the thing I want to hold it in my hands, put it on my head, read the comic book.

I specifically added the wind trolley to this hat when I ordered it, so I wasn’t keen on cutting it off!

 

[Altiori]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Savannah.

I'm hoping some of your expertise might assist.
I recently purchased a black Stetson Pinnacle. While it may not be as fine as some customs I am fortunate to own, it is nonetheless a very beautiful hat. All beaver, well-made, and nicely shaped--the hat is quite nice.

Is it possible to reshape the crown? And is it possible to do so without sending it to a hatmaker? in short, can I reshape the crown at home?
It is currently a center dent. I prefer a teardrop or diamond crown.
The current center dent looks good. Its just not my preferred shape.

Nonetheless, I do not want to ruin either the hat or the shape by attempting to perform something complicated that only a professional should do. I have shaped some brims (felt and straw) with steam etc but that is it. My hat "repair" skills are not even limited. I'm a cassette guy in a streaming world.

Welcome your suggestions and guidance.