Beaver Caps from the 1960's

[Ron Mack]

Does anyone out there remember the beaver (kangol Style) caps that were worn in the 1960's and early 1970's?

I called kangol and they said they never made them, even though they have a furgora version of the hat that was introduced in the 1980's and is
still made today. When i was an adolescent living in Flatbush Brooklyn in the late 1960's the kids in my Jr. high school use to wear these beaver caps, and put baby oil on them and brushed them. very cool looking cap! The caps look similar to the Kangol 504 caps (see picture of blue cap). These beaver caps came in all colors such as gold, black, brown, purple, green etc... I haven't seen one of these caps in decades. I asked guys who wore these caps back then what company made them and no one seems to remember. One person that I asked said that he was certain that Flechet made them. I've never seen one on ebay or etsy.

I recall that the design of the cap looked more like the Carimac cap with a long hair beaver finish. The blue photo is a modern day kangol 504 furgora cap (rabbit and Angora).

I would like to know the following:

1. If any of the forum members ever seen one of these caps?
2. If so, What company made them?
3. Do you have one?

Thanks,
Ron

 

[Ron Mack]

I'm not surprised there are no reply's, because these caps are obscure and may have been made for an east coast urban demographic in the 1960's and early 1970's. I haven't seen one since 1970-71. If I find one, I'll be sure to post a picture so you don't think I'm delusional.

 

[ltndhouse]

I remember those caps. In fact I had one in 1969. I searched high and low for them. I ran into a company that had beaver hats made for hollywood stars. He told me the machinery used to make them was not available anymore. I'm from Harlem N.Y. and baby oiled mine down. I can't remember for sure but I think that was kangol's first cap.

 

[tropicalbob]

It's simply amazing to me how some items seem to disappear. When I was in hs in Baltimore in the '60's all the guys wore these wonderful "Lawman" coats that were reversible with, usually, a Harris Tweed herringbone on one side and canvas on the other. This was between '65 and '68, and I don't think I knew another guy in my age range who didn't have at least one. A few years ago I tried to find one on ebay or Etsy, but I've never seen a single one. They must have been locally manufactured and the phenomenon of their popularity was also therefore local. Funny when you consider that such a thing would be very unlikely, if not impossible, these days.