bassfiddlesteve
New in Town
- Messages
- 7
- Location
- Florida
Greetings, this is my first post here on FL.
I recently become interested in straw boaters as I play bass in a six-piece vintage jazz band and this type of hat is often associated with "Dixieland" bands. I see it as a great way to merge my musical endeavors with my fondness for hats (I own several fedoras and a few flatcaps).
I obtained my first boater, a Capas Panama, when the band played an election-themed event in 2012. The people running the event gave us the hats to wear during the gig and let us keep them when we were done...very generous considering that they retail for $125. I've since learned that this hat, while of nice quality, is not a "true" boater. The pianist and I have worn them to nearly every gig they have become slightly misshapen, his with a bulging crown and mine with a drooping brim.
My efforts to obtain a "real" vintage boater have been hampered by the fact that I wear a size 7 1/2 and most vintage ones are much smaller. Luckily, I found an Olney boater in my size on eBay and was the high bidder at $15! You know that's a steal if you've ever priced having one shipped over from the UK where they are made and typically sold. The Olney hat, seen in my avatar pic, is much more like a vintage boater in both it's stiffness and proportions (shorter crown and wider brim) and the black ribbon is a nice change from the more common red and blue stripes.
I recently obtained a used Ponte Rialto boater in my size. Though these are still being manufactured, this one is an older hat made for Jos. A. Banks and the straw has taken on a nice golden color, similar to the Olney. To my eyes, this hat has the classic proportions and the faded red and blue ribbon, while not as historically accurate, looks good in the context of a jazz band playing at a "Great Gatsby" or "Roaring 20's" themed party.
- Steve
I recently become interested in straw boaters as I play bass in a six-piece vintage jazz band and this type of hat is often associated with "Dixieland" bands. I see it as a great way to merge my musical endeavors with my fondness for hats (I own several fedoras and a few flatcaps).
I obtained my first boater, a Capas Panama, when the band played an election-themed event in 2012. The people running the event gave us the hats to wear during the gig and let us keep them when we were done...very generous considering that they retail for $125. I've since learned that this hat, while of nice quality, is not a "true" boater. The pianist and I have worn them to nearly every gig they have become slightly misshapen, his with a bulging crown and mine with a drooping brim.
My efforts to obtain a "real" vintage boater have been hampered by the fact that I wear a size 7 1/2 and most vintage ones are much smaller. Luckily, I found an Olney boater in my size on eBay and was the high bidder at $15! You know that's a steal if you've ever priced having one shipped over from the UK where they are made and typically sold. The Olney hat, seen in my avatar pic, is much more like a vintage boater in both it's stiffness and proportions (shorter crown and wider brim) and the black ribbon is a nice change from the more common red and blue stripes.
I recently obtained a used Ponte Rialto boater in my size. Though these are still being manufactured, this one is an older hat made for Jos. A. Banks and the straw has taken on a nice golden color, similar to the Olney. To my eyes, this hat has the classic proportions and the faded red and blue ribbon, while not as historically accurate, looks good in the context of a jazz band playing at a "Great Gatsby" or "Roaring 20's" themed party.
- Steve
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