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BOGARTS FEDORA

Blackthorn

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,566
Location
Oroville
avedwards said:
There is evidence that Bogart wears a Royal Stetson in The Big Sleep as the lining is visible at the point where his hat falls off when he is beaten up and the picture can be frozen to read it. Since the hat looks very similar to the Casablanca hat it might be an idea to look for one on ebay. That failing, contact a reliable custom hatter (Art Fawcett and Optimo come to mind although there are more), show a few good pictures of the hat and let them copy it for you.
You're reading my mind! I think that with all the great links to Bogart photos, this is my favorite thread of all time on FL. I've had a lot of fun chasing the links provided all night. Thanks to everyone who posted them.
 

kaosharper1

One Too Many
Messages
1,304
Location
Pasadena, CA
avedwards said:
There is evidence that Bogart wears a Royal Stetson in The Big Sleep as the lining is visible at the point where his hat falls off when he is beaten up and the picture can be frozen to read it. Since the hat looks very similar to the Casablanca hat it might be an idea to look for one on ebay. That failing, contact a reliable custom hatter (Art Fawcett and Optimo come to mind although there are more), show a few good pictures of the hat and let them copy it for you.

The problem with buying a vintage hat is you need a late 30s early 40s hat with a 6" crown to really get that deep bashed look, and a fairly narrow brim. Its possible but tough in a decent size. Hats from the 40s tend to have lower crowns and wider brims. From the 1950s and 1960s its even lower crowns. And of course larger sizes are rare. Having said that, I did buy a vintage Dobbs a couple of months ago with a 6" crown and 2 3/8" brim that probably came from the early 1950s, but the brim was cut. I guess that could be an option.

Julian, if you really want one I'd recommend going with Art Fawcett. It costs, but it would be worth it.
 

JulianPascal

New in Town
Messages
35
Location
Germany ;Hessen
Thanks ,but a custom hat will be to expensive for me ,at least for this year... i downt know how much but i think >500€ ,right ?
I think i'll keep my eyes open at ebay...
Another question ,ist there a way to make the snap of the brim (sharper?) ?
 

avedwards

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,425
Location
London and Midlands, UK
JulianPascal said:
Thanks ,but a custom hat will be to expensive for me ,at least for this year... i downt know how much but i think >500€ ,right ?
I think i'll keep my eyes open at ebay...
Another question ,ist there a way to make the snap of the brim (sharper?) ?
You could try a high-crowned hat like a Federation IV and possibly cut the brim down a little. Although there's no harm looking for vintage hats. As for the snap, just steam should do the job.
 

Not-Bogart13

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,501
Location
NE Pennsylvania
JulianPascal said:
Thanks ,but a custom hat will be to expensive for me ,at least for this year... i downt know how much but i think >500€ ,right ?
I think i'll keep my eyes open at ebay...
Another question ,ist there a way to make the snap of the brim (sharper?) ?

A hat from Art Fawcett would cost less than 250 Euro, according to current exchange rates. I'm not sure what the shipping costs would be.

By making the snap sharper, I take you to mean you want the front of the brim to come down more. You can tease that down with some steam or cool distilled water if the hat is fur felt. But some hats will snap lower than others, so the hat you end up with may not need it.
 

kaosharper1

One Too Many
Messages
1,304
Location
Pasadena, CA
avedwards said:
You could try a high-crowned hat like a Federation IV and possibly cut the brim down a little. Although there's no harm looking for vintage hats. As for the snap, just steam should do the job.

Yes. Even better if you can get an old Fed III which has a 6" crown and trim the brim. There is a thread here of "Non-Indy Federations" where you can see versions of this. But a Fed IV would work. That's an inexpensive alternative.
 

kaosharper1

One Too Many
Messages
1,304
Location
Pasadena, CA
pfatherpfedora said:
I search on Ebay by typing "vintage fedora" and there are a lot of hats added everyday.

Sadly not all vintage fedoras are like Bogart's. Most are 1960s stingy brims with low crowns. Also, they usually run in small sizes. So if he's a size 7 or smaller he's golden. There are usually vintage 1940s fedoras in that size (I've picked up several for my daughter). Higher than that and it gets tough and expensive.
 

Dinerman

Super Moderator
Bartender
Messages
10,562
Location
Bozeman, MT
The taper is all about the crease. The deeper a crease you put in a hat, generally, the more apparent taper you get when viewed from the front, and the more apparent reverse taper you get when viewed from the side.

And that's one deep crease.
 

Blackthorn

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,566
Location
Oroville
Dinerman said:
The taper is all about the crease. The deeper a crease you put in a hat, generally, the more apparent taper you get when viewed from the front, and the more apparent reverse taper you get when viewed from the side.

And that's one deep crease.
Interesting, Dinerman...that's a whole new take on it...I'll have to give that some thought.
 

kaosharper1

One Too Many
Messages
1,304
Location
Pasadena, CA
Yes. That's what happened with the Art Fawcett you can see in my avatar. It is straight sided, but when I bashed it Bogie style, it looks like there is some taper.
 

Garrett

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,782
This has been covered as much as indiana jones - use the search function and you'll find what you're looking for. Jimmy Pierce, among others, comes to mind.

Good luck
 

Mike in Seattle

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,027
Location
Renton (Seattle), WA
There are threads on the topic. Look in the hat section. Also, which hat that Bogie wore? There were several distinct versions. It's sort of like saying "I want a sportcoat like Johnny Carson wore."
 

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