Bound vs. Raw Edge Brim?

[Mario]

For a long time I favored bound edges almost exclusively. And while I still like them a lot I've grown very fond of raw edges as well. On the other hand I'm not such a huge fan of the Cavanagh edge, even though I really appreciate the craftsmanship that went into it. So it's bound and raw for me.

Oh - and welcome to The Lounge!

 

[hatophile]

Welcome Dude.

I have only a few fedoras in raw egde, the rest are mostly Westerns in raw. Most of mine are bound, and a few welted, Cav, mode edges, whatever you want to call them. I can't say I have a major preference, I go for mostly vintage hats, so the ones I get are usually bound
edge.

Perry

 

[bolthead]

Anyone say WELCOME yet? Yes, welcome. Great first post!

+1

 

[zetwal]

+1

Yes, welcome ... :yo:

 

[frussell]

For me, long oval head sometimes = wavy brim on a raw edged hat, less so on bound brims. Therefore, most of my fedoras are bound brim. I have a few Cavanaugh-style vintage Resistols that are very nice, but for some reason I don't like the regular under or over-welted edge at all. Feels overly chunky to me, but that's totally personal preference. Art's welted edges seem to turn out really well. My most-used cowboy hats are all raw edge, but I have a few bound edge for more formal western wear. Like Mr. Dean, most of my bound edges are thin, like an Open Road. I only have one wide-bound, from TonyB, but it sure is sharp. Frank

 

[fmw]

My only raw edges are on Western hats. With the exceptions of one underwelt and one overwelt, all of my fedoras are bound. That's the way I like them.

 

[John in Covina]

I have a mix or raw and bound edge fedoras and prefer the bound edges, They just seem a neater, cleaner edge.

 

[Viper Man]

4 ligne bound.

 

[SteveAS]

I have only vintage hats and have a mix of brim edge types. I have about an equal number of bound and Cavanagh edges, a couple under-welts, and just one raw edge. Really, I don't care that much about the edge type, but my order of preference is: bound, Cavanagh, raw, then under- or over-welted.

 

[Ordinary Guy]

Chalk one more up for the bound brim please and for a Welcome.

I prefer the Panama woven back.

 

[navarre]

I ran across a Stetson Fedora in a shop outside of Seattle the other day that had in interesting treatment. The edge was bound in thread with a sort of blanket stitch, not whipstitched like a western and not welted. Fairly standard tread matching the felt. Wish I would have had a camera.

I was wondering if any body had one so we could all get a better look it, or whether any one knows what Stetson called this? First time I've seen an edge like that.

As for the general question, I think the Cav is the best but I am a total hat nut and so I like them all. Just depends on what mood I am in.

 

[carouselvic]

like this?

 

[danofarlington]

like this?

Yes indeed.

 

[Woodfluter]

Welcome (+1) to the Lounge! Great start.

Cool edge stitching Vic.
Back to the question at hand.

Like frussell, long head on reg. oval hat sometimes makes waves, more so if the edge is plain.
Sometimes not...can depend on how it's flanged.

In order:
Cavanagh edge (crazy for 'em)
Underwelt (if turned under part is beveled and it's stitched really carefully)
Bound Edge
Raw Edge

But they're all good!

- Bill

 

[gtdean48]

like this?

I have a vintage Resistol that has a bound edge then 2 lines of stitching like that but with matching thread....

 

[DudeInBlack]

Wow. This thread took off more than I expected. Great meeting everyone and looking forward to getting to know you (and your hats) better.

After much do research, I've decided I'm a Cavanagh and Raw man.

 

[Dark Arcane]

Bound Edge or Raw?

What do you guys prefer? I've been inclined to think a bound edge brim is generally more dressy, but do you feel a raw edge fedora can have the same type of vibe? To my mind a raw edge often has a more rustic look, for lack of a better way of putting it. Do you guys agree?

Why or why not? Thanks everyone.

 

[fedoracentric]

I am partial to a bound brim, but I am not exclusive. All brim styles are good.

 

[Zombie_61]

I also used to think a hat with a bound brim had more of a "dressy" look, but as I learned more about hats I came to realize the width of the ribbon around the crown tends to determine whether a hat has a "dressy" or "more casual" look, i.e. wider ribbons look dressier and narrow ribbons look more casual. Why that is I have no idea, but it seems to be the general consensus among hat aficionados and a viewpoint I've come to agree with.

Generally speaking I prefer a hat with a raw edge brim, but it really depends on the hat and the colors used for the felt, the ribbon, and the brim binding (if there is one).

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Raw Edge. But some brim bindings look nice.