Brim edge, naked or covered?

[LoveMyHats2]

I have not seen any mention of this topic, (as far as I know at least), but what do you normally look for regarding a hat, do you want it to be a bound edge with ribbon, or raw, or a cav?

For me, I like a bound edge over raw, however, I think the form of the brim and size has something to do with it as well. I think a shorter brim hat looks better not being raw, much nicer than a large brim hat being raw.

 

[randooch]

For me it depends on the individual hat. I have some of all categories, and each one seems just right the way it is.

I have, however, been known to cut off a bound brim edge, but only if the brim was far too wide for my tastes.

 

[99benzman]

I like both raw and bound. I think that a bound edge gives a hat a little more class and makes it a bit more of a dress hat. With that said I have seen some western working hats with the bound edge as well. I also think that the bound edge holds a shape better.

 

[Rabbit]

It's really all about personal preferences. Bound is the most dressy brim treatment, raw the most casual. However, without considering the style of a hat as a whole, these statements are not very meaningful. Also, there is a lot of variation within each of the possible brim treatments, like the width of a welt or of a ribbon-bound edge, and different decorative stitchings on any type of brim treatment.

My preferences are bound brims of different kinds and felted (cavanagh) edges, but I do wear the other brim treatments as well. Raw brims can look very sharp on dress hats, both literally and figuratively, with their slender brim silhouette.

One particular brim treatment that I'm nuts about is the backfolded bound brim with decorative stitching.
Here's one on a 1940s/50s Borsalino...

...and on a Resistol Melorol mid-1950s:

 

[Marc Chevalier]

.
Yes to raw, underwelt, overwelt, or Cavanagh edges. No bound brims, if you please.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

One particular brim treatment that I'm nuts about is the backfolded bound brim with decorative stitching.
Here's one on a 1940s/50s Borsalino...

Is this a homburg?

 

[Rabbit]

Is this a homburg?

Nope, fedora. Never was a Homburg, either. The other one, too.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Nope, fedora. Never was a Homburg, either. The other one, too.

That outstanding fedora of yours just changed my mind about bound brims. Thanks to it, I now like very thinly bound brims! Wonderful hat!!!

 

[zetwal]

I have not seen any mention of this topic, (as far as I know at least), but what do you normally look for regarding a hat, do you want it to be a bound edge with ribbon, or raw, or a cav?

There are threads on this topic. Here's one,

www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?49939

 

[Rabbit]

I'm glad to hear that, Marc. Now it's only one more step to start liking other kinds of bound brims. lol lol lol

 

[Aureliano]

That outstanding fedora of yours just changed my mind about bound brims. Thanks to it, I now like very thinly bound brims! Wonderful hat!!!

That hat looks very familiar, Rabbit. Very nice indeed

 

[Rabbit]

That hat looks very familiar, Rabbit. Very nice indeed

Indeedly-deed. Marc, you should thank Aureliano for finding this awesome Borsalino and making it accessible.

 

[jlee562]

I don't generally care for wide bindings on brims either.

I'd echo what others have said too: it depends on the hat. I love my Open Road and can't imagine it without a bound brim; or conversely with a Cav or welted edge. Cav would probably be my general preference, and then underwelt which I find is the next best thing.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Marc, you should thank Aureliano for finding this awesome Borsalino and making it accessible.

Thank you very much, Aureliano! :eusa_clap

 

[alanfgag]

Another Natalsca... the brim binding design is elegant in its thin profile.

 

[alanfgag]

A nicely executed raw brim on high quality thin felt can be elegant too, as in this Beaver/Vicuna 100:

 

[alanfgag]

Raw with edg-itude:

 

[Aureliano]

Thank you very much, Aureliano! :eusa_clap

You're very welcome, Marc!:yo:

 

[srserl]

I much prefer raw edge over bound, but after saying that, I have 2 hats with bound edges (narrow binding), so it doesn't prevent me from liking the hat. I probably wouldn't ever buy a hat with a widely bound edge, but there is no such thing as "never".

I absolutely LOVE that Beaver/Vicuna 100 with the raw edge; a raw-edged OR-style hat has been on my long list of customs to have made.

 

[Matt Deckard]

It's very rare to find raw edged vintage hats. At least it has been for me.

I tend to go with a raw edge when I'm going adventurous, and bound edge when I want it to look more dressy.