Christy's Homburg in Light Grey

[LordBest]

My Light Grey Christy's Homburg arrived in the mail today, and I am very happy with it. Not vintage quality of course, but a nice, soft felt with a far better feel and finish than that on my modern Stetson. A few little flaws however, one on the hatband and one on the brim binding, and the area where the brim binding meets at the back could be finished much more neatly. Small concerns though, for me atleast. Also the brim binding is grosgrain ribbon, where it is usually silk on vintage examples I believe?
I may well be nitpicking in regards to these 'cons', no one else who has viewed the hat has noticed them until I pointed them out. The flaw on the brim binding did not come out so well in the picture, the binding seems to have buckled up in two places. I am not really sure how to describe it.

Hat band flaw:

Brim flaw:

Brim connection:

In use:

 

[rrog]

Nice looking hat LB, with the exceptions you've already mentioned. Can you give a size comparison about the flaw int the brim binding? It appears to be a rip or cut (4th picture, in the upper left side). If it's as significant as it appears to be in the picture, I think I'd consider sending it back for another one. That is, if shipping costs weren't a problem. If that's the case, I'd weigh the balance betweent the two. But again, the picture with the hat on your head looks fine. From that picture, I would have never picked out any of the flaws you mentioned.

rrog

Let me add to/edit my post: I don't think anyone else is going to be looking at your hat from the perspective you've shown us with the close up pictures. So as you say, maybe it's just being nitpicky...

 

[LordBest]

I think what you are seeing in that picture is the frayed edge of the hat box I am resting the homburg on. I actually had to go and check the hat to make sure, I really know how to take a poor picture. The flaw is actually two little bumps roughly in the middle of the picture. They actually appear more like shadows in the photo, and they really are not much to look at in person either.

 

[Slim Portly]

LB, the color is fantastic. Congratulations.

 

[rrog]

I think what you are seeing in that picture is the frayed edge of the hat box I am resting the homburg on. I actually had to go and check the hat to make sure, I really know how to take a poor picture. The flaw is actually two little bumps roughly in the middle of the picture. They actually appear more like shadows in the photo, and they really are not much to look at in person either.

Yup, you are right. And I agree with you - they're not much to worry about.

rrog

 

[Jauntyone]

LordBest, that's a beautiful color. Thanks for showing pictures of your hat. It looks great on you!
(Is that a light gray, or more of a charcoal?)

 

[Lancealot]

Great looking hat. I've been getting the urge for a homburg myself, thanks for making it worse.

 

[besdor]

Lord Best , may I ask where you purchased your hat from? I would like to know who made them snce Christys is no longer being made in England.




Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[John in Covina]

The binding and also ribbon if they have a wrinkle, some times a drop or two of water on the wrinkle will get it to flatten out.

 

[Mug]

Great hat, LordBest. I just got a new Christy's Homburg in Peatwood. It had some of the same issues as yours, but I was able to correct most of it by hand. On mine, it looks like it could have happened because of stacking them at the factory or store.

besdor, I've seen you post that Christy's hats are no longer made in England many times. I almost didn't order this one because of that. Yet, it came with papers saying it was "Hand Made and Finished in England" with a little Christy's history, ect... and on the sweatband it says "Made in England".
It was purchased at Hornets Hats. If you're correct and they're not made in England, and you may be, I would think you're in a position to know, wouldn't this be a blantant lie on Christy's end?

 

[carldelo]

Nice color

I like that light gray color quite a bit, and the hat overall looks good on you. That wrinkle on the brim binding looks like it was left from the little foot of the sewing machine that stitched it on - you could maybe massage the wrinkle with your fingertips to smooth it out. Bummer about the snag in the ribbon. What's your impression of the felt thickness and stiffness compared to your modern Stetson?

 

[LordBest]

The felt on the homburg is quite a bit stiffer than that on the modern stetson, which tends to go a bit floppy and shapeless when I'm wearing it. Similar thickness, the homburg felt might even be a tad thinner. The homburg felt is still not as stiff as the felt on my vintage Churchill fedora, but the bash stays bashed and there is no floppiness.
Mine too says made and finished in England. I ordered it from Hornet Hats, http://www.hornetshats.com/
The colour was labelled as light grey but it is more of a charcoal, I can not help but wonder what their dark grey is like. Not complaining though, quite happy to have different shades of grey in my hats.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Homburgs are not only thought of as a dashing hat of the wealthier set, they are also considered the epitome of hat design with a brim that won't sag because of the bound edge and the curl.

Looks great.

 

[Brent Hutto]

Lord Best,

I like your Homburg and it looks swell on you. From the photos, your brim seems flatter (less "smile") than most Homburgs I've seen pictured here. Did you do anything to flatten it out or is that pretty much basic shape in which it was provided to you?

 

[LordBest]

That was the shape it came with. The brim 'smile' is similar to that of my vintage homburgs, but less than a lot of other modern homburgs I've seen.

 

[Brent Hutto]

My taste does not always run to vintage-is-better but in the case of Homburg brims that classic Mona Lisa of a smile seems just right.

I am getting soooo tempted to try one of those myself, either in the Light Grey shade or perhaps going all the way down to Bessemer. I wonder if Hornets would consider swapping out the ribbon for something not quite so wide...

 

[GClark]

Great hat, LordBest. I just got a new Christy's Homburg in Peatwood. It had some of the same issues as yours, but I was able to correct most of it by hand. On mine, it looks like it could have happened because of stacking them at the factory or store.

besdor, I've seen you post that Christy's hats are no longer made in England many times. I almost didn't order this one because of that. Yet, it came with papers saying it was "Hand Made and Finished in England" with a little Christy's history, ect... and on the sweatband it says "Made in England".
It was purchased at Hornets Hats. If you're correct and they're not made in England, and you may be, I would think you're in a position to know, wouldn't this be a blantant lie on Christy's end?

My Christy's fedoras also say Made in England.
I suspect that the felt may be made somewhere else, but that they are blocked and finished in England...?