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Courtney hats

Bud-n-Texas

Practically Family
Messages
975
Location
Central Texas (H.O.T.)
Courtney is the manufacturer I believe. Many were sold through Harry Levinson stores. I have my grandfathers Courtney homburg.

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Justdog

Practically Family
Messages
819
Location
North of 48
Courtney

Thats nice!

Yes it has the same seller in the brim.

Mine is really Jet black

No Stars Royaltan Dupont process

Indianapolis

Yours is just great vintange.
 

Al Niente

Familiar Face
Messages
86
Location
Detroit, Michigan
Just picked up a 50's Courtney on Ebay. I will be interested to see it in the felt. I guess being born in the '50's made me feel a little kinship to this little guy. If it is any good, I will post a pic.
 

Al Niente

Familiar Face
Messages
86
Location
Detroit, Michigan
Hat arrives

Well, I got my first Ebay hat. Definately needs cleaning and blocking....don't think I will try to save the box.

Interesting color...it is really Ox Blood. Beaver Suede and over all in good condition. I don't think that "like new" should include moth bites in the crown, though. Can't see them once the hat is bashed. I mean, it is over 50 years old. I should be in such good shape.

Going to take it to Henry the Hatter and get it cleaned and blocked. Will post pic after it gets its makeup on.

got to work on those flea bites..........hey, it was my first shot at this. Next time I'll make sure.
 

Justdog

Practically Family
Messages
819
Location
North of 48
Courtney

:eusa_clap A resurrected thread. Still have my Courtney glad to see it is being re discovered.:eusa_clap Definitely need pics Al. On another note. What I like about the Courtney homburg is the brim width. 2/1/4 to the edge of the brim. I find that my Stetson ST.Regis is a superior quality homburg but the brim is just a bit to small for me. Wonder if anyone knows of a Stetson banker hat with a greater than 2 1/2 rolled brim homburg/banker hat that was vintage made?
 

Al Niente

Familiar Face
Messages
86
Location
Detroit, Michigan
Well, I am now the proud parent of a 1950's Courney Beaver Suede hat! I was looking on Ebay and there it was...from my "time' even...looking so lonely.....well, I put in a bid thinking such a wonderful hat like this in "like new" condition would be snapped up for at least $80! But nooooooooo. I won! Damn it!

Description was right off the leather sweatband...so that was accurate. And it did come with its original box. If "like new" has 18 moth bites in the crown of the felt, a leather sweatband with stitching so old the first time you opened it up all the treads let go, if "like new" means the inner lining falls out...well then, I got a bargain! It reminds me of a guitar a friend of mine bought. It came with three types of screws; rusted, stripped and missing. It did come with a box, but it really is a lost cause. Since the condition of the box was not described in the ad, I can't complain about that. I didn't expect much in the way of a 55 year old cardboard box anyway.

I got out a pot of water and set it to boiling. Then, steaming the hat, I used a hat brush and brushed the hell out of it. More like a shoe than a hat. That is when the lining fell out and into the boiling water. Well, no fleas left in there. I opened up the sweatband to get a better purchase behind the flea bites. That is when the sweatband fell off and into the water. (it really didn't go into the water. I just added that part for artistic verisimilitude.) Next I went to work on the flea bites. The nap of the felt is like a suede, so I just kept fluffing it up. Got them all out except one. Well, "out" if you consider a comb over on a bald guy hair. Next, I teased the two remaining divots with a needle, using the flat of the needle over and around the area just to tease the felt up. Mostly, it worked. There is one you can barely see on the top of the hat, in the middle of the bash. If you can notice it when I am wearing it then you are just way too close. I might fill it in or I might just leave it. Hey, it IS 50+ years old. A man has a right to have a scar or two and so does his hat.

Tomorrow I will take it to my hatter, Henry the Hatter, and have them put in a new sweatband and reattach the liner. And block it so it doesn't look like a hairy dead animal lumped on my head.

On the positive side.....

The color is Ox Blood, Brown with hints of red and purple. Very cool. The crown is tall and straight (old school) and it has attitude, Baby! Gangster! It is a high quality felt and well made. It was inexpensive, so, all in all, not so bad. We will see what it cost to put in the liner, etc. "Wonderful hat you have there, Sir! That will be $8,000 please. Cash. check or credit?"
 

Al Niente

Familiar Face
Messages
86
Location
Detroit, Michigan
Update

Took the Courtney to Henry the Hatter yesterday. I have a post in the favorite hat vendor's list and all I can say is triple anything I said there. This is one of the best establishments one can find. Talk about service.

I showed my poor lump of fur from a deceased animal to Joe. The sweatband was hanging in tatters, the lining was in my hand and the shape of the hat looked something like old road kill. He gave the hat a look over with his professional eye and pronounced it not a bad hat at all. It had "beaver suede" stamped on the shreds of the sweatband. Might even be beaver. If anyone knows about that, please let me know.]

The ribbon was in good shape and, as stated in my previous post, most of the felt hat been brushed up. I was assured that all could be made right...in a day or two. "Well....ok...if it must be so...(downcast eyes here.) "Did you need it sooner?" asked Joe. "Well, I was hoping to wear it to an event tonight." I replied. Generously, Joe got out a new sweatband and started to sew. He put in a new sweatband, took the old bow out of the old one and sewed that in, too. Reattached the liner. Then, we discussed the bash and, with a practiced hand borne of many years of experience, he gave the hat a wonderful new look.

A lady and her husband were getting a new hat for him. "That looks great on you!" she says as I try it on. The man said, "Yes, needs more snap on the brim." "I'm on it." announces Joe. A bit more steam and adjusting and one more try. "That FITS to you!" says the lady. "You look like Al Capone!" LOL better than Truman Capote at least.

I must say that the hat looks wonderful. I wore it and received many compliments.

Price for all this service? $15 and Joe even gave me a very nice hat box for the hat. I cannot say enough nice things about Detroit's Henry the Hatter. If any of you are ever here in Detroit, please stop in and visit them. In an age where service is rude or non existent, Henry the Hatter is an example all should emulate. Bravo Joe, :eusa_clap and many thanks to Paul as well for a real service to the city.
 

Al Niente

Familiar Face
Messages
86
Location
Detroit, Michigan
Update

Took the Courtney to Henry the Hatter yesterday. I have a post in the favorite hat vendor's list and all I can say is triple anything I said there. This is one of the best establisments one can find. Talk about service.

I showed my poor lump of fur from a deceased animal to Joe. The sweatband was hanging in taters, the lining was in my hand and the shape of the hat looked something like old road kill. He gave the hat a look over with his professional eye and prounounced it not a bad hat at all. It had "beaver suede" stamped on the shreds of the sweatband. Might even be beaver. If anyone knows aobut that, please let me know.]

The ribbon was in good shape and, as stated in my previous post, most of the felt hat been brushed up. I was assured that all could be made right...in a day or two. "Well....ok...if it must be so...(downcast eyes here.) "Did you need it sooner?" asked Joe. "Well, I was hoping to wear it to an event tonight." I replied. Generously, Joe got out a new sweatband and started to sew. He put in a new sweatband, took the old bow out of the old one and sewed that in, too. Reattached the liner. Then, we discussed the bash and, with a practiced hand borne of many years of experience, he gave the hat a wonderful new look.

A lady and her husband were getting a new hat for him. "That looks great on you!" she says as I try it on. The man said, "Yes, needs more snap on the brim." "I'm on it." announces Joe. A bit more steam and adjusting and one more try. "That FITS to you!" says the lady. "You look like Al Capone!" LOL better than Truman Capote at least.

I must say that the hat looks wonderful. I wore it and received many compliments.

Price for all this service? $15 and Joe even gave me a very nice hat box for the hat. I cannot say enough nice things about Detroit's Henry the Hatter. If any of you are ever here in Detroit, please stop in and visit them. In an age where service is rude or non existent, Henry the Hatter is an example all should emulate. Bravo Joe, :eusa_clap and many thanks to Paul as well for a real service to the city.
 

Al Niente

Familiar Face
Messages
86
Location
Detroit, Michigan
The aforementioned Courtney turned out to be one of my favorite hats. I was wondering if anyone knows what Courtney meant when they stamped the sweatband "beaver finish." Is it just a type of softer velor finish or a real beaver felt? It has a very nice hand.
 

carouselvic

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,985
Location
Kansas
Al Niente said:
The aforementioned Courtney turned out to be one of my favorite hats. I was wondering if anyone knows what Courtney meant when they stamped the sweatband "beaver finish." Is it just a type of softer velor finish or a real beaver felt? It has a very nice hand.

It is the long hair finish and nothing to do with the fur content.
 

besdor

Vendor/Sponsor
Messages
1,727
Location
up north
I believe that Courtney Hats was a house brand for the Harry Levinson stores. There is one on Ebay now. It looks to be from the 1960's. I know that the stores went out of business some time ago and stopped carrying hats in the mid 1960's. As to who made them , that is an answer that is lost in time.



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com
 

Al Niente

Familiar Face
Messages
86
Location
Detroit, Michigan
Here is the Courtney I bought on Ebay. New sweatband, cleaned up liner and reblocked. The color is oxblood and I find it one of the most versitile color. It goes with many other colors from blues to brown, reds, orange, pink and purple. I just takes on a different hue to the contrasting color. One of my favorites!



 

buler

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,383
Location
Wisconsin
Townway Royalten Quality

A Courtney Townway in the Royalten quality. Made for Harry Levinson in Indianapolis, Evansville, and Fort Wayne.

Has a "Controlled Brim" patent assigned to Harry Siegelbaum, Yonkers, Dalton Hat Company NY Patent # 2038875. This brim type and mark is also on ScottF's Wekony hat.

Very nice sand color with burgundy ribbon. Grey sweatband with a windowpaned/elastic rear. Light blue liner with an oil tip cover. Red rectangular "Custom Made" size tag that I've seen on many brands now.

The wind trolly is a bit unusual. One end of the trolley is sewn into the center tie of the bow and the button is sewn on 1.5 inches behind it.

B



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