Crofut & Knapp Tales

[DaveProc]

Crofut & Knapp Ads 1921-1923

 

[Blare]

Crofut & Knapp Ads 1921-1923
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Very cool to see Cavanagh edge advertised on an homburg styled hat. I’ve heard it was used on some but had not seen one.

 

[Randall Renshaw]

First C&Fs. These two fedoras are amazing!
I’m only guessing that the gray one is from the mid 50s and the brown one is from late 40s/early 50s. Both have the most fabulous felt I’ve ever seen.
Impeccable workmanship.

The light gray one features blind stitching on the top narrow salmon colored binding and regular stitching on the wide bottom.

The back bow is well done and will likely remain my only back bowed hat. It’s unique in color combination and style. 2 7/8 brim will stay in the up brim style, though looks great with the brim snapped down.

At this time I have well over 50 pretty nice hats in my collection, but these two C&Ks will be at the top of my list because of rarity, but mostly due to perfection of craftsmanship.
They’re not mint, but close enough for me.
The brown one sports a very fine 2 3/4 “Guild Edge” which is stamped on the sweat. The stamping looks exactly the same as what was used in a Dobbs hat, which has me a bit confounded since, according to the reading of this thread I found out that John Cavanagh was president of this company for a while in the 30/40s?

This is what the hats looked like when I opened the original hat boxes. I lightly steamed and shaped them closely to how the first owner had done.

 

[Bill Hughes]

First C&Fs. These two fedoras are amazing!
I’m only guessing that the gray one is from the mid 50s and the brown one is from late 40s/early 50s. Both have the most fabulous felt I’ve ever seen.
Impeccable workmanship. View attachment 275190
The light gray one features blind stitching on the top narrow salmon colored binding and regular stitching on the wide bottom. View attachment 275192
The back bow is well done and will likely remain my only back bowed hat. It’s unique in color combination and style. 2 7/8 brim will stay in the up brim style, though looks great with the brim snapped down. View attachment 275193 View attachment 275194
At this time I have well over 50 pretty nice hats in my collection, but these two C&Ks will be at the top of my list because of rarity, but mostly due to perfection of craftsmanship.
They’re not mint, but close enough for me.
The brown one sports a very fine 2 3/4 “Guild Edge” which is stamped on the sweat. The stamping looks exactly the same as what was used in a Dobbs hat, which has me a bit confounded since, according to the reading of this thread I found out that John Cavanagh was president of this company for a while in the 30/40s?
View attachment 275185 View attachment 275186 View attachment 275187 View attachment 275188
This is what the hats looked like when I opened the original hat boxes. I lightly steamed and shaped them closely to how the first owner had done. View attachment 275195

A great find indeed. I’m always on the lookout for wide brim C&Ks. My favorite hat is a Crofut and Knapp.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Very cool to see Cavanagh edge advertised on an homburg styled hat. I’ve heard it was used on some but had not seen one.

Here’s a derby currently for sale on Etsy. It doesn’t have a Cavanagh edge as I understand it, but the crown label clearly mentions the Cavanagh edge. I’ll be doing some research this weekend.

 

[Blare]

Here’s a derby currently for sale on Etsy. It doesn’t have a Cavanagh edge as I understand it, but the crown label clearly mentions the Cavanagh edge. I’ll be doing some research this weekend.

View attachment 275196 View attachment 275197 View attachment 275198

From what I had read was they originally used Cavanagh edge as a way of reinforcing the brim.... Seems aesthetics was bonus. And since it was actually part of the felting process it would be present on the blank hoods. I guess it makes sense you could block the hood in whichever shape they wanted. Even if it’s final form would have a wide grosgrain bound brim.

very cool example by the way!

 

[Blare]

First C&Fs. These two fedoras are amazing!
I’m only guessing that the gray one is from the mid 50s and the brown one is from late 40s/early 50s. Both have the most fabulous felt I’ve ever seen.
Impeccable workmanship. View attachment 275190
The light gray one features blind stitching on the top narrow salmon colored binding and regular stitching on the wide bottom. View attachment 275192
The back bow is well done and will likely remain my only back bowed hat. It’s unique in color combination and style. 2 7/8 brim will stay in the up brim style, though looks great with the brim snapped down. View attachment 275193 View attachment 275194
At this time I have well over 50 pretty nice hats in my collection, but these two C&Ks will be at the top of my list because of rarity, but mostly due to perfection of craftsmanship.
They’re not mint, but close enough for me.
The brown one sports a very fine 2 3/4 “Guild Edge” which is stamped on the sweat. The stamping looks exactly the same as what was used in a Dobbs hat, which has me a bit confounded since, according to the reading of this thread I found out that John Cavanagh was president of this company for a while in the 30/40s?
View attachment 275185 View attachment 275186 View attachment 275187 View attachment 275188
This is what the hats looked like when I opened the original hat boxes. I lightly steamed and shaped them closely to how the first owner had done. View attachment 275195

Those two are tremendous Randall. I still regret not going a couple extra bucks on an old one a few years back. I was at the beginning of this and didn’t quite know what I was passing up at the time.

 

[Just Daniel]

Super sweet. I am sure you look as much or more than I do online, and I really have not seen any other C&F example like these. They really stand out. Congratulations!

First C&Fs. These two fedoras are amazing!
I’m only guessing that the gray one is from the mid 50s and the brown one is from late 40s/early 50s. Both have the most fabulous felt I’ve ever seen.
Impeccable workmanship. View attachment 275190
The light gray one features blind stitching on the top narrow salmon colored binding and regular stitching on the wide bottom. View attachment 275192
The back bow is well done and will likely remain my only back bowed hat. It’s unique in color combination and style. 2 7/8 brim will stay in the up brim style, though looks great with the brim snapped down. View attachment 275193 View attachment 275194
At this time I have well over 50 pretty nice hats in my collection, but these two C&Ks will be at the top of my list because of rarity, but mostly due to perfection of craftsmanship.
They’re not mint, but close enough for me.
The brown one sports a very fine 2 3/4 “Guild Edge” which is stamped on the sweat. The stamping looks exactly the same as what was used in a Dobbs hat, which has me a bit confounded since, according to the reading of this thread I found out that John Cavanagh was president of this company for a while in the 30/40s?
View attachment 275185 View attachment 275186 View attachment 275187 View attachment 275188
This is what the hats looked like when I opened the original hat boxes. I lightly steamed and shaped them closely to how the first owner had done. View attachment 275195

 

[Blare]

The brown one sports a very fine 2 3/4 “Guild Edge” which is stamped on the sweat. The stamping looks exactly the same as what was used in a Dobbs hat, which has me a bit confounded since, according to the reading of this thread I found out that John Cavanagh was president of this company for a while in the 30/40s?

I’ll take my stab at that as well. John Cavanagh did come up through the ranks of Crofut and Knapp revitalizing the company along the way and moving them into the realm of soft hats. He patented his Cavanagh edge around 1935. (I’m not sure when he started using the process on his hats) The term Cavanagh Edge was mostly used on the Cavanagh branded hats. The Guild edge stamp though mostly used on Dobbs branded hats (A Crofut and Knapp brand) did get used on some other Crofut hats... all which became Hat Corporation of America in 1932 with the addition of Knox and Dunlap.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I’ll take my stab at that as well. John Cavanagh did come up through the ranks of Crofut and Knapp revitalizing the company along the way and moving them into the realm of soft hats. He patented his Cavanagh edge around 1935. (I’m not sure when he started using the process on his hats) The term Cavanagh Edge was mostly used on the Cavanagh branded hats. The Guild edge stamp though mostly used on Dobbs branded hats (A Crofut and Knapp brand) did get used on some other Crofut hats... all which became Hat Corporation of America in 1932 with the addition of Knox and Dunlap.

I think you’re off on the date of his patent for the Cavanagh Edge.

 

[Blare]

See that’s why I said I’d take a stab at it. LOL. Certainly no self proclaimed expert here

I was going from this patent application dated 1935. Maybe it was an update?

 

[Blare]

I think you’re off on the date of his patent for the Cavanagh Edge.

Fantastic history on the Cavanagh is as I am sure you know... is right here. Probably where I should have gone first. LOL

https://www.thehattedprofessor.com/cavanaghedge.html

so 1913 original patent. Updated in 1931 and 1935.

Also more info to clarify the answer @Randall Renshaw original question located there as well.

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Fantastic history on the Cavanagh is as I am sure you know... is right here. Probably where I should have gone first. LOL

https://www.thehattedprofessor.com/cavanaghedge.html

so 1913 original patent. Updated in 1931 and 1935.

Also more info to clarify the answer @Randall Renshaw original question located there as well.

Very enlightening, Joe. Thanks.
Read the entire Cavanagh Edge thread by the Hat Professor.
Now I’m as smart as you! ;-)

 

[Blare]

Very enlightening, Joe. Thanks.
Read the entire Cavanagh Edge thread by the Hat Professor.
Now I’m as smart as you! ;-)

LOL

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Super sweet. I am sure you look as much or more than I do online, and I really have not seen any other C&F example like these. They really stand out. Congratulations!

Sorry, Daniel, that it’s taken me this long to respond, but I’ve been busy searching the web for hat deals!
(Wink, wink)

Thanks for the positive comment on these two super sweet C&Ks.
Good luck to us both!

 

[Frunobulax]

Crofut & Knapp, "Knapp-Felt" of undetermined age. Very nice and very black with a1930s vibe. It's in great shape, with no imperfections in the felt, easily creased, unreeded and very thin sweatband.

Six inches open crown, 2 1/4" raw edge brim.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Crochet & Knapp, "Knapp-Felt" of undetermined age. Very nice and very black with a1930s vibe. It's in great shape, with no imperfections in the felt, easily creased, unreeded and very thin sweatband.

Six inches open crown, 2 1/4" raw edge brim.

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Nice “Crotchet”
I’m confused on the crown height: doesn’t the label show it has a 5 5/8 inch crown? It looks to be close to identical to a hat I own listed back a bit on the thread: very 1930s indeed.

 

[Frunobulax]

Nice “Crotchet”
I’m confused on the crown height: doesn’t the label show it has a 5 5/8 inch crown? It looks to be close to identical to a hat I own listed back a bit on the thread: very 1930s indeed.

HAHA. My phone has been giving me fits with autocorrect lately. I think it got turned back on by an update or something.

It measures at 6", so somebody mis-measured or was being a rebel that day.

I wish the Professor's site was finished. I'd love to get a better idea on this hat's age - it is likely one of my earliest at this point.

 

[BobHufford]

Crofut & Knapp, "Knapp-Felt" of undetermined age. Very nice and very black with a1930s vibe. It's in great shape, with no imperfections in the felt, easily creased, unreeded and very thin sweatband.

Very nice Jim! Congrats!

 

[Frunobulax]

Very nice Jim! Congrats!

Thanks for the tip!