Dobbs Duvay Felts

[ScottF]

Anyone heard of them? Only reference I've found is an April 3,1939 "Life" ad:

Light cream color with dark-brown ribbon and wind cord. Soft, floppy lightweight felt, silk liner sewn at the side (not stitched), taped-sweatband that feels like glove leather. 6" crown, 2 7/8" raw edge brim. $10 price tag under the sweatband. Very high quality. Bashed pics show the original bash, which doesn't need changing. Condition is near-perfect - I haven't even brushed it. Pics were taken in low outdoor light:

 

[Rick Blaine]

Lovely... looks very 2o's-3o's. Very nice indeed.

 

[Aureliano]

liner sewn at the side (not stitched)

What do you mean? could you post a picture?...I'm curious.

 

[Chinaski]

I'll be interested in following this. Never heard of Duvay felt from Dobbs. It's a beautiful hat - congratulations.

 

[rlk]

Might be the same Cavanagh patented process seen on Leisure Light and Cross Country hats of the period. Does it have its factory order tag under the sweatband with a patent number at the bottom?

 

[ScottF]

Might be the same Cavanagh patented process seen on Leisure Light and Cross Country hats of the period. Does it have its factory order tag under the sweatband with a patent number at the bottom?

The tag looks similar to yours, but no patent number. Tag indicates depth is actually 5 5/8

Aureliano - rather than a few loops of stitching to hold the liner together, it's sewn together (2nd pic from bottom).

 

[DOUGLAS]

Great hat ScottF!

 

[Brad Bowers]

That's a new one on me. The hat is early- to mid-'30s, certainly older than '39, so the name stuck around a few years, but Hat Corporation of America never registered it as a trademark. I'll have to dig through my patent collection to see if I can identify it. Might be a while before I get to it, as it's end of the semester and I'm up to my hat in grading.

Thanks for posting that one, Scott!

Brad

 

[besdor]

I would love to see a full picture of the lining. That hat is definately from the 30's.



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[rlk]

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes...es&desc=Display+Ad+5+--+No+Title&pqatl=google
Pay-Per-View - Los Angeles Times - ProQuest Archiver - Feb 17, 1937
DESMOND S PRESENTS. Dobbs Duvay Felts. M1ADE BY THE. PROCESS. An exclusive departure ix te making of finer lightweight hats. "Again Dobbs Sets the Style", ...

 

[ScottF]

Pay-Per-View - Los Angeles Times - ProQuest Archiver - Feb 17, 1937
DESMOND S PRESENTS. Dobbs Duvay Felts. M1ADE BY THE. PROCESS. An exclusive departure ix te making of finer lightweight hats. "Again Dobbs Sets the Style", ...

Nice research, Robert.

The felt is high quality, moreso than a Whippet (I know, sacrilege) and the other soft floppy bottom-end old Royal Stetsons, but a similar feel and weight. The felt quality is more like the old Knox Twenty's, but not as thick or stiff. Holds it's shape very well like an old 3X Open Road.

My guess is that customers couldn't distinguish this hat from low-end lightweights and/or weren't willing to pay the higher price.

 

[ScottF]

I would love to see a full picture of the lining. That hat is definately from the 30's.



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

I plan to take some better pics as soon as the sun comes back. It's 'creamier' colored than these washed-out pics show.

 

[HATCO]

I'm with Besdor,

More lining

 

[ScottF]

More Lining...

Sorry for the delay, I have now updated the side,front,top picks above with better examples.

And here are some bottom detail pics:

 

[J.J. Gittes]

Beautiful hat Scott! Great color combo with the cream body and brown ribbon. Classic.