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Ebay Hats: Victories, Defeats, Gripes & Items of Interest

Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
I can't recall owning a Beaver Brand 10X level specifically. Others here have so hopefully they will chime in. Congrats on the new hat!


I’ve owned/own a couple. They’re decent hats, but not exceptional. The felt on mine were quite stiff, but the build quality was solid. I’ve also had good luck reshaping them. I believe Terry @T Jones has said good things about them when he’s used them for conversions.
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,789
Location
Central Ohio
I’ve owned/own a couple. They’re decent hats, but not exceptional. The felt on mine were quite stiff, but the build quality was solid. I’ve also had good luck reshaping them. I believe Terry @T Jones has said good things about them when he’s used them for conversions.
Stiff as a board, (like other brands of the time), but I'm happy with it. I'd say the quality is every bit as good as a Stetson or a Resistol from the same era. I'd sure get another one if the opportunity ever came up.
This is the Beaver Brand that I refurbished and restyled. I put a new ribbon on it with a double pointed bow, put on a new brim binding, new sweat, and reused the original red liner and sweat bow...

Beaver-Binding-13-A.jpg


Beaver-Binding-12-A.jpg


Beaver-Binding-11-A.jpg
 
Messages
11,676
Stiff as a board, (like other brands of the time), but I'm happy with it. I'd say the quality is every bit as good as a Stetson or a Resistol from the same era. I'd sure get another one if the opportunity ever came up.
This is the Beaver Brand that I refurbished and restyled. I put a new ribbon on it with a double pointed bow, put on a new brim binding, new sweat, and reused the original red liner and sweat bow...

Beaver-Binding-13-A.jpg


Beaver-Binding-12-A.jpg


Beaver-Binding-11-A.jpg
That looks fantastic Terry
 

Randall Renshaw

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,088
Location
Nahunta, Ga.
9613327D-F2A5-421C-8E1D-55B741DE04DE.jpeg
A very special eBay victory.
Snagged this mid 30s black Dobbs Homburg called the, “Pilgrim”.
Link below:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254809885383

Seller said it was a 40s/50s model, but I knew better. He also implied that the leather sweatband was loose in spots. Also wrong. It was completely unattached. If you look closely at the somewhat disguised photos you can see that it was detached.
Fine with me. That’s why I got her so cheap! $50 for a 30s Dobbs in perfect mint condition—except for the loose sweatband? Yes, please!
I wet and reblocked the crown to a size bigger, then hand stitched the completely supple 2 1/16” sweat back in.
Finally, a reedless sweatband that I could sew on that hadn’t suffered from dry rot!
Made it much easier, but what didn’t make it easier was the amount of sew holes that very early sweatbands had. One every 32nd inch!! Had to dye some yellow thread to a brown/orange color so it would blend in correctly with the color of the leather.
Sewing in this sweat is the hardest thing thing I’ve ever done on a hat. Anyone who’s ever tried this knows what I’m talking about. I had to sew directly to the felt. Some reedless sweats are hand sewn to pre-sewn machine stitching around the perimeter of the crown opening, as this one was, but that stitching had completely rotted.
Whew! Glad it’s over and now I can enjoy the 2nd mid 30s hat I’ve ever owned.
482F208F-130C-4397-B00F-C10B91A9E9CD.jpeg

0672682C-7443-4564-96CC-A2CA716F1F8E.jpeg
6AFC5A49-9CDA-4C6E-8D61-6763CCD4B6E2.jpeg
E3E4B2F4-4A05-4D68-93C3-22E49D8547E6.jpeg
2F430836-C2EA-4E1E-8576-332F2A0CA46A.jpeg
CED4687E-1D49-4C11-A166-E92CCBB02CBB.jpeg
As you can see in this pic the basting stitches in the top side of the ribbon are still intact.
 

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Messages
11,676
View attachment 302643 A very special eBay victory.
Snagged this mid 30s black Dobbs Homburg called the, “Pilgrim”.
Link below:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254809885383

Seller said it was a 40s/50s model, but I knew better. He also implied that the leather sweatband was loose in spots. Also wrong. It was completely unattached. If you look closely at the somewhat disguised photos you can see that it was detached.
Fine with me. That’s why I got her so cheap! $50 for a 30s Dobbs in perfect mint condition—except for the loose sweatband? Yes, please!
I wet and reblocked the crown to a size bigger, then hand stitched the completely supple 2 1/16” sweat back in.
Finally, a reedless sweatband that I could sew on that hadn’t suffered from dry rot!
Made it much easier, but what didn’t make it easier was the amount of sew holes that very early sweatbands had. One every 32nd inch!! Had to dye some yellow thread to a brown/orange color so it would blend in correctly with the color of the leather.
Sewing in this sweat is the hardest thing thing I’ve ever done on a hat. Anyone who’s ever tried this knows what I’m talking about. I had to sew directly to the felt. Some reedless sweats are hand sewn to pre-sewn machine stitching around the perimeter of the crown opening, as this one was, but that stitching had completely rotted.
Whew! Glad it’s over and now I can enjoy the 2nd mid 30s hat I’ve ever owned. View attachment 302638
View attachment 302644 View attachment 302639 View attachment 302640 View attachment 302642 View attachment 302641 As you can see in this pic the basting stitches in the top side of the ribbon are still intact.
Damn Randall. Wonderful job.
 

Rmccamey

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,845
Location
Central Texas
Most excellent, Randall! Love that brim curl.

View attachment 302643 A very special eBay victory.
Snagged this mid 30s black Dobbs Homburg called the, “Pilgrim”.
Link below:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254809885383

Seller said it was a 40s/50s model, but I knew better. He also implied that the leather sweatband was loose in spots. Also wrong. It was completely unattached. If you look closely at the somewhat disguised photos you can see that it was detached.
Fine with me. That’s why I got her so cheap! $50 for a 30s Dobbs in perfect mint condition—except for the loose sweatband? Yes, please!
I wet and reblocked the crown to a size bigger, then hand stitched the completely supple 2 1/16” sweat back in.
Finally, a reedless sweatband that I could sew on that hadn’t suffered from dry rot!
Made it much easier, but what didn’t make it easier was the amount of sew holes that very early sweatbands had. One every 32nd inch!! Had to dye some yellow thread to a brown/orange color so it would blend in correctly with the color of the leather.
Sewing in this sweat is the hardest thing thing I’ve ever done on a hat. Anyone who’s ever tried this knows what I’m talking about. I had to sew directly to the felt. Some reedless sweats are hand sewn to pre-sewn machine stitching around the perimeter of the crown opening, as this one was, but that stitching had completely rotted.
Whew! Glad it’s over and now I can enjoy the 2nd mid 30s hat I’ve ever owned. View attachment 302638
View attachment 302644 View attachment 302639 View attachment 302640 View attachment 302642 View attachment 302641 As you can see in this pic the basting stitches in the top side of the ribbon are still intact.
 

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