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

[fluteplayer07]

Grosgrain.

 

[Lloyd]

Lots and lots of water will eventually wash the stiffener out. About 3-4 days of hard rain will do the trick. I've also heard that denatured alcohol will work but I've never tried it. Avoid steam as it will probably reactivate any stiffener that's in the felt

I was thinking that the only thing missing is gosslin(?) brim edging. I think I would like to send it to someplace like Optimo to have edging and a matching thin ribbon put on Is there a way to get some of the shellac out of a hat if it is to stiff? I know I'll save any more of my boob questions for another thread.

 

[barrowjh]

Typical cowboy hat starts out with significantly more fur to begin with; a dress fedora might be 4.5 oz, a cowboy hat probably 7.5 oz minimum. The felt is thicker, and the advantage is that the felt can be re-worked, re-sanded and brought back to life more times than a dress weight fedora. A genuine industrial-strength soft felt hat, made to take a lickin and keep on tick'n. I think they have always been stiffer simply because the felt is thicker, and since about the 1970's (urban cowboy, machine-creased) there is SIGNIFICANTLY more laquer per felt weight. So, nowadays, cheap (thin) urban cowboy hats are STIFF cardboard-quality felt, and the better quality felt is stiffer yet.

 

[CRH]

I'm all smiles!
Like I told the seller, I'm stunned nobody bid against me. I really didn't expect to win the auction. [huh]

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[kaosharper1]

The seller's probably stunned no one bid against you, too! lol

I've noticed that high initial bid requirements seem to discourage bidding for some reason, even if the initial bid is an amount that would be reasonable for the hat up for auction. Everyone wants to think they'll at least have a shot, no matter how small, of getting a deal!

Congratulations on going for it, and getting a great hat at a good price.

Cheers,
Tom

Congrats to GTD as well. I think its because the word "fedora" appears no where in the listing. I know it didn't come up in any of my searches and I search often.

 

[St.Ignatz]

I did grab this one on a Buy It Now. Paid $20 more than the starting price, but it was worth $20 to me not to have to wake up early to bid, and be sure of winning it. I don't use snipe software.

You are going to love the 5x felt.
Tom D.

 

[gtdean48]

Congrats to GTD as well. I think its because the word "fedora" appears no where in the listing. I know it didn't come up in any of my searches and I search often.

Thanks & you are probably right. "Vintage" not appearing either may have been a factor as well. [huh]

 

[BanjoMerlin]

I did grab this one on a Buy It Now. Paid $20 more than the starting price, but it was worth $20 to me not to have to wake up early to bid, and be sure of winning it. I don't use snipe software.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230472477708&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

So glad you went for that one. It made it easier for me not to.

I got this one which I'll reshape along the lines of an OR Fedora. Hopefully the felt will be somewhere between steel and paper.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190396762633&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

 

[KevKaos59]

So glad you went for that one. It made it easier for me not to.

I got this one which I'll reshape along the lines of an OR Fedora. Hopefully the felt will be somewhere between steel and paper.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190396762633&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

See there, I wouldn't have gone for that one because you obviously have a talent that I do not. I would be hopeless in trying to reshape a hat like that. I can't even reshape the ones I have.

And you got a much better price as well. I hope you put up photos when you are done reshaping it.

 

[gtdean48]

...
I got this one which I'll reshape along the lines of an OR Fedora. Hopefully the felt will be somewhere between steel and paper.
...

That is a good starting point for a conversion. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
I've got Stetson 3X that is a bit older than that one but started out in that shape. Best recommendation is to soak the crown with distilled water & take the cattleman crease out. If you have some type of open crown form, you can use a steam iron with a thin cloth between it & the felt to press out the lines. Some folks use spoons to press from the inside. You can go straight to a fedora crease or go open crown & let it dry then to desired crease.
That brim will be stiff until you've soaked it a few times. Steam will definite recall the stiffness & best to not use a steamer. HTH

 

[ScottF]

That is a good starting point for a conversion. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
I've got Stetson 3X that is a bit older than that one but started out in that shape. Best recommendation is to soak the crown with distilled water & take the cattleman crease out. If you have some type of open crown form, you can use a steam iron with a thin cloth between it & the felt to press out the lines. Some folks use spoons to press from the inside. You can go straight to a fedora crease or go open crown & let it dry then to desired crease.
That brim will be stiff until you've soaked it a few times. Steam will definite recall the stiffness & best to not use a steamer. HTH

You are definitely better off going with an older Stetson 3X western, if you are looking to convert to a fedora. I've also had 4X's from the early '60s that would have been fine for conversion. But I would stay away from more modern Stetsons, simply because the quality isn't there - same for the Resistols unless you get an old one (older than the ones the ebayer is converting), and the 'kitten' finish ones are fantastic (every one I've had has been a great hat).

I had a '50s Kitten finish western with a 3" brim that could have been 'converted' simply by replacing the western ribbon with a wider one - real simple job.

Robert probably has great ideas on this subject.

 

[ScottF]

See there, I wouldn't have gone for that one because you obviously have a talent that I do not. I would be hopeless in trying to reshape a hat like that. I can't even reshape the ones I have.

And you got a much better price as well. I hope you put up photos when you are done reshaping it.

You can do it - felt can take a lot more than you probably realize. Get an inexpensive old high-quality felt hat and practice - you can create your own hat steamer with a pot and a piece of foil. If you have a form or full-size stretcher, you can soak the crown and easily get the old creases out, and clean them (fairly well without even using cleaner, just water), but even if you have nothing, you can soak them in a water/woolite solution in a tub, scrub, let dry, and you'll be amazed at the results (just don't get the leather sweatbands wet).

 

[ScottF]

Fuzzy Borso sold by a Lounger (and picked up by a Lounger )

I hope you like that bottom one - it was my gf's favorite. Shipped it priority this morning.

 

[zetwal]

I hope you like that bottom one - it was my gf's favorite. Shipped it priority this morning.

Your goldfish has good taste, Bro ...

 

[BanjoMerlin]

Several reasons I went for that hat. It is my size, the color I want, clean and CHEAP. Nobody is going to come knocking at my door for "ruining" a valuable collector's item. Since it is already a long oval I won't have to mess with stretching it and fighting with the brim.

Should be fun project and with luck I'll end up with a nice hat for casual summer wear that won't get ruined in the rain.

 

[ScottF]

Well, I didn't win two of the three auctions I bid on, but I think I did OK with this one. A Portis called, according the the auction, "The New Slant."

On the sweatband in the second photo is "Super-Lux" underneath Portis America's Best Value.

It went for almost 10 times it's original price! Slightly more with shipping.

Cheers,
Tom

Tom, I just spotted one of these 'Slants' in an antique shop - it has very soft tan felt, bound brim, dark-red ribbon with whitish-silver dashes along the top and bottom. My mouth was watering when I saw the $28 7 1/4 store tag, but alas, it is a size 7

Saved from buying my first hat in over a month.

 

[Tango Yankee]

Did you note the slant?

I keep meaning to take some photos of mine on a flat surface with a straight edge across the top of the crown. It's not immediately obvious just looking at it. Too bad your find wasn't a 7 1/4!

Cheers,
Tom

 

[rlk]

Barbisio counter sign

Finally got one of these.

and for 1 Euro more:

 

[Rick Blaine]

Finally got one of these.

<

OUTSTANDING! Chromolithograph on Cardboard? Remarkable condition, too. Any notion as to possible age?

 

[mayserwegener]

Finally got one of these.

and for 1 Euro more:

I had some of these on watch but forgot. Definitely some cool collector pieces! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap