Fedorafest III Stratoliner from Stetson

[RBH]

OK guys... I think its time to let the cat out of the bag.

At FedoraFest III, Matt Range of HatCo wore a really cool thin ribbon to
our Saturday dinner. He informed us it was made for a film around 3-4 years ago.
Everyone loved it and the talk began about Stetson making this hat for us.
Major Mike Moore of Buckaroo Hatters stepped up and told Matt he would order the minimun
if they would make the hat we saw at dinner that night.

So... after about a month of back and forth e-mails with Matt, I am proud to announce that
a prototype has been made!!!!

I hope to recieve it soon!
After I get it, Mike and I will post our thoughts.

Hopefully then all we will have to do is place an order with Mike and have a really cool
thin ribbon from Stetson. To keep it simple, the first hat is silverbelly. If the hat goes over,
maybe other colors will be in the mix.

Here are a couple of photos of our own Buler with the original hat at the Saturday dinner.

 

[handlebar bart]

Matt is a good guy and I had a feeling he'd go to bat on this hat. I'll take one.

 

[Yeps]

From the picture I am getting the impression that it is a pretty much like an old Open Road, is this correct?

 

[RBH]

From the picture I am getting the impression that it is a pretty much like an old Open Road, is this correct?

Yes, closer to an old Open Road than to a modern Stratoliner.

 

[bolthead]

how much they gonna go for Russ?

 

[Rick Blaine]

Sweeet

...and deserving of support! I can't wait for further details... rolling my pennies now, though I DO have a B'day upcoming....HMMmmmm.

 

[RBH]

how much they gonna go for Russ?

I cant say for sure at this point.. but I would think around what the new Strat goes for... maybe a little more maybe a little less.
Mike and I will have to see what the hat looks like.
Matt was hoping to put in a very nice sweat ect ect ... so we will have to see.
As I said this is a prototype.

 

[Jedwbpm]

Very very very cool. Did you guys get anymore inside info while you were there? I'll take a 7 5/8.

Jeff

 

[Brando11]

Awesome! Thank you for all the behind the scenes work, RBH. Count me in for a 7 1/2-

 

[BobC]

That looks pretty sweet from what I can see of it. Do you have any better pictures of it?

 

[majormoore]

When we get our hands on the hat and say it's ok, we will take several photos and post them here with more details.

Major Moore

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Nice work guys. Stetson and the other major factory hat company's need to use the forum to help them figure out what people will buy.
There are alot of great vintage hats that we all have that would sell in todays market if they would only be available to the average buyer.
Its so hard for the average man to find a hat in a store these days. In Louisville there is only Dillards that carry's hats I would have to drive too Cincy to go to a hat shop.

 

[DougC]

Lets see...a vintage dimension hat in silver belly? Yeah, I'd buy it if the review is good. I don't want to get my hopes up, but, this hat could restore my faith in Stetson.

 

[jimmy the lid]

Matt Range told us that the hat he brought to the FF3 dinner had been made for Diane Keaton to wear in a movie a couple years back. The hat made the rounds at dinner -- and, it is safe to say that all of us were very favorably impressed. Let's put it this way, if there was ever any doubt that Hatco can make a hat that compares favorably to a vintage Stetson Stratoliner, that doubt has now been erased. Had I been blindfolded and handed that hat, and someone told me that it was an early 50's Strat, I would have believed them. It even compares favorably to some vintage Borso Alessandrias I have handled, as well. It really was an amazing and very pleasant surprise. It's no wonder that Mike Moore decided to put in an order on the spot!

If the hat produced by Hatco for Mike Moore is anything like this hat, then Mike will have a real winner on his hands:

Cheers,
JtL

 

[hatophile]

Looks nice, now that looks like an old Stratoliner.

 

[Brad Bowers]

I'm not a thin-ribbon fan (sorry guys!), but I'd be willing to add this one to my collection to foster good Lounge-Hatco relations. Heck, I might even wear it once in a while.

Brad

 

[rlk]

I was favorably impressed by the hat as well. Any color except Silverbelly--if its for Loungers rather than Vanilla for max public consumption. Make it something special. Anyone here(other than Brad perhaps) without a Silverbelly Stratoliner or Open Road(or many multiples thereof)?

 

[jimmy the lid]

I was favorably impressed by the hat as well. Any color except Silverbelly--if its for Loungers rather than Vanilla for max public consumption. Make it something special. Anyone here(other than Brad perhaps) without a Silverbelly Stratoliner or Open Road(or many multiples thereof)?

I'll second that thought.

Do one in sage/willow green and I'm in!

 

[Joshbru3]

I saw the hat first hand and like many of the Fedora Fest 3 guys have already said, it really restored my faith in Stetson. The hat was pounced nicely, had great hand to it, the felt was thin but substantial, and held a crease just like a vintage lid. The dimensions and everything about the hat just screamed 50's STRAT. Like Jimmy said, if I closed my eyes, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between this and an original Strat. I know that if Mike's prototype is anything like the prototype that I saw, any lounger that buys one will be pleasantly surprised. Count me in for a size 7, Please!!!

 

[JimWagner]

How does this new hat compare to an Akubra Campdraft? Is it smaller or about the same dimensions?