Fedorafest III Stratoliner from Stetson

[scooter]

Originally Posted by barrowjh
"I suspect he is referring to the difficulty faced by Major Moore in getting both sides to the table; to get consistent quality, the right style and price point coming from Hatco - matching up across the table with - a lot of interest appearing here, but is it genuine (will we 'show him the money')? Tough spot for the Major if either side of the table doesn't perform!"

This is exactly why I mentioned making a deposit with the Major if we truly want to buy one of these hats. Then he can actually judge the degree of serious interest. I don't want him to take the plunge and get left holding the bag, but I accept his decision to accept the risk as a businessman. I'm going to bow out of this conversation with this note, I meant no offense to anyone, I was simply stating what I saw as inadvertent comments which were discouraging the good fellows trying so hard to see this project thru.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

Someone mentioned using a Douglas DC-3 pin on this hat. The Stratoliner is a model 307 BOEING aircraft. I looked it up.

http://www.aviation-history.com/boeing/307.html

Later

 

[Brando11]

Love it with the pin or without. Trolley preferred, but no trolley is absolutely fine with me too. The Silverbelly prototype looks terrific.
If it comes in under $200 I'm in for a size 60.

Thx again-
-Brando

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

I love just love to see the hat as is made. So that people have the ability to purchase a great hat. I have had many times had someone ask where they could get a fedora a was wearing an I had to tell them well the stopped making the hat in the 40's. I would love to be able to give them mike website address and say you can buy one here.

 

[MCrider]

I have had many times had someone ask where they could get a fedora a was wearing an I had to tell them well the stopped making the hat in the 40's. I would love to be able to give them mike website address and say you can buy one here.

The same here. Usually when I'm wearing my Akubra Fed IV. In May I had 3 different people ask where they could get a hat like mine. When they found out it was from Australia I could tell that it was a lost sell. I'd love to be able to give them something here in the states as an address. As an added bonus (besides helping Mike out) it could generate more sales for Stetson and benefit us all. As another thought, maybe Mike could include 5 business cards with each purchase. That way all we have to do is tuck one in the sweat and when asked, pull it out and give it to them.

 

[barrowjh]

Wow, lotta posts since last night. I just now got back to this. I hope I didn't put anyone off, the Major knew what he was getting into when he started trying to pull this together, and we all want it to be a success, just cannot help but notice that it is a laborious task. Bencraft initiated an effort similar to this a couple of years ago with the Nostalgia, but it didn't come together, and they certainly know what they are doing. Maybe if Hatco is making a more focused effort this time, and we support it well, could be the start of a good trend.

 

[Benzadmiral]

I too would prefer a liner-less hat -- even our winters here in The Swamp are less than wintry, and our spring and fall are about the same as the summer many of you have. But if it's as lightweight as some have said, I'll take out the liner, and no problem for me to wear this one 3 seasons a year. (That is to say, November to March, if I'm lucky.)

ETA: I've just been told I have a small bonus coming this month. Bring on the new Strat!

 

[carldelo]

Hi

Someone mentioned using a Douglas DC-3 pin on this hat. The Stratoliner is a model 307 BOEING aircraft. I looked it up.

http://www.aviation-history.com/boeing/307.html

Later

Others will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the point is that the original Stratoliner issued by Stetson actually came with a DC-3 pin, in spite of the name of the hat. So this new version is meant to duplicate the original hat, including a hatpin with an incorrect plane depicted. There's a Stetson ad reproduced earlier in the thread that shows the hat with the DC-3 pin in front of a picture of the 307 that you linked to.

Dang - I can't find the ad that I mentioned - anybody have a link to the old Strat ad I'm talking about?

 

[RBH]

Others will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the point is that the original Stratoliner issued by Stetson actually came with a DC-3 pin, in spite of the name of the hat. So this new version is meant to duplicate the original hat, including a hatpin with an incorrect plane depicted. There's a Stetson ad reproduced earlier in the thread that shows the hat with the DC-3 pin in front of a picture of the 307 that you linked to.

Dang - I can't find the ad that I mentioned - anybody have a link to the old Strat ad I'm talking about?

For some reason I just happen to have it!
Thanks again to Robert for first posting this ad.

 

[gtdean48]

For some reason I just happen to have it!
...

I am totally stunned that you happen to have it.....NOT!!!!

 

[1961MJS]

Others will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the point is that the original Stratoliner issued by Stetson actually came with a DC-3 pin, in spite of the name of the hat. So this new version is meant to duplicate the original hat, including a hatpin with an incorrect plane depicted. There's a Stetson ad reproduced earlier in the thread that shows the hat with the DC-3 pin in front of a picture of the 307 that you linked to.

Dang - I can't find the ad that I mentioned - anybody have a link to the old Strat ad I'm talking about?

Hi

I did a search on "Stratoliner pin" and came up with both four engine and two engine stratoliner pins. The Model 307 Boeing Stratoliner is a 4 engine aircraft. The DC-3 (C-47) is a two engine aircraft. With the round nose, they look remarkably similar. IFFFFFF the major decides to put in a two engine pin, I can always find a nice B-52 Stratofortress pin to put on the hat instead.

Later y'all

 

[RBH]

If Mike uses a pin it will be like the pin that was original to the original hat.
And I believe he will use it. We have already talked to our own Fred H about a DC-3 pin to supply for us to use on this hat.
What is so cool is that so many here from the lounge has had a hand in this.
As to the Stratoliner 4 engine pin being original to this hat .... that horse has already been beaten to death.
You can use whatever pin you like or no pin at all, you could even call this pinless hat your Open Road style hat.

News of further note...
Mike has the hat in hand. He plans to look it over tommorrow and I hope we hear some good things from him.
Tom and I both left out a few issues that we did not think needed said here.
We think that they can be addressed in production.
So if Mike gives his go ahead, we can have something special to look forward to.

 

[gtdean48]

Since this version is truer to the original, I'd like to see the pin to be truer to the original as well. The subtleness of the small DC-3 pin works so well with the ribbon & bow, IMHO.

 

[1961MJS]

Since this version is truer to the original, I'd like to see the pin to be truer to the original as well. The subtleness of the small DC-3 pin works so well with the ribbon & bow, IMHO.

I'm just a little bitter that McDonnell Douglas bought us out with OUR money. DC-3 = Douglas, 307 = Boeing.

later

 

[gtdean48]

I'm just a little bitter that McDonnell Douglas bought us out with OUR money. DC-3 = Douglas, 307 = Boeing.

later

My wife got laid off by the company that bought McDonald-Douglas hospital software. I'll let that affect how I like an airplane hat pin of the 1940s.

 

[Zemke Fan]

Do not despair! DC-3 pin with the hat AND a B-307 as a spare! (Can't WAIT to see how this works out!!)

 

[handlebar bart]

Do not despair! DC-3 pin with the hat AND a B-307 as a spare! (Can't WAIT to see how this works out!!)

I'm tickled silly. Thanks Fred

 

[Rick Blaine]

Rolling my nickles as we speak.

 

[St.Ignatz]

I'm just sitting here waiting for the "GO" from the Major. Pin, no pin, trolley, no trolley which ever way you go I'm in.
Tom D.

 

[RBH]

Just a heads up... Mike liked the hat.
What few issues we [Tom, myself and Mike] had.. have been brought to Matts attention.

Matt is working on said issues and I send Mike and Matt all the best I can.