Full Hat Collection Photographs Thread

[fmw]

All I can say is wow. Fine, fine collections, everyone! I have a humble beginning here-- the only ones not included in this photo are a few ball caps, and a few Target and gas station ones. I suppose there are two derbies that are scheduled to arrive somewhere around the end of the month.
A good family photo has proven quite a difficult task, but here's my best attempt-- enjoy:

The white center dent with the tall crown and cream colored ribbon is an absolute knockout. One of the nicest looking hats I've ever seen. I couldn't figure out from your legend what it is but it is spectacular.

 

[Neophyte]

According to the legend, I believe the hat you are looking at is referred to as a "Beaver Brand classic silverbelly hat."

 

[fmw]

Thanks. It is certainly an excellent hat in every sense of the word.

 

[bowlerman]

Thanks. It is certainly an excellent hat in every sense of the word.

thanks, fmw and 150719541! Neo is correct-- it's the BB classic 5x-- the color isn't actually marked anywhere on the hat. It could be silverbelly, or perhaps sand? it was one of my first Ebay purchases and came with a pristine open crown, but the felt was too soft to support it, so it became a center crease. I've been consistently impressed with BB's lustrous ribbbons.

 

[fmw]

Here's a shot of a major portion of my hats. Nothing rare or expensive. Just what a FL beginner wears. I didn't include the caps or the cowboy hats. Left to right.

Front row - Stetson Avenue Milan braid, Stetson Sturgis, Akubra Cattleman, Akubra Flinders

Second Row - Buckaroo custom, Stetson Panama fedora, Resistol pork pie, vintage homburg

Third Row - Stetson Open Road, Stetson Panama safari, Stetson Whippet, Stetson Whippet

Fourth Row - Akubra Titan, cheap sisal gambler, Dobbs Beechwood, Tilley Sun Hat

 

[Neophyte]

Great collection! If that's what an FL beginner has, then I'm even less than a neophyte! :eeek:

The two whippets, the Cattleman, the Buckaroo Hatters custom and the vintage homburg really stood out to me...you've got some great hats!

 

[fmw]

Thanks. The Buckaroo is my favorite and the Open Road is next in line. After that I'm partial to the two Akubras in the lower right. Then I suppose the Whippets. So I guess your tastes and mine aren't too far apart.

 

[Yeps]

Here I am wearing my full hat collection. It can't get any bigger, or else this will get really difficult.

P.S. I don't technically own the tricorn, but I don't know the guy who I borrowed it from, and I haven't been keeping up with the friend who did know him.

 

[navarre]

Well if you're going to own a tricorn hat stealing it is respectable in my book.
Pirate away good sir!

 

[Yeps]

...stealing ...

I commandeered it.

 

[bowlerman]

I commandeered it.

nice!
:fencing:


FMW: What a great collection! To me, the homburg and those whippets really shine.

 

[TTO]

 

[DRB]

fmw: I would rate it: Buckaroo custom then cattleman, then open road. Either way, you have a very nice collection. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Swing Motorman]

Cheapskate's Hat Collection

Here's my collection, assembled over about 28 months and on a shoestring budget. Hat prices range from $2.40 to $44.00 and are arranged in the order I got them.

Front row:
- (missing, left at home for safety) Vintage Biol fedora, bought from South Korea by my uncle for my grandfather. Short brim & gray houndstooth felt.
Dockers stingy brim. My own first hat, but now the brim is a bit short for my tastes.
- "Vintage Stone" polyester fedora. A bit too hipster for my tastes today, but it was a bargain.
- Dockers wool felt fedora. Cost me $6 and change at Kohl's. Still a favorite.
- Home-built peaked cap, decorated for the Rockhill Trolley Museum. Made in October 2009, and still intact. Because of the nature of trolley volunteer work, this is my most abused hat.
- Weatherproof cloth fedora. A favorite for mild spring days.

Top Row:
- (missing) Cheap ($9 at K-Mart) wide-brim straw hat, damaged and left behind in the Pittsburgh area.
- Livity Outernational raffia straw hat. A wonderful little $25 hat bought from a Wegmans grocery store. These come in some outrageous colors.
- Stetson Airway, with the chin strap removed. I swear this lid has air conditioning.
- Dockers flat cap. My chosen hat for non-uniform trolley museum work, but it's remarkably still quite clean. This wins the cheapskate award at a bank-busting $2.40. I even keep the price tag behind the sweatband as proof.
- Apt. 9 wool flat cap. Hardly ever worn, but very warm in the winter.
- Henschel Hat Co. leather-looking felt fedora. My second-favorite, with a home-made hat pin consisting of three leaves.
- (Missing, in pieces awaiting rebuilding) Older, but probably not vintage, JC Penney gray felt fedora, bought in bad condition at a thrift shop as a hat rebuilding experiment. At least it has a nice gold liner.

<edit>

- Unknown maker's felt wide-brim fedora with leather "ribbon." My parents tell me they found this at a store they go to for chainsaw repairs. It's my hat of choice for rainy days, and the brim has bent on a sharper angle after getting soaked through and air-drying a few times. I even blow-dried this hat once after a long walk home in a downpour. I got this between the "Vintage Stone" and the Dockers houndstooth hats.
<end edit>

And finally, my favorite...

- Henschel Hat Co. Indy Outback in brown. It has all the features I associate with vintage hats, but was only $37. I positively adore this hat.

So, that's my collection. It's my best effort without visiting any major hat shops or spending large amounts of money. I hope you like them!

 

[fmw]

FMW: What a great collection! To me, the homburg and those whippets really shine.

It is no surprise to me that you would like the homburg. Thanks.

 

[fmw]

fmw: I would rate it: Buckaroo custom then cattleman, then open road. Either way, you have a very nice collection. Thanks for sharing.

Ah, a man with similar tastes to mine. Thanks, Dennis.

 

[fmw]

Good job, Swing. I remember your post about the home built motorman's cap. Outstanding.

 

[Young fogey]

TTO: seriously coveting that grey one, even though I like my light-grey Dobbs. The third hat I bought is a cheap imitation of what you've got, a bluish grey.

Swing Motorman: way to go on the green Indy!

 

[DRB]

fmw: does the Stetson by Sturgis come with any taper in the front, back or sides?

 

[Swing Motorman]

Swing Motorman: way to go on the green Indy!

I suppose it does look a bit green in the image, but it's really a dark brown. Thanks, though, I think we all ought to have one of these given their low price!