Going Atomic With Dalton

[astaire]

As previously mentioned, we do not see this hat brand very often. I thought I would share with you a sample specimen from the old Dalton Hat Company with this thread.

I bought this hat from OFAS a couple of months ago and just had it flown here a few days ago. It was on a BIN option for $49.99.

The color is light cream with a dark brown ribbon. It has the Cavanagh edge and the wind trolley. I am a real sucker for these two features.

Being a very light colored hat, I was pleasantly surprised at how clean it was.

It has very thick and dense felt. It's not floppy like the Borsalino felt, but very supple nevertheless. I would rate it as high as the Knox and Dobbs Twenty hats.

When it arrived, straight to the tea kettle it went. It immediately took a diamond bash very easily.

In short, this is one of the nicest hats I have in my small collection. It's a very "Vintage-American" hat. I would recommend it to everyone any time.

I hope all of you enjoyed this thread.

 

[Yohanes]

Wow, Pak Astaire, that's excellent! lol Edan, that's just great! Normally you won't get such hat at less than USD 50 ... what size are you BTW?

 

[Dinerman]

Wow- a hat like that- in 7-3/8- for that price. What a deal. I love the tan/rust combination.

 

[astaire]

Thanks Yohannes. I'm in between 7-1/4 to 7-3/8.

Yes, I was lucky to get it for only that much This one fits like a dream too.

The seller was very honest, he mentioned of a couple of moth divots. I see only one minor one which is on the inner side of the Cavanagh edge (where the thinner felt meets the thick edge). It's at the back of the hat if you can see it.

 

[carter]

That one's a real beauty. Very pleasing color combination. Nice price. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Colby Jack]

Very nice!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[bolthead]

Wow........

What a beautie.......I love the color combination as well. Super Lid. :eusa_clap

 

[HatsEnough]

I searched for Dalton hats here on the lounge. Found only two threads.

So, do any of you folks have a Dalton?

Their selling phrase was "America's Finest, Dalton, New York.Here are the other 2 threads I could find. If there are others or if someone else already has a Dalton thread, I hope the mods can add this to to that one.


http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?34400-An-old-Dalton-Hat

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?3539-1950-s-Dalton-Fedora

 

[Lefty]

 

[SgtRick]

Great looking hat HE. Any idea of the vintage? Looks 50's to me.

 

[HatsEnough]

I believe 50s is right. The dude I bought it from said it was his father's (who passed away in the 1990s).

 

[hatophile]

That's a very sharp hat, HE. Very rich color and nice wide binding.

 

[nebo]

where to find?

I am the great (great?) grandson of William Dalton who founded the company and I am looking for a Dalton hat. Any idea where to look?

 

[RBH]

I am the great (great?) grandson of William Dalton who founded the company and I am looking for a Dalton hat. Any idea where to look?

Glad to have you join us!
Maybe you can let us in on a few Dalton tidbits.
Anyway, this is the place to find info and hats at!!!
WELCOME!!

 

[besdor]

They are very hard to locate. The company was located in Yonkers NY. They closed shop in the late 1940'd I believe.

 

[bowlerman]

Occasionally they turn up on Ebay. I saved this photo from an auction about a year ago-- one of the purdiest homburgs I've ever seen! Dalton "Cavalier:"

 

[TomS]

Occasionally they turn up on Ebay. I saved this photo from an auction about a year ago-- one of the purdiest homburgs I've ever seen! Dalton "Cavalier:"

What a great hat!!

 

[bowlerman]

yeah. should've bid on that puppy.

 

[nebo]

Glad to have you join us!
Maybe you can let us in on a few Dalton tidbits.
Anyway, this is the place to find info and hats at!!!
WELCOME!!

Thanks. Just snagged my first World's Finest Dalton from Ebay last week.
Not too much is know about Dalton Hats in my family. The story goes that my ancestors lost out on a big military contract and then folded.
From what I have been able to put together (much of it led from this site and some from old newspapers from Yonkers, NY), it looks like they might have sold the Dalton Hat factory or the name - there is a mention in the April 17th, 1952 Herald Statesman from Yonkers that Harry Siegelbaum sold the company to "Men's Hats" of Baltimore, MD (http://bit.ly/OmoD7L). This same Harry Siegelbaum is listed on a patent in 1936 along with Dalton Hat for a process for brim construction (http://1.usa.gov/QupGkB).

I am not sure if the current Bailey Dalton Fedora and the Resitol Dalton 4x Fur Felt Hat are named for the hats produced by this company.

I will let you know more as I learn more.

 

[Frunobulax]

I have discovered that I really like Dalton hats, based on my somewhat limited experience. At the risk of drumming up interest in a hat brand that I've been investing in very affordably on eBay, I can say that the three hats I have are all very nicely constructed, excellent felt, and easy to work with. My first Dalton is an OR clone that I picked up as a project hat back in the spring. As it came in a size too big for me, I decided to take it to Gus Miller at Batsakes, who cleaned it up and re-blocked it for me. I'm not certain, but this may be my oldest hat, and I believe it dates from the mid to late-40s. I would like to hear any feedback from our other Lounge Members regarding my dating guesses. Please weigh in.





The hat came with some felt damage. It looks to me as though it got caught on something that almost ripped it. It's not mothing.