Greetings and a request for advice

[Anthony Jordan]

Hello,
I've been hanging around for a while and have made a few posts but haven't really introduced myself. As I'm about to ask the members for some advice I thought it was about time. My name, as per my username, is Anthony and I am British, pushing thirty, and have been a confirmed fan of 1930s-1940s style since my teens. Hats have always been a bit of a thing of mine, although reading this section of the forum in particular underlines how much I don't know!

My collection is currently as follows:

Black silk top hat (vintage, maker unknown, I guess Edwardian in date)
Green velour fedora (modern - Herald & Heart)
Charcoal grey "Mason" fedora (Modern - Susquehana Hat Co)
Light grey Mason/MacMurray fedora (ditto)
Beige "Knightsbridge" fedora with chocolate band (modern - Christy's)
Lavender grey wool felt fedora with blue-grey pleated band (1950s? - "Premier Hats by Shaw")
plus a couple of modern tweed flat caps, a mortarboard, etc.

I'm currently looking at my hat collection and, having recently disposed of a Olney fedora in vicuna, am thinking of acquiring a replacement. I am on a fairly tight budget and am finding the thought of the Bailey "Adventurer" fedora in brown quite tempting. It looks like a handsome hat. The main things which are putting me off are that I have no experience of the manufacturer and that it is wool felt, which I have had bad experiences of in the past. Any comments or advice that members have on this hat in particular, alternatives or the qualities and demerits of wool felt in general would be very welcome.

Thanks in advance,

Anthony.

 

[RedPop4]

Welcome Anthony.
I'm not a fount of hat knowledge, but I enjoy reading.

If you'll pardon my stereotypical profiling for a moment. I ask this of most I meet from Great Britain. Do you support a football club? If so, which?

Now, back to the hats. Good fortunes in your search, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

 

[Orgetorix]

I'm certainly no expert, but from what I've picked up here it seems that wool felt is generally regarded as cheaper, coarser, less weather-resistant, and a great deal more prone to shrinking and tapering than fur felt.

At that price point, however, I'm not sure you'll find a good fur felt hat. The only ones I've seen are Czech hats at a US discount-clothing chain called Burlington Coat Factory. I don't think they have a retail presence in the UK.

How tight is your budget? If you can afford double the price of that Bailey, Akubra has a number of hats that might fit your bill--the Federation, the Fedora, and the Stylemaster are all in the GBP40-50 range. Check out Hatsdirect.com if you're interested. Akubra seem to get almost universally positive reviews here.

 

[Anthony Jordan]

Welcome Anthony.
I'm not a fount of hat knowledge, but I enjoy reading.

If you'll pardon my stereotypical profiling for a moment. I ask this of most I meet from Great Britain. Do you support a football club? If so, which?

Now, back to the hats. Good fortunes in your search, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

RedPop,

Many thanks for the welcome and good wishes. I'm afraid I am not a footballing man, but back where I grew up it was traditional to support Norwich, with a strong minority option in favour of Ipswich. Where I went to University, the divide was between Newcastle and Sunderland supporters. Where I am now, rugby's the game!

Yours,

Anthony.

 

[RedPop4]

Thank you for that, and Cheers.
Both of my sons' first football coach was an Ipswich Town supporter.

 

[Stoney]

Welcome to the Lounge Anthony

If you're on a tight budget, as I am, you might consider searching the auction sites, such as e-Bay, for vintage hats in your size. The asking price is normally much lower, than that of new production hats, while the quality is usually superior. You will also find that there is a greater varity of style in the vintage hats as compared to the modern production hats, which are for the most part taperd crowns with either a center dent or C type bash. Most modern fur hats are made primarily from rabbit fur, while the majority of pre 1970s hats were made from pure beaver felt, which is not as prone to shrinkage and wears much better than the rabbit fur.

With regard to wool hats, they are fine if you live in a dry climate, or avoid wearing them in rainy weather, but are prone to shrinkage and loss of shape if they are soaked. It's normally wiser to purchase a new wool hat than to send it out for re-blocking.

Good luck with the search.

 

[Jerekson]

Hey Anthony, welcome to the lounge.

I can tell you right now - avoid the Bailey.

In the past I have had a Bailey "Gangster" fedora, and it was horribly cheap.
The felt is nasty - really coarse and stiff; and the sweatband was made out of cardboard. No joke.

I also tried to reshape it; that didn't work out very well. Now the thing basically looks like a big grey lump with a black band sticking onto it.

I would avoid the hat entirely.



I would suggest another hat for you that isn't that far from the price of the original (adventurer). This hat is fantastic; I've had mine for years and I love it.
http://www.villagehatshop.com/jaxon_iconoclast.html
Highly recommended-

Regards, Jerekson

 

[AdmiralTofu]

Hey Anthony, welcome to the lounge.

I can tell you right now - avoid the Bailey.

In the past I have had a Bailey "Gangster" fedora, and it was horribly cheap.
The felt is nasty - really coarse and stiff; and the sweatband was made out of cardboard. No joke.

I also tried to reshape it; that didn't work out very well. Now the thing basically looks like a big grey lump with a black band sticking onto it.

I would avoid the hat entirely.

Seconded. I bought a Bailey Gangster myself. The felt, as pointed out, was stiff and coarse, and the sweatband brittle and thing. The hat wore and felt like one of those cheap plastic costume hats you can find at the supermarket for $.98. Fortunately, I mistakenly ordered a size too small, so I had a genuine excuse to send it back.

I also have a Bailey Executive which, while not as sorely disappointing as was by the Gangster (despite only being wool instead of fur, the felt is much better quality than that of the Gangster), the sweatband is, again, thin and nasty... cardboard-like. I turned it outward to shim it with a strip of felt because it was too big, and instantly put a permanent crease in it. Right were it sits on my forehead.

I've never had experience with the Adventurer, but this is 1-and-a-half stikes out of a possible two. If it were my call, I'd say skip the Bailey.

I would suggest another hat for you that isn't that far from the price of the original (adventurer). This hat is fantastic; I've had mine for years and I love it.
http://www.villagehatshop.com/jaxon_iconoclast.html
Highly recommended-

Also seconded. Again, as with the Bailey, I've never owned this particular model, but I've never been anything but satisfied with Jaxon. I'd give an A++, sight unseen.

-Tofu

 

[RBH]

Welcome to the Lounge Anthony glad you joined us!

 

[Anthony Jordan]

Many thanks to all for the welcomes and advice; please keep it coming...

 

[deanglen]

Many thanks to all for the welcomes and advice; please keep it coming...

Okay, welcome, welcome,welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome...ad infinitumlol

dean

 

[mikepara]

Hi...

Anthony, why not just scour the bay and get a decent vintage hat? There's some real bargains, especially on the UK site as there's not so many loungers over here. Mike

 

[Anthony Jordan]

Dear all,

Just to let you know that, after our conversations, I weakened and bought this little budget buster:

It is allegedly made by Christy's to the same standards as the fedora they make for Herbert Johnson (it was news to me that Christys make for Herbie J, but I've no reason to doubt the vendor), who in turn supplied the original fedora for the Indiana Jones movies.

I am pleased all in all (and Mike, I am taking your advice and scouring eBay for my next hat!)

Anthony

 

[Jerekson]

Hmmm :/

That looks like a very nice hat. No doubt.

HOWEVER, I am intrigued that the vendor claimed an Indiana Jones connection. Could you explain this in more detail, please?

Regardless, that looks like a fine hat. I trust the quality is good, coming from Christy's.

J

 

[Anthony Jordan]

The vendor on the listing describes the hat as "produced by the same company who supplies the hats for the Indiana Jones movies"; knowing full well that Herbert Johnson (http://www.swaineadeney.co.uk/bespoke/herbert_johnson_hats/index.html - they are now part of the Swaine Adeney and Brigg stable) claims to supply these hats and offers them to the public at two-and-a-bit times what I paid, I prodded the vendor a bit further and got the admission that it was made by the same firm supplying Herbie J (which surprised me as, in my innocence, I had assumed that HJ made its hats in-house) and to the same spec. On this basis I decided to proceed; when I got the hat I noted with interest that the sweatband treatment was more-or-less identical to that on my recently-purchased Christy "Knightsbridge" fedora. I opined as much to the seller and they said that yes, it was made by Christy's. So there you have it!

 

[Jerekson]

Wow. Quite interesting.

 

[GentlemanFarmer]

Glad to welcome a new member. Pull up a stool and stay awhile.