Hank Kimball, khaki uniform fedora

[Lance Uppercut]

Thank you all for the warm welcome!

I've been a hat lover my entire life and have a great appreciation for the culture fostered by this site.

That said, I'll be sure to post pics of my various hats in the coming days. I'm going through a bit of a cloth "newsie" period at the moment but I can also be seen sporting a Dobbs Game Bird, a Larchmont pork pie, and/or a Stetson "Sam Sneed" coconut depending on the season or mood.

FYI: Living in downtown Chicago, I've had the good fortune to be a movie extra in a few interesting period films. I played a factory worker in the opening sequence of "Road to Perdition" and a "G Man" in the upcoming "Public Enemy" film starring Johnny Depp as Dillinger. Both these productions had me in fantastically rich, 30's-period wardrobe for many hours . . . an experience I relished and will not soon forget.

 

[Justdog]

Nicholson

My dad wore that style of hat, in Gray, for years.

It was the Big Mac brand from J.C. Penny's.

He wore it with the matching gray pants and shirt to work.

fftopic: Nice hat that your my space photo has that Jack Nicholson is holding.
Any idea what it might be?

 

[Lance Uppercut]

More info on this hat:

This image comes from a 1972 Spring/Summer Bee Hat Co. wholesale catalog I have.

I'll be posting photos of my actual hats in the next few days.

 

[RBH]

Thanks Lance!!!
I for one will be looking forward to your photos!

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Photos . . . FINALLY!

I have two of these in the same (Olivewood) color.
<a href="http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m76/gillmanfan/?action=view&current=BeeHat.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m76/gillmanfan/BeeHat.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Here's a shot of the "Western Costume Co." stamp on the one that I was told comes from the actual Green Acres production:
<a href="http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m76/gillmanfan/?action=view&current=WesternStamp.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m76/gillmanfan/WesternStamp.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m76/gillmanfan/?action=view&current=BeeTag.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m76/gillmanfan/BeeTag.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
I have an Alvy Moore autograph that accompanies the one hat . . . it's for sale FYI.

 

[ken100]

Hank Kimble

I watched the original war of the worlds the other night and was amazed to see Hank Kimble in the scene just like he was in green acres, same hat, same atire same voice.
Ken.

 

[theinterchange]

BUMP!!

Does anyone have anything more to add to the info here? I've been on somewhat of a search for a Kimball hat lately.

Randy

 

[carouselvic]

 

[gtdean48]

Does anyone have anything more to add to the info here? I've been on somewhat of a search for a Kimball hat lately.

Randy

Rusty has one. I call it his County Agent hat...

 

[theinterchange]

Going on the Bee Hats lead, I did a quick canvas of eBay and found a Bee that appears to have never been worn. It's coming my way soon.

Randy

 

[RBH]

Going on the Bee Hats lead, I did a quick canvas of eBay and found a Bee that appears to have never been worn. It's coming my way soon.

Randy

Cant wait to see it!

 

[theinterchange]

I can't either!

I was watching an episode of Leave it to Beaver just yesterday and Ward has a hat similar to Hank's when he came in from a downpouring rain. Well, it wasn't REALLY pouring, no, wait, it was out of hoses, no that was lemonade, the rain was coming out of clouds. What were we talking about?

Randy

 

[Sam Craig]

I remember when you could get the twill fedora, shirt and pants in matching colors ... I believe they were from lee, the folks who made the jeans

There were tan, dark green, gray and dark blue, as I recall

The twill was quite heavy and the shirts and pants were intended to be starched when they were laundered

Lee had an ad campaign that showed the workman who purchased their matching work clothes getting the promotion over the guy who came to work in mismatched outfits

Now that I think about it, I believe they also had a waist-length zip up jacket ... same colors

 

[theinterchange]

WELL....

I got the hat yesterday. I knew the color wasn't spot on, but was hoping the seller's camera and flash had washed it out a bit. That and I was hoping the "band" was just covering a self fabric one underneath... it wasn't. The seller had flattened the crown out and cinched a grocery bag around the hat, so it needs a little work, and there are some stains and what appears to be mildew on the fabric.

The search continues, but this is close in terms of general shape and all. As a cloth hat, I'm not disappointed, but I didn't think it was perfect as a Hank Kimball hat when I bought it.

Randy

 

[funneman]

Nice lid!

A very old friend wore hats just like that for years after he got tired of replacing his panamas. He kept forgetting them in the car. A real no-no in South Florida in the summertime. Those leather sweatbands curl up like fried bacon.

It would be cool to see the finished project.

 

[funneman]

fftopic: Nice hat that your my space photo has that Jack Nicholson is holding.
Any idea what it might be?

Sorry....I just saw this.

Yeah you gotta love Ol' Jack.

No idea on the hat, but i'm sure it's a nice one.

Looks like he's having some work down on the sleeves.

He's still got the label attached.

 

[Blackthorn]

I think this one fits the character:

Here you are:
http://www.chapellerie-traclet.com/hat/traclet-sylvain-p-698.html

I have one and I like it.

 

[Gil]

Fred,
You may be looking for the very hat I just recieved from the Village Hat Shop. It's a great on-line store. Look in the site under Fedoras (other material). Dorfman Pacific makes a Twill Khaki Outback Fedora, and I bought mine for working in the yard. My wife just got me a new antique style reel mower with a canvas grass catcher and this is just the hat a man should wear when he's using such a cool mower. Check these links. http://www.villagehatshop.com/other-fedoras.html

. I had in mind the hat Paul Newman wore in The Long Hot Summer. Hank Kimbal's was the same hat. "Welll it's not the same, maybe closely similar, I don't know, I think, well its a reasonable facsimile, ...."
Good Luck,
Gil with some help from Hank Kimbal

 

[Stan Cruz]

I am STILL looking for a hat like my father wore in the 50s and 60s, but the only place I've seen it was on Green Acres that Couty Agent Hank Kimball wore. The hat hame is Khaki Uniform work hat. Bee Company in St. Louis used to make them, but no longer. If anyone knows where I can find it PLEASE let me know. Email drstan7537@yahoo.com. Thanks you.

 

[belfastboy]

I am STILL looking for a hat like my father wore in the 50s and 60s, but the only place I've seen it was on Green Acres that Couty Agent Hank Kimball wore. The hat hame is Khaki Uniform work hat. Bee Company in St. Louis used to make them, but no longer. If anyone knows where I can find it PLEASE let me know. Email drstan7537@yahoo.com. Thanks you.

What is the hat made from? Is it fur felt or is it a straw hat? How much are you willing to spend to get the hat?