Hat Pins or Not??

[Edward]

Not a hat pin but an interesting placement of a windcord button, on the bow itself. An idea I got from an old picture that a Lounger posted on another thread. The hat is a Stetson / Akubra Frankenhat.

Sounds intriguing, any more information? I remember Akubra did make some Stetsons under licence for the Australian market some years ago - as I recall, they made the Stratoliner, which, once that arrangement came to an end, became the Campdraft under their own brand.

 

[T Jones]

Sounds intriguing, any more information? I remember Akubra did make some Stetsons under licence for the Australian market some years ago - as I recall, they made the Stratoliner, which, once that arrangement came to an end, became the Campdraft under their own brand.

Actually, it's a combination of an Akubra hat body and the materials from a Stetson wool Whippet that I put together for my Frankenhat. The ribbon and bow work, the sweat, the liner, and the brim binding came off of the Stetson. The Akubra was missing the hat band and liner and the sweat just wasn't worth saving. I reblocked it to my size, patched a hole, and put the Stetson materials on it and made a wearable hat. You're right about Stetson once licensing Akubra to do some hats for them, but I was thinking that it was the Open Road. Maybe Akubra did both the OR and the Strat(?) Possibly a good question for Brad Bowers.

This was the donor hat. A modern Stetson wool Whippet....

 

[Edward]

Actually, it's a combination of an Akubra hat body and the materials from a Stetson wool Whippet that I put together for my Frankenhat. The ribbon and bow work, the sweat, the liner, and the brim binding came off of the Stetson. The Akubra was missing the hat band and liner and the sweat just wasn't worth saving. I reblocked it to my size, patched a hole, and put the Stetson materials on it and made a wearable hat. You're right about Stetson once licensing Akubra to do some hats for them, but I was thinking that it was the Open Road. Maybe Akubra did both the OR and the Strat(?) Possibly a good question for Brad Bowers.

This was the donor hat. A modern Stetson wool Whippet....

You did a lovely job! I love that wide brim binding - I need to get myself a hat with that on it.


Could well have been the OR Akubra did, right enough - the Capdraft does come open crown. I've never handled an OR but (pin deign difference aide), it does look to be basically the same hat as the Stratoliner, save with a cattleman crease rather than a front pinch and fedora style crease?

 

[T Jones]

You did a lovely job! I love that wide brim binding - I need to get myself a hat with that on it.


Could well have been the OR Akubra did, right enough - the Capdraft does come open crown. I've never handled an OR but (pin deign difference aide), it does look to be basically the same hat as the Stratoliner, save with a cattleman crease rather than a front pinch and fedora style crease?

Thank you, Edward! I've always wanted an actual Whippet but my pockets aren't deep enough to afford one. So I have to make my own version of one. Although an actual Whippet is still on my bucket list along with other hats I'd love to have.

I'm thinking it was an OR that Akubra made and continued it under the Campdraft name. The brim on the Campdraft is wider with a more shallow flange, (closer to an OR), than you'd normally see on a Stratoliner. But, change out the brim flange to a deeper snap brim flange and you'd have something closer to resembling a Strat. Plus, I'd change out the hat band to a 3/8.

 

[Edward]

Thank you, Edward! I've always wanted an actual Whippet but my pockets aren't deep enough to afford one. So I have to make my own version of one. Although an actual Whippet is still on my bucket list along with other hats I'd love to have.

I'm thinking it was an OR that Akubra made and continued it under the Campdraft name. The brim on the Campdraft is wider with a more shallow flange, (closer to an OR), than you'd normally see on a Stratoliner. But, change out the brim flange to a deeper snap brim flange and you'd have something closer to resembling a Strat. Plus, I'd change out the hat band to a 3/8.

Makes sense - now I think about it, the brim shape is a big difference. The Campdraft I steamed the brim into a fedora style downswoop at the front, but it's not a snap brim - which the Stratoliner does have. Seems a Stratoliner might ultimately by intent be an OR for those of us who prefer a Fedora over a Western; I wonder if that was ever figured into the design intent?

 

[RBH]

Makes sense - now I think about it, the brim shape is a big difference. The Campdraft I steamed the brim into a fedora style downswoop at the front, but it's not a snap brim - which the Stratoliner does have. Seems a Stratoliner might ultimately by intent be an OR for those of us who prefer a Fedora over a Western; I wonder if that was ever figured into the design intent?

Edward, it was the Open Road that Akubra made for Stetson.
As to the Stratoliner and Open Road comparison, here is a screen shot from a scholarly work on advertising from the 1950s.

and to answer the question adout Stratoliner/Open Road.....

 

[Mighty44]

Holy smokes that’s amazing!

Edward, it was the Open Road that Akubra made for Stetson.
As to the Stratoliner and Open Road comparison, here is a screen shot from a scholarly work on advertising from the 1950s.

and to answer the question adout Stratoliner/Open Road.....

 

[T Jones]

Edward, it was the Open Road that Akubra made for Stetson.
As to the Stratoliner and Open Road comparison, here is a screen shot from a scholarly work on advertising from the 1950s.

and to answer the question adout Stratoliner/Open Road.....

Now that's an eye opener. Thanks for the info!

 

[Edward]

Edward, it was the Open Road that Akubra made for Stetson.
As to the Stratoliner and Open Road comparison, here is a screen shot from a scholarly work on advertising from the 1950s.

and to answer the question adout Stratoliner/Open Road.....

Thanks! This is fascinating! I was aware of the aeroplane connection in the name, but not that Stetson had cross-marketed it in quite such an organised way with TWA.

 

[T Jones]

Thanks! This is fascinating! I was aware of the aeroplane connection in the name, but not that Stetson had cross-marketed it in quite such an organised way with TWA.

A vintage Stratoliner is another of those hats that's on my bucket list. In fact, I have it at the top of my bucket list.

 

[Edward]

A vintage Stratoliner is another of those hats that's on my bucket list. In fact, I have it at the top of my bucket list.

I've got a bit of a notion for a furfelt Strat since buying my first straw one on eBay recently - it really is a nicely proportioned hat. I'll probably at some point have a wander in the London Stetson store to see them, though I'm hoping this Summer they stock the straws. My recent purchase is a grey Florentine Milan straw one; I'd love to compare it in the hand to a hemp version. Money no object, I'd buy all the colours in these, but I particularly fancy the navy blue and the brown ones. With a grey in hand, a mid brown might be the next move when the weather gets lighter...

 

[Colonel seriously.]

Actually, it's a combination of an Akubra hat body and the materials from a Stetson wool Whippet that I put together for my Frankenhat. The ribbon and bow work, the sweat, the liner, and the brim binding came off of the Stetson. The Akubra was missing the hat band and liner and the sweat just wasn't worth saving. I reblocked it to my size, patched a hole, and put the Stetson materials on it and made a wearable hat. You're right about Stetson once licensing Akubra to do some hats for them, but I was thinking that it was the Open Road. Maybe Akubra did both the OR and the Strat(?) Possibly a good question for Brad Bowers.

This was the donor hat. A modern Stetson wool Whippet....

 

[Colonel seriously.]

Thank you Mr.Jones. You just answered an unasked question that I had about my vintage Champ. It has a wind chord button just behind the bow. I did not know what that was. I just assumed it was part of the hatband as it matches the cosgrain ribbon exactly. A quick google search gave several YouTube videos on the subject. This lounge is a fount of knowledge.

 

[T Jones]

Thank you Mr.Jones. You just answered an unasked question that I had about my vintage Champ. It has a wind chord button just behind the bow. I did not know what that was. I just assumed it was part of the hatband as it matches the cosgrain ribbon exactly. A quick google search gave several YouTube videos on the subject. This lounge is a fount of knowledge.

You're welcome, CS! I'm glad the post gave you the answers you needed.

Agreed. The Lounge is definitely the place to be for the best information on hats.

 

[RBH]

I love pins! Most of my hats have one.
This is my latest pin for this summer’s straw.