I need some HAT help!!!!

[T Jones]

Tim at Pure Beaver Hat Supply sells pre-made 2 ply bows. Don't know for certain if he has black. Look him up on instagram @purebeaver.

I really would not waste any time or money on a hat that is sized "small, medium, large" but that is just me. Also, I don't know if this makes a difference for you, but JJ is 20% off the listed price right now which puts it at $188. The 5x is not spectacular felt, but I'd imagine it to be more durable than the straight wool hats.

I just checked him out on Instagram. I started following him. Looks like he has some interesting stuff.

 

[busstonedfx]

Two, three, etc., cord “ribbons” are hard to find and expensive when you do. I recommend starting with a hat that has the ribbon you want.

Unless you spending close to $1000 (or even more), Stetson doesn’t offer “beaver” felt hats; however, for a small increase you can get fur felt (rabbit). I understand the desire to start with wool just for the cost savings, but fur felt will be cheaper over time.

http://www.hat-co.com/perch//resources/f19stetsonwesterndigital.pdf

https://www.jjhatcenter.com/product...1&_sid=a468fde3e&_ss=r&variant=29756170928172

This is pure beaver, by stetson, made today! I guess this is what i mean Shame that it's a sub 3-inch brim...

Does anyone know if stetson makes a "Dune" style hat in this same beaver felt? 3 1/4 inch brim?

Hypothetically, if I someday wanted to get away from that western wide brim look, and towards the classic dress fedora... and if I wanted to throw a thin ribbon on this guy instead of wide band on the Metropolitan, I'd end up with a Stratoliner made of pure beaver felt, in the 300-400 dollar range? Brand new?

Are these plain grosgrain ribbons on hats different than the ribbon used on other, cheaper things? Would a regular tailor be able to help me w replacing a ribbon? No hatters in my part of town :/

Thanks all

 

[deadlyhandsome]

https://www.jjhatcenter.com/product...1&_sid=a468fde3e&_ss=r&variant=29756170928172

This is pure beaver, by stetson, made today! Shame that it's a sub 3-inch brim...

Does anyone know if stetson makes a "Dune" style hat in this same beaver felt? 3 1/4 inch brim?

Hypothetically, if I someday wanted to get away from that western wide brim look, and towards the classic dress fedora... and if I wanted to throw a thin ribbon on this guy instead of wide band on the Metropolitan, I'd end up with a Stratoliner made of pure beaver felt, in the 300-400 dollar range? Brand new?

Are these plain grosgrain ribbons on hats different than the ribbon used on other, cheaper things?

Thanks all

Stetson has several beaver fedoras that aren’t priced too high, but you were talking about western/outdoors hats and those aren’t available at those more modest prices. The beaver fedoras aren’t nearly large enough for a western conversion for my tastes...they also aren’t thick or firm enough to retain their structure if they had western dimensions. As for Stetson westerns that are 100% beaver, look a look at what a 100, 200, or 1000X western Stetson costs. Yikes! You’re not paying $350 for a 100% beaver from Stetson with the dimensions of the hats you’re looking at.

This is my New York LE in pure beaver, and it’s a great fedora with great felt and it was also under $400. It would not make a suitable candidate for a fedora into a western conversion; I can only think of a few fedoras that would be suitable, and they would require a skilled hatter.

If your budget goes up to $400 ish I’d say ditch Stetson and have a custom pure beaver hat custom made for you. You’ll get a better hat for less and get one exactly to your specifications.

 

[busstonedfx]

I'm only just beginning to grasp the differences between fedoras, westerns, crossovers, and the differences in felts. I had no idea the price difference for a beaver western vs a beaver fedora would be so huge.

Where does "fedora" end and "western" begin? around the 3" brim mark? I don't know what I want anymore, LOL...

Is the thing that makes it a western crossover attempt, is just the thin band? The combo of the thin band, and 3"+ brim? I wont be curling the sides upwards or anything

The Stetson Dune is technically a crossover?

if they made a Stetson Dune in that 100% Beaver felt they made their fedoras out of... I'd hop right on that ! but they don't offer anything but 4x fur felt....

No idea how 4x western fur felt compares to 100% beaver on a fedora...

I was sure I wanted buffalo felt a week ago so I guess it's a good thing I'm taking my time to learn and not impulse buying anything expensive hahha

The New York LE and the Metropolitan look very similar.. i really like them both! is the difference in the trim?

If we reshaped those two to a cattleman crown, we end up with an Open Road made of fedora beaver felt? This is surely a "western" hat, right? I have no idea what the hell is going on anymore LOL

I don't actually have a budget yet, I'm just doing some research and seeing what my plan should be i appreciate the insight... i don't know why i always lean towards modifying something, rather than starting something new from scratch.... sorry for the rant

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I'm only just beginning to grasp the differences between fedoras, westerns, crossovers, and the differences in felts. I had no idea the price difference for a beaver western vs a beaver fedora would be so huge.

Where does "fedora" end and "western" begin? around the 3" brim mark? I don't know what I want anymore, LOL...

if they made a Stetson Dune in that 100% Beaver felt they made their fedoras out of... I'd hop right on that ! but they don't offer anything but 4x fur felt....

No idea how 4x western fur felt compares to 100% beaver on a fedora...

I was sure I wanted buffalo felt a week ago so I guess it's a good thing I'm taking my time to learn and not impulse buying anything expensive hahha

Western felt has to be thicker and firmer for it to support it’s own weight. Larger brims are larger levers multiplying force. The nature/use of the hats also dictate a more robust felt.

There is no strict rule of what makes a hat a western. The Open Road (and similar hats) is a western and it’s a fedora. It feels more western if shaped in some ways and more fedora if shaped differently.

For a rugged outdoorsy hat I prefer to find 1960s to 1980s Stetson or Resistol hats (2X to 5X Beaver) in fur felt and just modify them. It’s simple to trim the brim down to whatever width you want and to reshape the crown if desired. You end up with a hat with a taller crown than the Dune (a good thing in my opinion), but otherwise quite similar. You get a better hat and with some luck you can find them cheap.

This conversion just requires a pair of scissors, a steam iron, water spray bottle, and a steam:

Here’s one that I replaced the ribbon and had the brim bound:

These were both full on “standard cowboy“ hats that I converted. If you want to keep the ribbon and like the raw edge, you can convert a “cowboy” hat into what I have (similar to the Dune without the binding) in 30+ minutes and letting it dry overnight. These are NOT fine hats, but they are rugged and I like how they look and I like how rugged they are even more. With some patience you can find a donor hat for $40 or so.

Another option to to just look for a used hat with the “Tycoon” crease.

I like great felt hats, but I also really like rugged cheaper hats.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

https://www.jjhatcenter.com/product...1&_sid=a468fde3e&_ss=r&variant=29756170928172

This is pure beaver, by stetson, made today! I guess this is what i mean Shame that it's a sub 3-inch brim...

Does anyone know if stetson makes a "Dune" style hat in this same beaver felt? 3 1/4 inch brim?

Hypothetically, if I someday wanted to get away from that western wide brim look, and towards the classic dress fedora... and if I wanted to throw a thin ribbon on this guy instead of wide band on the Metropolitan, I'd end up with a Stratoliner made of pure beaver felt, in the 300-400 dollar range? Brand new?

Are these plain grosgrain ribbons on hats different than the ribbon used on other, cheaper things? Would a regular tailor be able to help me w replacing a ribbon? No hatters in my part of town :/

Thanks all

No need to cobble together a pure beaver Stratoliner or Open Road. For 2020 Stetson introduced these, but I’ve yet to see one.

 

[busstonedfx]

If you want to keep the ribbon and like the raw edge, you can convert a “cowboy” hat into what I have (similar to the Dune without the binding) in 30+ minutes and letting it dry overnight. These are NOT fine hats, but they are rugged and I like how they look and I like how rugged they are even more. With some patience you can find a donor hat for $40 or so.

Another option to to just look for a used hat with the “Tycoon” crease.

this sounds like a plan! shopping on eBay for a legit cowboy hat, with the intent to customize it myself sounds like a lot of fun. The first pic you uploaded looks like exactly the hat i'd want (but in black)

I know myself lol.... my hats won't be seeing too much "wear and tear".

and if i find some combo of brim/color that i LOVE LOVE LOVE, then maybe, one day, i'll buy a new one in beaver felt. that pure stratoliner you just uploaded looks like a prime candidate :0 i like the thin bands, for sure!
i appreciate the tips!!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

this sounds like a plan! shopping on eBay for a legit cowboy hat, with the intent to customize it myself sounds like a lot of fun. The first pic you uploaded looks like exactly the hat i'd want (but in black)

I know myself lol.... my hats won't be seeing too much "wear and tear".

and if i find some combo of brim/color that i LOVE LOVE LOVE, then maybe, one day, i'll buy a new one in beaver felt. that pure stratoliner you just uploaded looks like a prime candidate :0 i like the thin bands, for sure!
i appreciate the tips!!

Most fedoras, wether vintage or modern, are not pure beaver. You can make one heck of a hat from rabbit and/or hare.

A 3X or 4X Beaver western is mostly all rabbit, but the felt can be finished to a nice hand and the hats are quite sturdy and handsome. One of the reasons that I have such a hard time paying for a custom western hat in beaver is that once you’re talking about thicker and firmer/stiffer felt I just don’t see the the value of beaver, but that’s just me.

4X (I prefer Resistol over Stetson):

 

[busstonedfx]

now you're just making me jealous that is a beautiful hat, just like what I'd be looking for / gonna try to make! (but w a downtuned brim)
did the band come like that? and you reshaped the crown and trimmed the brim? and you did this with scissors?? that's great work

 

[deadlyhandsome]

now you're just making me jealous that is a beautiful hat, just like what I'd be looking for / gonna try to make! (but w a downtuned brim)
did the band come like that? and you reshaped the crown and trimmed the brim? and you did this with scissors?? that's great work

This model and crease is called The Tycoon. I did give the brim a trim, but I used a rounding jack rather than scissors. You can do just as well with scissors and patience. The crease is as the factory made it...I might have tightened the pitch just a bit.

Put in the hours and you’ll find a good one in your size at a bargain price. You can also iron the brim flat, shape them down in the front and back like an adventure hat, or raise the bumpers a bit like I did.

 

[busstonedfx]

Just in case anyone wanted to see the final product of my "Crushable Dune"
got the band from @Purebeaver- Thanks Tim!
I'm happy with how it looks
And I have something to wear until I can afford the real deal made of fur felt

Anyone forsee any problems if I just simply throw 4 tack stitches on this?

 

[Tukwila]

Looks good just like that!

 

[busstonedfx]

Looks good just like that!

thanks hmm maybe you're right, being able to easily remove it could be convenient!

 

[belfastboy]

Just in case anyone wanted to see the final product of my "Crushable Dune"
got the band from @Purebeaver- Thanks Tim!
I'm happy with how it looks
And I have something to wear until I can afford the real deal made of fur felt

Anyone forsee any problems if I just simply throw 4 tack stitches on this?

I just took apart a western with a two ply ribbon and it was held by 4 tacked stitches, single thread. If you wanted to get fancy you could probably catch some of the ribbon from the back side so the stitch would not show at all.

 

[busstonedfx]

I just took apart a western with a two ply ribbon and it was held by 4 tacked stitches, single thread. If you wanted to get fancy you could probably catch some of the ribbon from the back side so the stitch would not show at all.

This will be my first time using a sewing needle, hahaha! I'm a bit scared , even though this thing is this is some cheap "crushable" wool felt.... would you forsee the act of rolling and unrolling a tack stitched 2-ply band putting too much stress on it/deforming the band?
or should i just consider it a day, and leave it so i can remove it easily?

 

[Lobo Rojo]

I have an older Goorin Brothers model in black called the "Jameson". It is a western fedora with a teardrop 4" crown in front and 3 1/2" in the back. The Safari brim in the front and back is 2" and 2 3/8" on the side. I am looking to upgrade to something similar in black fur felt and fully lined and would really appreciate suggestions. Thank you.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

What’s your budget? The simplest thing to do is to send photos to a custom hatter and have him/her duplicate it.

 

[jlee562]

Well, what's your budget?

Do you want something in exactly the same proportions?

What features of this hat do you like? The downturned brim? The width of the ribbon? The size of the brim?

 

[Lobo Rojo]

What’s your budget? The simplest thing to do is to send photos to a custom hatter and have him/her duplicate it.

 

[Lobo Rojo]

Budget is not an issue. Thanks for your suggestion.