Indicators of a low quality hat:

[deadlyhandsome]

This is an idea I had kicking around. I see it as a help for those just starting out in vintage hats so they can avoid some of the pitfalls. Maybe someone else can make a thread on what TO look for; I’m more familiar with the mistakes

I’ll freely admit that some of the “low quality” hats might server you/me just fine, or fill a particular niche, but they are not what most of us are looking for in vintage hats. Also, we are talking in broad generalities and admit there are many exceptions.

Please add your insights.


Machine pressed crown shape. The sharp lines and hard angles give it away.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

This is a crown shape that I’ve found typically on lower quality hats. The shallow center crease is necessitated by the low crown height. This is also a machine pressed crown, but not as severe as the hat above.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Macrame “ribbons” are indicative of a time when most hats were of pretty low quality:

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Black sweatbands. I hesitated to include this as there are a great many exceptions. Many European hats that are of spectacular have black sweatbands; however, as a rule of thumb hats with brown/tan sweatbands tend to be of better quality. This “rule” does not hold true when dealing with modern hats that often also have brown sweatbands. I also find the gold stipe on the sweatband (excepting custom hats) to be more commonly found on lower quality hats:

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Narrower sweatbands. It’s rare to find a nice wide (2 inches or there about) sweatband that isn’t attached to a decent quality vintage hat. The closer the width gets to one inch the greater the likelihood that’s it’s lower quality.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Hats that say they are fur felt. Fur felt is a good thing, but it’s been my experience that hats marketed as such tend to be lower quality and from a more recent period.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Most any hat originally marked and sold in sizes small, medium, large, etc. it’s very rare to find a quality that wasn’t sized according to one of the standard systems of hat sizing (e.g., 7, 7 1/8, 7 1/4, etc.).

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Any hat marked wool or crushable (including fur felt).

 

[LuvMyMan]

Fabric sweatbands....glued on bow and ribbon work....no liners....large plastic ribbon/bow pins NO pictures but you can figure things out. Nothing personal against cheap junk hats....but I sure do not like them at all. It is like buying a beer...with only the can or bottle...but no beer! LOL!

 

[LuvMyMan]

Any hat marked wool or crushable (including fur felt).

View attachment 219312

Ask Grandpa to sit on it to test it out....LOL

 

[belfastboy]

My usual modus operandi is to learn from my mistakes. But I got tired of making them over and over so gave up on the vintage market UNLESS the seller was someone that I knew and trusted. I stopped hunting for bargains as my mistakes were more plentiful than my scores. So now if I take the plunge into vintage I am willing to pay a fair price knowing the seller and the provenance of the hat is legit. Buying from someone here in The Lounge, or from FineVintageFedoras has served me very well. Ebay/Etsy etc not so much. Having said that I have pretty much given up on the vintage market and focus on custom.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Some very high quality hats were made without liners. Such hats will usually have some sort of label affixed to the center of the crown, or printed directly on the felt. There are also a fair few high quality vintage hats out there that have lost their liners sometime in their long lives. A missing liner makes it less collectible, and possibly less desirable, but it is not a sign of a low quality hat.

 

[Héctor Fernández]

Definitely not what we are used to call "good quality", but I tell you, I have a beater Stetson Explorer that did its job in upstate N.Y. during the winter months. I used it to hike, climb, snowshoeing, and that sucker didn't buckle.

Having said that, that's the only one I own, supporting your assessment

Any hat marked wool or crushable (including fur felt).

View attachment 219312

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Definitely not what we are used to call "good quality", but I tell you, I have a beater Stetson Explorer that did its job in upstate N.Y. during the winter months. I used it to hike, climb, snowshoeing, and that sucker didn't buckle.

Having said that, that's the only one own , in support of your assessment

I too have several hats that check many of the low quality “boxes.” They still have their places in my collection, but they aren’t the hats that so many of us are on the lookout for. Some of the “low quality” hats are tough and rugged and can soak up a lot of hard use.

 

[GHT]

Most any hat originally marked and sold in sizes small, medium, large, etc. it’s very rare to find a quality that wasn’t sized according to one of the standard systems of hat sizing (e.g., 7, 7 1/8, 7 1/4, etc.).
View attachment 219311

Well said. You often find that vendors who sell hats as a sideline will size them as S. M. L. In my experience XL is still too small. Knowing that Imperial and US sizes in hats and shoes are slightly different, I find that vendors with a good reputation, will add a metric size too. The difference between a UK seven and three quarters and the same size in the US is enough to make a significant difference.

I have bought a Stetson and a Biltmore from the US, both vendors were flattered that I had phoned them, and both went out of their way to be helpful. And of course, both supplied good quality hats.

 

[moehawk]

Cool idea for a thread. I agree with all of it, but as you mentioned there are always exceptions. For example my '28 Dobbs Homburg has a black sweatband, and my French Mystery hat has a sweat not much wider than an inch. Both are high quality hats.
I might add to the list any American made Tyrolean style hats. To my experience they are not good quality, with the exception of my John Batterson.

 

[1967Cougar390]

Great thread Brent! A lot of my hats fall into this category, but that’s alright with me. I knew what I was buying at the time because I held them in my hand. Most of my low quality hats have suited their purpose well. So all in all depending on the budget low quality hats can fill a spot in any collection.

Steven

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Visible stitching where the ribbon and/or bow is sewn on. Some great hats have visible stitching, but the more pronounced the stitching is the more likely it’s a lower quality hat.

 

[Daniele Tanto]

Ciao Brent, interesting your comments on the low quality standards in the production of hats.
Let's say I almost totally agree. I do, however, have a couple of comments.
The first is that European production must be separated from American production for reasons of continuity in quality. Here we have gone much longer on the road of good and excellent products that reaches the present day, therefore we are not talking only about vintage hats, but about what the market offers.
The second is much more complex. Given that many of your observations are correct, the question arises: how do we recognize medium and high quality hats? And what is the line that separates the two mentioned standards?
Every day I find that hats are often bought for the brand, often known and pumped alone by the seller, or for the thousands of small, little innocent scams that marketing has created over the years. For example: numbers (20, 50 100 and so on) many X or stars or other indications, not very credible, of quality. Exotic fur quotes like "Beaver" "Angora" "Mink" and so on. You can add other examples of small marketing tricks to your choice that buyers often bite into.
How do we want to judge those who are considered "rarities" in a world that has produced trillions of hats, paid for by weight of gold, by some fool?
Ugly, low-quality hats are simple enough to recognize, but it is much more difficult to value real quality. This is a duty that we all have.
Thanks Brent for your willingness to explore, at your expense, the world of hats and hatters, you have all my admiration and respect because the money you use for your "experiments" comes from your pockets.
The discussion could expand, but for now let's try to stay as you have listed to try to have clear ideas on the real quality of the hats whether they are vintage or made by a contemporary hatter

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Don’t believe it!