Knox Vagabond new pictures...

[Aureliano]

Hi Loungers,

My lovely wife (god bless her--though I don't believe in god--) just found (and I mean hours ago) on the street, while taking the train from Brooklyn to our apt in grammercy park, a Knox Vagabond.
The hat fits me like a glove, it is a perfect 7 1/8. It is, though, in urgent need of a cleaning and blocking. Just by touching it, it puffs a clowd of stinky dust. The sweat band inside is torn. I am hopin that my friend Orlando Palacios can give it a good makeover. I'd love to keep the original band as well. Here are some pictures I just took. Can anybody guess when was this hat made?

Not that I want to sell it but do you guys have an idea of how much this hat can be sold on ebay, or for that matter, here?

 

[besdor]

Wow!!! now thats a nice hat .



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[jpbales]

Dream come true!!

Just walking down the street and you find a great hat that fits like a glove! Sounds to me like God did bless you!
It looks to be in pretty good shape, and the sweat even looks in tact, maybe enough to wear if you use some leather conditioner (hard to tell from photos though). I would get a hat brush and try to brush the dust out, and if it's still bad maybe go further. I hear that Naphtha works pretty well, but I've never used that myself. It looks to me like you could probably do some re-shaping work with the crown and you may not have to send it to anyone. Anyway, good luck and God bless

 

[Brad Bowers]

You mean found on the street, as in abandoned in the gutter?

Very nice hat! The Vagabond as a Knox model has been around since 1912, but yours is a bit newer than that. I'd guess that it's a pre-1932-merger hat.

Brad

 

[JennyLou]

Wow, what luck!

 

[Rick Blaine]

WOW

I have often seen Vagabonds in the street. Never one I wanted to take home with me & put on my head tho'!
Great day in the morning, you must be livin' right. Quick & go buy a lottery ticket!

 

[Tango Yankee]

All I can think about is the poor fellow who lost such a wonderful hat! :eusa_doh:

Ah, well... no way to return it, so clean it up (brushing, Scout's Felt Cleaner with hat sponge if needed) and enjoy!

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Aureliano]

Thanks for all the nice words. To answer one of the replies: yes, my wife saw a pile of stuff on the curb, lots of furniture, lots of suitcases and on top of everything, a very crumpled hat box. All wet and dirty. She opened it and there it was a 71/8 Knox!

As to the condition, the leather sweat band is actually in terrible shape, you cannot see it from the pictures but it has rotten, in parts, around the edges and turned into dust. I was thinking on removing it, cut it straight with a paper cutter I have as to go in a straight line and sew it anew.
Now the hat has, and I'm not kidding, tremendous amounts of dust. It is ridiculous. Just by holding it you get stained by it. I brushed it a little but doing it inside was a bad idea. This morning I discovered that the outside ribbon has a couple of discolorations along the way....

 

[DOUGLAS]

Send me a PM and I will gladly take it off your hands.

 

[Aureliano]

Sorry Douglas. It's not for sale. I would like to know, just for my own benefit how much people would pay for one of this. Do you have an idea? how much would you pay?

Also, here are some pictures of the damaged sweat band:

 

[Viper Man]

Well, price is always subjective so the question you are asking doesn't have an answer. PM Douglas and see what he was willing to offer. I'm guessing that would give you an idea. [huh] At least you'd know what he was willing to pay.

By the way, I don't believe in the Easter bunny.

 

[DOUGLAS]

For reference I paid less than fifty for this perfect condition pure white Vagabond at a flea market here in the city.

In fairness I have paid more than fifty for hats that where not as in good condition.

Prices are subjective as was said and if you know what you are looking at and looking for you will know what you are willing to pay.

 

[Dinerman]

early '30s by the look of the sweatbannd.

 

[feltfan]

Congrats on the find (and for not ascribing it to superstitious beliefs).

I am a huge fan of the way those old sweatbands look (and for that
matter how they perform). But that sweatband is shot. It also appears
to be unreeded, which means it'd be pretty tough to sew back on
or even to find someone who can sew it back on.

Sounds like you have someone who could attach a new sweatband.
If you really can't get it clean with a brush, you might have it cleaned, too.
With a hat of this vintage/quality you can probably have it
blocked "open crown" (undented dome) and put in the dents yourself.

Nice hat.

 

[rrog]

That's a nice find. There are many who purchase hats that aren't in that kind of shape. I wish I had that kind of luck.

rrog

 

[Aureliano]

The sweatband is unreeded and in bad shape. I am going to try to sew it myself. I've done it in the past. I'll post pictures of the end result.
I am very happy with this hat. BTW I love the white one Douglas!
I got mos of the dust off but and notice some discoloration in the felt. I guess that's normal. It is, after all, an old guy...
Another question, it sort of smells. wuould fabreeze remove the stench?
Aureliano-

 

[DOUGLAS]

I wouldn't spray Fabreeze or anything else on it. Sometimes chemicals have an adverse reaction and may stain. I have used baking soda in a dish with the hat over it. I also have used lavender in a loose pouch put inside the hat and left in a sealed box for a week or so.

 

[Aureliano]

Baking soda! that's godamn brilliant! I totally forgot about that!
thanks again Douglas!

 

[DOUGLAS]

Replace it frequently and put it in a closed box. On hot sunny days put it out on the fire escape or window in direct light. The Sun does wonders. Be sure to attach something to the hat so it doesn't blow away.

 

[Aureliano]

would you recommend to spread some powder directly on the hat?