List of classic manufacturer's . . .

[Lady Blue]

Updated list

I think this is a really great project and I wanted to nudge it forward, so I took the liberty of updating the list and consolidating the comments made in posts, adding a few tidbits from my memory as well. Here goes, feel free to add on!

Adams -The budget brand of the day, Adam none-the-less made a dependable hat, and made sure that they copied the styles of the most popular hat makers

Bailey- Founded in 1922 by George Bailey. Still in production - http://www.baileyhats.com/

Barbisio- Italian. Was a competitor of Borsalino. Closed in the 80s.
Beaver Brand- Founded in 1860 in St. Louis, MO. Now based in New Haven, MO. Still in operation - http://www.beaverbrandhats.com/

Bates- http://www.bates-hats.co.uk/. London hatter established in the early 1900s and still in operation.

Bee Hats- Used to be located on Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis. No longer in production as of 2000.

Biltmore-- Since 1917. Still in operation - http://www.biltmorehats.com/
Boldt’s of D.C

Bond
Borsalino-Italian. http://www.borsalino.com/ (site currently under construction). Still in production.
Brent- The name used by Montgomery Ward for their hats - no longer in production.

Buckley
Cavalier

Cavanagh -One of the premiere hat-makers in the 1930s, Cavanagh remained a premier hat maker through the 1950s, and made excellent hats into the 60s. Located in Norwalk, CT. Dobbs and Cavanagh formed Cavanagh-Dobbs in 1928. They added Crofut & Knapp to the fold sometime between March and June 1929. Hat Corporation of America (founded by Cavanaugh) took over in 1932.

Caxton
Champ-Considered a budget to mid-quality brand by many, Champ made a really nice quality hat, and though they were certainly not top-of-the-line, they had a lot of style!

Christy's of London - Founded by Miller Christy in a small courtyard shop off Gracechurch Street in the city of London in 1773 - still in production.

Churchill-A line of fine quality hats, the Churchill line was bought out by Resistol in the 1950s, though Resistol continued to produce hats under that name for quite some time. Citation- “hats of distinction”.
Courtney
Crofut & Knapp- Located in Norwalk, CT. Merged with Dobbs and Cavanagh in 1929.
Disney
Dobbs -One of the premiere hat-makers in the 1930s and 1940s, and still around today. Located in Norwalk, CT. Dobbs and Cavanagh formed Cavanagh-Dobbs in 1928. They added Crofut & Knapp to the fold sometime between March and June 1929. Hat Corporation of America took over in 1932.

Dunlap
Empire State
Francato Cappello
Flechet- Popular French hat manufacturer. Closed in the 1960’s.
Foreman & Clark
GH
Guerra
P. & C. Habig.
Hat Company of America-large conglomerate of hat companies by the 1960’s, but also manufactured hats under their own name.
Hatters Guild
Imperial
Jaxon

Knox - Located in Norwalk, CT. One of the premiere hat-makers in the day, along with Dobbs and Cavanagh, Knox positioned their hats as being the best money could buy, and had a knack for exploiting a market with slick advertising. Knox joined forces with Dunlap in 1918 and were later bought out by Byer-Rolnick (Resistol).

Kristall
Lamson-Hubbard Co. of Boston
Langenburg (Lion Hats)
Largomarsino

Lee -Lee made quality, but economic contract hats for JC Penney (Marathon) and such; while their own brand ran from mid-grade to fine quality. Probably the most prolific producer of hats for private labeling. Located in Danbury, CT.
Lincoln Bennett & CO. British hat manufacturer known for top hats.
Lock
Look & Johnson
MacLachlan
Mayser
Kevin McAndrew

Mallory-Mid to high quality hat brand. Located in Danbury, CT. Bought by Stetson in 1947 who manufactured high-end Mallorys under that name until the 1960’s when it was replaced by “Mallory by Stetson”

Manhattan
Melton
Meyer
Montecristi
Monterray
Morfelt-Established around 1879.
Mossant- France's most famous hatmaker from the golden era
Optimo-
Peschel
Pedigree
Perfect Hat Company- of New York with the slogan "Good as the Name"
Pilgrim
Portis
Resistol- (Byer-Rolnick) formed in 1927 and were eventually bought by Hatco in the 1960s.
Rothschild
Royston
Rundle & White
Scala
Schoble
Scott
Selco- store located in Brooklyn NY . They sold mostly Tonak hats from the Czek Republic . The store was located in Williamsburg Brooklyn .
Stetson-located in Philadelphia. Established in 1865. A premier hat company in the Golden Era who absorbed many high quality brands including Mallory in the 1940’s. http://www.stetsonhat.com/raw/index.html

Steven Stetson-of New York.
Stevens
Supernatural
Tilly

Trimble -Located in Orange, New Jersey, the Trimble Hat Company was a popular hat manufacturing company during the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.

Wasicka- of Cudahy, Wis.

Willoughby

Wormser -Wormser was considered a mid-range hat, though several were just as good as any vintage Stetson or Mallory. They had different levels of quality.

Worth and Worth

 

[besdor]

Selco was a store located in Brooklyn NY . They sold mostly Tonak hats from the Czek Republic . The store was located in Williamsburg Brooklyn .






Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[Stoney]

Francato Capello

I've just received a Francato Capello hat. It's a bit difficult to date but my best guess is that its mid fiftes to early sixties.

The style and quality of the Capello is comprable with the Borsalino with the exception for style as a more pronounced curve in the brim and a more tapered appearance, of the crown when viewed from the front. Also the front of the crown is completely vertical.

The Capello was equipped with a wind cord but unfortunately, on mine, it has either been cut, or broken, off. I'll post some pictures as soon as I have a chance to take some.

 

[Topper]

Is this purely just a list? or is it meant to be useful in some way?

If you do wish to make it useful - e.g. Dating estimating the age of a hat then i would suggest you set up a number of specifics for each firm. That way easier to research:

e.g.

• Name ( Of hatter)
• Opening date
• Close date
• Bought out - or Closed ( A lot of UK hatting firms were merged into bigger joint firms - e.g. The modern Christys' is what remains of many many old hatters firms combined. including Lincoln Bennett, Henry Heath, the Chestergate Hat Manufacturing Co., Scott's Ltd. Battersby's, T & W Lee's of Stockport, Moore's and Wilson's of Denton and the origonal Christys'
• Hat Manufacturer as well as Hatter( Did They make their own hats)
• Rebranding ( Which other firms made hats for them)
• Address (1) Dates (1)
• Address (2) Dates (2)
• Address (3) Dates (3)

Firms such as Herbet Johnson, have moved many times, with each move their tip dye changed showing their new address. The tip dye address, can be used to date a period when the hat was made, or last relined.


To full research you really need to get access to Govt company historic records, and also suggest "Hatters Gazette" and also "American hatter magazine"

 

[Fletch]

Selco was a store located in Brooklyn NY . They sold mostly Tonak hats from the Czek Republic . The store was located in Williamsburg Brooklyn .

OK Steve, keep talking.

How long did the Czech connection go back? Into the 1950s? 40s? Earlier?

Was there ever a Selco factory in Brooklyn itself to your knowledge? Just seems odd that a shop would be importing hats while good quality product was still being made domestically. Especially in the years after WW2, when European industry was more or less kaput.

I've got 3 different addresses in the sweatbands of my 40s-50s vintage Selcos. One on Roebling St., another on Taylor, and one at 228 Broadway. One hat carries both the Roebling and Taylor addresses. All pretty much in the 'burg, I gather from a quick googling.

 

[besdor]

Selco carried the hats for many years . They also carried Barbisio hats when they were made in Italy . The store itself liquidated their inventory about 8 years ago of hundreds of old vintage hats such as Stetson , Christy's, Mallory , Melton and many others . Their last location was 228 Broadway in Brooklyn. Now the store is gone. I was able to get some very cool hats from then but the sizes were small . I bought them just for preservation purposes.




Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[Fletch]

So all you know, I guess, is what you've seen yourself? Cool - thanks for the feedback.

I still doubt that anybody was importing hats from Czecho before, say, the 70s. I suspect they were at least assembled and finished in Brooklyn at some point.

 

[mingoslim]

Conintuing the Research . . . Your help is needed!

Is this purely just a list? or is it meant to be useful in some way?

If you do wish to make it useful - e.g. Dating estimating the age of a hat then i would suggest you set up a number of specifics for each firm. That way easier to research:

e.g.

• Name ( Of hatter)
• Opening date
• Close date
• Bought out - or Closed ( A lot of UK hatting firms were merged into bigger joint firms - e.g. The modern Christys' is what remains of many many old hatters firms combined. including Lincoln Bennett, Henry Heath, the Chestergate Hat Manufacturing Co., Scott's Ltd. Battersby's, T & W Lee's of Stockport, Moore's and Wilson's of Denton and the origonal Christys'
• Hat Manufacturer as well as Hatter( Did They make their own hats)
• Rebranding ( Which other firms made hats for them)
• Address (1) Dates (1)
• Address (2) Dates (2)
• Address (3) Dates (3)

Firms such as Herbet Johnson, have moved many times, with each move their tip dye changed showing their new address. The tip dye address, can be used to date a period when the hat was made, or last relined.


To full research you really need to get access to Govt company historic records, and also suggest "Hatters Gazette" and also "American hatter magazine"

I am glad to see there is still some interest in my little project . . .

Topper makes some good points, and much of the data he suggests would be useful. If anyone has any of it, I would love for them to add the info to the list. For now though, I would just be happy to have a little more detail about the manufacturers whom we have gathered so far.

So here is where my research has led . . . As alwasy, the question is can any of our Hat Aficionados help fill in the details on this myriad of manufacturers? When were they in business? Where did they operate? What kind of quality did they produce? What styles or innovations were they famous for? . . . Are they still making hats!?!?!

Are you all up to the challenge?

Classic:

Adams
The budget brand of the day, Adam none-the-less made a dependable hat, and made sure that they copied the styles of the most popular hat makers . . .

Artel Hats

Bailey
Founded in 1922 by George Bailey, and still in production.

Barbisio
A classic Italian manufacturer, and a competitor of Borsalino. Closed in the 80s.

Bates
Edward Bates Ltd of London was founded on Jermyn Street at the turn of the last century, and remains in business today.

Beaver Brand
Founded in 1860 in St. Louis, Missouri, and based in New Haven, Missouri since 1928, this manufacturer, Formerly known as Gauss-Hunicke and Langenburg Hat Co is still in operation today.

Bee Hats
Originally located on Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis, but no longer in production as of 2000.

Biltmore
Founded in 1917 and still in operation

Boldt of Washing D.C.

Bond

Borsalino
A classic Italian manufacturer, still doing business today. The company began in 1857, in Alessandria Italy; when Giuseppe Borsalino set up the first artisan workshop for the production of felt hats.
When Giuseppe Borsalino died in 1900, his business employed almost a thousand workers and boasted an annual production of one million hats. By 1913 the company employed more than 2500 workers and reached an annual production of more than 2 million hats with its products reaching every corner of the world.

Bradford

Brent
The “house” brand for Montgomery Wards stores . . .

Brooks Brothers

Buckley

Cavalier

Cavanagh
One of the premiere hat-makers in the 1920s and 30s, Cavanagh remained a premier hat maker through the 1950s, and made excellent hats into the 60s.
The company was located in Norwalk, CT, where many of the the high end hatters were located: Knox, Crofut & Knapp, and Dobbs.
Dobbs and Cavanagh formed Cavanagh-Dobbs in 1928, and added Crofut & Knapp to the fold in 1929. Hat Corporation of America took over the company in 1932.

Caxton

Cervo
Cervo is fine Italian hatter, and has from time to time been contracted by Borsalino to make their felts and hats.

Champ
Considered a budget to mid-quality brand by many, Champ made a really nice quality hat, and though they were certainly not top-of-the-line, they had a lot of style!

Christy's of London
Founded by Miller Christy in a small courtyard shop off Gracechurch Street in the city of London in 1773, Christy’s is still manufacturing fine quality hats today.
The modern Christys' has absorbed or merged with many old hatters firms;. including Lincoln Bennett, Henry Heath, The Chestergate Hat Manufacturing Co., Scott's Ltd., Battersby's, T&W Lee's of Stockport, Moore's and Wilson's of Denton, and, of course, the original Christys'.

Churchill
A line of fine quality hats, the Churchill line was bought out by Resistol in the 1950s, though Resistol continued to produce hats under that name for quite some time.

Citation

Courtney

Crofut & Knapp
The makers of Knapp Felt Hats in New York City. The company was actually located in Norwalk, CT, where many of the the high end hatters were located, including Knox, Cavanagh, and Dobbs.
The company merged with Cavanagh-Dobbs in 1929, which was, in turn, taken over by Hat Corporation of America in 1932.

Disney
Founded in 1885 in New York City

Dobbs
One of the premiere hat-makers in the 1930s and 1940s, and still around today. The company was located in Norwalk, CT, where many of the the high end hatters were located, including Knox, Crofut & Knapp, and Cavanagh.
Dobbs and Cavanagh formed Cavanagh-Dobbs in 1928, and added Crofut & Knapp to the fold in 1929. Hat Corporation of America took over the company in 1932.

Duff

Dunlap
Merged with Knox in 1918, though they continued to make hats under this brand name.

Elis

Empire State

Etchinson
This small North Carolina company traced its origins to 1866 but by the 1940s, they were probably getting their hats made through Lee and finished them out with their liners and sweatbands.

Francato Cappello
A quality hat-maker with product comparable to Borsalino.

Flechet
France.

Foreman & Clark

GH

Gage

Gelot

Guerra
Another very good Italian hat.

P. & C. Habig.
Austria.

Hat Corporation of America
Founded in the 1930s by John Cavanagh, whose Park Avenue hat shop was among the most prestigious in the United States.

Hatters Guild

Imperial

Jaxon

Hardeman

Herbert Johnson British

Knox
One of the premiere hat-makers in the day, along with Dobbs and Cavanagh, Knox positioned their hats as being the best money could buy, and had a knack for exploiting a market with slick advertising.
The company was located in Norwalk, CT, where many of the the high end hatters were located, including Cavanagh, Crofut & Knapp, and Dobbs.
Knox was bought out by Byer-Rolnick (Resistol) and eventually became part of HatCo in the 1960s.

Kristall

Lamson-Hubbard Co. Boston.

Langenburg (Lion Hats)
Founded in 1860 Gauss-Hunicke in St. Louis, the Langenburg Hat Co is the forerunner of Beaver Brand hats.

Largomarsino
A South American manufacturer in Argentina, the company, still in business today.

Lee
Located in the hat-making center at Danbury, CT, Lee was probably the most prolific producer of hats for private labelling . . . such as the economic JC Penney (Marathon) line and such; while their own brand ran from mid-grade to fine quality.

James Locke & Co. British

Lincoln Bennett & Co.
British hat manufacturer known for top hats.

Look & Johnson

MacLachlan

Mallory
Owned by the E. A. Mallory Company, Mallory Hats was one of the oldest hat-makers in the United States when the brand was sold to Stetson in 1946. The Mallory Factory in Danbury, Conneticut, was in production from 1860 until 1969, when it was sold to the Danbury Hat Company which filed for bankruptcy in 1987.

Mayser Germany.

Kevin McAndrew

Manhattan

Marathon
Made by Lee for J.C. Penney’s.

Melton

Meyer

Montecristi

Monterray

Morfelt
Established around 1879.

Mossant
The Mossant factory was in Bourg-de-P?©age, France, and manufactured some of the finest hats in the early decades of the 20th century. The brand was considered the pinaacle in France and but was also well-known in the United States for most of the twentieth century. The company was founded by Charles Mossant in the nineteenth century, and by 1929 more than 2,000 hats a day were being produced; half of them were directly shipped to the U.S. Hat production ended in 1998.

Optimo

Palco

Panizza
The Panizza Headwear Company is among the oldest companies in Italy, having been manufacturing headwear since 1898.

Peschel

Pedigree

Perfect Hats
The Perfect Hat Company of New York was known for its slogan "Good as the Name".

Pilgrim

Portis

Puerto Fino
Founded 50 years ago, this South American manufacturer is in Columbia and is still in business today.

Resistol
Founded in Dallas Texas by financier E.R. Byer and hat maker Harry Rolnick in 1927 the firm of Byer-Rolnick produced men's felt hats in Western and Dress stylings, under the newly created brand name "Resistol Hats," meaning to resist-all weather.
Distribution was limited to Texas and Oklahoma early on, but by the late 1930s was nation-wide.
Byer-Rolnick was eventually bought by Hatco in the 1960s.

Robert Hall

Rothschild

Royston

Rundle & White
Established in the mid-1800s in Danbury, Conneticut.

Sarnoff

Scala
The brand is now owned by Dorfman-Pacific.

Schoble
Frank Schoble & Co was founded in Pennsylvania in the 1880s.

Scott

Selco
Founded in 1898 in Brooklyn, New York, Selco traced its root back to 1799 and the Italian firm of Selentino. They manufactured hats (or had them manufactured under contract) into the 1950s, but are best known for marketing Tonak hats, made in the Czech Republic. There is still a Selco store in Brooklyn today.

Stetson, John B.
John Batterson Stetson was born in East Orange, New Jersey in 1830. His father, Stephen Stetson, was a successful hatter and taught his children the trade. Stetson developed tuberculosis as a young man, and moved west hoping to recover. He first settled in St. Joseph, Missouri, and later moved west following the Gold Rush to California, before finally returning to Philadelphia to try his hand at the hat manufacturing trade.
Stetson found the eastern hat market difficult, and so turned his attention to the Westerners . . . marketing hats based upon styles he had seen and developed during his own travels. By 1872, he was also marketing dress hats in his own catalog, and by the turn of the twentieth century he had the world's largest hat factory.
Although John Stetson died in 1906, his company followed men's fashions into the twentieth century, manufacturing top hats, bowlers, homburgs, fedoras, and trilbys, as well as straw hats in both western and dress styles.
By the early 1950s, there were fewer dress hat wearers, and Stetson has since focused primarily on their western hats.

Stetson, Stephen Of New York.

Stevens

Supernatural

Swann

Tilly

Trimble
Located in Orange, New Jersey, the Trimble Hat Company was a popular hat manufacturing company during the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.

Wasicka's
of Cudahy, Wisconsin.

Willoughby

Wormser
Wormser was considered a mid-range hat, though several were just as good as any vintage Stetson or Mallory. They had different levels of quality.

Worth and Worth
Founded in 1922.

 

[Rick Blaine]

STACK

I have a 30s Stack brand fedora, quite nice, anyone else have one?

 

[mingoslim]

Stack is added to the list . . .

Any info on the Stack fedora? Anything in the lining or crown that would be useful?

 

[Brad Bowers]

Any info on the Stack fedora? Anything in the lining or crown that would be useful?

Frank Stack started the company in 1911. They operated out of South Norwalk, and I suspect, though don't have any proof, that Stack was just a hat finisher and used bodies from C&K or one of the others in Norwalk. The company lasted at least until 1945.

Brad

 

[Dinerman]

how 'bout Berg?

F. Berg and co.
Norwalk, CT

I have a hatbox from them, and my hat from Finchley's was made by them.

 

[Rick Blaine]

Dunno...

Any info on the Stack fedora? Anything in the lining or crown that would be useful?[/QUOTE]... but I'll post a photo as able.

Frank Stack started the company in 1911. They operated out of South Norwalk, and I suspect, though don't have any proof, that Stack was just a hat finisher and used bodies from C&K or one of the others in Norwalk. The company lasted at least until 1945.

Brad

Thanks Mr. Bowers, I know nothing of this company.

 

[mingoslim]

It seems my work is never done . . .

I will have to add your info about Stack, and Berg to the list.

 

[Dinerman]

Park Plaza hats

Merrimac Hats

Lasalle (I believe they owned champ?)

F. Agnew Jr. Hat co.
841 4th ave. Huntington, WV

Dalton

 

[mingoslim]

Park Plaza hats

Merrimac Hats

Lasalle (I believe they owned champ?)

F. Agnew Jr. Hat co.
841 4th ave. Huntington, WV

Dalton

I have added them all to the list . . . which is begining to turn into a small book!

 

[Justdog]

Courtney Hats

Hi:

Who made these and what might have been the quality

Courtney Hats

Thanks

 

[Old Jake]

How about Geogio Cellini, manufactured in Columbia?
(I've been reading for a while and own Borsalino, Guerra, Akubra, Stetson, Resistol, Scala, etc......it's great to be aboard!)

 

[gtdean48]

Welcome Jake

 

[RBH]

Welcome Jake

:arated: