List of classic manufacturer's . . .

[vonwotan]

This is something I would very much like to see as well. Most of my hats are Borsalinos and few from Worth and Worth. I grew up in NYC and did my shopping at JJ Hat center without really exploring much else. In recent years I have been trying to learn more about other makers and shopping for vintage lids.

 

[besdor]

There have been a few threads in the past that listed many of the manufacturers that are no longer around . If I ever have any spare time, I'd love to post a full list from many of the hat magazines that I have in my collection. This may help to date some of the companies like Trimble Hats that were mentioned on the lounge.



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[mingoslim]

So . . . I will get the ball rolling . . .

I am NOT the man to do this . . . I have limited expertise.

Well, although some folks do think that the project is worthwhile, it looks as though someone is going to have to get the ball rolling . . .

So, I did some research on this site, and came up with this as a beginning . . . Perhaps some others would like to fill in some more detailed info . . .

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 . . .

Cavanagh
One of the premiere hat-makers in the 1930s and 1940s.

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!

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.

Dobbs
One of the premiere hat-makers in the 1930s and 1940s, and still around today.

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.

Lee
Lee made economic contract hats for JC Penney (Marathon) and such; while their own brand is best described as mid-grade.

Mallory

Resistol

Stetson

Stevens

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.

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.

 

[vonwotan]

I would add Borsalino, Christy's of London, Worth and Worth, Biltmore and P. & C. Habig. I don't know much about the quality of Habig althought the hats seem quite nice. My first fedora and one tyrolian, my great uncle's (?), were made by Habig and actually fit.

 

[John in Covina]

Cervo
Scala
Optimo
Beaver
J.C. Penny's Marathon

 

[besdor]

There are many more names to add to the list.

Schoble
Portis
Resistol
Langenburg(Lion Hats)
Dunlap
Caxton
I'm sure that I could add a lot more.


Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[feltfan]

Spelling on "Willoughby"

Mossant

Flechet

Bee Hats

Guerra

Peschel

Lock

Scott

Mayser

There were a million bench hat makers. I have
Quality Hat Works of San Francisco, Andrew Gross
of Oakland, homburgs by Carlson (navy) and Chelton (black).
All fine hats.

BTW, Cavanagh remained a premier hat maker
through the 50s as far as I can tell, and made
excellent hats into the 60s, though not all of them.

Also, I'd take a Lee over an awful lot of hats. Not
sure they're strictly "midgrade". Saw a Penny's Marathon
yesterday with a Cavanagh edge. A very nice piece of felt,
but even NOS I resisted the $225 price tag.

 

[thunderw21]

Here's another:

Foreman & Clark

 

[mingoslim]

OK . . . Here is the updated list (so far!)

Well . . . I see that I sparked some comment, so here is an updated list . . .

Now the question is, can anyone fill in the details on this myriad of manufacturers? Where did they operate? What kind of quality did they produce? What years were they in business? . . . Are they still making hats!?!?!

Are you all up to the challenge?

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
Barbisio
Beaver Brand
Bee Hats
Biltmore
Boldt
Bond
Borsalino
Brent
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.

Caxton
Christy's of London
Courtney

Champ
Considered abudget 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!

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.

Disney

Dobbs
One of the premiere hat-makers in the 1930s and 1940s, and still around today.

Dunlap
Empire State
Francato Cappello
Flechet
Foreman & Clark
GH
Guerra
P. & C. Habig.
Hatters Guild
Imperial
Jaxon

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.

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.

Lock
Look & Johnson
MacLachlan
Mayser
Kevin McAndrew
Mallory
Manhattan
Meyer
Montecristi
Monterray
Morfelt
Mossant
Optimo
Peschel
Pedigree
Pilgrim
Portis
Resistol
Rothschild
Royston
Rundle & White
Scala
Schoble
Scott
Stetson
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.

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

 

[MattJH]

I started going down the list from top to bottom and was able to pull up some information (I didn't modify any of the descriptions that were already there). I only got as far as "Dobbs" before having to stop for a bit.

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/
Bee Hat Company - 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 -
Bond -
Borsalino - http://www.borsalino.com/
Brent - The name used by Montgomery Ward for their hats - no longer in production.
Buckley
Cavalier - Is this an actual brand name or a style?
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.
Caxton -
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.
Courtney -
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!
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.
Disney -
Dobbs - One of the premiere hat-makers in the 1930s and 1940s, and still around today.

 

[feltfan]

Another old London hatter: Bates
http://www.bates-hats.co.uk/

Was Morfelt a hat company or just a type of felt?

Ideally such a list would distinguish between companies
that made their own felt and those that used felt from
commercial felt makers, a timeline for when companies
became part of Hatco (at one point Mallory, Knox, Dobbs,
Cavanagh, and Stetson were all the same company), and
a distinction between hat makers (e.g., the Stetson of old)
and hat sellers who don't really make their own hats
(e.g., today's Lock hats). But that's ambitious.

Did Supernatural make felt hats?

 

[mingoslim]

Another old London hatter: Bates
http://www.bates-hats.co.uk/

Was Morfelt a hat company or just a type of felt?

Ideally such a list would distinguish between companies
that made their own felt and those that used felt from
commercial felt makers, a timeline for when companies
became part of Hatco (at one point Mallory, Knox, Dobbs,
Cavanagh, and Stetson were all the same company), and
a distinction between hat makers (e.g., the Stetson of old)
and hat sellers who don't really make their own hats
(e.g., today's Lock hats). But that's ambitious.

Did Supernatural make felt hats?

Ideally we should distinguish between Hat Makers and Hat Sellers . . . For example, house Brands such as Penney's Marathon whould be identified as such, ans wehn possible, the actual manufacturer should be noted . . . In the case of Marathon I beleive that Lee was the manufacturer.

I think we should also distinguish "classic" hat makers from their modern counterparts . . . say find a good cut-off date. I would opt for around 1968.

 

[Dinerman]

A
Was Morfelt a hat company or just a type of felt?

morfelt was a hat company. I've had one (a '60's one) and seen another (a '40's one). The 40s one, though wool, had nice construction on it, and a sharp design.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Add another vintage hatmaker to the list: "CITATION".

.

 

[Dinerman]

Boldt's of D.C.
Wasicka's of Cudahy, Wis.
Kristall

 

[Marc Chevalier]

One more for the list. France's most famous hatmaker from the golden era: "MOSSANT".

 

[feltfan]

I think we should also distinguish "classic" hat makers from their modern counterparts . . . say find a good cut-off date. I would opt for around 1968.

Borsalino was superb throughout the 70s.

For the most part, I'd cut off American hatters
at something closer to 1958. Very few 60s American hats
are what I would consider quality. There are compelling
arguments for a cut-off closer to 1938, but nevermind.

Point is, the cut-off date varies from company to company,
sometimes depending on when the company was swallowed
by another company or its name and assets sold.

 

[mingoslim]

Borsalino was superb throughout the 70s.

For the most part, I'd cut off American hatters
at something closer to 1958. Very few 60s American hats
are what I would consider quality. There are compelling
arguments for a cut-off closer to 1938, but nevermind.

Point is, the cut-off date varies from company to company,
sometimes depending on when the company was swallowed
by another company or its name and assets sold.

I picked 60 for historic/personal reasons . . . growing up in the 60s I remember that men regularly wore hats . . . despite the "Kennedy killed the hat" argument, most well dressed men still wore hats in my memory . . . and they were still common amongst working folks as well.

But after the "summer of love" it seems no one wore hats . . . that they were considered "old fashioned" . . . At least that is the way it seems to me. Even my dad grew sideburns, and let his hair grow a bit. Thus the 1968 cut-off . . .

In truth, your points are probably far more correct.

 

[Mr Maltby]

my vote goes for late 60s.

Felt was still of a FINE quality in the 60s. Just because one doesnt like the look for themself, doesnt make it any less of a high quality hat. 68 seems a good cutoff point.

 

[besdor]

I think that Morefelt was not a company name but a type of hat made by a company. It was made of a wool/fur blend that today is called Dynafelt or Furlite by Bailey.





Steven
www.bencraft.com