Milan Mania

[bolthead]

wow, I'm really diggin' this one Robert.

 

[djgo-cat-go]

Thanks to Cookie, fresh from Oz: (most probably) Lee Milan Straw

 

[Alex]

Thanks to Cookie, fresh from Oz: (most probably) Lee Milan Straw

Nice! You wear that hat well man.

 

[Lefty]

 

[alanfgag]

Knox Fifteen.

 

[Alex]

That hat is very sleek Alan. Looks almost pristine.

 

[Alex]

Lefty I really do love the colors of those ribbons, particularly the blue, white, and yellow.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Sweet Ribbons what brand of hat are they?

 

[Lefty]

thanks. Both are from Optimo (the green one, via Guam and ebay).

 

[fmw]

My first milan braid hat arrived today. Now for some Spring!

 

[Gromulus]

My first milan braid hat arrived today. Now for some Spring!

I like that one - very sharp!

 

[fmw]

Thanks. I had a bit of a struggle getting the brim under control. No stiffener core like a felt hat. I hit it with the faucet sprayer and spent about 15 minutes getting it as it looks in the photo. Hopefully, it will stay that way.

 

[djgo-cat-go]

My first milan braid hat arrived today. Now for some Spring!

Nice hat!

I agree, spring/summer: I'm ready

 

[Mr E Train]

My first milan braid hat arrived today. Now for some Spring!

I like the Avenue, it's a good looking hat. I bought one off eBay recently and it was way oversized (supposed to be a 7 3/4 but fit like an 8) and the crease was off center. I'm thinking it must have been a factory second. I'll see if I can get the sweatband to shrink up and try to steam it and play with the crease, but that was pretty disappointing.

My new Dobbs Winner with a Shushan's puggaree.

 

[RBH]

Mr E.. you did good!!!!

 

[Mr E Train]

Mr E.. you did good!!!!

Thanks! I am powerless to argue. I did, didn't I?

 

[Lefty]

1907

 

[fmw]

I think I'm going to have my first success at a hat restoration. I've tried 4 times before. I sold one, threw one away and sent two to the pros to have done properly. My taupe colored Stetson Milan arrived really dirty and smelling like mildew. It was shaped nicely but I couldn't deal with the filth. I filled a kitchen sink with warm water and dish detergent. I put the hat in and scrubbed everything with a brush. I let it dry. The result was a floppy hat that had lost its shape and had shrunk quite a bit. Undaunted, I treated the sweat band with leather conditioner and sprayed the whole thing with Kahl hat stiffener. I put it in the stretcher, cranked it up and let it dry again. Then I fired up the tea kettle and steamed the whole thing, doing my best to get an even crease. Finally, I put a new pugaree on it. I'm not going to send this one to a pro. I'm going to order a more appropriate pug from Shutan in the morning and put this hat outdoors to air out in the sun and breeze for a few days. Hopefully that will put things right. Here's how it looks today.

 

[RBH]

You did a good job!
I love a milan and I think you will find
that it will become a favorite.

 

[fmw]

Thank you, sir. I gives me some confidence in my burgeoning hat restoration skills. It isn't beautiful or professionally done but it sure is wearable and, more importantly, it is clean.