Miller 257 Raider open crown: opinions?

[Fletch]

Anybody have one of these hats? Anybody tried one?
How's overall quality, workmanship, etc.?
Any reason to pick it over, say, an Akubra?

I want a straight-sided crown, or one that is very close. I can't tell from the picture if this is the real thing or not.

 

[Stoney]

Hey Fletch,

The Miller Raider is another of the Indiana Jones type hats.
I've seen some posts of it styled like the Herbert Johnson hat.

This image of a non open crown is from Miller Hats: http://www.millerhats.com/indiana_miller/indianam.htm

It looks to me like there is taper at the top of the crown, can't see it in the front
but it is very apparent as shown in the upper right. I'm assuming that the top of
the crown is symetrical. I'm not sure I would use one of these if I wanted zero
taper in the front. Hopefully someone here owns one and can say for sure.

 

[mingoslim]

I've wondered about the Miller hats as well . . .

I have seen the Miller hats web-site, and the hats look terrific, but never having seen one in person, I have been hesitant to "buy a pig in a poke" as it were . . .

Anyone here have experience with Miller hats? What is the verdict of the experts?

 

[Rick Blaine]

Miller straws

suck the wax tadpole. Stiff, poorly sized, they resemble nothing so much as a wicker table from your local Pier 1 Imports & at 70 plus bux are a right royal screw job ... my .02. BTW- Sharpy says they are made from paper straw anyway.

 

[jake_fink]

Miller hats are made by Biltmore, and they've put out a decent product for years. Recent changes at Biltmore have apparently not meant any change in the manufacture of their hats.

So it would be a fine hat for the money, so long as you don't spend a lot of time in the rain.

There are lots of threads on Miller, like this one:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=15725&highlight=miller

And this one:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=13166&highlight=miller

And this one:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=11059&highlight=miller

 

[jake_fink]

suck the wax tadpole. Stiff, poorly sized, they resemble nothing so much as a wicker table from your local Pier 1 Imports & at 70 plus bux are a right royal screw job ... my .02. BTW- Sharpy says they are made from paper straw anyway.

True, but it's not as bad as it may sound. "Paper hat" sounds like something you get from a Christmas cracker, but paper yarns are common material for the weaving of hats in Asia. The quality is not high.

I got a Biltmore straw at a garage sale last year for 5 bucks - the guy had to wear it at a wedding and had no intention of ever wearing it again. I thought I had a great deal until I wore it in the sun. The things is shellacked to a high sheen and it gets hot, like tinfoil hat hot. Not the effect I was looking for.

 

[Rick Blaine]

...The things is shellacked to a high sheen and it gets hot, like tinfoil hat hot. Not the effect I was looking for.

Exactly my point! I got this

from Mrs. Blaine for my b'day last summer, so of course, I couldn't let on that I thought this was a total POS, so there it hangs on my hat rack, shellacked to the nth degree & a size too small... bummer...

 

[Fletch]

Well

Since I already have a Biltmore (which shrunk 1/8 size in the dry heat at my place and tapered so drastically it made me look like Zippy the Pinhead), I will probably pass on the Miller line.

 

[Kaleponi Craig]

This was the first Indy hat I purchased. It is not nearly as good as others out there, notably the Adventurebilt. Mine did not hold up at all in rain.

For around the same price, you're much better off with an Akurba Federation...KC

 

[Chanfan]

Warning - topic drift, but…

…when you are talking about taper, are you talking about the hat getting narrower towards the crown, or the angle front to back, or…?

 

[Feraud]

taper...

 

[Adam_H]

Fletch,

Like Kaleponi, this was also my first new Indy hat purchase about 8 years ago. Unlike Mr. K, though, I love it with no complaints. I wear it to work almost every day, worn it in rain, in snow, hung it over a heater, re-shaped it, sat on it on airplanes and in theatres...

Durable, easily reshapable, no need yet for re-blocking.

To answer your question about tapering: Yes, slightly at the top, but mine looks nowhere as bad as the one in Feraud's picture. Maybe they're making them cheaper now.

Nonetheless, I'd still advise listening to KC: If I was buying a new Indy for that price today, I'd go with the Akubra.

 

[Stinchcomb]

OUCH! Now that is taper. :eusa_doh:

 

[Fletch]

I live in daily dread of that. I have basically no control over the heat or humidity in my apt., so what happens to hats, happens.

 

[jake_fink]

Kermit the frog called.

He wants his hat back.

 

[Feraud]

When he throws me the idol I will throw him the hat.

 

[Stinchcomb]

I live in daily dread of that. I have basically no control over the heat or humidity in my apt., so what happens to hats, happens.

What causes taper like that?

 

[Fletch]

Heat, basically. Especially dry heat. I think the shrinkage starts at the fit line and work up into the crown (am I wrong?)

 

[besdor]

Heat and the rain are the two worst enemies of hats . The fur will shrink when exposed to the heat . I've had customers leave their hats in the car on a hot summer day and bring the hat in to be stretched because it shrunk down a size.



Steven
www.bencraft.com

 

[Fatdutchman]

My Miller hat shrank virtually right before my eyes. I would recommend against them.