n00b breaking into hats - any advice?

[corbinzean]

Hullo,

I've been lurking around the hat forum for about a week now and thought I'd ask for some advice for a newbie.

I am just getting into hats. I bought a cheap hard body about a year ago and started wearing it everyday to work with a white button up and a skinny black tie. It has a very stingy brim (about 1 1/4") and just a center dent. I think I like the understated look of the short brim.

Anyway, now that I'm converted to wearing a hat everyday, I thought I'd drop some frill on a quality hat. Any advice on a quality make that is similar in style but also a good bargain for a beginner? Should I go vintage or are there quality hatters that still make a similar hat? It doesn't have to be the exact same hat, but I hope my description gives you some idea of what I like and what I'm looking for.

Thanks.

Corbin

 

[warbird]

Shorter brims sell for less usually. The really nice old Dobbs, Pilgrims, Stetsons with shorter brims are quite numerous on ebay. I have seen a lot of them sell for under $25. No hat made today will be that good for that amount of money. Unless you have some inordinately large sized noggin. What size hat do you wear?

 

[johnnycanuck]

Akubra "The Whippet" http://www.hatsdirect.com/cgi/products.cgi?view=62&returncat=Fedora+Hats&returnpage=0

Johnny

 

[Undertow]

Try vintage first because quality counts in the long run. Scout around some of your local thrift stores, antique shops, eBay, etc. You'd probably be amazed at the great quality you'll run into for pennies. Anyway, vintage hats are far better than newer ones. Some vintage to look for (as mentioned above) is Dobbs, Stetson, Biltmore, Knox, maybe a Champ.

Otherwise, if you can find a hat dealer, you might try seeing what they have in stock. It's possible they may be running a special on certain hats. Or you could always try some of the vendors listed on the board. They should also have pretty decent selection.

And I'm sure most on here will tell you to go for Fur Felt over wool!

 

[Cicero]

You never can't go wrong with a vintage Dobbs.
Just bought one myself and i love it very much.

 

[bolthead]

This is true....

You never can't go wrong with a vintage Dobbs.
Just bought one myself and i love it very much.

He's right, and so is Undertow and the others.
See my thread....http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=20517
I found this Stingy Brim Dobbs for a mere $5.oo. Happy hunting and welcome aboard.

 

[Twitch]

You will find a nice vintage narrow brim of decent quality for sure. There are tons of them out there.

 

[corbinzean]

Thanks for all the great info. I really like the Dobbs I've seen on ebay. Now it's time to hit up all the San Diego antique shops.