Need advice or recommendations for a new hat

[SweepingHat]

Greetings,

I'm looking for a new fedora and need some advice or recommendations. I've worn Pendleton fedoras for about 20 years now only they stopped making them.

I'm looking for a solid fedora, gray or charcoal in color. I'm flexible on the band, though lean towards black. Definitely don't like the feathers or an overly large bow on the side. For brim width I'm looking at medium to wide, narrower brims just feel too small. I'd like a decent to pronounced pinch in the front and a definite lift at the back. Poking around a couple of sites the Dexter from Stetson looks like it would fit the bill and the Foldaway Fedora from Christys' London MIGHT, but the only color listed is burma brown. From the picture it looks gray, but that's not a color I'm familiar with.

I'm fine with wool or fur felt. I'm also open to recommendations about where to get the hat. Price-wise not looking to spend much more than $200 at most.

So, suggestions?

Thanks!

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul

 

[Rick Blaine]

Hiya Sweep'

Welcome to the party. Go take a look at hornetshats.com. they can make a foldaway, or many other styles, to your specs in one of over a dozen colors. I have had nothing but exemplary service & product from these fellas, tho' others here disagree. The cost savings more than makes up for the increased shipping cost from across the pond. Also , the stock foldaway comes in w/ a 2 1/4" brim. It might be on the short end of what you find acceptable, given what you said about stingies.

Apparently you can sorta mix & match features (e.g. "gimmie an Adventurer with a 2.5" brim, a 1" matching ribbon & a bound brim"). It'll cost more doing this for you, justifiably. That said, I like the offerings right off the shelf just fine and the color selection in great. It was a slightly better deal when the pound sterling was takin' an country @ss-whoopin' to the dollar, but it is still a great deal, IMO.

 

[gtdean48]

Welcome Paul
This hat comes in gray & you can specify the brim length. You can also ask them to swap out the ribbon to a smaller one. Come open crown so you can shape it how you want it. They have lots of hats in your price range.

http://www.millerhats.com/felthats_index/felthats8.html

 

[monbla256]

Paul,
Have you taken a look at the Akubra's that David Morgan has ? http://www.davidmorgan.com/index.php?cPath=2 Two come to mind, both in grey shades, one open crown, raw edge, for you to crease (the Sydney), and the other in a teardrop/front pinch pre-creased, bound edge ( Stylemaster) and both are well under your price range even w/shpg. They are rabbit fur and are probably some of the finest production hats made these days by anyone. And DM will get them to you in 3/4 days from time of receiving your order and they are some of the nicest folks to deal with.

 

[Corky]

Paul:

Let's get this straight, OK?

You live in Cincinnati and you are NOT a regular at Batsakes Hat Shop?

You might want to consult the various Forum threads on the Akubra Camp Draft and the Stetson Open Road.

For around $200, you ought to be able to get a pair of 4X Open Roads from Hatco, the Stetson Outlet Store in Garland Texas.

Call (972) 494-0337 during business hours, ask for David, tell him your hat size and that you want one Open Road in silverbelly and another in black.

Then read the threads on Hat Blocking and re-block them however you wish. The people at Hatco don't encourage their customers to re-block their new hats, but as is explained on threads all over this Forum, for anyone with a spray bottle or tea kettle, it is no big deal.

Hatco Hats, Outlet Store
721 Marion Drive
Garland, Texas 75042-7913
(972) 494-0337

 

[scottyrocks]

Then read the threads on Hat Blocking and re-block them however you wish. The people at Hatco don't encourage their customers to re-block their new hats, but as is explained on threads all over this Forum, for anyone with a spray bottle or tea kettle, it is no big deal.

This is not exactly correct. Rebocking requires a hat block, not just a spray bottle or tea kettle full of water. You can recrease with just the sprayer or kettle, but not reblock.

 

[SweepingHat]

Greetings,

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've been in Batsakes a couple of times, but the hats there are just not my style. I don't tend to switch back and forth much between different hats and my hat's been part of my signature for a long time. All weather, hot or cold, my fedora's been a faithful and reliable friend.

I'll certainly check out the various sites folks have mentioned. My current brim is 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 inches, so that should be fine. I don't think I want to invest in hat blocks at this time, but we'll see.

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul

 

[SweepingHat]

Greetings,

After reviewing the various options, the StyleMaster best fit the bill. Just finished ordering it, so we'll see for certain once it's arrived.

Thanks to everyone for your advice.

Much appreciated!

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul

 

[monbla256]

Good Choice !

Greetings,

After reviewing the various options, the StyleMaster best fit the bill. Just finished ordering it, so we'll see for certain once it's arrived.

Thanks to everyone for your advice.

Much appreciated!

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul

I think you will find it very much to your liking ! I have one and wear it 2/3 times a week!!

 

[scottyrocks]

Greetings,

After reviewing the various options, the StyleMaster best fit the bill. Just finished ordering it, so we'll see for certain once it's arrived.

Thanks to everyone for your advice.

Much appreciated!

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul

Please take a picture of it on you and post it here so we can admire it.

 

[SweepingHat]

Greetings,

Well, I got my hat today. Awesome turn around time! After pulling it out and seeing it up close and personal, I realized the hat was just too dark of a gray for me. It didn't look right when I tried it on, and there wasn't enough contrast for me between the band and the hat. I took another look at the Sydney, but the lighter gray color is more of a brownish gray and I'm not sure that's quite what I want. I'm also not sure I want to do my own bashing. So I'm sort of back to the drawing board unless I could get the Sydney in a color other than what's listed there and get it creased for me.

I went back and looked at Miller's and the Ontario Dress Hat may work. (http://www.millerhats.com/mdressfelt_index/teardrop.htm). Does anyone have one that could share photos or have any other recommendations that might work?

Thanks!

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul

 

[Fifty150]

Goorin Brothers in San Francisco has a web page.

 

[Fifty150]

Mrs Dewson's Hats
2050 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115

(415) 346-1600 ‎

 

[MCrider]

After pulling it out and seeing it up close and personal, I realized the hat was just too dark of a gray for me. It didn't look right when I tried it on, and there wasn't enough contrast for me between the band and the hat. I took another look at the Sydney, but the lighter gray color is more of a brownish gray and I'm not sure that's quite what I want. I'm also not sure I want to do my own bashing. So I'm sort of back to the drawing board unless I could get the Sydney in a color other than what's listed there and get it creased for me.

Paul, Was it the look or the color of the Stylemaster that you didn't like? If it's just the color then I suggest you order one in Moonstone from either Everything Australian or Hats Direct. The Sydney from David Morgan is in charcoal, which is almost black or in a brown color. Don't let the idea of bashing it put you off though. I purchased a charcoal one and it was the first hat I ever bashed. It took me all of 15 minutes to get it where I liked it dry and then I just spritzed it with water and let it set overnight. No problems since then. Good luck!

 

[carldelo]

MCrider is right, the Sydney is a really dark gray, nearly black.

If you're looking for medium gray, you might consider a Stetson in Caribou gray. Bencraft has the Ashland, with 2-1/4" underwelt brim (nice lid, I have it in gray, the ribbon is black) and the new Whippet with 2-3/8" bound brim (gray ribbon). Bencraft also has the Chatham in Caribou, but their version has a 2-3/4" unbound brim, rather than the stock 2-3/8" version that other vendors carry. All of these are teardrop creases - there is also the Temple in gray, with a 2-5/8" brim, black ribbon and a center dent crease. All of these are nice hats worth looking at. Links follow:

http://www.bencrafthats.com/product.php?pid=253&subcname=Stetson
http://www.bencrafthats.com/product.php?pid=442&subcname=Stetson
http://www.bencrafthats.com/product.php?pid=256&subcname=Stetson
http://www.bencrafthats.com/product.php?pid=402&subcname=Stetson

 

[Tone]

Sweet!

Finally! A Stetson fedora with some brim to go with it! Bencraft's Chatham is looking really good; a decent range of colors; and a great price! Way to go, Bencrafthats. Glad you posted a heads up on the Stetsons over there, Carldelo; I'd all but given up on their fedoras. These Chathams, though, even teardropped; very tempting. :eusa_clap

 

[Fifty150]

Resistol makes a good hat also.

 

[monbla256]

Sweep,
I just noticed that you live in Cincinnatti. Have you been to see Gus Miller at Batsakes Hat shop in your city?

Batsakes Hat Shop
Gus Miller, proprietor
605 Walnut Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Phone 513.721.9345

He's well known here on the Forum. He's local and you can TRY ON hats which is ALWAYS BEST

 

[scottyrocks]

you can TRY ON hats which is ALWAYS BEST

Absolutely.

 

[SweepingHat]

Ok, still looking for a hat sadly. I discovered the Borsalino Como, have heard about the Como II and about the Classic. Any experience with those or thoughts? My understanding is that the only difference between the Como and the Como II is the brim width. What about the Classic?

Also, any recommendation on where I would get one? Batsakes doesn't have the Classic in my size and doesn't appear to have the other two. I'd rather not wait until October to get it.

I've seen prices online at Bencraft Hatters for example in the $230 range, but the two stores I've walked into have been $300+. Thoughts?

Thanks!

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul