New member New Hat

[Truthhurts21]

Hi all. I've just joined the forum and have a new hat to share that I picked up recently. It's a Adam Fifth Avenue New York. Really good shape and the felt seems really nice and thick in my novice opinion.

I've been wearing wool felt hats for a few years and they keep fading, shrinking and I just have to replace them after a bit. I picked up a stetson 3x beaver recently but unfortunately the size 7 3/8 was a bit too small. Looks like 7 1/2 fits me just right but they are a bit harder to find in that size on eBay. I stumbled upon this not knowing the brand and I was pleasantly surprised.

The band is a bit feminine for me so Ill probably replace it. The sweatband was very dry and stiff. I've been working in some brick 4 leather conditioner and it's softening up nicely. Looks like bonded leather which is not ideal but I guess it's common on hats of this era? Any other tips to restore this gem?

 

[rogueclimber]

Welcome aboard. I'm just learning hats myself so I'm no help but the good folks on this forum are beyond knowledgeable!

 

[RockyR]

"One of us, one of us"

Welcome! I'm relatively new, and the community (thus far) seems brilliant. Great company for working from home

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Hi all. I've just joined the forum and have a new hat to share that I picked up recently. It's a Adam Fifth Avenue New York. Really good shape and the felt seems really nice and thick in my novice opinion.

I've been wearing wool felt hats for a few years and they keep fading, shrinking and I just have to replace them after a bit. I picked up a stetson 3x beaver recently but unfortunately the size 7 3/8 was a bit too small. Looks like 7 1/2 fits me just right but they are a bit harder to find in that size on eBay. I stumbled upon this not knowing the brand and I was pleasantly surprised.

The band is a bit feminine for me so Ill probably replace it. The sweatband was very dry and stiff. I've been working in some brick 4 leather conditioner and it's softening up nicely. Looks like bonded leather which is not ideal but I guess it's common on hats of this era? Any other tips to restore this gem?

Welcome, and nice hat. It’s tough wearing larger sized hats, but with some patience and persistence you’ll occasionally find one.

I doubt that the sweatband is bonded leather, but I certainly don’t know for sure. Leather sweatbands are very susceptible to dry rot and when that happens it can look like bonded leather (the particle board of leather). If it is dry rot there isn’t much you can do. It might look alright, and the conditioner might soften it, but at any moment it can fall apart. There is not repairing the leather once it has become rotten.

The hatband is a puggaree and I too would change it out.

Brushing the felt with a hat brush and steaming the felt if you want to change or refine the shape is all it looks like it needs. The waviness of the leather sweatband makes me think there was/is some sort of size reducer between the leather and the felt. If the leather is brittle you need to be very careful, but I’d make sure that the reducer material is all gone.

Be careful with steam as it is the sworn enemy of vintage leather sweatbands. Keep the steam, and all water, away from the leather.

I hope you keep adding hats to your collection. Once you experience fur felt you are not likely to want to go back to wool. Good luck.

Brent

 

[Truthhurts21]

Welcome, and nice hat. It’s tough wearing larger sized hats, but with some patience and persistence you’ll occasionally find one.

I doubt that the sweatband is bonded leather, but I certainly don’t know for sure. Leather sweatbands are very susceptible to dry rot and when that happens it can look like bonded leather (the particle board of leather). If it is dry rot there isn’t much you can do. It might look alright, and the conditioner might soften it, but at any moment it can fall apart. There is not repairing the leather once it has become rotten.

The hatband is a puggaree and I too would change it out.

Brushing the felt with a hat brush and steaming the felt if you want to change or refine the shape is all it looks like it needs. The waviness of the leather sweatband makes me think there was/is some sort of size reducer between the leather and the felt. If the leather is brittle you need to be very careful, but I’d make sure that the reducer material is all gone.

Be careful with steam as it is the sworn enemy of vintage leather sweatbands. Keep the steam, and all water, away from the leather.

I hope you keep adding hats to your collection. Once you experience fur felt you are not likely to want to go back to wool. Good luck.

Brent

Hey. Thanks for the info. Your probably right about the sweatband being toast. The conditioner did soften some it but only temporarily. Seems to have stiffened up again.

Yes it did have some reducer material which I promptly removed as it didn't fit at first. I guess I will see if I can soften it up some more and hopefully wear it for a while. Not sure what it would even cost to have one replaced and if it would be worth it on a 45 dollar hat.

Felt is in excellent shape though. Only a little nibble mark from something on the very edge of brim. Hardly noticable. I love the stiffness of the fur felt compared to the floppy wool country gentlemen and scala wool hats I've been wearing. Like night and day. I'm hooked....

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Hey. Thanks for the info. Your probably right about the sweatband being toast. The conditioner did soften some it but only temporarily. Seems to have stiffened up again.

Yes it did have some reducer material which I promptly removed as it didn't fit at first. I guess I will see if I can soften it up some more and hopefully wear it for a while. Not sure what it would even cost to have one replaced and if it would be worth it on a 45 dollar hat.

Felt is in excellent shape though. Only a little nibble mark from something on the very edge of brim. Hardly noticable. I love the stiffness of the fur felt compared to the floppy wool country gentlemen and scala wool hats I've been wearing. Like night and day. I'm hooked....

You sound like our kind of people.
Do you have an entire room(s) you can dedicate to hats?

 

[rogueclimber]

Do you have an entire room(s) you can dedicate to hats?

Ain't that the truth!