NEW STETSON 2015 Dress catalog

[T Jones]

Terry, I am a long oval as well, and have found that the new Stetsons don't fit me right enough to justify the price tag.

Yeah, I guess I have to agree. The new Stetsons don't have anything to offer by way of Long Oval sizes....If I had $300+ to spend on a hat I would by a vintage one in a Long Oval size or have one custom made to fit me properly. Vintage hats had more options by way of sizes and brim widths. All I need now is 300 dollars.

 

[besdor]

The Excellent quality is a finer felt than the standard Royal quality.

 

[Jedwbpm]

Josh, do you know if the Boss Raw Edge is available from any other online retailers besides JJ Hat Center?

Any Stetson retailer can get any Stetson production hat. We can order it with a 4 to 6 week lag time.


Jeff

 

[rclark]

Any Stetson retailer can get any Stetson production hat. We can order it with a 4 to 6 week lag time.


Jeff

Ok, thanks Jeff!

 

[hatband]

The Excellent quality is a finer felt than the standard Royal quality.

Thanks besdor.

 

[hatband]

Any Stetson retailer can get any Stetson production hat. We can order it with a 4 to 6 week lag time.


Jeff

Thanks, looks like i better start counting my pennies. Do you need a minimum number of orders/requests through the shop to order a certain production hat?

 

[Fed in a Fedora]

I think it would be good for Stetson to do some adds showing how these hats can be personalized as well.

I think that we should supply some good photos of various creases to help them see the potential of what an open crown offers.

Fed

 

[jlee562]

Thanks besdor.

It looks like they're using excellent as the top quality designation for the fur felt dress hats. The Pinnacle, for example, is now marked as excellent qualty. Do we know the makeup of the excellent felt? Because the Pinnacle used to be marketed as all beaver...

 

[frussell]

I had a Pinnacle that I sent to Mike Moore to fix up. When he steamed it out to open crown, it ended up looking, in his words, like "half a baseball." It was 100 percent beaver, but low-crowned, poorly finished, and poorly constructed, on a decidedly non-vintage block. Can't remember if I sent it to Art as a "clunker" to give away to a vet, or sold it super cheap. Hopefully Stetson has upgraded this one along with their new advances.

 

[tonyb]

I have a couple of black Pinnacle bodies I picked up a few years ago which I have yet to turn into hats. The feel of the felt is good, and I suspect they would take a fine finish. But the bodies are indeed small. I could make a Don Draper hat from one, I suppose, but if you wanted more than 5 inches of open crown and 2 1/2 inches of brim, you might be outta luck.

Frussel's experience is further illustration of how it is more than just the source material that makes a good (or not so good) hat.

 

[gtdean48]

I've had 2 Pinnacles, 1 black & 1 caribou. Was not impressed with the low crown but the felt seemed much better than modern Royal Deluxe until I handled the Premiere Stratoliner. Looking forward to the Excellent version to compare as well.
The Pinnacle body is 100% beaver but the use of it left a lot to be desired like those first runs of the HatCo Modern Stetson Stratoliner.

 

[frussell]

I have a couple of black Pinnacle bodies I picked up a few years ago which I have yet to turn into hats. The feel of the felt is good, and I suspect they would take a fine finish. But the bodies are indeed small. I could make a Don Draper hat from one, I suppose, but if you wanted more than 5 inches of open crown and 2 1/2 inches of brim, you might be outta luck.

Frussel's experience is further illustration of how it is more than just the source material that makes a good (or not so good) hat.

You're right on the money, Tony, as usual. Now take what you just said and factor in that I wear a 7 7/8, and you'll get an idea of what I ended up with. I would have been okay with a "Don Draper," but what I really had on my hands was a small, flat-brimmed low-crowned bowler, which does not look great on a 6'5" stocky guy, unless I'd "gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." I'm really pulling for Stetson this time around, I got my first one when I was about 2 years old, so I've been a loyal customer for 48 years, never been without one. If they end up getting it right, I'll be the first one to spend all my hard earned cash. Keeping my fingers crossed. Frank.

 

[Jedwbpm]

It looks like they're using excellent as the top quality designation for the fur felt dress hats. The Pinnacle, for example, is now marked as excellent qualty. Do we know the makeup of the excellent felt? Because the Pinnacle used to be marketed as all beaver...

The Pinnacle is 100% Beaver. I was told that there are a lot of errors in the catalog that is one of them.

Jeff

 

[Jedwbpm]

Thanks, looks like i better start counting my pennies. Do you need a minimum number of orders/requests through the shop to order a certain production hat?

No, no minimum order needed

Jeff

 

[Fed in a Fedora]

No, no minimum order needed

Jeff

So, have you seen the Absinthe yet? Thoughts? Availability?

Is there an Exposition lurking out there as touted by Matt Deckard or was this a myth?

Fed

 

[hatband]

No, no minimum order needed

Jeff

Where can we get some prices on some of these new models? Does the catalogue come with a price list? Would be great to have some idea of what we could be parting with for some of these beauties. Particularly interested in the open crown models, Excellent Stratoliner,Open Crown Whippet, Racine, Absinthe, and Grand central.

 

[jlee562]

Jeff mentioned in the other thread that Delmonico's price on the excellent quality strats will be $305. JJ Hat Center is listing the Grand Central at $275. Since the Premiere Strat and Stetsonian are at $225 and $325, I'd guess a ballpark of $250....

 

[T Jones]

One of the biggest drawbacks for me, aside from the hefty price tags, are the limited size options. Some of us are LO sizes and all I've seen are the same old cookie cutter full sizes. If I was going to shell out $300 for a hat I want it in my actual size and I want it to fit properly and comfortably. We've had this conversation before about buying a little larger size and putting strips behind the sweat. I haven't had much luck with that method. They never fit right or comfortably....and the hat looks too big. That's why Stetson and the other early hat companies made Long Oval sizes back in the day. Recreating vintage felt and earlier hat styles seems promising but the product only caters to full sizes, as far as I've seen.

 

[gtdean48]

Stetson has only done regular ovals for years now but Resistol still does Long Ovals as well as Regular. Both done in same factory... Haven't seen XLO from Resistol in years.

 

[hatband]

Jeff mentioned in the other thread that Delmonico's price on the excellent quality strats will be $305. JJ Hat Center is listing the Grand Central at $275. Since the Premiere Strat and Stetsonian are at $225 and $325, I'd guess a ballpark of $250....

Thanks jlee.