New Whippet

[Wesne]

No finer hat. No finer dog.

I don't want to stray too far off topic here, but have you ever seen the movie Hear My Song? It's a charming little film about a rascally concert promoter (Adrian Dunbar) who sets about to bring a legendary Irish tenor and tax evader (Ned Beatty) out of retirement to win back the love of Tara Fitzgerald (in an early role). There's an old-fashioned whimsical quality to the film that I think a lot of folks here might appreciate. The movie also features a great jazz guitar score by John Altman.
Anyway, there's a scene in which someone takes a whippet (the dog, not the hat) into a hospital or some such place and a woman reprimands him, "You can't bring that animal in here!" to which he indignantly replies "That's not an animal, that's a whippet!"

 

[GoldLeaf]

Anyway, there's a scene in which someone takes a whippet (the dog, not the hat) into a hospital or some such place and a woman reprimands him, "You can't bring that animal in here!" to which he indignantly replies "That's not an animal, that's a whippet!"

Can I add to the fftopic: again? That reminds me of the day that I picked up my puppy from the breeder. I had all the supplies for my new pup, but forgot to open them somehow I ended up slashing my thumb very badly with my pocket knife while opening the packaging for his collar. We were about 2 hours from home, so the DH had to take me to the local emergency room for stitches. When we mentioned the puppy in the car, the emergency room let us bring him in to sit with me while I got stitched. I couldn't belive it! Pretty nice of them, as I hated leaving my baby 8 week old puppy in a strange car!

 

[SamReu]

Spokes Man

Hey, Gold Leaf, I know this is off-topic, but I have to add this: I'm a bright-leaf guy. That's what we grew in eastern N.C.

 

[GoldLeaf]

Hey, Gold Leaf, I know this is off-topic, but I have to add this: I'm a bright-leaf guy. That's what we grew in eastern N.C.

Cool! I live near Bright Leaf Square in Durham and the historic American Tobacco District.

I have to admit, my name is just a play on my real last name, Leaf. And I added Gold because we talk about the Golden Era, and the process of gold leaf is kind of old fashioned. Plus, I love the gold leaves in autumn

Johnnysan: Great picture! You, the pups, and the hat are looking mighty fine!

 

[SamReu]

Spokes Man

Well, Gold Leaf, you managed a fine double-entendre, as that is the term frequently used for tobacco grown in central N.C.

 

[vonwotan]

Johnnysan,

Great hat and great dogs. I've raised and guided hunts with Weimaraners for a little over twelve years but love our friends' whippets. We are currently considering a whippet companion for our Weim bitch Heidi. We lost our other guy recently so she's been a bit down...

No finer hat. No finer dog.

 

[Mojave Jack]

No finer hat. No finer dog.

Those are all great looking Whippets! I notice that two have contrasting colors, and one has a complimentary color. lol

My wife and I were on the verge of adopting a retired Whippet or a Greyhound, but out here having a dog trained to chase a rabbit is bad news. Especially one that will be a quarter mile away before you can say, "Wait! Don't chase that rabbit!"

BTW, I like that suit, too. I'm looking for a similar color in a summer weight suit. Is that a tropical wool? It looks great with that Whippet (the grey one, though the other two compliment the suit, as well).

 

[Johnnysan]

Those are all great looking Whippets! I notice that two have contrasting colors, and one has a complimentary color. lol

Thanks, Jack and apologies if I inadvertently hijacked your thread! :eusa_doh:

My wife and I were on the verge of adopting a retired Whippet or a Greyhound, but out here having a dog trained to chase a rabbit is bad news. Especially one that will be a quarter mile away before you can say, "Wait! Don't chase that rabbit!"

lol Given that my 100-yard dash times out at about 8½ minutes these days (it's tough to run with a donut in one hand and a steaming hot cup of coffee in the other), I understand this completely! If you've ever seen a sight hound in full stride, it's a sight that will be etched in your memory. For anyone who is considering one of these dogs, ALWAYS keep them on a leash anywhere where small fuzzy things and automobiles occupy the same space. When the instincts kick in, they're oblivious to everything else in the world.

BTW, I like that suit, too. I'm looking for a similar color in a summer weight suit. Is that a tropical wool? It looks great with that Whippet (the grey one, though the other two compliment the suit, as well).

Thanks! The suit is a three-season weight Jones New York and one of my favorites...mainly because it goes with almost every hat I own!

 

[Steve]

Great looking hat Mojave! Smart as a whip.

 

[Johnnysan]

Anyway, there's a scene in which someone takes a whippet (the dog, not the hat) into a hospital or some such place and a woman reprimands him, "You can't bring that animal in here!" to which he indignantly replies "That's not an animal, that's a whippet!"

THIS is a movie I gotta see…lol

Johnnysan: Great picture! You, the pups, and the hat are looking mighty fine!

My turn to blush! I thank you. The girls thank you. The beaver who sacrificed much for my lovely hat thanks you!

Johnnysan,

Great hat and great dogs. I've raised and guided hunts with Weimaraners for a little over twelve years but love our friends' whippets. We are currently considering a whippet companion for our Weim bitch Heidi. We lost our other guy recently so she's been a bit down...

Really sorry to hear of your recent loss. The pain of losing a friend and companion is always tough to bear.

Whippets are great companion animals…in fact, that’s why we have two. We had to get a dog for the dog! PM me if I can answer any questions that you might have from an owner’s point of view. I hope Heidi perks up soon and thanks for the compliment!

 

[HDRnR]

Akubra Whippet

What do you guys think about the Akubra Whippet ? Is it identical to the Stetson ?

 

[Johnnysan]

What do you guys think about the Akubra Whippet ? Is it identical to the Stetson ?

I've never seen one in the felt, but the short answer to the second part of your question is "no." As I'm to understand it, the Stetson Whippet was produced in the 1940s and 50s and was most commonly produced with a relatively high-crown (~4½") and a fairly broad and usually bound brim (>2½".) Originally produced in Australia by Stetson, the current Akubra Whippet appears to be considerably shorter in the crown and is narrower in the brim (<2".)

Perhaps the biggest difference however would be in the quality of the felt. As many of the Stetson Whippet posts will confirm, the quality of the older felt is outstanding and far superior to the felts that commercial hatters are using today.

As an aside, even some Stetsons are not equal to their namesake. In the 60's, Stetson attempted to revive the Whippet name by creating the "Whippet II" - a short brimmed version that may well have served as the model for the Akubra Whippet. While Stetson Whippets from the 40's-50's are coveted by many, Whippet II's are not.

 

[HDRnR]

Thanks Johnnysan...

 

[DanielJones]

Congratulations MJ! A nice looking you have there. Mine became my favorite every day hat, it just goes with everthing. Either a nice suit or jeans & t-shirt.
Good job!

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Mojave Jack]

Thanks, Dan! I can't tell you how much I like this hat! It's already getting too hot for felt here in the desert, so I've only been wearing it in the cool of the evening lately. That's OK, though, 'cause it'll be like getting a new hat all over again when I break it out in the fall! lol