No Love For Black Hats

[TheDane]

Haha ... there you have it! She's been talking to the others: "Psssst ... don't mention his hats, girls. Or else he just keeps on buying them - and we're soon out of room!"

 

[bowlerman]

The problem with black hats is black ribbons... sometimes. I had a couple black hats that simply didn't fit me, but had incredible (and simple, understated) trim. An Amish hat by Flying Cloud hats that had a wonderful brownish grey ribbon and binding, and a Dobbs western derby that had a sharp dark silver gray ribbon and binding. The latter went to Randall awhile back.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

I have a couple of black hats, the new one I love, the other is O.K.

Later

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Hi

I have a couple of black hats, the new one I love, the other is O.K.

That's a hat!
I too have a couple of black hats. I like them all. All westerns

 

[T Jones]

Yup, The Duke had some nice black hats:

Excellent John Wayne movie and possibly his best! He got the Oscar for "True Grit" but I think he should have gotten it for the "Searchers" too....I'm not having any luck unloading my Black Squatter so I think I'm going to take it to Rod's Western Palace and have them reshape the brim and the crown to a western style hat. Then I'm going to replace the Black ribbon for something with silver looking conchos. At least then that Black monstrosity will have some character as a Western hat. Yee Haw!

 

[Orangegrad]

Excellent John Wayne movie and possibly his best! He got the Oscar for "True Grit" but I think he should have gotten it for the "Searchers" too....I'm not having any luck unloading my Black Squatter so I think I'm going to take it to Rod's Western Palace and have them reshape the brim and the crown to a western style hat. Then I'm going to replace the Black ribbon for something with silver looking conchos. At least then that Black monstrosity will have some character as a Western hat. Yee Haw!

I like it. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

 

[T Jones]

I like it. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

I'm still mulling about with the concho ribbon thing though. I wouldn't mind too awfully much going with a black thin gross grain Western style ribbon with a simple knot and accented with some kind of pin. Anybody have any ideas on a ribbon?

 

[Chepstow]

TJ, I am looking forward to see the finished hat, I guess it looks sharp after the conversion!

 

[1961MJS]

Excellent John Wayne movie and possibly his best! He got the Oscar for "True Grit" but I think he should have gotten it for the "Searchers" too....I'm not having any luck unloading my Black Squatter so I think I'm going to take it to Rod's Western Palace and have them reshape the brim and the crown to a western style hat. Then I'm going to replace the Black ribbon for something with silver looking conchos. At least then that Black monstrosity will have some character as a Western hat. Yee Haw!

Hi

PERSONALLY, I'd keep the squatter on sale and get a new hat. By the time you use a $100 plus hat for re-work, you can get a new Bunny fur felt hat from Mike Moore for $210.00. The concho hat band would be extra, but then you wouldn't need to go the concho way if you buy a contrasting ribbon. I would probably cost the same in the end, AND you could get the money back on the squatter.

Later

 

[T Jones]

Hi

PERSONALLY, I'd keep the squatter on sale and get a new hat. By the time you use a $100 plus hat for re-work, you can get a new Bunny fur felt hat from Mike Moore for $210.00. The concho hat band would be extra, but then you wouldn't need to go the concho way if you buy a contrasting ribbon. I would probably cost the same in the end, AND you could get the money back on the squatter.

Later

Thanks my friend. I guess I'm still uncertain about my Squatter. My offer for a trade still stands to whoever may want it. Aside from the Black color I'm not too impressed with the way Akubras fit. My head size puts me between a 57 and a 58. So Hatsplus suggested I get a 58 and it's pretty big, (maybe Akubras run big?). Anyway, even after putting some foam insulation behind the sweat to make it fit better, my Squatter feels too uncomfortable to wear. I don't think I'd buy another Akubra. I have a vintage Royal Stetson in a 7 1/8 LO and a vintage Bradford 7 1/4 and both of those hats fit me perfectly. I guess I'm stuck either buying vintage or having one custom made, but no more Akubras for me. This was my first and last one.

 

[T Jones]

Oh how I hate Black hats! I got so frustrated with my Black Squatter that I decided to change the crease again. I couldn't get it to look the way I wanted so I shoved it under a water faucet and got it wet. I put a C-Crown in it so it wouldn't look so much like a Witch's hat. I lowered the crown to 4 1/2 inches at the front pinch, sloping it to 4 inches at the back. Hopefully that will add a little character to it...The butt ugly thing is drying right now as I post, so I'll see how the hat looks when I'm wearing it later today.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Plenty love here. I think I have more black soft felt vintage hats than any other colour. Even more than my brown ones, and another on the way!

I am still looking for the perfect black hat, though, which is probably why I have so many. Once I find the perfect black hat I'll sell the rest of the black ones. All the others are close but no cigar. I'm hopeful for the 20s longhair in the mail.

 

[T Jones]

Plenty love here. I think I have more black soft felt vintage hats than any other colour. Even more than my brown ones, and another on the way!

I am still looking for the perfect black hat, though, which is probably why I have so many. Once I find the perfect black hat I'll sell the rest of the black ones. All the others are close but no cigar. I'm hopeful for the 20s longhair in the mail.

What size do you wear? Maybe I can hook you up with another one to add to your collection!

 

[Lotsahats]

Looks great with that c crease!

 

[Bad Co]

Great looking crease
I love black hats, if it were my size it would have already been gone

 

[Benzadmiral]

The pics RBH posted in the "Movie Hats that Inspired You" thread, of Clint Eastwood in "White Hunter Black Heart" (http://cineplex.media.baselineresearch.com/images/385596/385596_large.jpg ) definitely have revived my interest in black hats. Yes, the pic is in B & W, but if that isn't a black hat, it ought to be.

 

[TheDane]

T Jones: I have followed the reports from your close combat situations with that black hat for a while. It troubles me, cause I like both you and the hat

Anyway, have you ever considered another ribbon? A reddish or dark blue could be darn sharp! Try and have a look at these image-combos, Rabbit made a while ago - maybe they can be of some inspiration(?)

I know there are several loungers on your continent, who do a lot of very well executed DIY-projects on hats. You could try to check out Bond's rebuilds - and I think he does occasional work for other loungers.

 

[mikespens]

Or post it in the classifieds where it will get more exposure.

 

[T Jones]

Lotsahats, Bad Co, Benzadmrial, Dane, mikespens, thanks for the encouragement guys...I like those ribbon combos Dane. Thanks for posting. I may have to do something with the ribbon to put some more character in this thing.
Anyway, here's what the recreased Black Beast looks like on my head...I like this crease better for this hat, I think...

 

[TheDane]

Just a fast (and a little oversaturated) Photoshop test - blue, brown, wine, gray: