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Messages
18,411
Location
Nederland
Dobbs Fifteen homburg showed up today in immaculate like new condition:
View attachment 153989

The wife came home before I could hide...er, commence decontamination protocol. Chilling in the deep freeze. Have to do better with the next three hats that are inbound. Number two should arrive tomorrow.
Good catch. We of the homburg nation need to spread the word how great homburg hats are!
 
Messages
18,411
Location
Nederland
Two new-to-me arrivals yesterday.

Royal Stetson from Rogera. Immaculate condition. Fits almost perfectly. A little push with the Hat Jack and it'll be perfect.

View attachment 154037 View attachment 154038 View attachment 154039 View attachment 154040 View attachment 154041

He referred to it, in an enclosed note, as a 'Bogart' hat, and it certainly is. Classic, not over-the-top proportions. 2 1/4" brim, which is quickly becoming my favorite (hey, I'm not a big guy).

The lighting in my office is pretty close to the hat's actual color - a nice warm medium gray, or steel, or granite, or whatever you prefer to call it.

All I did was tighten up the top of the front pinch. Now I think It's perfect.

Why am I writing like Philip Marlowe speaks? haha
Second new-to-me of the day: another Royal Stetson, this one from Dogman.

It's sort of a creamy tan with a rich brown ribbon. Very warm tones, overall. No liner, but I pulled a replacement liner out of another hat I haven't been wearing. Fits perfectly. And the hat fits perfectly, as well.

I tightened up the front pinch quite a bit on this one.
View attachment 154042 View attachment 154043 View attachment 154044 View attachment 154045 View attachment 154046 View attachment 154047
The crown is a bit shorter than I usually wear, but my wife doesn't care for the taller crowns so she should love this one. Anything to make her happy! haha
Both great hats, Scott. I really like the colours on the second one. And great shaping work as usual.
 
Messages
18,411
Location
Nederland
Ignacio, my hatter, has warned me against tightening the pinch, and even the rest of the crease, so much. He says it breaks and/or weakens the felt fibers. Is he exaggerating?

Sent from my LG-H870 using Tapatalk
Yes. He is not wrong, but I think it wil take quite some prolonged handling and years of wear to make a hole in the felt. With the number of hats in rotation you have, Max, you don't need to worry until your fourth or fifth reincarnation.
 

TheOldFashioned

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,179
Location
The Great Lakes
Hat #2 has arrived, a Borsalino Nutria XX lobbia (homburg). This one's special:
IMG_0896.JPG IMG_0897.JPG IMG_0898.JPG

Lighter shade of gray compared to yesterday's Knox Fifteen. More details in the Borsalino Brotherhood thread.
 
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Steinbockhase

Practically Family
Messages
514
Location
Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Ignacio, my hatter, has warned me against tightening the pinch, and even the rest of the crease, so much. He says it breaks and/or weakens the felt fibers. Is he exaggerating?
Sent from my LG-H870 using Tapatalk

Yes. He is not wrong, but I think it wil take quite some prolonged handling and years of wear to make a hole in the felt. With the number of hats in rotation you have, Max, you don't need to worry until your fourth or fifth reincarnation.

I agree.
Sharp creases and folds in the felt might compromise the hat's mint condition, but fashion has it's toll.
On the other hand, none of us collectors would wear one single hat long enough for real physical abration and damage to occur.
Our biggest problem is probably just not getting a hat dirty :)
 
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California

scottyrocks

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,178
Location
Isle of Langerhan, NY
Ignacio, my hatter, has warned me against tightening the pinch, and even the rest of the crease, so much. He says it breaks and/or weakens the felt fibers. Is he exaggerating?

It's not so much the tight pinch, but the constant handling of the hat by grabbing the pinch. Back in the day, hats were replaced regularly, often before they wore out due to 'inappropriate' handling. Actors donned their hats that way in movies, as did the proletariat. Hats were not thought of as the treasures we think of them today. They were sort of today's ball caps of their day.

Once I set the creases in a hat I never grab it there. I use the brim.
 
Last edited:

TheOldFashioned

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,179
Location
The Great Lakes
That is such a nice hat. It’s nowhere near my size and I still almost bid. You got a great hat at an incredible price!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Thanks! I seriously can't believe this fell into my lap for the price I paid. After being the only bidder with ten watchers I kept thinking, "I gotta be missing something. What's the catch?" The listing pictures didn't do this hat justice, but it's not like they were terrible either. And I know homburgs aren't as popular as fedoras, but I figured there would still be competition for a vintage Borsalino. As my old boss used to say, have to chalk it to up to good, clean living.
 
Messages
12,011
Location
East of Los Angeles
...Once I set the creases in a hat I never grab it there. I use the brim.
I've tried this on a number of occasions, but it feels awkward to me; handling my hats by the pinch seems as natural as breathing. That being said, I handle them rather gently at the pinch and never "grab 'em and shove 'em on my head" the way some actors did in older movies, crushing the crown in the process. The felt might wear thin anyway at some point, but my hats are neither vintage nor of any particular value to anyone other than me so I'm not overly concerned.
 
Messages
19,414
Location
Funkytown, USA
I've tried this on a number of occasions, but it feels awkward to me; handling my hats by the pinch seems as natural as breathing. That being said, I handle them rather gently at the pinch and never "grab 'em and shove 'em on my head" the way some actors did in older movies, crushing the crown in the process. The felt might wear thin anyway at some point, but my hats are neither vintage nor of any particular value to anyone other than me so I'm not overly concerned.
I try not to, but sometimes grab by the crown anyway. Most of the time, when I do, I wrap my hand around the base to handle it, rather than by the pinch. Actually, I'm more worried I have dirt on my hand than I worry I'll damage the felt.

Sent directly from my mind to yours.
 

scottyrocks

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,178
Location
Isle of Langerhan, NY
I've tried this on a number of occasions, but it feels awkward to me; handling my hats by the pinch seems as natural as breathing. That being said, I handle them rather gently at the pinch and never "grab 'em and shove 'em on my head" the way some actors did in older movies, crushing the crown in the process. The felt might wear thin anyway at some point, but my hats are neither vintage nor of any particular value to anyone other than me so I'm not overly concerned.

Another thing that happens from using the front pinch to handle the hat is that said pinch height becomes greater over time. That may not bother some (or most), but I like my hats to maintain the shape I give them.

For both of the reasons I stated, I don't touch the pinch after I've set it, iow, when donning or doffing a hat.
 
Messages
12,011
Location
East of Los Angeles
Another thing that happens from using the front pinch to handle the hat is that said pinch height becomes greater over time. That may not bother some (or most), but I like my hats to maintain the shape I give them...
If this has happened on any of my hats I haven't noticed it. But I have noticed...well let me start by saying that if I want the pinch to line up with the nose on my asymmetrical face I have to form it approximately half an inch to the right (my right) of the hat's centerline. Handling them by the pinch causes the pinch to slowly migrate to the left, i.e. back to the hat's centerline. It used to bother me, but I got used to it and accepted it as a fact of life for me. :D
 

scottyrocks

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,178
Location
Isle of Langerhan, NY
b
If this has happened on any of my hats I haven't noticed it. But I have noticed...well let me start by saying that if I want the pinch to line up with the nose on my asymmetrical face I have to form it approximately half an inch to the right (my right) of the hat's centerline. Handling them by the pinch causes the pinch to slowly migrate to the left, i.e. back to the hat's centerline. It used to bother me, but I got used to it and accepted it as a fact of life for me. :D

Well, I guess the point is that the pinch can move and/or change shape, neither of which I want to occur.
 

Cornshucker77

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,691
Location
Northeast Nebraska, USA
Second new-to-me of the day: another Royal Stetson, this one from Dogman.

It's sort of a creamy tan with a rich brown ribbon. Very warm tones, overall. No liner, but I pulled a replacement liner out of another hat I haven't been wearing. Fits perfectly. And the hat fits perfectly, as well.

I tightened up the front pinch quite a bit on this one.
View attachment 154042 View attachment 154043 View attachment 154044 View attachment 154045 View attachment 154046 View attachment 154047
The crown is a bit shorter than I usually wear, but my wife doesn't care for the taller crowns so she should love this one. Anything to make her happy! haha
Great looking hats, Scotty!
 

Rogera

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,365
Location
West Texas
Two new-to-me arrivals yesterday.

Royal Stetson from Rogera. Immaculate condition. Fits almost perfectly. A little push with the Hat Jack and it'll be perfect.

View attachment 154037 View attachment 154038 View attachment 154039 View attachment 154040 View attachment 154041

He referred to it, in an enclosed note, as a 'Bogart' hat, and it certainly is. Classic, not over-the-top proportions. 2 1/4" brim, which is quickly becoming my favorite (hey, I'm not a big guy).

The lighting in my office is pretty close to the hat's actual color - a nice warm medium gray, or steel, or granite, or whatever you prefer to call it.

All I did was tighten up the top of the front pinch. Now I think It's perfect.

Why am I writing like Philip Marlowe speaks? haha
Warms my heart to see that hat on someone who can and does appreciate it! Enjoy!
 

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