Post New Hats Here!

[bowlerman]

Thanks guys! These hats are perhaps a bit in the novelty category, but could certainly bridge the gap once in awhile...
I've never taken the plunge for the straw toppers, but have seen a few retailers that carry them.

Straw bowlers, on the other hand (for Chepstow-- the ones pictured below are not new):

custom made per my order by Texas Hatters

A black panama Bailey that has since been sold.

This one's kind of cheating, but it's an unblocked subfino cuenca. no sweat or band, just tied a little leather strip around the crown.

I recall that Mayser had a pretty nice looking Panama bowler in their Summer 2011 lineup, as well. I almost splurged on one. You probably have more access to the Mayser products, yes?

 

[alanfgag]

Little Folding Borso

I have been hoping to find one of these for a while and was excited to finally receive this one which spent three weeks traveling from Argentina to Buffalo (my second hat with ties to Argentina this week!). Like many foldables, this hat has lived in a box for a long time... I will share additional pictures once I've a chance to refresh and reshape it.

The Borsalino imprinted manufacturing label leads me to think this hat might date from the 1940s - perhaps early 1950s. It does not appear to have been worn.

 

[RBH]

Alan, please add that roll up to this thread. Nice hat !

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?55146-Roll-out-your-Rollups.

 

[randooch]

There's something very capelling about those. :eusa_doh:

Alan, did you see the green lady's version that recently went without bids on Ebay USA? Same box style.

 

[DJH]

There's something very capelling about those. :eusa_doh:

Yes, they are just way too cool.

Interesting how you never seen to see two that are the same, there always seem to be little differences, liner/no liner, raw brim/welted brim, cloth sweatband/leather sweatband.

I guess that's part of the charm.

 

[delectans]

Jeff and Alan, I love your new lids. Fantastic!

 

[alanfgag]

Thank you for the comments... will add more pictures to the rollables thread once I have a chance to unroll and photograph the hat as a hat.

The only down note to this hat is that the seller (a lovely person who I spoke with quite a bit) decided to cut the onion skin crown protector to better show the Borsalino liner medallion, thinking that it was meant to be removed anyway by the purchaser. An honest mistake but now I'll have to remove it completely.

 

[alanfgag]

Yes, they are just way too cool.

Interesting how you never seen to see two that are the same, there always seem to be little differences, liner/no liner, raw brim/welted brim, cloth sweatband/leather sweatband.

I guess that's part of the charm.

David, did you post inside pictures of yours somewhere? Would love to see more of it. There were probably many variations. I notice the box is a little different on mine... without the flange insert that I see in yours and the others I have found on the lounge. More to follow.

 

[DJH]

Alan, I have one shot of the inside of mine.

It has the onion skin protector for the liner and the thin leather sweatband. The onion skin material feels a little brittle, but so far has held up the 3 or 4 times I've rolled the hat. Unless I'm packing it in my bag for a trip, I keep the hat out of the box, open crowned.

Quite amazing how easily it pops back into shape.

 

[alanfgag]

That's great... thank you. The logo looks very close to this featherweight though with the nice paper protector. Is there an imprint on the sweat in the front of the hat?

 

[Aureliano]

That's great... thank you. The logo looks very close to this featherweight though with the nice paper protector. Is there an imprint on the sweat in the front of the hat?

I think it says "light weight" David's rollable used to be mine

 

[DJH]

Yes, the imprint is LIGHT WEIGHT

You can see why I had to grab this hat so quickly Ale - Alan would have been after it otherwise

 

[Aureliano]

David, did you post inside pictures of yours somewhere? Would love to see more of it. There were probably many variations. I notice the box is a little different on mine... without the flange insert that I see in yours and the others I have found on the lounge. More to follow.

Beautiful hat, Alan. I tried to contact the seller but never heard from him. I lived in Argentina for several years and feared about the postal services there... I'm glad you own it. Though if you ever decide to sell it, hit me first!

The inside of mine looks like this: Very thin leather with a soft reed. The onion skin fell apart at some point and I removed completely.

You've seen this a million times, but what the heck, right?

I don't remember if I ever posted this "instructions" that came inside with the hat and triangular box:

 

[mattface]

Nice find at an antique shop today. It doesn't look like much which was why it was only $15, but I bet it will clean up real nice.

Stetson Weekender Zephyr weight. Can anyone help me with the age of this thing? Also doesn anyone know what the Campion imprint is about? was that a store?

 

[Henry Gondorff]

Sorry mattface I can't help you with your questions, I just wanted to compliment you for this great find. I think you're completely right. Clean this baby up and it will come out very beautiful!

 

[mattface]

Sorry mattface I can't help you with your questions, I just wanted to compliment you for this great find. I think you're completely right. Clean this baby up and it will come out very beautiful!

It's due for a naptha dip, and maybe a new ribbon. The pictures don't do justice to how throroghly soiled this hat is, but I gave the naptha a try last night on a no name ebay hat, and it came out beautiful, so I'm no encouraged to think it will probably not wreck this nicer hat.

 

[Joshbru3]

Nice find at an antique shop today. It doesn't look like much which was why it was only $15, but I bet it will clean up real nice.

Stetson Weekender Zephyr weight. Can anyone help me with the age of this thing? Also doesn anyone know what the Campion imprint is about? was that a store?

Matt, What you have is a very rare hat, that I've only seen in old advertisments. I would ONLY try a Naptha bath on this hat if you were positive that the sweatband could take it. If the sweatband is pliable and soft still then its worth a try, but if its stiff in any way, I wouldn't do naptha. I know, I know, there has been many arguments on the topic, but if the sweatband is dry rotted, theres a chance the naptha will make it worse. Since this hat is fairly rare, I would want to keep the sweatband as intact and original as possible. To remove dirt and grime, try using a stiff brush to really scrub the felt, then any bad stains, try spot treatment with naptha. After that, steam the hat without steaming the sweatband too much and soft brush. Thats my method and its worked on 99% of all my hats without dunking the entire hat in naptha. Just my 2 cents.

 

[mattface]

Matt, What you have is a very rare hat, that I've only seen in old advertisments. I would ONLY try a Naptha bath on this hat if you were positive that the sweatband could take it. If the sweatband is pliable and soft still then its worth a try, but if its stiff in any way, I wouldn't do naptha. I know, I know, there has been many arguments on the topic, but if the sweatband is dry rotted, theres a chance the naptha will make it worse. Since this hat is fairly rare, I would want to keep the sweatband as intact and original as possible. To remove dirt and grime, try using a stiff brush to really scrub the felt, then any bad stains, try spot treatment with naptha. After that, steam the hat without steaming the sweatband too much and soft brush. Thats my method and its worked on 99% of all my hats without dunking the entire hat in naptha. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks for the advice, and for confirming what I suspected about the rarity of this hat. The sweat is fairly pliable, and I conditioned it this morning with Champ leather conditioner to try and preserve it since I've seen plenty of nice looking old sweats disintegrate the moment they get wet, and i really don't want to see that happen to this one.

The felt is really not that bad, but the ribbon is disgusting. I was hoping, but not confident the naptha bath would restore the original ribbon, but that's a longshot anyway. what I think I'll do is cut off the ribbon and try cleaning just that in naptha. If the nasty stains won't come out I'll just relace the ribbon which is what I would have done anyway after bathing the whole hat.

 

[Joshbru3]

Thanks for the advice, and for confirming what I suspected about the rarity of this hat. The sweat is fairly pliable, and I conditioned it this morning with Champ leather conditioner to try and preserve it since I've seen plenty of nice looking old sweats disintegrate the moment they get wet, and i really don't want to see that happen to this one.

The felt is really not that bad, but the ribbon is disgusting. I was hoping, but not confident the naptha bath would restore the original ribbon, but that's a longshot anyway. what I think I'll do is cut off the ribbon and try cleaning just that in naptha. If the nasty stains won't come out I'll just relace the ribbon which is what I would have done anyway after bathing the whole hat.

When you take off the original ribbon, let me know what color it was originally. Usually you can tell from the part of the ribbon that hasn't been exposed to light. Also the width. I have some vintage ribbon and may have the color that your looking for. If not, I know ART can probably replace the ribbon with something extremely close to the original.

 

[Cicero]

I see some great hats passing the revue the last couple of days.