Post New Hats Here!

[Shangas]

I've wanted to get one of these and do the dunking in water thing to see just how cool they are

If all the videos and articles about pith helmets I've read are to be believed, the whole dunking thing works extremely well.

I'm sorely tempted to give it a shot.

 

[Chamuco]

Just got a nice Jaxon Ivy Cap, cotton twill from Village Hat Shop, not the fanciest one but, nice, comfy, light, will work well in the Mexican summer nights, much better looking than a baseball cap to cover your head after an evening at the gym !!

Good value for the price

 

[Joao Encarnado]

View attachment 24356

The first sight I had on this picture I thought: "Did he got a Mickey Mouse hat with ears!?" lol
Nice wide brim collection on the back.

 

[Shangas]

Nice pithy in the corner!!

Well my mind is made up.

Tomorrow is going to be boiling hot. 36'c (about 96'F). Time to road-test the pith helmet and it's supposed cooling abilities...

I'm gonna dunk the Pith Helmet in a sink of cold water tonight. And then tomorrow, I'll wear it to the market. We'll see what's what. The people at the market are used to seeing me in vintage gear and old-style hats (Panama, Boaters, etc), so it won't be some amazing shock to them.

 

[RJR]

It will be interesting to know how it works for you.

 

[belfastboy]

Shangus does your pith have the cork brim? I have a vintage helmet that has a 3/4' thick cork brim covered in the Khaki cloth. It works very well dunked as the cork absorbs a lot of water. I wear it when I want to appear eccentric!

 

[Shangas]

Hi,

Yes my pith is made of Cork. I think I COULD have bought a real pith-pith helmet, but they didn't have one in my size and style that I wanted.

...and the Cork was cheaper.

I have soaked the crown of the helmet in a bucket of cold water overnight. This morning I took it out.

Initial observations:

The dye leeched out a bit. The water was stained a shade of khaki. But the helmet itself sustained no staining or ill-effects from 12 hours in the water.

I drained the water and let the excess drip out from the helmet. The helmet has retained its shape very well and shows no signs of damage.

Next step - wearing it in nearly 100'f heat (it's expected to be 33-36'c today, and I'll be outdoors!)

 

[g.durand]

Here's one I saved from oblivion. It needed some TLC as the hat body, liner and sweatband were very soiled. The brim had what looked like a chain-stitched edge that was unravelling so I removed the remaining stitches. The ribbon is a little bit frazzled so I'm going to try to do some surgery on it, too. Although there are still some small stains and some minor moth nibbles, the felt is still sound. The sweat band is supple but the stitching is fragile so I could only pull it back enough to see a lot stamp, "LOT 70--".

Stetson No. 1 Quality

 

[1mach1]

Looks great, Michael! Very nice hat.

 

[g.durand]

Thanks, Harv. It is definitely that, even though it's showing it's age. Speaking of showing age, here is me and the hat together.

 

[RJR]

That is a nice looking Stetson.

 

[Shangas]

Well. My pithy experiment is over.

One good overnight soaking will give you 2-3 hours' cooling relief in about 35'c temperatures.

 

[tommyK]

Good bones on that 1, g.durand. it's nice to see an old hat get some much needed TLC

 

[tommyK]

Well. My pithy experiment is over.

One good overnight soaking will give you 2-3 hours' cooling relief in about 35'c temperatures.

Thanks for the detail on this. Was wondering

 

[g.durand]

Good bones on that 1, g.durand. it's nice to see an old hat get some much needed TLC

tommy--although I can't be sure of its age, late '30s-early '40s maybe, it will be worth a true restoration at some point when I feel like spending the $$$ on it.

 

[triple-d]

Very nice g. You did a great job on that puppy!!!

 

[tonyb]

Here's one I saved from oblivion. ...

A lot to be said for simplicity. (Ironic, ain't it?)

Real nice hat. Thanks for all the pics. It's one to study, for sure.

How old you figure it is?

 

[g.durand]

Less is more as they say. As for age, I'm guessing three quarters of a century at minimum.


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[alanfgag]

Very sweet... 1930s. Is there a size tag? Sewn rear sweatband seam? Looks great on you.

 

[g.durand]

The remains of a size tag are attached to the sweatband behind the seam, a bit of greenish-black paper, but no more than that.



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