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Bird Lives

A-List Customer
Messages
416
Location
Issaquah, WA
Hello there,
It is a good question and I try to answer using the observations I have acquired over years of observations of Italian and French production, the hats of central Europe are different in latitude and longitude. Let's start from the weather where the hat is sold and worn. A part of the Italian and French felt hats, suitable for mid-season, and almost all straw hats have or rather had a fabric sweatband. A matter of weight and practicality also add the light weight and a substantial desire to have hats suitable for "sweaty" days. The hats I've shown these days are, in my personal opinion, the result of last-minute "adjustments" to get on the market with medium-priced hats or to satisfy an urgent request. The Cervo with the Tyrolean cord is evidently a disassembled and reassembled hat with a new look, the Barbisio in blue has the same path. Of this same hat I have an equal version, three sizes larger, which has a black leather sweatband, quite low and honestly I would have preferred it in fabric. The criteria by which I judge the materials of the sweatband is consequent to the price range in which the hat was sold. I have a series of Italian hats in wool or blends from the 20s-30s-40s that have sweatbands in "unknown" leather, I mean poor quality, but sometimes the desire to save money from the Italian hat industry also gave rise to choices questionable, especially in low-priced production. I hope this helps, if you have any other questions I'm available.
Thank You Daniele...That's a great answer. I'm finding my perspective is changing on this topic. I'm now living on the Mediterranean in Turkey, and while it's lovely here it does get warm enough and for a long enough season...That I have found myself drawn to fabric sweats and Panama hats for a few months. I've been thinking of a lightweight furfelt, linerless, with grosgrain sweatband...I'm going to try that set up this year.
 

Randall Renshaw

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,102
Location
Nahunta, Ga.
Another one of them dang 1/8 hats.
But this’n nearly fits. However, I imagine it’ll just sell with the rest of em later.
Somehow it’s more aggravating to have a hat that nearly fits than those that aren’t close to fitting.
Right now I suppose these one size too small hats, I’ve posted lately, will sit in my collection.
This time it’s a sweet late 40s/early 50s Bantam with the orange and red tags. 2 5/8” brim that has one row of stitching like the Playboy.
This Bantam, imo, is just a thinner, lighter Playboy. And man, is this one thin. Lightest felt fedora I’ve ever owned.
This hat may have belonged to LBJ’s brother…

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Messages
11,714

Snowman

Practically Family
Messages
675
Getting there. It's a bit of a toss up between the final two. Let's go with this one.

Mossant de luxe fedora in a blue colour called orient. Size 57 with the raw edge brim at a generous 6cm and the crown at 10cm at the center dent. Lightweight (82 grams), unlined and vented. On this one they got everything right, even the thin ribbon works really well here. Compare it with the Tirard I posted earlier and you see what I mean. The colour is probably the main attraction though, reminds me of a Borsalino Nembo I have.


View attachment 473761

And old image of Rix Chapelier, where it was sold.
Beautiful shade of blue!
 

Snowman

Practically Family
Messages
675
My Christmas present to myself is a Stetson “Beaver 100” sold and gifted by our Texan professor, Randy McCamey @Rmccamey
Worn proudly to Church this morning. Randy says he had Art Fawcett to shape it and put in a pencil curl. Looks magnificent and has taken top billing on a center hat hook in my living room. Felt so dense and smooth you may doubt this beauty was ever sold for just one C-note. I paid a bit more than that, but Randy let her go for a lot less than he knew it is worth.
Great guy, that Irish Texan!
Merry Christmas to all here on the lounge! View attachment 473906 View attachment 473909



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This is a display I made of two unfortunate buck who had gotten into a fight over a female and in doing so, intertwined their horns which eventually led to their embarrassing and torturous demise.
Their half decayed bodies were found with their forevermore locked horns in a hay pasture not far from my house.
If you could look closer you would see where the deer frantically racked their racks against each other trying to break free.

There’s probably something us men could learn from this tragedy.
Congratulations, and Merry Christmas! That is a beautiful hat.
 
Messages
18,449
Location
Nederland
Hard to beat those hats!
Thanks, Randy. Finding hats like these now and again keeps the hunt interesting.
This hat made by Cappellificio Cervo belongs to the batch of Barbisio and Cervo which have a quick and somewhat incomplete finish
View attachment 474168
I have a passion for Cervo production especially for hats called Bantam, they are often masterpieces of Italian production
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This had attracted me to the heather felt which is evidently a mixture of fur and wool
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The logo used on the lining is very old, the original presented in 1934 for the patent, even if it is clear the hat is younger.
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No indication of the color on the paper label, there is a label which is that of the manufacturing, intended to be removed
View attachment 474172
This led me even more to consider the hat, like others seen these days, a finished product in speed to be on the market.
The felt is nice, light enough to call it Bantam and the finish is good quality
View attachment 474173
Bantam Speciale Creazione Cervo. Size 59cm. or 73/8 in US, these are the measurements: the brims are at 4.8 cm, the ribbon is 4 cm high. and the open crown is 13cm.
Two beautiful examples of fine Italian hatmaking, Daniele. Even after handling all these hats, they are still hard to resist.

Christmas comes early—thank you @deadlyhandsome for this fantastic Stratoliner Medalist! Love it—a new top of the rack hat for me. Brent—this crease you put in is the perfect diamond bash.

Cheers,

David

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Oooh, that is lovely, David. Very cool.

After the presentation of the hats acquired in the lot, a "mysterious" black hat of German origin remains to be photographed and identified, we begin the series of "singles"
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First of all, I consider myself lucky because the hat arrived in its original box with address and date August 18, 1933.
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The box has signs of time, but it is here and I thank
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Huckel "Durit" size 5 1/2 or 58 centimeters or 7 1/4 in the US sold in Toulouse - France.
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Felt has a very shiny short nap, is thick and malleable.
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Unlined and finished well, it has a 2feeling" very appropriate to the years in which it was made
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It arrives in Verona in excellent condition, perhaps a few small stitches on the back seam have melted, otherwise it has an "almost" new look, especially the interior which seems very little worn
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The paper label identifies its characteristics and I leave the comments on the hat to Steve, the supreme connoisseur of the subject
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The measurements are as follows: the brims are at 6cm and the ribbon rises at 5.5cm, the fully open crown is 15cm high.
I don't have many Huckel hats and this time too the size is giving me away.
Well, we've seen these before, but hats of this quality and pedigree are always a nice find.
Here’s another durn 7 1/8 I have that needs a smaller head.
I haven’t seen a 50s light weight fedora with shoe string band quite like this, but I’m sure some here has.
2 5/8 raw edge brim. Nice, light pecan color.
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How nice is that!? Exceptional, Randall.
 
Messages
18,449
Location
Nederland
40s Bergson made in New York. One of the many unknown brands when it seemed anyone with a last name was making hats.
This one is a nice color of soft, light, pliable felt. Has 3 rows of decorative stitching on the 2 7/16” View attachment 474615 brim. Nice fedora, and in my size. View attachment 474609 View attachment 474614 View attachment 474615
Very nice, Randall. I like the colour scheme.

I debated where to put this but figured this was as good as any thread since it is new. When your in-laws know you collect hats and so they get you a hat for a Christmas gift:
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Specs:
5" Crown
1 - 1-3/8" Brim (variable, not dimensional)
3/8" Overwelt
1-1/8" Ribbon
112g Weight

No additional tags behind the fabric sweatband, but the Walmart packing slip identifies the hat as Top Headwear. As the saying goes, it's the thought that counts.
Well, technically it's a hat. Best to keep such a precious gift safe and only wear it on very very special occasions.;)
View attachment 475164

Dobbs with Guild Edge
About 4 1/4 Crown as Shaped (about 5 open)
1 7/8 antiqued pewter ribbon
1 13/16 Brim with Cavanagh/Guild Edge

One of the joys of StingyMas is going through and finding hats I might not have seen in a while… OR.. in this case… one I have no recollection of At ALL! This stingy Dobbs with Guild Edge with It’s brim coming in in between 1 3/4 and 1 7/8. A brownish grey felt with Maybe some plum undertones. The ribbon is an antique pewter color now veering towards green. The oil skin liner and brown sweat point to 1950s… the much shorter brim and manufacturing tag point to 1960s. I’m gonna go with late 50s/early 60s. It has a few or more fairly good sized moth divots and a whole heck of a lot of “character“.

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I'm actually hoping my hats will start to propagate. On the other hand, maybe they already have! Nice one. Joe.
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Found by accident and bought together with big name hats
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Arrived yesterday to my amazement I was deeply impressed by its quality
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Unknown brand, probably Italian with a completely strange name (Produit of Pierpo - Sport wear of quality - Gold Point) size 56, assumed from the internal measurements.
View attachment 475255
The honey-colored velor felt is very malleable and has a medium-long nap with a patterned ribbon.
Thne interior has a clear lining, but someone took away the sweatband
View attachment 475256
The paper label show the name of felt finish with the French naming of this type of felt: "Flamand"
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Here the measurements of this hat: overwelyed brim at 6 cm. the fancy ribbon is at 4 cm. and the open crown is 14 cm.
View attachment 475260
Making the color of the felt was a bit difficult because despite the perfect gray in the sky, the bricks of the house at the foot of which the hats are photographed leave a red cast that disturbs.
A sort of Christmas gift from the Hats Heaven :)
Now that one just needs a loving home with lots of friends. That's a good looking felt, Daniele.
 
Messages
18,449
Location
Nederland
Another one of them dang 1/8 hats.
But this’n nearly fits. However, I imagine it’ll just sell with the rest of em later.
Somehow it’s more aggravating to have a hat that nearly fits than those that aren’t close to fitting.
Right now I suppose these one size too small hats, I’ve posted lately, will sit in my collection.
This time it’s a sweet late 40s/early 50s Bantam with the orange and red tags. 2 5/8” brim that has one row of stitching like the Playboy.
This Bantam, imo, is just a thinner, lighter Playboy. And man, is this one thin. Lightest felt fedora I’ve ever owned.
This hat may have belonged to LBJ’s brother…

5E223964-6397-4BE6-853A-6F088CAA99A6.jpeg View attachment 475516 View attachment 475515 View attachment 475513 View attachment 475512

I really have a soft spot for these lightweight unlined hats. Gorgeous specimen, Randall.
I bought this hat as a mystery hat for 10 euro's and it seems to be an old Brummel's :) Unfortunally the sweatband and yellow lining are in bad condition, but the felt is in great condition. Glad i bought it!!
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Cool find, Marcel. Brummel's are very fine hats. The other "nice" example resides in Elsinore.
 

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