Post New Hats Here!

[Yamahana]

Penney's Towncraft with the unusual flexing sweatband.

View attachment 507043

View attachment 507044

View attachment 507045

View attachment 507046

View attachment 507047

View attachment 507048

View attachment 507049

View attachment 507050

View attachment 507051

Being a 7 1/4 long oval - 7 3/8 this Xtend R Flex makes sense to me!

 

[BobHufford]

Another cool batch there Mr Wizard! The Volk looks like it’s Hanoki straw.

Well, that’s cool.

Being a 7 1/4 long oval - 7 3/8 this Xtend R Flex makes sense to me!

Thanks Greg, Randall and Greg!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

This “straw” hat was part of a large purchase I made at the end of last year. The hat is unbelievably lightweight! It’s made of “genuine Baku.” It’s very thin and feels delicate. The brim is 2 ⅝” wide. The sweatband is some sort of ribbon. It’s a US size 7 or 56cm.

 

[Blare]

Penney's Marathon Custom Quality. Needs some cleaning.

View attachment 507033

View attachment 507034

View attachment 507035

The "dirt" on the lower brim is a shadow from being snapped down (my thumb shadow is obvious).

View attachment 507036

View attachment 507037

View attachment 507038

View attachment 507039

View attachment 507040

That is a beauty, Bob. Love the color scheme. Does it fit?

 

[Blare]

O.P.S. era Cavanagh Homburg. I dig the thin binding showing on the edge of the curl.

View attachment 507052

View attachment 507053

View attachment 507054

View attachment 507055

View attachment 507056

View attachment 507057

View attachment 507058

Fabulous

 

[BobHufford]

That is a beauty, Bob. Love the color scheme. Does it fit?

It's very close. I'm going to clean it and reevaluate the fit (and whether I'll move it on or not).

 

[mark_m]

I hope I'm learning. Bought three 7 1/4 hats off eBay and they are all shrunk down to between 7 and 7 1/8. Next time I'll have seller measure the circumference. All of them really great hats though. One, a Wormser I posted earlier, fits my #1 son perfect and suits his face perfectly. His birthday coming up. Another, this Churchill, is going back to the seller. Marked 7 1/4 but measures 56 cm. Such nice felt I hate to let go of it

 

[The Shoe]

I hope I'm learning. Bought three 7 1/4 hats off eBay and they are all shrunk down to between 7 and 7 1/8. Next time I'll have seller measure the circumference. All of them really great hats though. One, a Wormser I posted earlier, fits my #1 son perfect and suits his face perfectly. His birthday coming up. Another, this Churchill, is going back to the seller. Marked 7 1/4 but measures 56 cm. Such nice felt I hate to let go of it
View attachment 507277 View attachment 507278 View attachment 507279 View attachment 507280 View attachment 507281 View attachment 507282 View attachment 507283

I wouldn’t feel confident I could measure the circumference of a hat accurately. I know Brent @deadlyhandsome has a tool (I forget what it’s called) for measuring hat size, but says it measures slightly under the actual size (he’ll correct me if I’ve got that backwards). So what I’m saying is that in my limited experience it is likely to still be a bit of a lottery.
Maybe length and width measurements, or photos with a ruler would give you a better idea. I’m sure others with more experience will chip in with advice.

 

[Rmccamey]

I wouldn’t feel confident I could measure the circumference of a hat accurately. I know Brent @deadlyhandsome has a tool (I forget what it’s called) for measuring hat size, but says it measures slightly under the actual size (he’ll correct me if I’ve got that backwards). So what I’m saying is that in my limited experience it is likely to still be a bit of a lottery.
Maybe length and width measurements, or photos with a ruler would give you a better idea. I’m sure others with more experience will chip in with advice.

Agreed. I'm generalizing but vintage felt seems to swing +/- one size with about 75% to 80% being true to size. Only once have I had a hat where the Long Oval made any difference. That said, modern felt may have the same kinds of variation, I just don't know of many here on TFL who deal enough with modern production hats to respond.

 

[Frunobulax]

I wouldn’t feel confident I could measure the circumference of a hat accurately. I know Brent @deadlyhandsome has a tool (I forget what it’s called) for measuring hat size, but says it measures slightly under the actual size (he’ll correct me if I’ve got that backwards). So what I’m saying is that in my limited experience it is likely to still be a bit of a lottery.
Maybe length and width measurements, or photos with a ruler would give you a better idea. I’m sure others with more experience will chip in with advice.

I prefer asking for the LW measurements over any circumference measurement. Not only is it easier for the seller to accomplish, but you get a better sense of the ovality (is that a word?) of it and how it will fit your head.

Oddly enough, over the several years I've been purchasing vintage hats, I've never gotten a tagged 7 1/4 that doesn't fit me Some are a little snug, some a little loose, but they've all been wearable. So many Members have had that experience I find it weird it hasn't happened to me.

 

[Yamahana]

I prefer asking for the LW measurements over any circumference measurement. Not only is it easier for the seller to accomplish, but you get a better sense of the ovality (is that a word?) of it and how it will fit your head.

Oddly enough, over the several years I've been purchasing vintage hats, I've never gotten a tagged 7 1/4 that doesn't fit me Some are a little snug, some a little loose, but they've all been wearable. So many Members have had that experience I find it weird it hasn't happened to me.

I do the same thing and usually attach an example pic for reference. It's astounding some of the replies and pics I get in response without providing an example.

 

[mark_m]

I just measured a newish Stetson and a new Mayser, both marked 58. I measured 57.8 and 58.5 respectively. And the Stetson does feel a bit more snug than the Mayser. So I think it's possible, just walking your thumbs a half inch at a time along a cloth tape measure. That said, it is tedious (and painful for me with my arthritis!) and I can imagine it would be very unlikely to get hat sellers to do this... So I'll try length and width next time around

 

[mark_m]

I prefer asking for the LW measurements over any circumference measurement. Not only is it easier for the seller to accomplish, but you get a better sense of the ovality (is that a word?) of it and how it will fit your head.

Oddly enough, over the several years I've been purchasing vintage hats, I've never gotten a tagged 7 1/4 that doesn't fit me Some are a little snug, some a little loose, but they've all been wearable. So many Members have had that experience I find it weird it hasn't happened to me.

Either your luck is better than mine, or your head is more adaptable I'm 0 for 4 now, one of them just being my mistake in not reading the size correctly in the listing...

 

[Mighty44]

I just measured a newish Stetson and a new Mayser, both marked 58. I measured 57.8 and 58.5 respectively. And the Stetson does feel a bit more snug than the Mayser. So I think it's possible, just walking your thumbs a half inch at a time along a cloth tape measure. That said, it is tedious (and painful for me with my arthritis!) and I can imagine it would be very unlikely to get hat sellers to do this... So I'll try length and width next time around

In my experience, vintage hats are far more accurate in sizing than modern hats. I’m with Jim, almost every vintage (1940s-60s)hat I’ve ever bought in my size has fit me. New Stetsons are all over the place—my straw stratoliner is a full size down from my usual size.

David

 

[mark_m]

Here's one of the other hats that's going back to ebay, but it's a beauty. I think this one has made some rounds here if I'm not mistaken. Gorgeous dark chocolate McAndrew. It does measure close to 58, as marked, about 57 1/2, but a little snug on me. I've no idea the actual ages of any of the hats I'm buying

 

[Randall Renshaw]

EMKO in the house!
It made the size and half stretch from 7 1/8 to 7 1/4+ with absolutely no problems, thankfully. This is one great, old piece! Can’t give an exact date, but from all its clues we’re guessing early 1900s, maybe as late as 20s. Not much to find out on this brand and Mike from Rome has searched hard, since he ended up buying that other one (6 7/8) from the same eBay seller that I got mine.
His doesn’t have a liner, too, so maybe these hats didn’t come with one.
Was all I could do to not steam in my favored crown crease for westerns, but for this’n I wanted to put in a crease that likely most men had put in em. Middle crease a bit low in front and high in back with a long pinch.
Was able to keep the kettle curl completely in tact in the wet felt blocking process. Not easy, but doable.
The scarce hat looks and fits like a dream and I’ll be giving this old beaut plenty of head time!
4 1/4” in front. 4 3/4” rear.
1/2” ribbon and campaign bow.
3 5/16” brim in front and rear. 3 1/8” on sides.
It was a bit wider and during blocking I wanted the brim to lose some width, so let it go into the now 5 3/4” open crown.

 

[Blare]

EMKO in the house!
It made the size and half stretch from 7 1/8 to 7 1/4+ with absolutely no problems, thankfully. This is one great, old piece! Can’t give an exact date, but from all its clues we’re guessing early 1900s, maybe as late as 20s. Not much to find out on this brand and Mike from Rome has searched hard, since he ended up buying that other one (6 7/8) from the same eBay seller that I got mine.
His doesn’t have a liner, too, so maybe these hats didn’t come with one.
Was all I could do to not steam in my favored crown crease for westerns, but for this’n I wanted to put in a crease that likely most men had put in em. Middle crease a bit low in front and high in back with a long pinch.
Was able to keep the kettle curl completely in tact in the wet felt blocking process. Not easy, but doable.
The scarce hat looks and fits like a dream and I’ll be giving this old beaut plenty of head time!
4 1/4” in front. 4 3/4” rear.
1/2” ribbon and campaign bow.
3 5/16” brim in front and rear. 3 1/8” on sides.
It was a bit wider and during blocking I wanted the brim to lose some width, so let it go into the now 5 3/4” open crown. View attachment 507610 View attachment 507611 View attachment 507612 View attachment 507613 View attachment 507614 View attachment 507615 View attachment 507618

That is one formidable hat, Randall. Well done

 

[deadlyhandsome]

EMKO in the house!
It made the size and half stretch from 7 1/8 to 7 1/4+ with absolutely no problems, thankfully. This is one great, old piece! Can’t give an exact date, but from all its clues we’re guessing early 1900s, maybe as late as 20s. Not much to find out on this brand and Mike from Rome has searched hard, since he ended up buying that other one (6 7/8) from the same eBay seller that I got mine.
His doesn’t have a liner, too, so maybe these hats didn’t come with one.
Was all I could do to not steam in my favored crown crease for westerns, but for this’n I wanted to put in a crease that likely most men had put in em. Middle crease a bit low in front and high in back with a long pinch.
Was able to keep the kettle curl completely in tact in the wet felt blocking process. Not easy, but doable.
The scarce hat looks and fits like a dream and I’ll be giving this old beaut plenty of head time!
4 1/4” in front. 4 3/4” rear.
1/2” ribbon and campaign bow.
3 5/16” brim in front and rear. 3 1/8” on sides.
It was a bit wider and during blocking I wanted the brim to lose some width, so let it go into the now 5 3/4” open crown. View attachment 507610 View attachment 507611 View attachment 507612 View attachment 507613 View attachment 507614 View attachment 507615 View attachment 507618

Fantastic work, Randall. What a glorious old hat!

I’m glad to see that you’ve been posting more lately: we were lessened in your absence.

 

[steur]

EMKO in the house!
It made the size and half stretch from 7 1/8 to 7 1/4+ with absolutely no problems, thankfully. This is one great, old piece! Can’t give an exact date, but from all its clues we’re guessing early 1900s, maybe as late as 20s. Not much to find out on this brand and Mike from Rome has searched hard, since he ended up buying that other one (6 7/8) from the same eBay seller that I got mine.
His doesn’t have a liner, too, so maybe these hats didn’t come with one.
Was all I could do to not steam in my favored crown crease for westerns, but for this’n I wanted to put in a crease that likely most men had put in em. Middle crease a bit low in front and high in back with a long pinch.
Was able to keep the kettle curl completely in tact in the wet felt blocking process. Not easy, but doable.
The scarce hat looks and fits like a dream and I’ll be giving this old beaut plenty of head time!
4 1/4” in front. 4 3/4” rear.
1/2” ribbon and campaign bow.
3 5/16” brim in front and rear. 3 1/8” on sides.
It was a bit wider and during blocking I wanted the brim to lose some width, so let it go into the now 5 3/4” open crown. View attachment 507610 View attachment 507611 View attachment 507612 View attachment 507613 View attachment 507614 View attachment 507615 View attachment 507618

Cool hat and great work, Randall.

 

[Rmccamey]

EMKO in the house!
It made the size and half stretch from 7 1/8 to 7 1/4+ with absolutely no problems, thankfully. This is one great, old piece! Can’t give an exact date, but from all its clues we’re guessing early 1900s, maybe as late as 20s. Not much to find out on this brand and Mike from Rome has searched hard, since he ended up buying that other one (6 7/8) from the same eBay seller that I got mine.
His doesn’t have a liner, too, so maybe these hats didn’t come with one.
Was all I could do to not steam in my favored crown crease for westerns, but for this’n I wanted to put in a crease that likely most men had put in em. Middle crease a bit low in front and high in back with a long pinch.
Was able to keep the kettle curl completely in tact in the wet felt blocking process. Not easy, but doable.
The scarce hat looks and fits like a dream and I’ll be giving this old beaut plenty of head time!
4 1/4” in front. 4 3/4” rear.
1/2” ribbon and campaign bow.
3 5/16” brim in front and rear. 3 1/8” on sides.
It was a bit wider and during blocking I wanted the brim to lose some width, so let it go into the now 5 3/4” open crown. View attachment 507610 View attachment 507611 View attachment 507612 View attachment 507613 View attachment 507614 View attachment 507615 View attachment 507618

Looks like a keeper, Randall..