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And now the one I was really waiting for came in today! A United States Marine Corps fiber range sun helmet. In 1975 I had a summer of temporary duty there and I borrowed this from a buddy at the firearms range in Quantico, Va. I talked with him a few days back and mentioned my hat addiction. He said he still had two of these and sent me one!. (He kept the nice one... this one still has the worn spot in the center that I remember lol) I had very limited firearms duties that summer, but I WAS assigned there and got to wear the range hat to distinguish me form the officer candidates! ( I did get pretty good at policing up garbage, Painting and general facility maintenance lol)

Its got a few stains to clean off after 45 yrs in someones closet, but its all intact and in decent shape View attachment 618574 View attachment 618575 View attachment 618576 . Glad I still had a box full of Marine stuff, so I had the Big Barracks Hat emblem ready to screw on. just need to scarifice a shoelace so I can relace the sweatband adjustment.

Not one of my regular fur felt hats, but actually having a personal history with this exact cover, Im thrilled! (Little things make old Marines grin I guess! lol

Nice! You need to add that to the Pith Helmet thread.

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/giant-pith-helmet-thread-of-doom.47364/
 
Messages
19,427
Location
Funkytown, USA
This one ticks a couple boxes for me. My first boater, and it's a Packard!

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It's in great shape, considering it's pretty darn old. How old? I don't know. No other tags other than the size tag (and another behind the sweat). Sweat's in great shape. Brim's a little wonky, but I can live with that.

Obligatory headshot.

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This one will take some getting used to.
 

Steve1857

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,870
Location
Denmark
This one ticks a couple boxes for me. My first boater, and it's a Packard!

View attachment 619485 View attachment 619486 View attachment 619488 View attachment 619489 View attachment 619490

It's in great shape, considering it's pretty darn old. How old? I don't know. No other tags other than the size tag (and another behind the sweat). Sweat's in great shape. Brim's a little wonky, but I can live with that.

Obligatory headshot.

View attachment 619487

This one will take some getting used to.
Wonderful weave. Great find, Jim.

Congrats.
 

RickP

Practically Family
Messages
928
This one ticks a couple boxes for me. My first boater, and it's a Packard!

View attachment 619485 View attachment 619486 View attachment 619488 View attachment 619489 View attachment 619490

It's in great shape, considering it's pretty darn old. How old? I don't know. No other tags other than the size tag (and another behind the sweat). Sweat's in great shape. Brim's a little wonky, but I can live with that.

Obligatory headshot.

View attachment 619487

This one will take some getting used to.
Thats cool... from the script Im assuming thats the same Packard as the motor cars? Wonder if it was a regular line they had, or was it a promotional thing ( Buy a car and get a hat lol)
 
Messages
19,427
Location
Funkytown, USA
Thats cool... from the script Im assuming thats the same Packard as the motor cars? Wonder if it was a regular line they had, or was it a promotional thing ( Buy a car and get a hat lol)

They were associated with the cars, as in the name was licensed to the S&M hat company (See little logo under Packard). We have a Packard museum here in town, and they have a bowler on display.

There are a few other posts on the FL with Packards, but not many.
 
Messages
18,469
Location
Nederland
This one ticks a couple boxes for me. My first boater, and it's a Packard!

View attachment 619485 View attachment 619486 View attachment 619488 View attachment 619489 View attachment 619490

It's in great shape, considering it's pretty darn old. How old? I don't know. No other tags other than the size tag (and another behind the sweat). Sweat's in great shape. Brim's a little wonky, but I can live with that.

Obligatory headshot.

View attachment 619487

This one will take some getting used to.
That is a really cool find! Congrats, Jim. You should be able to get that brim to behave a little better with some work.
 
Messages
18,469
Location
Nederland
Three new hats to show you, just because.
First one.
Hoc Extra fedora in a brown colour called malaga. Size 56 with the raw edge brim at 6cm and the crown at 10cm in front. This teardrop is what it said it wanted during steaming it. Who am I to argue? Maker is either Gerardo Riva or Cerizza of Monza, a city known for its formidable woolfelt production. This one is a furfelt of decent but not exceptional quality. A cool find nonetheless. Riva hats are hard to find. They were on the market under the names of Rival, which is on the label of this one, and Delione. Cerizzza took over the brand names in 1960. Hard to say if this is pre or post 1960.

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Messages
18,469
Location
Nederland
Number three.
Borsalino Ta Fazara fedora in Mirtillo colour. Size 58 with the triple stitched overwelt brim at 6cm and the crown at 10,5cm at the center dent. Sold to me as a black hat this is not the first time the hat turned out to be a dark blue Mirtillo coloured one. The model has been seen before, but it is rare. What is even more rare are the purple liner and white sweatband. Extremely cool. The hat is lightweight at 100 grams, is very soft with a great hand to the felt. Works brim up, like I photographed it here, and brim down (better up, I think).
I'm bummed out though, because it isn't my size and I will be letting this one go. Imported by Ferner Jacobsen of Oslo, Norway.

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Messages
11,718
Number three.
Borsalino Ta Fazara fedora in Mirtillo colour. Size 58 with the triple stitched overwelt brim at 6cm and the crown at 10,5cm at the center dent. Sold to me as a black hat this is not the first time the hat turned out to be a dark blue Mirtillo coloured one. The model has been seen before, but it is rare. What is even more rare are the purple liner and white sweatband. Extremely cool. The hat is lightweight at 100 grams, is very soft with a great hand to the felt. Works brim up, like I photographed it here, and brim down (better up, I think).
I'm bummed out though, because it isn't my size and I will be letting this one go. Imported by Ferner Jacobsen of Oslo, Norway.

View attachment 619765 View attachment 619766 View attachment 619767 View attachment 619768 View attachment 619769 View attachment 619770 View attachment 619772 View attachment 619773 View attachment 619774
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All three fabulous in their own way
 
Messages
19,427
Location
Funkytown, USA
That is a really cool find! Congrats, Jim. You should be able to get that brim to behave a little better with some work.


Do you (or anybody else) have any advice for me? I'm not as experienced or confident with straw as I am with felt. Especially a boater. Will it respond to steam well? Should I put a stack of books on it?

I don't want to harm it, so if anybody has any guidance, I'd be very grateful.
 
Messages
18,469
Location
Nederland
Do you (or anybody else) have any advice for me? I'm not as experienced or confident with straw as I am with felt. Especially a boater. Will it respond to steam well? Should I put a stack of books on it?

I don't want to harm it, so if anybody has any guidance, I'd be very grateful.
Boaters are basically heavily shellacked straws, so they should respond to steam. My advice would be to use steam to warm it up and then, like you suggested, put it on a flat surface and stack books on the brim.
 

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