Quintessential modern production fedora.

[FedOregon]

All of that seller's Stetsons have the liners "punched" with a small hole, indicating they were a close out item. I don't know where the seller picked up the hats, but there are quite a few. I would have bought more if I wasn't disappointed with the first one. There were a couple Temples, an Open Road?, a Firenze that I liked, etc...

...oh, and that Stetsonian mentioned above for $129.99 plus shipping.

 

[FedOregon]

...I'd say that, if you go with Stetson, you should stay with Royal Quality or above. Most of the open crowns Stetson has on the market right now are Royal Deluxe - this is what the Stetsonian is. Their other production felts don't seem to be up to snuff.

What are the quality levels for Stetson, from Best to lowest quality?

 

[Frunobulax]

Excellent
Royal Deluxe
Royal
2016 Catalog also has Medalist. Don't know what that means. Although not listed, I'll bet there's still some Sovereign or Imperial hats still being made.

 

[RJR]

What are the quality levels for Stetson, from Best to lowest quality?

I believe the grades have varied over time so you would have to pick a timeframe then look for the grades.Its confusing at best.

 

[johnnycanuck]

We are talking about it he quindessential modern production hat. So the current grade scale.
Johnny
BTW pictures would be fantastic.

 

[Frunobulax]

Johnny,

Link to the Hat-Co page with Stetson, Dobbs, etc. catalogues, in PDF.

LINK

These are the current quality level lining tips (from 2015 - the "150th" designation isn't there in 2016)...

​

Other than the Medalist shown in the 2016 catalogue, and the "Wool" designation, it doesn't appear there is an Imperial or Sovereign grade being produced. But it's not unusual for those to pop up - weird items show up at the Garland outlet and it seems some hat shops get specially made lines.

It's still tough to nail down. I have a Stetson "Lamont" in Sovereign Quality, probably produced about 2010, that's a fantastic piece of felt.

 

[FedOregon]

This has been posted elsewhere, but it's the Penman factory made production hat, The Everyman, from John's first offering featuring an Indy hat. I had John crease mine to look more like the hat seen in The Crystal Skull movie. This is a 80/20 felt blend of rabbit/beaver and it's head and shoulders above other current production offerings, IMO/IME.

John just offered his second line of the Everyman in a granite non-Indy hat. I'm looking to have mine bashed like John's Casablanca handmade offering. If you get in on the pre-order of the first run, the hats are only $200; subsequent orders are $250. I live close enough to drive over, have John crease my hat while I wait and leave with a great new lid on my noggin; and it fits (imagine that)!

The hats I like in Stetson currently run $180 - $315 and I'm not liking what I see.... so far. I got my Muprhy on ebay for about $135 shipped to my door. It's a 7-1/2 and fits ok, not great. And there are visible flaws in the hat, most notably where the brim binding meets at the back. It looks like they missed a stich then went back to patch it up, leaving a white mark/thread sticking out on a granite (charcoal) hat with matching brim binding.

An Akubra Fed IV runs $109 USD plus shipping; the Fed IV Deluxe is $143.20+, both from Hats Direct/The Hattery. This represents a real value, no argument there. The Heritage line of Akubras run $185 to $200 from David Morgan, and around $148 USD from australiangear.com. I have the Coober Pedy (on sale for $118 shipped), The CP was ordered a size up (60cm/ size 7-1/2, just like my Everyman), but is still tight front-to-rear. I was looking to get the Lawson, Banjo Paterson, Angler and maybe a Fed IV. But I'm holding off, for now.

IMO, we're getting up into custom prices with some of these production hats so that's been my focus lately. It's frustrating to order a hat, wait for it, and then have it not fit.

 

[Corky]

The Akubra Fedora is a better hat than the Campdraft !

This is heresy on this Forum, I know, but... I acquired a pair of Akubra Fedoras in a trade via the Classifieds a while back. (I know the photo looks lousy, but please bear with me...)

I own a Campdraft and an Open Road. Both are fine hats. I wear both from time to time. But the original Campdraft feels a bit like an old Army blanket (due to the wild Australian rabbit fur, no doubt), and the OR is a little softer and slightly more refined.

First of all, the Fedora's brim is a bit smaller (and thus more MAD MEN style). I didn't think I would like this, but it turns out I PREFER it.

Also and more important, the AKUBRA FEDORA'S FELT is much softer and more luxurious than the Campdraft's or the Open Road's felt.

Also, I want to emphasize: I got rid of the Fedora's band and replaced it with a latigo saddle string. I have been doing this with my brimmed hats since the early 1970's. (See some of my archived posts for details.)

When the Fedora's constricting band was removed, the hat opened up and became a cool hat, a real classic. It was as if, once the band was gone, the Fedora stretched out a bit, started to breathe, and found it's true identity.

I'd post some photos, but my image posting account is not working at the moment.

 

[belfastboy]

All of that seller's Stetsons have the liners "punched" with a small hole, indicating they were a close out item. I don't know where the seller picked up the hats, but there are quite a few. I would have bought more if I wasn't disappointed with the first one. There were a couple Temples, an Open Road?, a Firenze that I liked, etc...

...oh, and that Stetsonian mentioned above for $129.99 plus shipping.

I bit on the Ebay Stetsonian. Checked with the seller before I hit the BIN and he advised the hat is a "floor model' from a hat show. Technically then, I guess, it is a used hat but I there were so many glowing reviews here about the Stetsonian that I thought it a lower $ risk way to check it out.

 

[belfastboy]

This is heresy, I know, but... The Akubra Fedora is a better hat than the Campdraft !

I acquired a pair of Akubra Fedoras in a trade via the Classifieds a while back. (I know the photo looks lousy, but please bear with me...)

I own a Campdraft and an Open Road. Both are fine hats. I wear both from time to time. But the original Campdraft feels a bit like an old Army blanket (due to the wild Australian rabbit fur, no doubt), and the OR is a little softer and slightly more refined.

First of all, the Fedora's brim is a bit smaller (and thus more MAD MEN style). I didn't think I would like this, but it turns out I PREFER it.

Also and more important, the AKUBRA FEDORA'S FELT is much softer and more luxurious than the Campdraft's or the Open Road's felt.

Also, I want to emphasize: I got rid of the Fedora's band and replaced it with a latigo saddle string. I have been doing this with my brimmed hats since the early 1970's. When I removed the Fedora's constricting band, the hat opened up and became a real classic, a cool hat.

It was as if, once the band was removed, the Fedora started to breathe and found it's true identity.

I'd post some photos, but my image posting account is not working at the moment.

I have an Akubra Sidney and a CD, yes the felt is softer, more plush on the Sidney but I have yet to really test the CD in the elements so it has not had a chance to be broken in.

 

[FedOregon]

I bit on the Ebay Stetsonian. Checked with the seller before I hit the BIN and he advised the hat is a "floor model' from a hat show. Technically then, I guess, it is a used hat but I there were so many glowing reviews here about the Stetsonian that I thought it a lower $ risk way to check it out.

I saw someone picked it up and wondered if someone from here bought it. Good snag!

 

[belfastboy]

I saw someone picked it up and wondered if someone from here bought it. Good snag!

The seller advised it was "as new" so when it was still available first thing this morning, in a moment of weakness, I took the leap. I have wanted one for a while but did not bite even at a $170 sale price back in the autumn. So at $129, what the hell!!!

 

[Frunobulax]

Also, I want to emphasize: I got rid of the Fedora's band and replaced it with a latigo saddle string. I have been doing this with my brimmed hats since the early 1970's. (See some of my archived posts for details.)

What does this mean? By "band" do you mean ribbon? Or did you remove the sweatband? Color me confused...

I agree the Fedora is a fantastic hat. I think it is made softer because it's a "dress" hat. I own one and two CDs. I like them all. With a brim width of 2 1/2", though, I wouldn't call it Mad Man-esque, however. Those all seem to be 2" and below.

 

[Rick Blaine]

"FORTUNE & GLORY, KID"

 

[makitright]

The best modern production hat that I own and would buy again would be one made with Stetson's Excellent Quality felt - I bought the New York model in alabaster. Pricing is about $325 list price and $260 when you get a discount - from a hat retailer. This felt is soft and workable without steam - it pops to open crown without any trace of its previous bash.

I have a Stetson Grand Central which is one step down in Stetson's felt quality - a Royal Deluxe felt. Its a nice hat but the felt is quite a bit thicker. Shaping it requires a good dose of steam or a light spray to get a good and defined diamond crease. I would not buy this felt again.

Although not in the theme of this thread I go on to compare the production to a custom - only because at $260 you can get a custom made for yourself by one or two hatters. So...comparing the New York to a custom pecan beaver Gannon - the New York is softer and more malleable (the brim is almost too malleable at times) - the felt is the closest to vintage felt that I have experienced - the Gannon is stiffer. Both are great fedoras and are the only 2 hats I would buy again today.

 

[Benny Holiday]

It all comes down to the individual. The Campdraft is too much brim for me. For me it comes down to two contenders, Akubra and Stetson; oddly enough, I believe that back in the 40s and 50s, Akubra held the license from Stetson to sell their products in Australia. Anyway, for my height and frame the Akubra Stylemaster is great, I've got five of them in different colours, and as far as value for the dollar goes, you can't beat Akubra. That said, I was very impressed with the look of the new Stetsons as influenced by Matt Deckard, and I've got a Grand Central in silverbelly and a Premier Whippet in natural and they're both great. I know a lot of you guys have said the quality can vary, but I can't fault the felt or the construction of those two hats.

 

[Obsessed]

I just noticed that my Stetson Chatham, which I got last year, says "Sovereign" on the sweatband but "Royal Deluxe" on the box. I have no idea what that means but I like the hat so I don't really care.

 

[Knotten]

The Akubra Fedora is a better hat than the Campdraft !

Glad you mentioned the Fedora, Corky. It's not heresy with me. I love mine, and I think the felt is almost vintage quality. I'm thinking of getting another.

The best modern production hat that I own and would buy again would be one made with Stetson's Excellent Quality felt - I bought the New York model in alabaster.

I was going to ask if anyone had any experience with the excellent quality. Another review I read here awhile back said it was vintage quality. I just wish it was more affordable.

 

[PHIL1959]

I prefer my advintage Harrison to the fed1v
my stylemaster in moonstone has better quality felt than my fed1v!
i'm awaiting a Penman everyman non indy in 50/50 beaver rabbit which excluding import taxes is same price as the advintage Harrison.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Lots of Stetson love here.
One question I have Is how does it fair with daily wear in wet or snowy weather?
Another is where does one buy them?
Johnny