Starter hat

[monbla256]

Most seen here are creased in a Fedora style but still does not remove the CD from being a re-named Australian Stetson OR. And an OR is a western hat

 

[Chinaski]

All these esteemed Loungers have offered excellent starter hat ideas! My suggestion would be to (if you haven't already) look through the threads here. You could probably just go through the "Post New Hats Here" thread and take a good look at all the wonderful hats. Find something that trips your trigger, and then look for a similar Akubra, Jaxon, Bencraft hat. If you're a real hat person, you'll soon find buying hats is like eating peanuts...you can't have just one.

 

[carldelo]

Most seen here are creased in a Fedora style but still does not remove the CD from being a re-named Australian Stetson OR. And an OR is a western hat

I understand your argument, but I'm not buying it. There's no physical attribute that makes the Camp Draft a western hat (other than the fact that you know its history, so like to think of it that way). You do the hat no service by pigeon-holing it as western, and in fact, you appear to have discouraged the OP from considering it.

 

[monbla256]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion

 

[frussell]

A quick look at old Stetson ads like the ones in the "One more for the "Road"' thread will show you that as far back as the 40's, the Open Road was styled (and marketed) in both fedora and western shapes. Its modern incarnation may be in a hard-to-rebash "cattleman's crease," but the original open-crowned hat was a blank slate, stylewise. I grew up seeing nothing but "LBJ style" Open Roads in Houston and Austin, but I find it hard to see anything "western" about the Stetson Twenty Five OR I bought off eBay, even in the cattleman's crease. I still ride with many older gentlemen who wear their Open Roads and Resistol clones in the cattleman's crease, but that doesn't mean mine isn't a fedora. A Campdraft, like an Open Road, is a hat. YOU make it western or fedora. Just how I see it. Frank

 

[carldelo]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion

I'll go along with that, provided you acknowledge that your view of the Camp Draft as a western hat is your opinion, not a fact.

 

[hatophile]

The hat is in the eye of the beholder. If you look at many of the old photos, early 20th century, many gentleman's hats were bashed in a semi-alpine style with a large center dent and 2 large side dents,

for example, Al Capone's hat, and he was definetely a city boy. Now we associate that crease with Western or Cowboy style. On the other hand, the diamond, and c-crown
seem to be more affiliated with a "city hat". Then there is the issue of brim and crown size,
the western being generally larger proportioned, the more formal or dressy hat smaller.
All in all, depends on how you the wearer percieve the hat, crease it and wear it. A hat that is slightly larger in brim and crown can be made more formal looking depending on bash, ribbon, color, etc.

Look at all different hat styles and shapes, peruse the forums, take your time-- you'll enjoy yourself and learn more that you ever imagined about hats.

 

[Yeps]

Marginally relevant... the open road clearly started its life as a fedora, even if it took a more western style later with the thin ribbon.

 

[monbla256]

Sorry I seem to have insulted some folks about the OR/CD Seems that if one connects their hats to any sort of Western design/motif it insults them. We all base our ideas and viewpoints on their life experiences and growing up when and where I have the OR will ALWAYS be a Western hat. And as far as the CD, since it is the renamed OR as was made under license to Stetson in Australia, it falls into the same catagory for me. But then I STILL wear Western hats and don't have a problem with them. Life is a subtle blending of greys, not strictly B&W JMHO

 

[carldelo]

Sorry I seem to have insulted some folks about the OR/CD Seems that if one connects their hats to any sort of Western design/motif it insults them. We all base our ideas and viewpoints on their life experiences and growing up when and where I have the OR will ALWAYS be a Western hat. And as far as the CD, since it is the renamed OR as was made under license to Stetson in Australia, it falls into the same catagory for me. But then I STILL wear Western hats and don't have a problem with them. Life is a subtle blending of greys, not strictly B&W JMHO

We appear to have been speaking at cross purposes. I don't object to western hats on any level, nor do I object to your characterization of the OR and the CD as western hats. I objected to your categorical statement that they are and always will be western hats, not fedoras, which I think has been shown to be an overstatement. That's really all it was about - I was not feeling insulted, nor was anyone else, I suspect.

 

[monbla256]

Fair enough. That's your opinion and mine is mine Onward thru the fog
Gotta go out in the rain, back later

 

[gtdean48]

Marginally relevant... the open road clearly started its life as a fedora, even if it took a more western style later with the thin ribbon.

The terms I have always heard associated with thin ribbons is "country hat" versus a "city hat", both applied to fedoras. The later OR were definitely "western" with the alpine crease & as noted a design influenced by Amon Carter. The original Open Road did have a wide ribbon which putting a thinner ribbon on it a "western" it does not make IMHO. The Stratoliner was not a "western" hat but definitely has the more casual "country hat" style. A thin ribbon hat is not western though lots of western hats have thin ribbons...

 

[Hercule]

Sorry to have hit and run with this thread (i posted as I left work yesterday and we don't do computer at home).

My criteria for a hat is wide open but my budget is under $100. I'll see what I can get and go from there.

 

[Yeps]

Sorry to have hit and run with this thread (i posted as I left work yesterday and we don't do computer at home).

My criteria for a hat is wide open but my budget is under $100. I'll see what I can get and go from there.

I think that your best bet in this case would be to start searching thrift stores and ebay for vintage, but that will take a lot of patience. For right around a hundred, depending on the exchange rate, an Akubra is probably a good choice.

 

[Rick Blaine]

Sorry to have hit and run with this thread (i posted as I left work yesterday and we don't do computer at home).

My criteria for a hat is wide open but my budget is under $100. I'll see what I can get and go from there.

Have I missed it or did you state your size? If you are 7 1/4 or smaller th' bay is the place to go, dollar for dollar. If you've a bigger bean or desire a new hat, one word,
Akubra.

You should look at this: THE ART OF FITTING FACES as it may help. If possible go to a local hat shop and get a feel for what works f/ you then either stalk eBay or order online. All these fella's have given A+ council, ball's in your court. And remember felt is VERY malleable. What is a teardrop today can be a deep telescope tomorrow. Felt is the first, and still the strongest, cloth invented. Have fun.

 

[Sam Craig]

If you need to stay under $100, a new Akubra isn't going to work, nor a new anything that is lasting, though you can get some decent wool felt hats, if you want wool felt. I had a wool felt fedora that wore great for a couple of years ... was very comfortable and you didn't have to be careful where you dropped it.
Even those, however, online, are going to push the budget once you've paid for shipping.
I still enjoy my fur felt Iconoclast, but I understand they've been discontinued. Village Hat Shop might be worth a try though
In the Cleveland area, you'd think there would be thrift stores, antique shops, etc, to check in
And then, there is Ebay, still if they are going to charge an arm and a leg on shipping, you might be wise to use up some gas and check locally

Just ideas...
Good luck,

Sam

 

[Yeps]

Another good option would be to ask in the classifieds here. A lot of guys have hats they would be willing to sell you, I am sure.

 

[carldelo]

...Village Hat Shop might be worth a try...

I'll reiterate my suggestion for a Jaxon Bogart fur felt, $88 at Village Hat Shop. Many FL members have had good experience with this hat, both in looks and durability (and it comes with a free hat brush!):

http://www.villagehatshop.com/jaxon_bogart_fedora.html

 

[Sam Craig]

I'll reiterate my suggestion for a Jaxon Bogart fur felt, $88 at Village Hat Shop. Many FL members have had good experience with this hat, both in looks and durability (and it comes with a free hat brush!):

http://www.villagehatshop.com/jaxon_bogart_fedora.html

This looks like a good suggestions, since the Iconoclast is no longer available
If the felt is a tough as the Iconoclast, it will give great wear and VHS is great to work with

Sam

 

[Sam Craig]

Yeps has a good suggestion, and I have had good luck with local newspaper classifieds, too
I ended up with an older lady contacting me years ago with her husband's collection
Makes me think ... hmm ... maybe it's time to run an ad again
Gotta go!

Sam