Stetson Bashing at Club Obi-Wan - What gives?

[Donato]

I was browsing through the Club Obi-Wan forum and found a thread about the quality of Stetson hats. While a few responses do not make a consensus, I was disappointed by the negative views expressed about Stetson. What do lounge members think? I am new to this world but Stetson is a venerable name in hat manufacturing and I just ordered a Sutley. How do they compare to Akubra?

http://www.indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?t=25375&highlight=stetson+sutley

 

[thunderw21]

I was browsing through the Club Obi-Wan forum and found a thread about the quality of Stetson hats. While a few responses do not make a consensus, I was disappointed by the negative views expressed about Stetson. What do lounge members think? I am new to this world but Stetson is a venerable name in hat manufacturing and I just ordered a Sutley. How do they compare to Akubra?

http://www.indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?t=25375&highlight=stetson+sutley

Unfortunately Stetson today is not as high quality as it was in the past.

I'm unable to read the thread and see what was said, but Stetson hats nowadays are not great. I'd much rather have a vintage Stetson than a modern Stetson. Nothing against Stetson; their quality just isn't as good.

That said, they are decent hats. Not great, but decent. I would call them average compared to other off the shelf hat makers.

Akubra hats are better quality when it comes to felt and construction.

 

[carebear]

It's like any other classic label.

When it comes to new stuff, you have to look and see if they are just coasting on the name due to rising costs or just laziness and undiscriminating buyers.

For the non-aficianado, like you and me it may not seem a big deal. Trust me though, the first time you handle an actual vintage hat in decent shape, you'll see and feel the differences in craftsmanship and material.

That's why those on the Lounge who can't find a particular vintage model buy new hats from smaller, non-"name" makers.

 

[Donato]

Thunderw21,
Thanks for the reply. Well, the Stetson is in the mail so I'll see how I like it. I have a couple of Akubra's on order too and will do a comparison. I just had to get a nice black fedora quickly and chose the Stetson for its style. Akubra has a three month wait for a black Stylemaster.
I also checked out your blog - love it. You look like a modern day 1940's classic young gentleman and carry it off extremely well! :eusa_clap

 

[thunderw21]

Thunderw21,
Thanks for the reply. Well, the Stetson is in the mail so I'll see how I like it. I have a couple of Akubra's on order too and will do a comparison. I just had to get a nice black fedora quickly and chose the Stetson for its style. Akubra has a three month wait for a black Stylemaster.
I also checked out your blog - love it. You look like a modern day 1940's classic young gentleman and carry it off extremely well! :eusa_clap

Thank you!
I'm looking forward to the comparison. I don't have either a modern Stetson or Akubra and would like to know how they compare.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Where's the Hatco dude? He needs to be in on this conversation.

 

[Jerekson]

What you are seeing on COW is basically old news. The consensus among the sister sites both is that the modern (1980+, typcially) Stetson lids are cheaply manufactured, cheaply made, and poorly styled.

Taper, dye running, and shrinkage are some reported problems.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I'm sort of a Stetson defender... which is to say I won't say they are junk because that's simply not true. However, there are better options. There are simply things I wouldn't do with a Stetson fedora that I would with an Akubra or an Art Fawcett or AB, etc.

I own two Stetsons. One is a grayish color, and I have no dye problems. I got it cheap on OFAS, so it's been through a bit and is starting to look a little worn. Had it been new, maybe I would have been more careful with it. My other is a classy looking lid that serves strickly as a dress hat. If I expect rain or wet snow/ice, I have other lids to wear.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

We repeat this conversation, every few weeks. This was one of the more recent ones:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=25877&highlight=stetson+temple

The bottom line is ALL current production hats have some problems. I own a federation Deluxe, and I love it. So far, it hasn't shrunk. Lots of other owners have reported problems with initial fit and later shrinking. (One multi page thread was recently dedicated to this problem.) I own several contemporary Stetsons, one Dobbs, and a Charlie One Horse (all HATCO products). I have experienced no dye running, and only one case of shrinking, and that was within acceptable limits. Contemporary Stetson fur felt dress hats compete in the market place. They are not garbage, and sometimes they can be the best choice. I say all that with a

 

[Prairie Shade]

I AGREE WITH JTM

Plus I like his art work in background. I have owned several Akubras and the comparison between them and Stetson is subjective. Personally, I find the Stetson felt better to the touch (mostly) and have seen many more Stetsons than Akubras. I have 4 Akubras having worn several out by hard wear.

 

[Feraud]

I have 4 Akubras having worn several out by hard wear.

How have the Stetson's stood up to hard wear?

 

[Prairie Shade]

To be as fair as I know how

They both have shrunk with exposure to the elements. The felt in Stetson fedoras were or maybe are thinner than an Akubra. The Akubras tend to swell or thicken with repeated exposure to the elements and also sun fade (to be exptected). I have worn a Stetson to where the sweatband was a shambles and threw it away. I started wearing them years ago when I could buy great fedoras at the outlet for 15 dollars. I thought it would always be that way! I currently own: 1 Akubra Snowy River-1 Federation-1 Territory-1 Military or ANZAC I call it. They are all OK but I was slightly disappointed with the military version, it seems to be pilling or the felt is loosening in a way I've never seen. Maybe my imagination. Territory is a great (big) hat and with a purg has never been better. Modern Stetson hats can hold their own with Akubra, if they would offer more styles of fedora. An Akubra hat compares well with a Stetson Western hat. Thicker felt!! I have more Stetsons that I can list because of my years of going to the Outlet. Just my opinion, I could be wrong!!!

 

[GentlemanFarmer]

Differences

I have two felt Open Roads. They are slightly different. The fawn-colored one has a brown sweatband with the "diamond" liner and the black one has a black sweat with the same liner, though the liner is more worn. The fawn one is less stiff but the felt thickness seems the same. I kept the Cattleman/Alpine crown, but snapped the front brim down. I like them both, but my favorite is my Resistol San Antonio. It was a vintage shop rescue. The sweat had been cut out, so I had a new sweatband put in. Have no way to know how old it is. Much softer than either Stetson.