Stetson Globester VS Packard

[Matt Brandon]

Hi, I am new here and it is my first post. I joined as I am in the market for a fedora and figure you folks are the experts.

I had a vintage fedora years back when I was young and loved the supple felt and they way it was finished. I want to try to find that same feel. It had a brim edging and a ribbon band with a teardrop crown.

I have been reading in these forums that the Globester might be the same feel of the felt and have the finished touches like the brim edging I want. But will the crown be able to be re-shaped to a teardrop?

Quite frankly I love the over all look and color of the Packard, but notice that the brim is not finished off with grosgrain binding at edges and haven't heard from anyone of the fur felt is supple or stiff.

One other hat I was considering was the Stetson Roadster. So any suggestions from you hat connoisseurs?

Thanks
Matt

 

[Pompidou]

The only thing I think I know is that reshaping is definitely possible, but from what people say, it's difficult at first. It might take you a lot longer than you like to do it yourself. I also think the teardrop is one of the harder designs, but I could be wrong. You'll need a source of steam and probably some instructions. You might be able to send the hat to have a professional do it, but if I remember right, it's not cheap, and when all is said and done, I'm not sure you'll be spending much less than a custom hat. I'm sure others will correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[theinterchange]

I've heard from Globester owners that they're good for reshaping [not overly loaded with stiffener], but be forewarned... the sweatband is fabric, not leather. [I've seriously thought about buying one myself]

Randy

 

[Matt Brandon]

..but be forewarned... the sweatband is fabric, not leather.

Randy

Fabric, yuck.

I was just looking at the Stetson Roadster

Looks nice, but it also looks really stiff. I am starting to really like the look of it.

Randy or anyone else, can you recommend a hat that would have the shape of the Packard (or Globester) but with the brim edging and a supple feel? I am open to be lead here. The Beaver Brand Custom Premium Wool Felt Teardrop looks perfect but it is...well wool not fur. I can't afford the same in fur.

Matt

 

[Duper]

I have a Globester and I am very sure that even though the felt is very soft in texture, there is so little crown that you would not be able to reshape it into anything desirable. The Roadster does look very similar but with a more generous crown proportion than the Globester. If I was choosing between those two I would pick the Roadster.

I'm not sure how you interpretted the photo to the stiffness of the felt on the Roadster. Perhaps one of the hat retailers who drop in to the forum from time to time might be able to better inform us on the felt quality.

 

[Matt Brandon]

I'm not sure how you interpretted the photo to the stiffness of the felt on the Roadster.

Thanks for chiming in. That is helpful. Yeah, I was only guessing, as the Roadster has a slight western feel to it. So in my mind I think I just equated it with a more firm cowboy type hat.

It would be great to have a dealers chime in and tell us about the stiffness of the felt on the Roadster.

 

[Bebop]

From other threads (that I can't find) I remember reading that the Roadster is basically an Open Road that is a bit less stiff and lighter, with an overall fedora look to it. The brim and crown are the same size as an Open Road. I think the Roadster has a much taller crown and a wider brim than the Globester.

I have been on the fence when it comes to the Globester. I think the dimensions are what I am looking for but a fabric sweatband? What gives?

 

[gtdean48]

From other threads (that I can't find) I remember reading that the Roadster is basically an Open Road that is a bit less stiff and lighter, with an overall fedora look to it. The brim and crown are the same size as an Open Road. I think the Roadster has a much taller crown and a wider brim than the Globester.

I have been on the fence when it comes to the Globester. I think the dimensions are what I am looking for but a fabric sweatband? What gives?

There was a Road Master that is basically an Open Road. It is Sovereign class, natural beaver color but brim & crease of an Open Road with lots less shellac.

 

[Matt Brandon]

There was a Road Master that is basically an Open Road. It is Sovereign class, natural beaver color but brim & crease of an Open Road with lots less shellac.

Yeah, I did read that. But I haven't read that the Roadster is the same as the Open Road. Has anyone actually held the Roadster?

 

[Bebop]

There is a thread titled "Stetson Globester-Anyone have or seen one" that I can't seem to post a link to, in which Hatco answers a lot of the questions posed here. If you search for that thread, it may help.

 

[carldelo]

The Roadmaster and Roadster are definitely different hats. The Roadmaster, which is basically an OR in natural (not silverbelly) with much less stiffener has been discontinued. The factory bash for the Roadmaster was the standard western OR bash.

The Roadster looks like a Stetson profile 10 teardrop hat. I happen to love the crown of this hat, it looks great on me. All the profile 10 hats have the 4" tall crown at the pinch and the classic teardrop shape. Examples are the Chatham, Ashland, Downs, Hampton, Brewster, new Whippet, Three Forks, Bear Creek, and the list probably goes on. For each, there are differences in brim width, brim edge treatment, felt quality, available colors, ribbon size and color, etc.

If you want a bound brim, I think you're limited to the these from Stetson (as you appear to like that shape):

The new Whippet, available at Bencraft among other vendors:
http://www.bencrafthats.com/product.php?pid=442&subcname=Stetson
It's made of Sovereign felt which is quite soft and pliable and comes in several colors. I really love the look of the gray ribbon on the Caribou gray hat - if I didn't already have a Caribou Ashland, I would buy a gray new Whippet.

Also, there's the felt Brewster:
http://www.bencrafthats.com/product.php?pid=453&subcname=Stetson
which is also high quality felt, and comes in a silk finish (a little hairy and shiny) but only in buck, a tan color. I had one and it's really nicely made. It has the fabric sweatband like the Globester, which is commonly used in lightweight hats. I thought it was really comfortable. The silk finish might be considered a dressy felt.

I have a Hampton, another silk finish lid with a bound brim, but it's been discontinued. It's a heavy, pliable Sovereign felt with a very narrow brim binding. Mine is graphite gray and is quite beautiful, a great lid. I got it from the Hat Guys, who have a few left.
http://www.hatguys.com/onlineStore.cfm?storeAction=_view&prodID=151&srow=na

Edit - obviously there is also the Roadster posted above. This looks like a new model. I'm happy to see that Stetson is increasing the number of bound brim models they sell.

You might consider the Akubra Stylemaster, another teardrop lid with a bound brim. It's a very popular hat here (look around for it), but I found the teardrop shape to be a little unfortunate, and the felt was too stiff for my taste. It was made extremely well. Akubra felt will soften with time, and is really durable, but I prefer the feel of Stetson felt. Both have their proponents, with good reason.

 

[Matt Brandon]

Carldelo,Wow, what a help. Heck, you even read my mind. I have been poring over posts and see that there are a lot of folks in love with the Stylemaster. I really like the look of that hat. What did you mean when you said, "I found the teardrop shape to be a little unfortunate" I also was looking at the Whippet, but the brim might be a little narrow 2 3/8 for what I am looking for.

You sure know your hats. Before I make a choice I really would like to hear from someone about the stiffness of the Roadster. Thanks again.

 

[Neophyte]

Precreased hats, in general, tend to have a bit more stiffener/shellac/whatever in them. Seems to be part of the "factory" crease process. The felt will most likely be soft and have a nice "hand", and will probably loosen a bit with time, but I'm willing to bet that at first it will be a tad stiff (definitely not cowboy stiff, but probably not Borsalino "loose").

Someone correct me if I'm way off base here.

 

[carldelo]

Carldelo,Wow, what a help. Heck, you even read my mind. I have been poring over posts and see that there are a lot of folks in love with the Stylemaster. I really like the look of that hat. What did you mean when you said, "I found the teardrop shape to be a little unfortunate" I also was looking at the Whippet, but the brim might be a little narrow 2 3/8 for what I am looking for.

You sure know your hats. Before I make a choice I really would like to hear from someone about the stiffness of the Roadster. Thanks again.

Hey, this question is right in my wheelhouse - I love a Stetson teardrop. I did a review of the Stetson Brewster a while back, and compared it directly to an Akubra Stylemaster in acorn fawn. Here are the comparison pictures (click for full size):



In them, you can see that the Stetson teardrop (and crown top) is wider and less sharply imprinted than the Stylemaster. I think it is a more pleasing shape overall. Opinions will vary, of course. Both hats are tapered, but the Stetson is less so. The Brewster was a gorgeous hat, but the combination of the light color and the shiny texture was too much for me. I like the silk finish in the graphite color on the Hampton, as it goes well with my charcoal colored overcoat which is pretty formal. If I was going to buy a bound-brim hat for daily wear, it would probably be the new Whippet in gray as I said above. The Stylemaster has a 2-1/2" brim, so may be more in line with what you want - it comes in more colors too. As it happens, the Brewster brim was also 2-1/2", but was supposed to be 2-3/8".

PS I just read that the Roadster is Royal quality felt - this is one notch below Sovereign, so will be a bit less soft and pliable. I find Royal to be similar to Stylemaster felt. Sovereign is noticeably nicer.

 

[Duper]

Sam at Everythingaustralian once told me it was possible to order a Stylemaster in an open crown. I expect you would experience an extended wait of a few months. Another option is to order a Camp Draft with a smaller brim. I recently received my mid-brown Camp Draft with 2 1/2" brim. I had about an 8 or 9 week wait for that special order. I like it very much but you have to like the fuller, untapered crowns.

 

[Matt Brandon]

Sam at Everythingaustralian once told me it was possible to order a Stylemaster in an open crown.

Now there's a thought.

Carldelo, Do you know anything about the Packard? Any idea of the quality of felt on it? What I have found out that the brim has "3 rows of monochrome stitching for a bit of simple decoration." That change things for me, as I really am taken by the over looks of that hat.

 

[carldelo]

Now there's a thought.

Carldelo, Do you know anything about the Packard? Any idea of the quality of felt on it? What I have found out that the brim has "3 rows of monochrome stitching for a bit of simple decoration." That change things for me, as I really am taken by the over looks of that hat.

I think the Packard is a new model. The stitching sounds like a nice touch, it was more common on vintage lids, you don't see it much in modern hats. I only found the hat at Delmonico, which doesn't list the felt quality. Is that where you got the pic? Based on the price, it's probably Sovereign felt, which is really nice. I'd email or call them and ask. It's a good price for a Sovereign hat, especially with the coupon - so you could be the first lounger to get one and write the review.

 

[Matt Brandon]

OK - I finally got through to a hatter in Seattle. No one else picks up the phone. Plus I have a friend that I will be meeting in England in a week and he is going to bring my hat with him as a carry on. I asked one of the owners at Byrnie Utz Hats if he had the Stetson Packard, I had made up my mind to get it. But, he told me they don't carry it. (When ordering it from Delmonico's the order stated it would take 4 to 6 week to arrive.) Since I had Byrnie Utz on the phone (Skype) I asked about the other hats they did have in stock. It ened up being basically carldelo's list above, including the Stetson Roadster. I asked the guy about the quality of the Roadster. He said it's a stiff hat, much like a modern cowboy hat. Cross that off. The Brewster has a cloth sweat band, so I crossed that off. So - it looks like I am going with the Akubra Stylemaster in a brown (Acorn?). I had really wanted the Packard, but I have never been good at delayed gratification.

 

[carldelo]

I'll give a standard FL suggestion - order the Packard in one color and get set to wait. To ease your pain, also order the Stylemaster in a different color as long as it is in stock. This way you'll get to make the comparison yourself, plus we'll get a review of the Packard when you get it. It's win, win, win, except for your wallet, of course....

 

[Matt Brandon]

LOL! Well, not sure I have the budget for that at the moment.