Stetson Stratoliner Milan {modern}

[Aureliano]

The gray one looks nice, too. Time to call Besdor and ask if Bencraft will be carrying them.

 

[Aureliano]

Hey Grizzly and Landman, is the crown very stiff? I once looked at the Stetson Andover milan model and it felt like a helmet!

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Hey Grizzly and Landman, is the crown very stiff? I once looked at the Stetson Andover milan model and it felt like a helmet!

Hi, Aureliano. The top of the crown on mine is pretty stiff. The sides of the crown are a bit more pliable.

GA

 

[Landman]

Mine is the same as Grizzly's. Crown is pretty stiff, sides or a bit softer.

They had the gray ones there too but to be honest, I didn't really care for them. The gray color seemed to make them look more "plastic" and not straw. They look much better in the photo you posted Aureliano than in person. Of course that's just my humble opinion but I thought I'd throw it out there since you are thinking about getting one.

 

[RBH]

I have to hand it to Stetson {Hatco} on this one... a really nice hat.
The crown is alright... matches the brim width 2 1\2.
I am not crazy about the brim flange but Major Moore can fix that.]
I do not care for such a upturned back brim.
Overall this is a pretty cool hat !

 

[RBH]

DougC and Landman.. just went back and read what you two posted about the brim.
My only problem with the looks of the hat.

Let me add, the pin was the first thing to go!

 

[Aureliano]

The gray color seemed to make them look more "plastic" and not straw.

Excellent point! thanks for sharing your impressions.

I am not crazy about the brim flange...

Yeah, it needs to be flatter in my opinion. I think I'm going to get one, too.

 

[Aureliano]

Let me add, the pin was the first thing to go!

+1

 

[RBH]

Ale... I think you will like it. A pretty nice summer hat for the money.
To me the straw seems to be straw [of some type], it may not be but it seems so to me.

 

[VetPsychWars]

Excellent point! thanks for sharing your impressions.



Yeah, it needs to be flatter in my opinion. I think I'm going to get one, too.

If it were flatter it would do a less good job shading your eyes from the harsh summer sun.

Tom

 

[Aureliano]

Ale... I think you will like it. A pretty nice summer hat for the money.
To me the straw seems to be straw [of some type], it may not be but it seems so to me.

Yeah, it looks very nice for the price. Hard to tell from the pictures...It doesn't look like the straw in the Optimo milan I once had... Definitely nice, though. You ordered one, Rusty?

 

[Aureliano]

If it were flatter it would do a less good job shading your eyes from the harsh summer sun.

Tom

Flatter on the sides and back. Like an OR. Last night I re-flanged my vintage felt Strat. in this maner, check it out:

Before: Notice the swoop of the side and back of the brim. [bad]

After: Flatter.

 

[DougC]

Aureliano--I think you just hit on what I wasn't crazy about on the Modern Strat I had. Never thought about reflanging the felt...I focused solely on the crown and got that looking pretty nice before I sold it.

 

[Aureliano]

Mine will be here today!

Please post your impressions when you can. Brim width, stiffness...

 

[Aureliano]

Aureliano--I think you just hit on what I wasn't crazy about on the Modern Strat I had. Never thought about reflanging the felt...I focused solely on the crown and got that looking pretty nice before I sold it.

A bad flange can completely damage a hat's look. BTW, my Stratoliner above is not modern. It's a mid 50s.

 

[carldelo]

The gray one looks nice, too. Time to call Besdor and ask if Bencraft will be carrying them.

I called Bencraft and whoever I spoke to said they had tentatively decided not to stock the hat, but said if I called next week they would order one if I was still interested. However, in the meantime I found a free shipping coupon and so ordered from Men's Hats instead as they had it in stock (I have bought quite a few hats from Bencraft, in my defense).

I'll be interested to see if anyone has luck reducing the amount of swoop in the brim --- I too like a flattish brim. I was under the impression that flattening a brim was difficult with a bound edge, but you did a swell job on that felt Strat. I have a silk-finish Stetson with a bound brim that could use a similar treatment....

 

[Aureliano]

I called Bencraft and whoever I spoke to said they had tentatively decided not to stock the hat, but said if I called next week they would order one if I was still interested. However, in the meantime I found a free shipping coupon and so ordered from Men's Hats instead as they had it in stock (I have bought quite a few hats from Bencraft in the past, in my defense). I'll be interested to see if anyone has luck reducing the amount of swoop in the brim --- I too like a flattish brim.

That's too bad. I'm in NYC too, and are a regular at Bencraft. If you have them order you one, it'll come in a week. Re-flanging shouldn't be difficult even if the brim is stiff. You'll need the right tools, though.

 

[Landman]

DougC and Landman.. just went back and read what you two posted about the brim.
My only problem with the looks of the hat.

Let me add, the pin was the first thing to go!

The pin was the first thing to go on this hat and my new felt Stratoliner. They are so cheap and look out of place that I don't know why Stetson bothers to put them on such nice hats. They also appear to be a 707 and not a Stratoliner. The originals were actually DC-3's but at least they were sturdy.

 

[Landman]

Aureliano,

What do you use to work on your brims? I have a couple of other hats that could use the same treatment. Thanks.

 

[Aureliano]

Hat flanges.