Stetson Temple in Sage

[portolan]

I sure like the color and look of this hat (minus the feather). I am especially taken by the green and brown combination. Has anyone seen this one in person? Any thoughts on other nice Fedoras (is Fedora always capitalized or not?) in a similar color? Thanks in advance.....Phil

 

[avedwards]

Firstly, I don't think "fedora" has a capital, as it is now no longer a name (it was in the 1888 play where the heroin called Fedora wore one).

Grammar over, from what I have heard the Stetson Temple is not a good hat, as it easily loses its colour and shape. Modern Stetsons are not what they were, but this especially aplies to the Temple. That said, my Stetson Chatham is a fairly good hat, but popular opinion is that the Chatham is better than the Temple.

My advice would be to get a custom hat if you are willing to spend that much, and otherwise to get something like a Fed IV from Akubra, which has a similar shape and is said to be good. I'm not sure about colour though, maybe someone else can say, as I don't have one.

 

[Bird's One View]

The Chatham and Temple are from the same grade / quality level and I have had both for about five years (?) and both have held up fine. Both have shrunk slightly over the years (and have also conformed to my long oval head). The Temple shrank a bit more when I had it cleaned recently but it seems to be stretching out again.

Measure your head and try on the next size up (and / or down) as well. If you are between sizes buy the size that is slightly loose rather than slightly tight.

I have a Fed IV but it is too new to comment on other than to say that the look and feel of the felt, OUT OF THE BOX, is inferior to Stetson. Time will tell. The Akubra is cheaper than the Stetson and has many fans around here so it is worth considering.

 

[Aaron Hats]

You may want to check with the store where you got that picture as all our Temple-Sage fedoras have a black ribbon, not brown. Maybe they did a special run with brown bands. And yes, the Chatham and Temple are the same felt quality.

Aaron

 

[Doctor Strange]

I've had a Caribou Gray Stetson Temple for seven years (it cost $95 when I got it), and it has held up just fine in frequent wear, and in rain and snow. No running color, no loss of shape.

That said, I don't like the feel of its sweatband. The ones my Akubras are much more comfortable. And there's no question that the Akubras are tough as nails and will outlast the Temple...

In fact, I just ordered a Stylemaster from Everything Australian this morning - $71 shipped. That's about half the cost of a Stetson Temple today!

 

[HATCO]

There are plenty of people who own current Stetsons and can give you their experiences. Some have good experiences, some have had negative experiences. I'd go by theirs. We try to make the best quality production hat there is everyday.

 

[cookie]

I sure like the color and look of this hat (minus the feather). I am especially taken by the green and brown combination. Has anyone seen this one in person? Any thoughts on other nice Fedoras (is Fedora always capitalized or not?) in a similar color? Thanks in advance.....Phil

\
Akubra has a similar but greener colour.

 

[Topdog]

There are plenty of people who own current Stetsons and can give you their experiences. Some have good experiences, some have had negative experiences. I'd go by theirs. We try to make the best quality production hat there is everyday.

I agree, I have numerous vintage fur felt hats as well as a modern stetson Chatham hat. The Stetson "soverign " quality (Temple and Chatham) is a wonderful hat. I have no complaints about the modern stetsons. The fur is phenomenally soft, it has held up well in all kinds of weather and i really like the hat. i recommend the stetson to everyone who asks. It is a great hat. thank you stetson for keeping the faith and producing a great modern fedora.

Be careful about what you read on the internet. A lot of people have their own agenda and it is best to listen to people with actual experience versus those that "have heard" about a specific brand..

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Interesting to read the different experiences with Temples, and Chathams too.

My Chatham has held up well enough, I'd say - but there's no way I would pay over $100 for a hat like this or the Temple ever again. Not now, since I've discovered vintage hats and have handled customs.

My Temple deformed severely (mostly the brim) from being exposed to the slightest of rain showers once. I mean it was basically a light misting and the thing warped all to heck. It took steam to get it back to something more normal.

True, they are both modern Stetson's "Sovereign" quality but my Temple seems softer than my Chatham.

I also no longer like the tapered crowns and the lack of height of the crowns as compared to vintage hats.

Anyway, your experience with a hat of your own may be different than mine.

 

[besdor]

I can honestly say that there is an improvement from this year to last years quality control on the dress hats from Stetson. And if the hats come in like the samples that I saw , we shouldnt have any major problems this year.




Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[DerMann]

I have both a Chatham in brown and a Temple in grey. The Temple, to me, is a more properly proportioned hat. The crown is a bit higher (or rather, the crease doesn't take as much height off of it), the band is wider, and the liner is nicer.

Both hats are absolutely smooth and hold up to rain and snow without complaint (Indiana winter).

However, I wouldn't pay $140 for one. Do try and buy one off these boards or off of a website where they are on sale.

 

[citRon]

I think his primary concern is that color combination, which is very nice indeed. I was interested in this very same hat, but there seems to be some variation in the ribbon color. I see the Sage with the above pictured brown ribbon, and I also see it on sites with a dark charcoal/black ribbon; same thing with the Mink color - I see the brown and the black ribbon on them.

 

[Topdog]

I think it might just be the monitor color. Perhaps Hatco could chime in and letus know if they ship this with two different color ribbons . notwithstanding special orders.

 

[citRon]

I think it might just be the monitor color.

I thought that may be the case too, but the more I looked at different sites I conclude its not. Look at Aarons hats- definitely a black ribbon. -click on the liitle picture of the Sage hat-

http://www.getahaton.com/Stetson_Temple_Fedora_p/stetson-tf32012370.htm

The Mink color shows the variance good, too. The ribbon shows up as a lighter brown than the hat itself on some sites.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

I have a Temple in "Sage." It has been my exclusive rain hat for about a year, now. It has held up beautifully! As with any soft felt hat, there are a couple of simple things you can do to keep it looking good, after getting caught in the rain. (1) Turn the brim up, and place the hat, resting on the bottom of the brim, on a flat surface. Make sure the brim, and crown, are shaped exactly the way you want. (2) When it has dried, take a clean handkerchief (or brush, if you prefer), and brush over the felt, to remove any "spotting" from rain drops.

I learned the above, from experience! When I just hung the wet hat on a hook, and let it dry as it was, it didn't look too great. But the above measures remedied the situation, the next time it rained.

As for the color, it will sometimes look black, and sometimes brown (depending on the light). But, when worn with green pants and shirt, it is obviously the perfect hat. I love mine!

 

[rrog]

A little off topic, but

I can honestly say that there is an improvement from this year to last years quality control on the dress hats from Stetson. And if the hats come in like the samples that I saw , we shouldnt have any major problems this year.




Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

This is a little off topic, but is there any way to tell which is this year's and last year's hats. I've also heard some of the newer Stetsons are better than some of the more-recent older versions. I was just wondering if there was any way to tell by looking at the tag or box to find out when a particular hat was manufactured.

Thanks,
rrog

BTT

 

[J.T.Marcus]

I made the earlier post, while at the office. Since I had no picture of my "sage" Temple, I had to wait till I got home. When worn with the hat, the sportcoat looks like a perfect match.

 

[carter]

That's a good look, J.T. Glad to see you posting! Carter