Tell me about this Fedora...

[hatsRme]

Moon's right again!! Where would folks would have worn their hat? You say ANYwhere; I say EVERYwhere. Now THAT about covers it. Except inside.

 

[Charmin]

Caribou is the color

"Sweat" is just short for sweatband

fur felt is what higher end soft felt hats are made of ... usually beaver or rabbit ... or a mixture of both
there have been many recipes over the years that makers of hat bodies have used

and as for where someone may have worn the hat ... they would have worn it anywhere ... same places someone today would wear them

the Royal is a thin ribbon so there was a time when that was considered less "formal" or more "casual" or even dare I say "western"

as for parts of the hat you have the crown which is the bulbous part that goes over your head ... commonly creased or "bashed" to the wearers liking.
the brim which is the flatter piece that breaks off the crown
the sweatband which is the leather piece inside that would come in contact with your head
the ribbon that goes around the crown right at the break of the brim
and this particular Royal has a brim binding which is the piece of ribbon that wraps around the edge of the brim
the white material inside the crown is the liner ... the part of the liner where the logo is , is called the tip and that plastic type material covering it became common in the 1950s.

and since this Royal is from the 1950s it was probably made in Philadelphia ...

if you could take pictures of the stickers inside the hat under the sweat and most likely under the liner on the felt those would tell more of the story

thank you, I really am grateful for all the help and time you've spent answering my many comments and questions

 

[moontheloon]

thank you, I really am grateful for all the help and time you've spent answering my many comments and questions

my pleasure .. truly

this stuff is a passion for me

 

[emigran]

lol thank you, just wish I knew a bit more about them

You can also go to a bonafide hat shop for eval...

 

[AndyR]

Beautiful hats! Your story is somewhat similar to mine. I found a fedora of my grandfather's (the one in my avatar) that had been sitting on a shelf for 50 years, at my 94 year old aunt's house. That's what brought me here and yes, I wear it now.

I'm not a hat expert, so I can't help you there. About the house full of stuff, I know exactly what you are going through, having just completed back to back projects to clean out two family houses.

One was my aunt's and the other was the 3 flat that mom, dad and other family lived in for 80 years. You can imagine how much had been collected over that period. It took me two years to finish the job. One house is sold and the other is for sale.

In the three flat, I found several very nice antiques (smalls as they say) that I kept. I'm kind of a collector anyway. I also got a secretary desk and turned it into a pretty cool antique display piece for all the other stuff I got. Maybe you can create a rather eclectic display out of the hats, if you're into that sort of thing.

You could always go the auction route like 'hatsRme' mentioned. That would be easiest, but they do take a huge chunk of the money. I have a wild, crazy and off the wall idea...depending on where you're at, maybe you can call American Pickers with a list and photos of what you have. They 'seem' to be decent guys and pay fair prices. Maybe they would even do a spot for the show at your place.

Good luck to you. Take it a day at a time so you don't get overwhelmed.

 

[LuvMyMan]

do ladies wear Fedoras? lol I'm sorry I am very new to this but I've been reading a lot of threads, and it seems like a great place to make friends even if you know nothing about hats. My Pepaw passed when I was 5 years old, so I'd love any information to give me an insight into anything related to him. This house is a treasure trove of history and I am completely overwhelmed. My 101 year old memaw threw nothing away, I mean seriously, no exaggeration, she kept everything that might of had even the smallest chance of being reused. Seriously she had boxes of those throw away bows people put on Christmas presents from the 80s. I have found boxes of greeting cards dating from 1942 to present day, amonget literally over a 1000 antique dishes. Old clothes, every toy and comic book my 70 year old dad ever owned, costume jewelry, Old advertisements, hundreds of silver dimes, and other coins, Old packs of unopened cigarette packs that were rations from the war, I mean the list is absolutely endless, I have no idea where to start. My dad and I are the only living family and my dad has no interest in any of it. He brought the house keys and said your mess.

You are lucky to have such wonderful treasures left to you by someone that lived a long super life! I would NOT give away any hats, wear them. You will LOVE them after you have been wearing them (if they fit you).

And yes, us "Gals" do wear Fedora hats as well as other nice looking vintage hats! I own a small collection of Fedora hats myself, and of course my Husband has a entire "barn" full of hats....once a person if bitten by the "hat bug", there is NO cure..no known cure to mankind. It is for some damned near as good as sex....(for some) hahahahah!

 

[LuvMyMan]

Beautiful hats! Your story is somewhat similar to mine. I found a fedora of my grandfather's (the one in my avatar) that had been sitting on a shelf for 50 years, at my 94 year old aunt's house. That's what brought me here and yes, I wear it now.

I'm not a hat expert, so I can't help you there. About the house full of stuff, I know exactly what you are going through, having just completed back to back projects to clean out two family houses.

One was my aunt's and the other was the 3 flat that mom, dad and other family lived in for 80 years. You can imagine how much had been collected over that period. It took me two years to finish the job. One house is sold and the other is for sale.

In the three flat, I found several very nice antiques (smalls as they say) that I kept. I'm kind of a collector anyway. I also got a secretary desk and turned it into a pretty cool antique display piece for all the other stuff I got. Maybe you can create a rather eclectic display out of the hats, if you're into that sort of thing.

You could always go the auction route like 'hatsRme' mentioned. That would be easiest, but they do take a huge chunk of the money. I have a wild, crazy and off the wall idea...depending on where you're at, maybe you can call American Pickers with a list and photos of what you have. They 'seem' to be decent guys and pay fair prices. Maybe they would even do a spot for the show at your place.

Good luck to you. Take it a day at a time so you don't get overwhelmed.

That is some very good advice. I've had to do that once and have to do it again soon. It is not easy to know what to keep or sell?

 

[suitedcboy]

I think the explanations are pretty complete but my 2 cents: The hats you posted are the type men of your grand-dad's era wore most everywhere while dressed casual to going to church clothes. His generation almost universally wore hats every day until hat wearing diminished in the post WWII decades. There is a hat style most commonly called a Homburg that was the banker's and well to do man's hat. Milton Drysdale on the Beverly Hillbillies wore or carried a Homburg as a reference you might know. Some men of lesser station would own a Homburg but rarely wear it, saving it for very special occasions.
You sound like you are trying to make the correct for you decision.
I, like some others, have had to take care of our parent's or grandparent's homes and belongings and there is no right answer. If your children are old enough for you to know whether they have any sense of sentimental attachment then keep things they will appreciate. If not then the proceeds from the sale of these things may aid you or help fund college for a child.
And ladies can most certainly rock a fedora!