The. Big. Black. Hat.

[DudeInBlack]

Evening fellow Loungers.

As the title says, I'm on the hunt for a BIG BLACK HAT. I'm playing a villanous character in my theater/role-playing group's next production and a giant, menacing fedora of the darker persuasion would be perfect for the character. :spy:

Plus, it would look cool off-stage as well.

What's the largest, blackest fedora the Lounge can recommend? MWA-HAHA!

 

[monbla256]

There are LOTS of Black Fedora's available. How much $s do you want to spend? Do you want to wear it for years AFTER the production, ie, wool vs fur felt. What size do you need and WHEN do you need it. Borsalino makes several models of big black fedoras worn by the Chassidic Jewish community if you want BIG. There are several retailers in NYC that cater to them and some might be on the web.

 

[DudeInBlack]

Sorry. I guess I should have been more specific.

Time and money are not an issue at this point. The production is still a long way off. And yes, I intend to use it long afterwards as part of my collection.

As for specs:
Fur
Size: 7 1/4 (58)
Brim: bare minimum of 3 inches
Crown: as tall as I can get in proportion to the brim size

Hope that helps.

 

[job]

Try Bencraft.com for some large black hats.

 

[danofarlington]

You ought to convert a black cowboy hat--meaning buy one on EBay for less than $100, and pay a hatter to re-block it and maybe shave the brim a bit to suit, probably all for $80 or less. You will get a good character hat. My fear about buying a big-brim black Borsalino is that it has a very Hasidic appearance--I bought such a hat once on EBay and the seller was good enough to take it back--which I felt I could not get around. It was the rabbi effect. Just like it would be hard to have a white collar under a black collar not look like a priest. Maybe I'm wrong, but it's something to consider.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

Sam Craig mentioned this company http://gohnbrothers.com/ in a reenacting post as a good start for a Civil / Indian war slouch hat. Apparently, they sell fur felt black hats, personally, I'd give them a call.

This place also have a good starter black hat: http://www.amishcraft.com/cgi-local/ddoptionsl.cgi?si=131358347091714276&id=142 A little time, and a little steam, and you're the villain.

Later

 

[hatophile]

All good ideas. The Amish hat crown may be too short, however. The best option would be a Hasidic hat with a diamond crease, then it wouldn't look quite so Orthodox. Depends on what you're wearing with it.

 

[monbla256]

Sorry. I guess I should have been more specific.

Time and money are not an issue at this point. The production is still a long way off. And yes, I intend to use it long afterwards as part of my collection.

As for specs:
Fur
Size: 7 1/4 (58)
Brim: bare minimum of 3 inches
Crown: as tall as I can get in proportion to the brim size

Hope that helps.

Try these folks and this model:

http://www.bencrafthats.com/product.php?pid=171&subcname=Felt+Hats

 

[Sam Craig]

What about a black Akubra Squatter?
As dress hats go, it's pretty big and you could wear it the rest of your life.

Sam

 

[Sam Craig]

Oh, I missed the "money is not an issue" comment.
Well, yes, by all means, get a Borso.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Go to a custom hat maker and get what you want. I don't know if Art makes anything that big but Jaxonbilt and Buckaroo hatters do. give them a call and get hooked up.
My two cents worth.
Johnny

 

[T Rick]

Well, this one might be a bit too "Western", but maybe not (depends on your production which you've not said much about). Not really a Fedora, but at 5 inch crown and 4 inch brim, it's certainly big, and it is certainly black. Stetson Sheridan.

 

[Silvan]

Brim: bare minimum of 3 inches
Crown: as tall as I can get in proportion to the brim size

When I read that description, the very first thing that popped into my head was the image of one of those pointy witch hats with the crown reworked. That'd get you a wide brim, and a tall crown alright.

I know this is a goofy, useless idea, but I can't resist posting it anyway, in case someone else gets a kick out of this ridiculous vision the way I did. I have half a mind to tinker with some cheap costume hat just to see what this might look like.

 

[DudeInBlack]

Thank you all for your help. You've all given me spectacular suggestions.

After some measuring, I realized just how big 3'' can be! It wasn't until Sam's comment here that I remembered Akubra and eventually came upon the Squatter. I love it's bound edge and the opportunity to shape it myself. I only hope it has a tall enough crown to foot the bill. (Lord help me if I can find one that doesn't rest on my head)

To everyone else, I'll bookmark all your suggestions for future reference. I can think of lots of ideas for the future.