The Black Hat Brigade

[M Hatman]

Mark, Unfortunately this one is tiny. I rarely buy hats there are not my size range but couldn't pass this one up.

Me too......this one is a size 7.....so.....I will never wear it....but....sometimes a hat just needs saving!
A Kingbury velour, 1920's.....perhaps earlier......absolutly too nice to languish in a antique shop. AND in keeping with the black hat theme.....I WOULD wear it if I could!

AND AS AN EDIT: here is my modern production Whippet (re-creased of course) which is my rainy day go to hat! Extremely practical, I DO NOT worry about it spotting in the rain! I wear it a LOT actually and also my black strat!

As an additional measure of blackness for my hats.....here is the grand daddy of black hats....my modern production Stetsonian! And YES, I wear it as pictured, center crease only AND no offence to Bob......brim UP!

 

[steur]

Me too......this one is a size 7.....so.....I will never wear it....but....sometimes a hat just needs saving!
A Kingbury velour, 1920's.....perhaps earlier......absolutly too nice to languish in a antique shop. AND in keeping with the black hat theme.....I WOULD wear it if I could! View attachment 165823
AND AS AN EDIT: here is my modern production Whippet (re-creased of course) which is my rainy day go to hat! Extremely practical, I DO NOT worry about it spotting in the rain! I wear it a LOT actually and also my black strat! View attachment 165884 As an additional measure of blackness for my hats.....here is the grand daddy of black hats....my modern production Stetsonian! And YES, I wear it as pictured, center crease only AND no offence to Bob......brim UP! View attachment 165885

Nice examples, Mark. I really like the shape of that Stetsonian.

 

[M Hatman]

Nice examples, Mark. I really like the shape of that Stetsonian.

Yes....I really like the Stetsonian too!!!! It is much as it was in 1949 (sans the wind cord)....

And the same still in 1950-51.

I may have a wind cord added to at least my black one!

 

[Garrett]

Me too......this one is a size 7.....so.....I will never wear it....but....sometimes a hat just needs saving!
A Kingbury velour, 1920's.....perhaps earlier......absolutly too nice to languish in a antique shop. AND in keeping with the black hat theme.....I WOULD wear it if I could! View attachment 165823

Mark, that's a beautiful old velour! Do you have an interior shot of it?

 

[alanfgag]

Lol...!

 

[M Hatman]

SOMEWHERE here I posted it some time ago....missing the liner it has one of those sweats that is corded/ribboned all the way around...can not remember what tags (if any were) present......

Did a quick google search and here you go....I forgot I found interesting things behind the sweat too!!!!
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/post-new-hats-here.28145/page-1855

 

[Bill Hughes]

I like black hats. I have two and I think that’s enough for me. Unless I get a black straw.

Vintage Adam.

Knox Twenty.

 

[Rmccamey]

Bill, and others, has an old black cherry to die for. Of course, I'm not sure those really fall into the traditional black category.

 

[alanfgag]

Love 'em. And as I get older and grayer I love 'em even more.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Nothing beats a black on black Stetson BRE.

Always trying to emulate the look with a gentleman Western.

 

[Bamaboots]

Nothing beats a black on black Stetson BRE.

That's a fact, Jack.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

That's a fact, Jack.

Some of us just aren't Eggplant guys.

PS: I can just see it now; "Johnny Cash, the Man in Eggplant".

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Nothing beats a black on black Stetson BRE.

View attachment 166606

View attachment 166605

View attachment 166607

Always trying to emulate the look with a gentleman Western.

View attachment 166604

I could not agree more Jack!
And you are the Maestro for the model!
No offense meant to others.
B

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I could not agree more Jack!
And you are the Maestro for the model!
No offense meant to others.
B

Thanks Bowen, but not likely true. I'd have to change my screen name to Black Jack or Black Bart. I just think vintage is what vintage was.

 

[Kuro]

May I ask what a Gentleman Western is? I think I may have one, but want to be sure...

 

[Hurricane Jack]

May I ask what a Gentleman Western is? I think I may have one, but want to be sure...

It's mostly a common name for the style of the 1900 - 1920's Western Ranchers - Cattle Baron dress hat, a crossover to the early wide brim fedora if you will. A tall crown blocked in the style similar to the block #52 later & worn with a center crease usually with wide front dents & a wide brim with pencil curl, thin ribbon. Bound edge brim examples can be found but the early Boss Raw Edge Stetsons are prime examples. No C-crowns per se, Diamond or Cattleman creases.

The 1930's - 1950's era 3x6 raw & bound edge brim, center crease hats at various price points (often thought of as unmarked Open Roads) & the early wide brim Open Roads with a Cattleman crease typically worn by the ranch owner are probably the next generation of the style. The Open Roads then gradually morphed into the lower crown, 2-1/2" - 2-3/4" brim variations as we know them to be today.

A gentleman Western hat is different from what a working cowhand might wear.

YOMV.

 

[Kuro]

It's mostly a common name for the style of the 1900 - 1920's Western Ranchers - Cattle Baron dress hat, a crossover to the early wide brim fedora if you will. A tall crown blocked in the style similar to the block #52 later & worn with a center crease usually with wide front dents & a wide brim with pencil curl, thin ribbon. Bound edge brim examples can be found but the early Boss Raw Edge Stetsons are prime examples. No C-crowns per se, Diamond or Cattleman creases.

The 1930's - 1950's era 3x6 raw & bound edge brim, center crease hats at various price points (often thought of as unmarked Open Roads) & the early wide brim Open Roads with a Cattleman crease typically worn by the ranch owner are probably the next generation of the style. The Open Roads then gradually morphed into the lower crown, 2-1/2" - 2-3/4" brim variations as we know them to be today.

A gentleman Western hat is different from what a working cowhand might wear.

YOMV.

Thank you for the thorough explanation. One of your pictures looked like a nice Homberg, with your statement of a gentleman western hat. I got a little confused.

 

[Kuro]

I shall now contribute to this thread. I like black hats.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Thank you for the thorough explanation. One of your pictures looked like a nice Homberg, with your statement of a gentleman western hat. I got a little confused.

You sometimes hear of a Western Fedora but to me that is not definitive enough of the era represented here.

 

[Daniele Tanto]

I have already written about my dispassionate love for black hats.
Today I also send you my contribution in photos.
These are two of my favorites in black

Thibet made in france probably in the thirties

Huckel Foulard probably from the sixties
Other will come before to close the boxes for summer