The Bowler or Derby Hat

[rlk]

Those pictures of Bowlers are fantastic, i own dunn & co normal and lightweight both, wonderful hats, but for my money, the hardest of all to find is an original pre war Lock and Co bowler, they have a different shape when looked at from the front and back, and are definately a 'hard' hat, and were 'conformed' to the buyer just as a similar period hard shell topper would have been, I'm privileged to own a dove gray lock bowler, and a gray top hat, I only now need to visit St James St. and get them re conformed to my head shape, lovely. when i get it done I will surely post some pics

Watch out! Bowler/Derby felt is stretched with a lot of tension and stiffness and old one's are easily split open which can't truly be repaired. Be sure the felt is still resilient and not dry--

 

[mayserwegener]

G. B. Borsalino Fu Lazzaro & C.

G. B. Borsalino Fu Lazzaro & C., size 6 1/2 Punti. Could be 1920s early 1930s. This one is in good condition and from the other Borsalino.

 

[alanfgag]

What stunning craftsmanship... thanks for the detailed pictures!

 

[DRB]

mayserwegener , I am a real sucker when it comes to those pleated liners. ooohhh soooo nice.

 

[Joshbru3]

Early 1900s Stetson VENTED Bowler

Got this one a couple of weeks ago. Its my first vented bowler. I love these old Stetson sweatbands. They remind me of a pig skin football. Maybe they are pigskin and not cow or horse leather. I'm unsure. Its funny though how these pre 1930's sweatbands are still so flexible and pliable and will usually do so without cracking. Where many of my hats from the 1950's have cracked and rotted sweatbands that need replacing.

 

[Joshbru3]

Early 1900s Stetson VENTED Bowler (cont.....)

 

[alanfgag]

1950s Stetson bowler that came from the Kleinhans Company in Buffalo, NY.
I've had it for a couple of decades... first time wearing it out of the house.

 

[mayserwegener]

Alan, Looks great! I might wear one of mine tonight.

 

[alanfgag]

Alan, Looks great! I might wear one of mine tonight.

Thank you... that Borsalino you posted earlier on this page is a stunner... I hope that one fits you!

 

[bolthead]

Schobel

....just picked this beauty up.

 

[mayserwegener]

Kurt, Fantastic F. Schoble & Co.!

Alan, Thanks! Yes it actually fits.

Josh, Your Stetson is Super!

 

[Joshbru3]

Josh, Your Stetson is Super!

Thanks Steve!! I love the old Stetson sweatbands. They just seem to have held up so well through the years. The texture seems to resemble a pig skin football I own. I wonder if the old Stetson sweatbands from the teens-20's were made out of a different kind of leather besides cow hide.

 

[mayserwegener]

Josh, Probably sheep skin but probably not cow hide. In most cases Bowlers, Derbies, Melones were comformed to the owner resulting in some real strange openings . For example the G. B. Borsalino Fu Lazzaro & C. of mine has a very round opening. Stetson Derby sweats are self conforming so they usually don't have that type of problem.

 

[rlk]

Derbies for College 1929

 

[Dreispitz]

Great article! Thank you for posting, Robert!

 

[Brad Bowers]

Sad and fascinating at the same time!

Brad

 

[Viseguy]

Hi, new to The Fedora Lounge, and just found this great thread.

I recently bought a Christys' Bowler (my first bowler/derby) and love it -- am wearing it everywhere, at work and at play. I may eventually want to have one made to order, and I'm wondering if there's anyone out there who will fit it using a conformer -- the way Art Fawcett does for fedoras. Art suggested I contact Graham at Optimo (which I haven't done yet). Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I haven't read all 54 pages of this thread (yet), so maybe the information is already here; if so, apologies.

 

[alanfgag]

Welcome Viseguy!... I can't advise about a custom built bowler, but if you enjoy hunting vintage, there are many to choose from on ebay, often at very reasonable prices. Post a picture of your Christy's hat when you can.

 

[Viseguy]

Welcome Viseguy!... I can't advise about a custom built bowler, but if you enjoy hunting vintage, there are many to choose from on ebay, often at very reasonable prices. Post a picture of your Christy's hat when you can.

Alan, thanks. Some of the vintage bowlers pictured in this thread are stunning, for sure. My hesitation about vintage, though, has to do with fit. It's a bit dicey, isn't it, online? When I bought the Christys' bowler (online), I ordered a 7-1/2, which is my fedora size, but it turned out to be too big, so I exchanged it for a 7-3/8. Easy enough with a new hat. How would that work with a vintage hat on eBay? I don't use eBay much; can you return things you've won on auction?

By the way, I bought the Christys' from Village Hat shop; there's a picture of the hat here.

 

[alanfgag]

Bowler Derby

The beauty of these three Stetson bowlers is in the subtle differences: from top down, ventilated 1920s, a soft 1950s Royal Deluxe Stetson and a very rigid 1940s Royal Stetson DeLuxe.

From the side, the bows are more elaborate in the older hats:

The 50s hat is soft enough to crease as a homburg:

The 40s liner:

The 20s linerless inside with tin initials:

The 20s hat is in pristine shape... a little more difficult to wear than the later models though: