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The Bowler or Derby Hat

Messages
15,072
Location
Buffalo, NY
One more photo of the premier derby after steam cleaning and dent removal.

premierderby11.jpg
 
Messages
15,072
Location
Buffalo, NY
Actually, no.

I expected it to be a pain. Stetson used a thin paperboard backing behind the crown liner. In my 40s Royal DeLuxe derby the silk was glued directly to this and it would crease if you pressed from the inside to raise the dents. The liner really needed to be removed in that case (which I did). On this one the board is separated from the silk allowing a light press from inside. But most of the lumpiness came out on its own with steam and brushing.Only a few isolated dents remained, and I was able to press these out pretty easily.
 

bowlerman

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,294
Location
South Dakota
lol


Steve-- I've said it before, but those photos are wonderful. Were there some more that you posted quite awhile back? Those long hairs (a natural looking one and the teal) just blow me away.
 

LocktownDog

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,254
Location
Northern Nevada
Asked this in the question section, but to no avail. :( Repeating it here for the experts.

I just saw the Hercule Poirot episode Four & Twenty Blackbirds from 1989 on Netflix. In it, Suchet wore a flat black "derby". I am looking for a photo of it and where to find one. Any ideas? Thanks.
 

bowlerman

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,294
Location
South Dakota
I haven't seen this Poirot, but when you say "flat black derby" the elusive Bowker hat immediately comes to mind.http://www.polyvore.com/live_history_in_london_churchill/thing?id=16668684

Close?

No idea where to find them. you might ask around to see if any of the hatters around here have a block like that.

I once came across a website that claimed they could do "any" old time style of hat, and provided sketches of the bowker, along with many other versions of bowlers and derbies. I don't believe anyone here has posted any hats from this company, at least not since I've joined. If I can find the website I'll edit this post to include it.

Actually here it is:

http://www.morenohats.com/customhats.htm
 
Last edited:

bowlerman

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,294
Location
South Dakota
From that shot, the hat appears like a regular low crowned derby to me. There have been so many different blocks used for those hats, some flatter at the top, almost like a loaf of bread, but the top of the sides still appear too rounded for it to bump up into the bowker category.

I have a couple of Dobbs derbies that seem to have a similar profile and scope, not that I would suggest he's wearing a Dobbs, but the blocking looks similar. I will post those here when I get the chance.
 

bowlerman

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,294
Location
South Dakota
Some profile comparisons. I tried to arrange all of my bowlers (straws excluded) at a similar angle as your screen capture. Sorry for the poor lighting. I didn't have the time to bring them all up from the basement to the natural light.

Almost all my vintage ones (I have one currently out there waiting to get a new sweatband):
006copywb.jpg


Of those, these would be real vintage (1928 thru 1940s); L to R: 30s Mallory Frankenbowler, Stetson royal deluxe, Sarnoff -Irving, 1928 Kaufmann.
008copyc.jpg

The Mallory has one of my favorite profiles, with just a slight taper on the front and back of the crown, the last two look more like the profile you're looking for, and the Stetson is considerably more bulbous.

These are "later vintage" probably from 1960-1980s. L to R: Mallory torino, Anonymous navy blue, Dobbs in black, Dobbs in grey, Eilermann. The Eilermann is a small hat with a neat, slightly tapered profile and a flatter top than the others. The Dobbs hats are fuller-- all of these are more conforming than the first group.
011copyh.jpg


My custom bowlers: Knudsen chocolate Bat Masterson (note the higher crown and wider, western brim curl. It also has a front and back taper due to my own oversteaming.), Dark Moss bowler by Baron Hats, and Clearwater Hats black derby.
012copyy.jpg

The Baron has a more straight sided high crown, but still domes more on the top than most of the vintage models. They even tried to handshape something reminiscent of the D'Orsay curl. The Clearwater is a nice soft felt, not pounced much, with a wider brim and kind of western evenly curled pencil roll.
 

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