The Bowler or Derby Hat

[Short Balding Guy]

Steve; " J. Hückel´s Söhne Plume Melone, size 6 Point, plus hat case. Feather light, flexible and fits perfect (wears like a soft felt). Definitely my current favorite."

No question why it is a fav. Excellent hat. Classic lines and mint condition do not take away anything from the light felt. The box is just a terrific example of good engineering. I like the two straps to suspend and the third to hold it tight. Excellent thinking.

Thanks, Eric -

 

[mayserwegener]

Eric, Thanks! I am looking forward to wearing it.

 

[Dinerman]

Posted before- but still my favorite. I wish I could find this in my size.

 

[newturnofphrase]

Posted before- but still my favorite. I wish I could find this in my size.

I quite agree, the long fuzzy napped fur on the old Woodrow hats is very interesting. They come up regularly on eBay but I've never seen one even close to a 7 1/2-5/8. I have a Lock bowler that has a fuzzy nap, but it's not nearly as obvious as that.

 

[mayserwegener]

I have seen similar ones (of course small sizes) by vintage Austrian makers. Here are some really unusual ones from the Novy Jicin, Czech Republic (Hückel, Peschel, Brüder Böhm) museum.

 

[buler]

Stetson Standard Quality

Nice Stetson Standard Quality derby.

B

 

[Joshbru3]

Nice Stetson Standard Quality derby.

B

What a derby!! Its gorgeous, Bill. That light tan sweatband and pearly white liner looks so incredibly classy. :eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap

 

[bowlerman]

Just for fun, I thought I'd post my current straw derby collection. I've been fooling around with all of them, and the Bailey (with green trim) was just simply falling all over my face and over my ears, despite its medium size... so I took an old sweatband that couldn't stay on my Sarnoff-Irving bowler and kind of did a "poor man's sew" directly over the thin grosgrain sweatband that was there already. fits like a glove now, even though I ended up with a small lump in the back of the "new" sweatband.

 

[Chepstow]

Jeff, thumbs up on that collection. Cool Hats!

 

[mayserwegener]

Jeff, thumbs up on that collection. Cool Hats!

+1

 

[scottdjones]

 

[mayserwegener]

C. G. Wilke Melone, size 6 Point, probably 1930s. Custom model for Breiter Munich.

 

[randooch]

Nice low-profile one there, scott.

Steve, that's downright beautiful. Great sweatband!

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Just for fun, I thought I'd post my current straw derby collection. I've been fooling around with all of them, and the Bailey (with green trim) was just simply falling all over my face and over my ears, despite its medium size... so I took an old sweatband that couldn't stay on my Sarnoff-Irving bowler and kind of did a "poor man's sew" directly over the thin grosgrain sweatband that was there already. fits like a glove now, even though I ended up with a small lump in the back of the "new" sweatband.

Is that the Bailey Moran? Found this black one on sale for a pretty good price.

http://www.hatcountry.com/Mens/Mens.../Moran+-+Toyo+Straw+Derby+Hat+-+Closeout.html

 

[scottdjones]

I recently purchased a G.A. Dunn on eBay.


Here's what I found on my porch when I hot home yesterday. I did not have high hopes for the contents.

Wasn't ruined! actually in great condition

The quality of this hat seems to be leaps and bounds over the Churchill Ltd I have. It is stiff as a board and heavy. I was shocked that it is so clean if it is indeed almost 73 years old. I am so happy I found a brown bowler! Now if I can just find one in gray or silverbelly I will be set. I may have to go with a Stetson Open Road "LBJ" style for that color but I 'm going to keep my fingers crossed. The vintage hats in a US size 7 3/8 seem to be hard to find. I paid a little more for this one than I wanted too at first, but now I'm glad I did. This is my new favorite hat.

Scott

 

[mayserwegener]

Super! Also great that it had date stamp.

 

[newturnofphrase]

I recently purchased a G.A. Dunn on eBay.
Here's what I found on my porch when I hot home yesterday. I did not have high hopes for the contents.

You lucked out that it wasn't dented or otherwise damaged. USPS is awful.
That's a beauty. My favorite vintage bowlers are a tie between Lock and Dunn. Vintage brown bowlers in any size or manufacture are surprisingly rare, especially in such good condition.

 

[scottdjones]

Thanks, May!

I am always amazed at the number of sellers on eBay that do not look under the hatband. They told me they thought it was from the 1920's. I often have converstaions with sellers about looking under the hatband when no size is given. More times than not they find it after looking, lol.

BTW, The color is brown. The photos make it look black, but it is most definitely brown.

NTOP,

The seller had tried to package it safely. I was lucky all the way around.

Scott

 

[mayserwegener]

Dates stamps are also fairly common in German hats post 1930. I usually check for date stamps and paper labels if the sweat can handle it.

Randall, Thanks!

 

[coble]

Just for fun, I thought I'd post my current straw derby collection. I've been fooling around with all of them, and the Bailey (with green trim) was just simply falling all over my face and over my ears, despite its medium size... so I took an old sweatband that couldn't stay on my Sarnoff-Irving bowler and kind of did a "poor man's sew" directly over the thin grosgrain sweatband that was there already. fits like a glove now, even though I ended up with a small lump in the back of the "new" sweatband.

EXCELLENT straws, what an awesome collection.