The Bowler or Derby Hat

[ofcoursemyhorse]

Thanks, i'm curious to see if it will be the same crown and brim shape as my black HJ bowler. If I remember correctly this one was was sold at a later shop.

Sprinkles, great bowler. I've been really tempted to buy one with a tattered brim with the hopes of getting another color of grosgrain brim binding and ribbon like maroon or a dark grey.

 

[Sprinkles]

Thanks! I am probably going to have it repaired sometime this summer.

 

[Denton]

OCMH, you have a great eye for the brown bowlers. I am always delighted to see pictures of your hats.

 

[ofcoursemyhorse]

OCMH, you have a great eye for the brown bowlers. I am always delighted to see pictures of your hats.

Thank you kindly the ones you've posted recently have been really great as well.

 

[ofcoursemyhorse]

Like this one alot, it's a far different crown and brim shape than my other Herbert Johnson. The sellers pic's made it look a bit lighter, but its actually a fairly dark chocolate brown. I'll have to get a picture with my two HJ bowlers sitting next to one another for the side by side comparison thread.

 

[ManofKent]

That's a lovely bowler - just don't tell me it's a 60/61 to make me too envious

 

[ofcoursemyhorse]

Ha you can rest at ease it's a 57.

I don't know if you've seen it yet, but one of the members here bowlerman posted a vented brown derby a while back that inspires all sorts of envy its easily one of my favorite hats i've seen posted here. If you get a chance you should try and find his picture of that one.

 

[newturnofphrase]

That's a lovely bowler - just don't tell me it's a 60/61 to make me too envious

I've got a black HJ in a 61, thinking of selling. PM me.

 

[ManofKent]

I've got a black HJ in a 61, thinking of selling. PM me.

Thanks, but it's brown I'm really after.

 

[John Galt]

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.

Some of the older hats I have seen have noted in the band that they were made of pigskin. I believe kangaroo leather is much more common now.

 

[John Galt]

Hi guys. I recently purchased a "3 1-4 oz. Zephyr" hat and after hours of research traced it to the Higson & Collings Co., out of Danbury Connecticut. At one time the company employed 300 people. It was in operation only from 1895-6 to late 1899 (by February 1900, when the owners went their separate ways). One interesting thing is that that the hat has a wooden reed. I've seen this once before, on an old Stetson Nutria.

 

[John Galt]

Hi guys. I recently purchased a "3 1-4 oz. Zephyr" hat and after hours of research traced it to the Higson & Collings Co., out of Danbury Connecticut. At one time the company employed 300 people. It was in operation only from 1895-6 to late 1899 (by February 1900, when the owners went their separate ways). One interesting thing is that that the hat has a wooden reed. I've seen this once before, on an old Stetson Nutria.

I have a lot of research on this company and the men who founded it. I will post it here at some point, along with photos of the hat. For bowlers, I also have a Stetson Standard, and a Packard circa 1911.

 

[splintercellsz]

Very nice! I can't wait to see some photos!!

 

[John Galt]

Very nice! I can't wait to see some photos!!

Ok, here are the Stetson Standard and the Packard. I had a new sweatband placed in the Standard, and a new ribbon to replace the old 1910-1920's style ribbon, which had rotted, but they didn't match the original ribbon or save the original sweat. I was quite disappointed, but I learned my lesson. I will replace the ribbon with a better match at some point, but its' got to be good enough to angle-cut & fray like the original.







Packard to follow...

 

[John Galt]

The Packard bowler. Dated to about 1911, as close as I can tell, based on old ads, and the D'Orsay curl. Anyone have a better estimate? Note the pin was a separate purchase.

 

[countryclubjoe]

Hi All

Hi John- Thank you for sharing those classic bowlers.
I myself need to add at least one quality vintage bowler to my wardrobe.
Best regards.
CCJ

 

[splintercellsz]

John, very nice! It's a shame the Stetsons original sweat was lost. Great looking derbys you have there!

 

[John Galt]

John, very nice! It's a shame the Stetsons original sweat was lost. Great looking derbys you have there!

Thanks, but I just buy 'em

Hi All

Hi John- Thank you for sharing those classic bowlers.
I myself need to add at least one quality vintage bowler to my wardrobe.
Best regards.
CCJ

There seems to be a lot of good old bowlers for sale lately. I think baby boomers are cleaning their parents' attics. Unfortunately, most seem to be small sizes, and they are probably quite hard to stretch effectively.. 6 7/8's abound.

 

[ManofKent]

Thanks for sharing. Nice hats

 

[John Galt]

I forgot about the brown 50's Mallory soft top bowler at the office. Will post tomorrow, maybe...