The Cap Faction

[zetwal]

How the heck do you find these rarities? When I type in the search I get a minutia of modern caps that aren't vintage.

I'm not sure why you are having trouble seeing these caps. I'm not even looking for them expressly and yet come across the auctions. Just scroll through the BS (or set your search to exclude the bulk of it).

 

[Trotsky]

Finally ordered a Hat People hat in a Medium Cut. I hope it's as good as everybody tells me it is!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

How the heck do you find these rarities? When I type in the search I get a minutia of modern caps that aren't vintage.

On eBay, a lot of new caps have the word "Vintage" in their auctions' titles. Misleading, of course, and it means that you have to slog through dozens of listings in order to find a cap that's truly old. Also, you sometimes have to wait weeks before a vintage 1920s-'40s cap auction pops up. (Note that vintage caps with a leather strap and buckle at the back are from the 1950s. They show up on eBay all the time.) The good news --if you have an eagle eye-- is that sellers don't always realize that their caps are from the Golden Era, and their auction descriptions don't say so. Vintage cap auctions without the words "1920s" or "1930s" are more likely to fly under the radar of collectors ... which means that you could win a bargain.

Also, how come the Japanese and other designers of vintage repros can make great products like denim, alohas, and workwear, but not replicate a simple 1920s 30s style 8 panel "gatsby" cap?
or maybe it isn't that simple?

I don't know, but there's a local California man --the grandson of silent film actress Zasu Pitts, in fact-- who makes pretty good repros of vintage caps by hand. I've seen these caps, and I'm impressed. He's always selling them on eBay, but Fedora Loungers seem to prefer other makers. An example of his work:

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1930s-S...-/260768292050?pt=US_Hats&hash=item3cb7005cd2

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Marc ,Zasu are great cap's too we are lucky to have several people making great cap's now days.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Marc ,Zasu are great cap's too we are lucky to have several people making great cap's now days.

Yes! Agreed!

 

[Yeps]

I made myself an 8-panel with a pattern I drafted following Qirrel's blog. I think it worked pretty well.

 

[Lefty]

He posted it earlier in this thread, but I've since bought one of Viper Man's Lofgren caps. I love this thing and will buy another in the future. The sweat is wider than most sweats I've seen on vintage caps, and it's also thicker, making it very comfortable.

 

[randooch]

Nice job, Yeps! I like the drape on the left.

Lefty, what does one of those run? Looks very well-made.

 

[Lefty]

Depending upon the cap, I think it starts at $60 and goes up to $90. The only one's currently available are denim and are $90. Shipping from Japan is free. Like I said, I love mine and will be buying another when more styles and/or materials become available.

Where to buy (and I agree that Chrome's translator makes this much better) -

Ok, you can get most of it on eBay here:

http://myworld.ebay.com/shopatspeedway/

Or on the Rakuten site here:

http://www.rakuten.ne.jp/gold/speedway-shop/

I would recommend using the free Google Chrome browser as it will automatically prompt you to translate to English.


John is an easy guy to contact and will definitely help you out in any way he can.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

'Lofgren' caps are very good, and they're getting steadily better.

FWIW and IMO, the best vintage '20s-'40s newsboy caps are still a cut above Lofgrens, but that may not be the case forever.

In any event, a 'Lofgren' in one's size is an easier catch than its vintage equivalent.

 

[Lefty]

They're not quite one size, but they are S,M,L,XL. The L is pretty darn big, as I typically wear a 7 1/2 or 7 5/8 hat and the L is comfy and loose (but not too loose).

 

[Marc Chevalier]

They're not quite one size, but they are S,M,L,XL. The L is pretty darn big, as I typically wear a 7 1/2 or 7 5/8 hat and the L is comfy and loose (but not too loose).

And they have an adjustable front strap, which is very cool.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Lofgren hats..?? I picked this up when I "googled";

Not quite the cap I expected. On the other hand much less expensive.

I continue on the hunt for the afore mentioned Lofgren cap. Eric -

 

[Lefty]

Click the links in my post above, and stop it, before you go blind.

 

[David Conwill]

I’m wondering if I can get some quick help here. I’ve been eyeing the Belfry Street Grimwig for a while. It’s a normal-looking eight-panel cap, but it comes in peached cotton, which I haven’t seen before and find appealing. I’m in a quandry, though, as I’m right on the line between L (7 3/8) and XL (7 ½) in their sizing recommendations. I’m leaning toward the XL, but if anyone has any experience with this particular cap, I’d love to hear it.

-Dave

 

[The Edwardian]

Here's a striped newsboy hat I recently purchased. My first new one in three years.

 

[Adnamira]

Super cool, Mr Edwardian!

 

[T Rick]

Here's a striped newsboy hat I recently purchased. My first new one in three years.

Very nice looking cap there. Is it new or vintage? If new, who is the maker?

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Ditto T-Rick more info on you cap. Looks like to shades of blue stripes from that angle.

Here is my Hat People deim in a new work chin strap repo from Target.

 

[The Edwardian]

Thanks, guys. It's a Bailey Galvin Twill.

Nice shade of blue there, Hatter.