The Cavanagh Club

[alanfgag]

Thanks Brad. I will post some additional photos once I coax it back closer to its original shape. Do you have any links to Cavanagh print advertisements for panama hats? I wonder what they might have retailed this for in its day?

 

[Brad Bowers]

Nothing readily available, Alan, but I may be able to dig something up.

 

[scottyrocks]

I received this a couple of days ago out of the bay. It’s my first Cavanagh. I figure it’s no newer than the 1950s, but I really don’t know.

It’s a reddish brown, and the ribbon is slightly redder than the felt. It is in very good used shape.

It had a sort of hybrid teardrop/c-crown/diamond shape, but I didn’t care for it on this particular hat, so I put a center dent in it. It took and kept the new shape sans any moisture. But because the old bash had been there so long, there were the tell-tale lines, so I sprayed it down, massaged out the lines, and set the center dent and front pinch.

The felt has an amazing ‘memory foam’ quality. I fell asleep with it down over my eyes last night. The back of the brim was resting on the back of the couch behind me. When I woke up a few hours later, the whole brim had changed shape slightly, based on the pressure only on the back. Most hats I have done this with only the section being pressed changes shape.

I put the hat up on my cable box and went to bed. When I got up this morning, the entire brim had gone back to its original shape. I have never had this happen before. All large brim hats I have had to be massaged back into shape, or, if I don’t mess with them, it takes much longer for them to ‘fix’ themselves, if at all.

I may, one day, remove the liner and reblock it on my 952 to get a more squared look, but for now I am very happy with it.

Can any of you help me date this hat, and tell me anything else about it?

 

[scottyrocks]

It was purchased in Buffalo for $25.

 

[Strapped-4-Cache]

My hat today is a near cousin to yours. It's a Fifteen, but has the same liner.
Great hat, and a pleasure to wear.

 

[alanfgag]

Buffalo on the tag refers to the style/color... late 1950s-1960s would be my guess on the era.

 

[hatsRme]

Buffalo on the tag refers to the style/color... late 1950s-1960s would be my guess on the era.

If I were a betting man, I'd say buffalo was the color, too. Looks kind of buffaloey to me.

 

[scottyrocks]

Buffalo on the tag refers to the style/color... late 1950s-1960s would be my guess on the era.

Um yes, haha, thank you. That makes more sense. It has that reddish/brown buffalo color. hahaha

 

[scottyrocks]

My hat today is a near cousin to yours. It's a Fifteen, but has the same liner.
Great hat, and a pleasure to wear.

I'm not seeing a photo, but this is not the first time that has happened here.

Are you referring to my Cavanagh?

 

[Strapped-4-Cache]

Gotta correct my earlier post. Mine's a Twenty instead of a Fifteen. Details can be found in this post: What Hat Are You Wearing Today?

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Um yes, haha, thank you. That makes more sense. It has that reddish/brown buffalo color. hahaha

OT but I just have to say these were magnificent animals when they roamed free!

 

[alanfgag]

Spent a quiet day at home with the family, watching a Harry Potter marathon and working on the recently posted Cavanagh Montecristi. The hat responded well to steam, block and flange. I removed the ribbon to steam and press and found underneath a a bit of panama PanAm memorabilia, circa 1960, I'd say.

 

[Lotsahats]

Envy you that collection, my friend!

 

[tommyK]

Nice work, Alan. I'm angling for a similar "Hat Room" when we buy our next house

 

[moehawk]

This one was on eBay listed as COOL JAZZ MANS CAVANAUGH FEDORA. It had been around for a while. I had looked at it a few times, hemmed and hawed about the condition (looked like it might be a project hat) and finally decided it needed some love. And, I needed a Caanaugh. So, I put te opening bid on, and won it.
It arrived yesterday, and boy, it did look like a project. The crown was misshapen, the sweat was on its way to being dry, had the bacon-waves going on, and the felt had pooched in where the sweatband had bent inward. It gave te crown the look of an old jazz man who lost his dentures. Add a wonky bent brim and it looked like a wreck. I didn't take pics of the before, partly out of embarrassment for not asking if the sweat was in bad shape before bidding.
Anyhoo, I went at it with Lexol, steam, brush and block, and was quite pleased with how this old abused jazz man can still hold a tune.

The sweatband is still being rehabbed, if I can get it flexible enough I will get pics of under it.
The felt on this one is great. Fairly thin, but very dense, with a finish not smooth or velourlike, but similar in feel to suede. The only other hat I have with a similar feel is my Adam. I also thought it strange that the only mention of the brand name on the sweat was the "Cavanaugh Edge" mark.
The nice, full open crown is 5 1/2 and the brim is 2". It takes a shape easily for te denseess of the felt. My guess on age is late 50's, but tough to be too sure without seeing taggage.
My first Cavanaugh. Hopefully not my last!

 

[Frunobulax]

Nice save, Moe! I like a good project, and the results are great!

 

[1mach1]

Nice Moe. I love those Cavs!

 

[tommyK]

Great Cav, Moe. Love that detail on the sweatband. It's very satisfying getting an abused or neglected hat back into shape!

 

[moehawk]

Thanks, guys! It turned out to be far less effort to fix than I first thought. I was stoked that it doesn't need a new sweat. Wearable the next day is my kind of project!

 

[moehawk]

Good news, everyone!
A combination of Lexol, love, and luck got my Jazz Man's sweatband limber enough to get a pic of the tag.

I see a block height number, which I believe is 50's. Hopefully The Hatted Professor can confirm or refute this.
I got caught in a downpour wearing this one today. It got pretty wet, started leaking brown. Not sure if it was dye or dirt, but it sure does ooze character!