The Dobbs Diner...

[M Hatman]

Well, I got my Dobbs One Hundred. The felt is even softer than the Dobbs Fifty's. Best felt I've had in my hands

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Is that a 7 1/2?
M

 

[drmaxtejeda]

Is that a 7 1/2?
M

Yes. And it still is.

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[drmaxtejeda]

These are guesses and observations from hats that have crossed my path. I have owned quite a few Stetson 7X hats ($50) and a handful of Stetson 100 hats. The 7X hats I have kept were all more delicious (used here to describe a number of qualities mashed together that make a hat more desirable to me) than the 100s, which were later (1960s), stiffer and all of which I have sold. I have never been able to discern a difference in felt quality between the two price points and the trimmings are equally high in quality, with variances in marks and branding being the main difference. The 1960s saw higher inflation along with a continual decline in hat sales which might have also entered into these observations. But overall, I don't find much of a difference beyond a fairly substantial suitcase that became included with the Stetson 100. Others might have a different observation.

The HCA brands appear to have released a one hundred dollar hat earlier than Stetson. I've never had one in hand alongside a fifty dollar hat of the same period to compare. I can say that the Knox 100 I owned was exceptional. The Frank Stack silver beaver Fifty is a very fine hat as well, similar in period to the Knox 100 (perhaps earlier) and a close second, but a second in my estimation. I never had them both in hand at the same time.

The Churchill Beaver 100 is also exceptional, with a certain je ne sais pas added from an unknown quantity of vicuna in the felt mix. This hat is of the same era as the Stetson 100, so stiffer construction, but pounced more finely than any hat I have handled. There are some comparison pictures posted.

It would be great to have a comparison shared on the thread of that name - perhaps Max will tackle it. My impression is that for the most part, fifty dollar hats became one hundred dollar hats as the market became able to handle the price - there was not much if anything more in refinement to add (hence the Neiman Marcus addition of vicuna via Churchill). There is more difference to note and write about between the twenty dollar hats and forty dollar hats offered by Hat Corporation of America. In my opinion.

In my estimation, my Dobbs One Hundred has the nicest felt. Better even than my Dobbs Fifty, which is second. I felt both with my eyes closed, but it wasn't really necessary. It was pretty noticeable.
Then, in third place, the 7XCB, and in fourth the Stetson One Hundreds.

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[M Hatman]

Here are two Dobbs additions. One a 50's Game Bird......the other a 20's Derby.....
The Game Bird is a 7 1/4 LO (which of course does not fit me) and the other a surprising 7 1/2 which does........
The Game Bird is a great Dark Brown heathered felt (Dobbs called them game mixtures) with a 2 7/16 underwelt brim with 5 1/2 inch crown...and a cool 1 1/8 inch felted ribbon (same felt as the hat)...really, really soft malleable felt!
The Derby has a 5 1/4 crown and 2 1/4 brim! The cool hat brush came with the Derby hat! I won't mention the malleable felt on the Derby, because of course.....it isn't.
BUT, it did have the pricetag behind the sweat......$7.50.
Enjoy,
M

 

[ofcoursemyhorse]

40's Dobbs Homburg in a wonderful shade of forest green.

 

[steur]

40's Dobbs Homburg in a wonderful shade of forest green. View attachment 149876

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Very cool hat and in a very uncommon colour for a homburg. Nice find!

 

[drmaxtejeda]

Dobbs Game Bird.

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[DaveProc]

1917-18 Beaver Dobbs, possibly Yeoman's hat. Beaver, excellent condition small area of the sweat band unstitched. Leather sweat band still soft. Very cool hat.

 

[alanfgag]

An unusual Dobbs Gay Prince, no liner, lightweight heather felt and missing the whipstitch detailing on the self ribbon. 1940s HCA manufacturing label and $12.50 price sticker. The Gay Prince trademark was filed in 1946 (the year of this advertisement) but the filing shows a first use in trade date of 1940. From the felt (which might contain wool) and the sweatband, I think this is possibly a wartime era GP, but that is just a guess of course.

 

[Bill Hughes]

An unusual Dobbs Gay Prince, no liner, lightweight heather felt and missing the whipstitch detailing on the self ribbon. 1940s HCA manufacturing label and $12.50 price sticker. The Gay Prince trademark was filed in 1946 (the year of this advertisement) but the filing shows a first use in trade date of 1940. From the felt (which might contain wool) and the sweatband, I think this is possibly a wartime era GP, but that is just a guess of course.

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Very interesting. I think I prefer the non-stitched ribbon.

 

[alanfgag]

I think I like them both...

 

[Tonio]

Dobbs V.V.L. (Very Very Light) Twenty with Guild Edge. I'm impressed with how malleable the felt is. The sweatband is great too. I believe the brim is about 2-1/2".

 

[mayserwegener]

Super! How much does it weigh?

 

[Tonio]

Super! How much does it weigh?

Thanks! It was 3.4oz. Wonder how it stacks up to other lightweights?

 

[alanfgag]

Thanks! It was 3.4oz. Wonder how it stacks up to other lightweights?

Wonderful find. The weight is on the heavy side for featherweights, typically made with a "two ounce" felt. The lightest I have has a grosgrain sweatband and weighs in close to 2 1/2 ounces with a liner, if I remember correctly. Some with a leather sweatband seem to come in closer to but under three ounces. I haven't done a weight comparison in a long time, but memory is that the Dobbs Hankachif was among the lightest. I had one from Garrett but have since passed it along.

 

[drmaxtejeda]

Just bought this Dobbs 100.

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[steur]

Dobbs V.V.L. (Very Very Light) Twenty with Guild Edge. I'm impressed with how malleable the felt is. The sweatband is great too. I believe the brim is about 2-1/2".

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That is another beauty, Tonio. Love these lightweight hats.

 

[steur]

Just bought this Dobbs 100.

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You have developed quite a keen nose to sniff out these "grail" hats, Max. Great find.

 

[drmaxtejeda]

You have developed quite a keen nose to sniff out these "grail" hats, Max. Great find.

Thank you, Stefan. Not a keen nose. I just prowl eBay

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[AbbaDatDeHat]

Thank you, Stefan. Not a keen nose. I just prowl eBay

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I think you are in the Hat CIA, Station eBay!
B