" The Great British Hat Makers "

[yttclothing]

So I won a few hats on ebay recently all just called mens hat vintage, all British made even though one is Stetson. Do you guys know which factory produced British made Stetsons?

This on a British Made Stetson De Luxe 6 7/8

A GA Dunn & Co Homburg 6 3/4

Lincoln Bennett Fedora French Grey Blue Ribbon 7 1/4

Dunn & Co 6 5/8

 

[ManofKent]

ytt - my British made stetson looks suspiciously like a Christys, but there's not enough evidence to positively identify it.

Nice collection of (tiny ) hats.

 

[yttclothing]

ytt - my British made stetson looks suspiciously like a Christys, but there's not enough evidence to positively identify it.

Nice collection of (tiny ) hats.

Mano a 7 5/8 dunn and co has come in ill show you the photos tomorrow it needs work though

 

[ManofKent]

Mano a 7 5/8 dunn and co has come in ill show you the photos tomorrow it needs work though

Id definitely like a look!

 

[PADDY]

More Brit Hat photos loaded.
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/album.php?albumid=74

 

[yttclothing]

Paddy great name! and a beautiful hat that ribbon is superb!

 

[GHT]

ytt - my British made stetson looks suspiciously like a Christys, but there's not enough evidence to positively identify it. Nice collection of (tiny ) hats.

So many times I've looked at Christys. Has any lounger bought direct from them? Can you give an appraisal?

 

[ManofKent]

So many times I've looked at Christys. Has any lounger bought direct from them? Can you give an appraisal?

Their bowlers are about the best you'll find these days - not up to vintage standards but not bad. I like a lot of their caps - well made and fairly priced. Fedora wise - the wool felt are better than most wool felts. The fur-felt has a nice feel and finish, but does shrink a bit in the rain (only the first time it gets truly wet though...). Postage is quick and efficient.

 

[ebonysw45]

I happened to be in London 2 weeks ago and made a special effort to visit Locke & Co as well as Bates and I must say for the price they were charging I was sorely disappointed. Bates seemed to have better service and a better price point for their hats, Locke was just depressing. Being from Australia I have a couple of Akubra's and for the price they are great. The linings are still glued but I was surprised that Locke charged the prices they did for what I saw as inferior hats that are not even produced by them. When you have a good look at them the lining is not even as nice as my fed IV deluxe with obvious blobs of glue and an unfinished, uneven endpoint for the lining under an average quality leather liner.

 

[yttclothing]

Sounds like everything made in Britain, Half Arsed, I think it is down to a lack of passion & pride, it got lost somewhere along the way.

 

[ebonysw45]

That's not really fair. I have boots from Crockett and Jones that are very well made, also Billingham make fantastic bags. The problem as I see it is that the hats are not made in the UK. We have the same problem in Australia. I buy Rossi boots made in Adelaide great boots for the price, RM Williams made here great boots (-although a major share was purchased recently so time will tell on them) Akubra made in Aus. and a great hat at a very fair price. I think it's the public listed company's that have most problems, they have to pay the shareholder, or private company's undergoing external stress such Asa lack of interest etc. How many people actually care about quality? And how many units can you sell!

 

[yttclothing]

True we do make good shoes here, people seem not to want quality, I worked Superdry a clothing company started in my home town Cheltenham, £45 a shirt made in China and crappy material and finishing. Fashion is so disposable today, In one day out the next it is the select few who seem to buy quality, o well one day maybe we will make decent hats again although I somewhat doubt it.

 

[ManofKent]

There are still some good cap makers in the UK at least, and Olney still produce very nice straw boaters. Christy's bowlers aren't bad even if the felt is imported these days, but it's not far off a dead industry. On the positive side there has been a resurgance in companies producing clothes in the UK - Nigel Cabourn, Common People, Cro'Jack, Oliver Spencer etc.

 

[Guardian Enzo]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I was wondering if anyone would care to offer an informed opinion on general quality of British hats from the 60's - specifically under the Christys label. It seems a given that the real vintage stuff is going to be considerably better than the modern make, but the 60's is a tough decade for me to figure out with American hats, and I wondered about English...

 

[yttclothing]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I was wondering if anyone would care to offer an informed opinion on general quality of British hats from the 60's - specifically under the Christys label. It seems a given that the real vintage stuff is going to be considerably better than the modern make, but the 60's is a tough decade for me to figure out with American hats, and I wondered about English...

I have a 60's Christies hat the felt is very very good, lightweight and really easy to shape. I think mine is around the mid 60's, i've got some 80's ones which are garbage in comparison felt wise. I was surprised by the 60's hat it has "Stowe" on it which I believe may be the model, compared to the other hats I have at the moment quality wise it is up their with the 50's Stetson Stratoliner, very same feel the christies is just lighter, I think it may very from model to model but mine is very nice.

 

[kingrat]

Looks real nice

 

[yttclothing]

Got these two in the mail

Love the colour combo on this Homburg

A nice big bowler, ironically called "The Orb"

 

[JohanB]

" The Great British Hat Makers "

I don't know whether it is a great hat maker or not, but it's certainly British. I recently gave 25 $ for this Failsworth fedora, which I find has something of a nice film noir quality to it. Can anyone help me dating it? The founding date of the Swedish importer, 1953, gives us a terminus post quem.

Skickat från min iPhone med Tapatalk

 

[fabiovenhorst]

I have a Lincoln Bennett that is very similar...

Foster Brothers The Zephyr Bowler UK lightweight unlined

A lightweight early English Bowler with moderately flexible construction. Straight block shape and surprisingly thin construction of the bound edge.
A wonderful hat and a perfect fit. A big thank you goes toSteve!

 

[fabiovenhorst]

Tress & Co. bowler