" The Great British Hat Makers "

[fabiovenhorst]

Melton & Co. topper

 

[mayserwegener]

Fantastic!

 

[RJR]

Melton & Co. topper
View attachment 45188 View attachment 45189 View attachment 45190

Wow!

 

[Bird Lives]

Alot of bad vibes here for Lock & Co....I don't get it....They probably have the best service in the world....They get their fur hoods from the best that can be found, just like the best custom hatmakers do. And many of their fedoras they do make in Manchester. They have many new designs and still make many of their old favorites.

I have talked to them directly and have received several e-mails from their director of sales...They have the original blocks for almost everthing...It's amazing....They have been making blocks for hats since 1676 and they still have all documentation...If you get measured there and order a hat 50 years later they will have your original measurments at their finger tips.

I have always wanted a Sandown trilby, which I always thought of as the quintessential British Racing Felt....But I couldn't afford the $300 bucks for it. But then I noticed there are several distributors for Lock & Co. And here in the U.S., Brooks Bros. is one, and I bought my Sandown Trilby on sale for considerably less than $200. The fur is better than I expected for a new hat. Very light but very soft and tough. I've worn it almost daily this last year here in Seattle, through daily rain and snow. It still looks like new and hasn't shrunk a hair.

I have other hats, including a vintage Borso but this one is by far the most comfortable. The leather sweatband fits perfect and I forget I have the hat on....

There are still hats made in England folks ! Many of Locks and Christies fedoras are still made in England....Everyone says, no hats are made in England! They are! And some are well made....If the price of doing business with a very prestigious store is too high...Check out their other distributors and wait for sales...Don't get angry, the main stores charge for more than just the hat...

Anyway....here a shot of my Sandown.....ciao.....LC

 

[Joshbru3]

1930's/1940s Dunn Co (Tonak) Zephyr Seal Velour

I got this one a few months ago from ebay UK. The felt is extremely lightweight with a gorgeous color that changes from a light lavender to a light silver gray in the light. This hat was sold through Dunn & Co, but further investigation under the sweatband reveals that it was actually made by TONAK in AUSTRIA. Its a US 7 1/8 which translates to a UK size 7.

 

[Joshbru3]

1930's Herbert Johnson Tuxedo hat

I have wanted a tuxedo hat ever since I saw my first one on the lounge about 5 years ago. FINALLY I have one that actually fits!!

 

[Chepstow]

Very nice Josh , looks like a Dream come true!


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[RJR]

Very nice Josh , looks like a Dream come true!


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+1

 

[stetsonofagun]

I posted this Scott in the Pre 40's thread.

I also posted this Christy hat earlier in another thread. I'm guessing that Lock and Co most likely made it.

- Andrew

 

[Chepstow]

Very nice Andrew!


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[RJR]

Very nice Andrew!


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+1

 

[fabiovenhorst]

My Attaboy homburg by Denton Hat Co.

 

[steur]

This one has me stumped. Sold through a Belgian vendor in Gent, but based on the name maybe made in England (I could be wrong of course). What's so remarkable about this hat is that it has a double brim. The brim is an underwelt folded over and all the way into the crown again. In it's current state the brim is 6,5 cm wide, which means originally it would have been at least 13 cm. No clear photo of that construction (sorry), but can anyone make a guess as why it may have been constructed that way? My own theory is that the hat dates from shortly after the war, when there was a shortage of shellac. The hat is very soft and supple even after steaming. Maybe it was a way to give shape to the brim without shellac. But I'm only guessing here. Size 57, unlined, no label, sweatband and ribbon in poor shap e .

made

 

[steur]

This one I picked up from the bay not too long ago. It was listed as a blue hat and the last picture here is from the auction. Now I may be colourblind, but even I can see this is not a blue hat. It is in fact hurricane grey. I have no regrets however, because this is a magnificent hat and an example of the finest British hatmaking. It is branded as a Dunn&Co hat, but they are not the makers. The makers are T&W Lees of Stockport England and I want to take this moment to sing their praise. They produced among the finest hats there are, bar none. Beautiful finished felt and high quality finishing with distinctive liners and sweatbands (in a lighter brown leather). At the risk of shooting myself in the foot here, but if you see one for sale: buy it. In Penny McKnights book "Stockport Hatting" (if you have an interest in British or European hatmaking: higly recommended) it is stated that they only produced for others like Dunn, Tress and Selfridges and not under their own label. That is not correct. I'll post one of their own next in the homburg thread. In the sixties they were among the companies that merged into the Associated British Hat manufacturers Ltd.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

This one has me stumped. Sold through a Belgian vendor in Gent, but based on the name maybe made in England (I could be wrong of course). What's so remarkable about this hat is that it has a double brim. The brim is an underwelt folded over and all the way into the crown again. In it's current state the brim is 6,5 cm wide, which means originally it would have been at least 13 cm. No clear photo of that construction (sorry), but can anyone make a guess as why it may have been constructed that way? My own theory is that the hat dates from shortly after the war, when there was a shortage of shellac. The hat is very soft and supple even after steaming. Maybe it was a way to give shape to the brim without shellac. But I'm only guessing here. Size 57,

I'd say it was made either in France or Belgium & the 2 ply brim was probably an experiment to ensure the hat was indeed 'undeformable' which might explain why it was patented (breveté)

 

[steur]

I'd say it was made either in France or Belgium & the 2 ply brim was probably an experiment to ensure the hat was indeed 'undeformable' which might explain why it was patented (breveté)

Thanks. I hadn't thought of that. Maybe I was too hasty connecting just the name to a British manufacture. But you are right of course; the name doesn't have to relate to the country of origin at all (as long as it sells the hat).

 

[steur]

I posted a T&W Lees homburg hat in the Homburg Nation Thread. Here's the other Lees hat I have. When I bought this one the sweatband was sadly completely missing and the bow was loose. But the felt is superb and there was still a nice hat in there. This was actually the first hat I've sown a new sweatband into myself (a good learning experience). It originally had an overwelt edge, which I took out to give it a bit wider brim. It was too much of a stingy to my tastes. It's now 5,5cm wide, crown 10 cm at the pinch. The colour name
is wel chosen (eventide grey) because the felt has a reddish hue in certain lighting. Notice that the label is exactly the same as the Dunn&Co hat posted above. I really should take some new pictures of this one, because these don't really do it justice.

 

[mayserwegener]

Super! I especially like the Form / Look of the Dunn & Co. / T&W Lees. I know Dunn & Co. also had hats made by JHS / Tonak and S. J. Fraenkel / Ebreichsdorf.

 

[steur]

Super! I especially like the Form / Look of the Dunn & Co. / T&W Lees. I know Dunn & Co. also had hats made by JHS / Tonak and S. J. Fraenkel / Ebreichsdorf.

Steve, thanks. The Dunn&Co is a beauty allright. It goes with just about anything and is joy the wear.

 

[steur]

As promised here's another installment in this thread. I'll be posting these in the homburg nation thread as well. A special attention is asked for this fine English manufacturer of hats. Founded in 1903 and based in Manchester this company is of interest not only for the quality of their own branded hats but because from 1948 onward they held the (English) license to produce Stetson hats. I have a couple of Imperial Stetson homburg hats that were produced in England. I know there was another license by Stetson for the German market, so I don't really know for what region their license was given, but Stetsons produced in England do pop up on a regular basis in The Netherlands and for Dutch hat-sellers. The company still exists but doesn't produce anything even near the superb quality they used to (it's mostly caps and tweed hats now).
This one is a size 56 and dated 1966 (because of a newspaper with that date behind the sweatband). Haven't got any other measurements at hand, sorry. The first two pictures are of their factory.