The hard-to-find or unusual Hat Circle

[drmaxtejeda]

Mallory E.A. and sons. 1910-1921. Bowen says it is Mallory's version of the Boss Raw Edge, and is rarer than hen's teeth.
I had to get a haircut to be able to wear it. Still tight.

 

[drmaxtejeda]

The following is the summary of a conversation I had on Facebook forum about this Oviatt's with Howard Pineapple:

That's a very fine braid sewn hat.......it doesn't look like Milan straw to me.....it looks like something else, possibly viscose braid.......
viscose was one of the first man made materials used in the hat industry ....it's a combination of rayon and cellulose film......"straw" braid and woven "straw" was made of viscose and either sewn or blocked into hats.....viscose came before paper and polypropylene braids & woven material.......so many of the vintage hats were made of viscose materials........
Viscose woven "straw" bodies were made to copy the Panama Brisa weave in order to make "Panama" hats at a lower price point......they named the woven viscose....Panamalac.......it was a fine weave and had a bit of a gloss shine to it.....some liked it, some didn't......I was a millinery manufacturer for years and the ladies hat industry did not like viscose materials, generally speaking.......but it was popular in the men's industry......
you have a great hat there......as I said, it's a very, very fine (narrow) braid......there are VERY FEW sewers who can sew this very fine size braid today.......and in my day, only the best sewers were able to sew with it.....the good sewers would run away from it......
Just one more thing......another way to tell a fine sewn braid hat is to look at the button.......the button being the circle at the very top center of the crown.....it's where the sewer begins the hat.......better hats have the round button and lesser quality hats have a straight line of two rows of braid as it's quicker and takes less skill to start a hat......the finer the braid, the smaller the button.....and that's what most sewers had a difficult time with......either they couldn't start the hat or they had to make several attempts to get it right, if at all, which wasted braid, thread, and time.......the best sewers could do it in one pass.....they were worth their weight in silver........manufacturers were stealing sewers from other manufacturers all the time......ah, this brings back memories.......

 

[Just Daniel]

Wow, that’s a good one Doc. Very interesting work.

The following is the summary of a conversation I had on Facebook forum about this Oviatt's with Howard Pineapple:

That's a very fine braid sewn hat.......it doesn't look like Milan straw to me.....it looks like something else, possibly viscose braid.......
viscose was one of the first man made materials used in the hat industry ....it's a combination of rayon and cellulose film......"straw" braid and woven "straw" was made of viscose and either sewn or blocked into hats.....viscose came before paper and polypropylene braids & woven material.......so many of the vintage hats were made of viscose materials........
Viscose woven "straw" bodies were made to copy the Panama Brisa weave in order to make "Panama" hats at a lower price point......they named the woven viscose....Panamalac.......it was a fine weave and had a bit of a gloss shine to it.....some liked it, some didn't......I was a millinery manufacturer for years and the ladies hat industry did not like viscose materials, generally speaking.......but it was popular in the men's industry......
you have a great hat there......as I said, it's a very, very fine (narrow) braid......there are VERY FEW sewers who can sew this very fine size braid today.......and in my day, only the best sewers were able to sew with it.....the good sewers would run away from it......
Just one more thing......another way to tell a fine sewn braid hat is to look at the button.......the button being the circle at the very top center of the crown.....it's where the sewer begins the hat.......better hats have the round button and lesser quality hats have a straight line of two rows of braid as it's quicker and takes less skill to start a hat......the finer the braid, the smaller the button.....and that's what most sewers had a difficult time with......either they couldn't start the hat or they had to make several attempts to get it right, if at all, which wasted braid, thread, and time.......the best sewers could do it in one pass.....they were worth their weight in silver........manufacturers were stealing sewers from other manufacturers all the time......ah, this brings back memories....... View attachment 276432 View attachment 276433 View attachment 276434 View attachment 276435 View attachment 276436 View attachment 276437 View attachment 276438 View attachment 276439 View attachment 276440

 

[drmaxtejeda]

Wow, that’s a good one Doc. Very interesting work.

Thank you, Daniel

 

[drmaxtejeda]

Oviatt's Silver Beaver Rancho, made by MacLachlan. I suppose it would have been the MacLachlan Silver Beaver Fifty, if ot hadn't been sold through Oviatt's. They increased the price to 60 dollars.
The felt is nice, but it isn't as nice as the one on my Mac One Hundred, or my Dobbs Forty Westward, which is both denser, smoother, and creamier.
I love the shape on this one, though!

 

[alanfgag]

The following is the summary of a conversation I had on Facebook forum about this Oviatt's with Howard Pineapple:

That's a very fine braid sewn hat... it doesn't look like Milan straw to me...

It sure looks like typical milan to me... The Maclachlan western is very nice.

 

[drmaxtejeda]

It sure looks like typical milan to me... The Maclachlan western is very nice.

It doesn't feel like one to the touch, Alan. It is smoother...

 

[hatsRme]

It sure looks like typical milan to me... The Maclachlan western is very nice.

I was thinking the same, Alan. Those older milans had a “look” to them.

 

[drmaxtejeda]

A Whippet Vita-felt. The felt is very different from that in my other, younger Whippets. It is very thin and obedient, with a good hand.

 

[Just Daniel]

Very nice!

Yes, the 40s felts are a whole different world than the 50s.

A Whippet Vita-felt. The felt is very different from that in my other, younger Whippets. It is very thin and obedient, with a good hand. View attachment 279644 View attachment 279645 View attachment 279646 View attachment 279647 View attachment 279648 View attachment 279649

 

[hatsRme]

Qualified as both hard to find and unusual, I submit this fantastic topper for the discussion. Hard to tell, but is it a plush finish?

 

[drmaxtejeda]

That's the Mad Hatter, right?

 

[hatsRme]

That's the Mad Hatter, right?

Rightyouare, Max! From the Batman television series, 1966.

So, was it plush?

 

[Zombie_61]

Qualified as both hard to find and unusual, I submit this fantastic topper for the discussion. Hard to tell, but is it a plush finish?
View attachment 281805

Plush finish? No. That specific hat was more prop than hat, and was built for the sole purpose of being worn only in scenes showing the top of the hat popping open to reveal the eye-shaped emitters. It was rigid and had a texture applied to the outer surface, then painted to look like the wardrobe hat worn in other scenes. The hat it doubled was a "standard" gray top hat with a slightly fuzzy finish.

 

[steur]

Mossant de Luxe perforated hat in size 57. Triple stitched brim at 6,5cm and crown at 9,5cm at the center dent. The moths seem to have been very disciplined, but did take some bites out of order of this one in their spare time. Very light weight at 84 grams and the sweatband had to be cut so as not to block the perforations. This is a cool hat.
I do wonder what the three grommets are for.
These perforated hats never seem to have caught on, aimed to sit in between felt and straw. Their use is limited and so seemed to have been their appeal. There was one on auction recently (a Levy Air Cool), but this one will do me fine.

 

[drmaxtejeda]

Mossant de Luxe perforated hat in size 57. Triple stitched brim at 6,5cm and crown at 9,5cm at the center dent. The moths seem to have been very disciplined, but did take some bites out of order of this one in their spare time. Very light weight at 84 grams and the sweatband had to be cut so as not to block the perforations. This is a cool hat.
I do wonder what the three grommets are for.
These perforated hats never seem to have caught on, aimed to sit in between felt and straw. Their use is limited and so seemed to have been their appeal. There was one on auction recently (a Levy Air Cool), but this one will do me fine.

Me like! I wish it were a 7 1/4, so I could bug you to sell it to me.

 

[steur]

Me like! I wish it were a 7 1/4, so I could bug you to sell it to me.

There's lot to like, Max, even with the holes
I'm afraid the American one still on auction (listed under the Levy name) is also a size seven.

 

[drmaxtejeda]

There's lot to like, Max, even with the holes
I'm afraid the American one still on auction (listed under the Levy name) is also a size seven.

View attachment 284494

I know.

 

[Just Daniel]

That is a nice hat. Rare, hard to find, and pretty cool.

There's lot to like, Max, even with the holes
I'm afraid the American one still on auction (listed under the Levy name) is also a size seven.

View attachment 284494

T

 

[Just Daniel]

This is an awesome Mallory. If you are running out of storage space....

Mallory E.A. and sons. 1910-1921. Bowen says it is Mallory's version of the Boss Raw Edge, and is rarer than hen's teeth.
I had to get a haircut to be able to wear it. Still tight.
View attachment 276379 View attachment 276380 View attachment 276381 View attachment 276382 View attachment 276383 View attachment 276384 View attachment 276385 View attachment 276386 View attachment 276387