The Stefano Kitten Felt Mystery

[gughunter]

About half a year ago I purchased a hat from the Hatterie in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. It's a gray Stefano fedora and I think it's the "Ralston" model shown a few rows up from the bottom on this page:

http://www.mikethehatter.com/ItemSearch.asp?StyleID=5

It's a fur felt hat, but much less rigid and much softer to the touch than my other fur felt hats (a Bailey and two Selentinos). The salesman told me the material was called "kitten felt."

Having done some Google searching, I can't find anything about "kitten felt" or for that matter, the Stefano company itself -- there is a Stefano Genovese but its hats are nothing like this one. Does anyone here know anything about "kitten felt" or Stefano?

 

[jamespowers]

About half a year ago I purchased a hat from the Hatterie in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. It's a gray Stefano fedora and I think it's the "Ralston" model shown a few rows up from the bottom on this page:

http://www.mikethehatter.com/ItemSearch.asp?StyleID=5

It's a fur felt hat, but much less rigid and much softer to the touch than my other fur felt hats (a Bailey and two Selentinos). The salesman told me the material was called "kitten felt."

Having done some Google searching, I can't find anything about "kitten felt" or for that matter, the Stefano company itself -- there is a Stefano Genovese but its hats are nothing like this one. Does anyone here know anything about "kitten felt" or Stefano?

I think the old boy meant kitten finish. God forbid that it was actually kitten felt. A kitten finish is a finish put on the felt through final sanding stages. It leaves the felt feeling very soft---like a kitten. Vintage hats have called it many things through the years as well---Antelope finish and Velour finish come to mind.
You need to find another hat int he same finish to get that kind of feel in another hat. I have no idea who makes what nowadays in such a finish. [huh]

Regards,

J

 

[gughunter]

Ah, that's helpful! Thanks!

 

[Bruce A. Fulmer]

Resistol Kitten Finish

HI, I have an old OR style Resistol 3x with a "Kitten" finish and "guild" or "Cavanagh" edge. This finish is not furry, but soft to the touch and eye. Very nice.

 

[jamespowers]

HI, I have an old OR style Resistol 3x with a "Kitten" finish and "guild" or "Cavanagh" edge. This finish is not furry, but soft to the touch and eye. Very nice.

The kitten finish is not "furry" or a plush finish. A plush finish is achieved in a different manner than the kitten Finish.

Regards,

J

 

[ideaguy]

I've got a Dobbs , a few Resistols', and a Borsalino that my wife wears that is
supposedly a "Kitten Finish". The Resistol will have "kitten finish" in gold stamping on the sweatband,with an outlined cartoonish drawing of - a kitten.
The finish really is smooth and fine, and the hats hold shape quite well, unlike
a better grade Stetson. I wear mine quite a bit, but I always hear this
aroooooo behind me...[huh]

 

[besdor]

Your Stefano hat was made in China . They are a nice hat for the price and are made of fur felt . Kitten Finish was created by Resistol back in the 1960's . It was a very soft finish that the company created similar to a sueded hat.


Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[feltfan]

Your Stefano hat was made in China

Ooh, it might be kitten felt at that.

 

[jamespowers]

Ooh, it might be kitten felt at that.

lol lol lol lol lol

 

[J.B.]

Ooh, it might be kitten felt at that.

...not wasted on hat. end up in honorable stewpot down at corner restaurant...

 

[besdor]

I've often heard rumors of cats and Chinese resturaunts . Please dont say its true as I love Chinese food!!!


Steven
Bencraft Hats

 

[J.B.]

I've often heard rumors of cats and Chinese resturaunts . Please dont say its true as I love Chinese food!!!...

nah. You're safe -- just be sure to pass-um-a-dena if you see a menu item called Meow-Chow Mein!

Actually, I remember reading somewhere that the kitten finish was a felting process outsourced to Elbonia that involved recycling bazillions of coughed-up feline hairballs?!

Butt seriously, I once had a "mad-hatter" uncle who was furnished fame and fortune for formulating the fuzziest fine fur felt fedora finish. He utilized the nap sheared from a dromedary's hindquarters. It became known as the "Cam-Ass-Mir" process...

...sadly, Unk later expired from kicks incurred during the collection process.

 

[scotrace]

About half a year ago I purchased a hat from the Hatterie in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. It's a gray Stefano fedora and I think it's the "Ralston" model shown a few rows up from the bottom on this page:

Aha!! If this is the store I think it is, I've been looking for it since 1983!!! Used to be in downtown Akron, then at Summit mall, then I lost track altogether.

So where do I find the Hatterie??? And is it worth finding now? Or is this not the same store I knew? I thought it was spelled Hattery then.

 

[MattJH]

Your Stefano hat was made in China . They are a nice hat for the price and are made of fur felt.

I've seen Stefanos here and there, but not often, at local Burlington Coat Factory stores. They're typically covered in dust/lint and have peculiar bashes that I could swear look like a bootstomps . Same thing with the Tonaks and Addams I've seen at the BCFs. It seems the Hockels and the wool felts are the only ones that end up looking nice on their shelves. Maybe it's just my area. The Stefanos do look like they'd be nice, though.

 

[gughunter]

Thanks for the information, everybody!


> So where do I find the Hatterie??? And is it worth finding now? Or is this not the same store I knew? I thought it was spelled Hattery then.

I'd never been to it until after it moved to its new location last year (from Route 8, take Howe toward the mall, right on Buchholzer, Dick's and then the Hatterie plaza will be on the right side). It has a large selection of hats, but the emphasis is on wool -- if you want fur felt the selection is fairly narrow, though I've found something I liked on both occasions I visited.

 

[playitagainsam]

Hi all,

Anybody else got one of these? The Ralston by Stefano from mikethehatter.com. Any feedback would be great. I want a hat with 2 and 1/2" brim and this looks pretty good. Been trolling ebay but 7 and 1/4 sizes seem to be alot of stingy brims, bowlers, and wide brims. I'm 5'10 and 170. The 2 and 3/4 brims just don't look right on me.

I got some variety of the smaller and larger brims but I'd like some every day versions of the same style of hat in black, brown, and grey that I don't have to worry about messing up.

Thanks for your time.