The Stratoliner Appreciation Club {MODERN}

[tommyK]

The color on the Stratoliner is Cornhill according to the label on the box.

 

[alanfgag]

I had a chance to visit Beau Chapeau hats in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario a couple of weeks back. The shop was incredibly busy. I spent some quality time with the new Stetson Stratoliners, which were kept in a glass case. They cost $199 and include a little 4 engine jet plane pin. I was very impressed with the softness and flexibility of the felt - much nicer and lighter than I would have expected - closer to a 1940s Strat than the stiffer and more massive 1950s issue. The felt does have an odd dusty quality, as if the hats have been powder coated. Just some newbie impressions from someone that has quite a few vintage hats but virtually no modern ones.

 

[ingineer]

I think this is the proper thread to post to, instead of all your nice vintages in post new hats.
At 60.3 size, vintage is quite out of the quest. One does have to look at cost / benefit.

Regardless this needs a bump.
I just bought this new modern Stratoliner , regular caribou at a deep discount.
For 115 bucks I'm happy with it, even if it is a big gear change from my 3 inch brim minimum liking.
Beginning to like the fact that it is fedora like snapped down, western like snapped up.
As Alan stated the felt is lighter than an Akubra, do not see the powdering as some westerns I've owned.


The pin does look to me as if it came out of a crackerjack box, but the stitching is passable.



I found a new reproduction pin on flebay from someone who probably is a member here.
I wonder if Stetson / Hatco is stopping manufacture

Richard

 

[viclip]

I had a chance to visit Beau Chapeau hats in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario a couple of weeks back. The shop was incredibly busy. I spent some quality time with the new Stetson Stratoliners, which were kept in a glass case. They cost $199 and include a little 4 engine jet plane pin. I was very impressed with the softness and flexibility of the felt - much nicer and lighter than I would have expected - closer to a 1940s Strat than the stiffer and more massive 1950s issue. The felt does have an odd dusty quality, as if the hats have been powder coated. Just some newbie impressions from someone that has quite a few vintage hats but virtually no modern ones.

I'm pretty sure that the Beau Chapeau Strats were the pre-Premiere version. I bought my silverbelly from them @ $199 CDN well before the Premieres came out. Indeed the Strat currently shown on their website appears to be the same as that which I ordered back in February 2013.

I wonder whether any of the Premieres have even been shipped to a Canadian retailer? In my neck of the woods I've yet to find anyone who deals in formal men's hats, & that's in a metropolitan area having a population of about half a million people. That said, Detroit is nearby for those who don't mind the border crossing hassle. There certainly are hat shops in Detroit & environs such as "Henry the Hatter" with 2 locations.

Anyways, anyone getting a really great price on a Strat may not be acquiring one of the new Premieres ~ buyer beware.

 

[T Jones]

I think this is the proper thread to post to, instead of all your nice vintages in post new hats.
At 60.3 size, vintage is quite out of the quest. One does have to look at cost / benefit.

Regardless this needs a bump.
I just bought this new modern Stratoliner , regular caribou at a deep discount.
For 115 bucks I'm happy with it, even if it is a big gear change from my 3 inch brim minimum liking.
Beginning to like the fact that it is fedora like snapped down, western like snapped up.
As Alan stated the felt is lighter than an Akubra, do not see the powdering as some westerns I've owned.


The pin does look to me as if it came out of a crackerjack box, but the stitching is passable.



I found a new reproduction pin on flebay from someone who probably is a member here.
I wonder if Stetson / Hatco is stopping manufacture

Richard

How long are the tails on that bow? I just finished another conversion and I'm trying to decide on either a mid-ribbon with double bow or a contrasting OR / Strat type thin ribbon.

 

[fedoracentric]

Well, I just bought a new Strat in Milan straw a few days ago. Looking for it in the mail in a week or so. For $60 I couldn't pass it up.

 

[VetPsychWars]

Well, I just bought a new Strat in Milan straw a few days ago. Looking for it in the mail in a week or so. For $60 I couldn't pass it up.

It's not a bad hat. Since it's plastic, you don't have to worry about getting caught in the rain.

Tom

 

[Cookster]

Hello -- I don't have a hatter in my region and photos can be deceptive. Can someone explain the difference between the new Premiere Stratoliner 'Mink' color and the Borsalino Alessandria 'Brown' color? And would I be right to say that you can make these two hats look basically the same ...? Thanks

 

[Cookster]

I don't have a hatter in my area to try sizes so I had a question of the group: My head measures 22 7/16 or exact 57 cm -- in the thread I've read that the Premiere Startoliner is true to size or larger, while the Borsalino Alessandria runs smaller -- would I be safe in ordering either hat in a 7 1/8? And, is there a certain amount of give from wearing your hat regularly? Thank You

 

[tommyK]

Cookster, I've had both hats. The Premier Strats do run large. If you like them on the loose side great! The Borsalino Alessandria tend to run small, not dealbreaker small but tight-ish. They are both dark rich brown colors. They have similar dimensions. The Borso crown is slightly taller. Brims about the same. The felts are very different. The Alessandria is very thin and easlily molded, the trade off is it's a little floppy. The Stetson felt is very thick and the crown is very stiff and not easily shaped, you must use steam to get anything close to a crisp shape. The Stetson will never "shape" up like vintage, it's just too thick.

The Stetson seems like a beefier hat, more robust. Both are okay for modern hats.

Neither come close to their vintage counterparts. You're a small size, ideal for a great selection of vintage hats at better prices. I'd recommend that. These new, lesser hats are more for us big block heads. But some people just like a new hat.

for comparison;

(note this is a dark taupe Alessandria, I sold the brown)

 

[tommyK]

For further sizing clarity; I'm a 7 1/2 long oval. I have a 7 1/2 in the Stetson, it's a little big and conforms to my longer oval shape just fine if not a touch loose. In modern Borsalinos I order up a size to 61 cm or 7 5/8 and they fit just right.

 

[GregNYC]

I am waiting for a version of the modern Stratoliner that J.J. Hat Center in NYC has ordered. It's supposed to have an especially high quality of felt, and it will come open crown. I hear some colors are in already, but I'm waiting for silverbelly. I'm on their list to call ASAP when the silverbelly arrives!


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[tommyK]

It's interesting that J.J. Hat Center is calling their Stetson Stratoliner the "Pan Am". Wasn't that a Dobb's hat? I guess they want to seperate themselves from Delmonicos. I have a feeling their "high Quality" felt is the same as the Premiere quality on the other new open crown Stratoliners. I was in there almost a year ago with my Premeire Strat and they had little interest. Glad they saw the light!

Their salesman Rod Springer is top notch! If he's busy, I wait. If he's not there, I come back another time.

 

[theoldnorthwest]

Cookster - I for one agree wholeheartedly with tommyK, the vintage hats are completely superior to the new hats in every way. At a size 7 1/8 there are plenty of vintage hats available. I would think the only reason to buy a new hat would be for something to wear casually and in the elements etc so that you don't have to worry about damaging a fine quality vintage hat but these new Stratoliners and Borsalinos aren't cheap. The Strats sell for around $200 and the Borsalinos are usually at least $275 or $300. I wear a very large size 7 1/2 and even at that large size I have a rather significant collection of excellent vintage hats from the 40s and 50s, I have never paid more than just over $200 for any of them. It takes a little patience to watch eBay and etsy for the right hat to show up but the smaller sizes are out there in fairly good numbers so I would definitely buy vintage.

 

[GregNYC]

I'm looking for a vintage Stratoliner in 7 1/8. What era should I look for, for great felt?


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[tommyK]

I did a quick search on the bay. There are many vintage Strats in your size, even some under the $225 price you'd pay for a new one. And if you're willing to go for an Open Road (slightly bigger brim and wind trolley) the world is your oyster! You can get a 3x,4x,5x, 25 or better in your size for that price or less. these are qualitatively better hats than the vintage Strats.

Use the Lounge as your resource to guide you toward the 40's and 50's hats you want in this style.

 

[fedoracentric]

I'm looking for a vintage Stratoliner in 7 1/8. What era should I look for, for great felt?

My favorite Stetsons are 40s era for quality.

 

[GregNYC]

I've considered Open Roads, and they are plentiful. But I'm not at the point with my own steaming and reshaping abilities to change the cattleman's crease into a fedora crease. If there were phantom crease lines left over, it would bug me! I would end up taking it to JJ's. But I'll take another look. I need a vintage mentor!


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[VTporkpie]

I am waiting for a version of the modern Stratoliner that J.J. Hat Center in NYC has ordered. It's supposed to have an especially high quality of felt, and it will come open crown. I hear some colors are in already, but I'm waiting for silverbelly. I'm on their list to call ASAP when the silverbelly arrives!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

If you take the plunge, you'll love this hat. I picked up the Silverbelly Premier Strat at J.J. Hat Center a few weeks ago and am impressed with the quality and feel of this hat. I have a vintage Open Road as well, great hat and it was much cheaper, however the premier is a fantastic hat that you won't be disappointed with. That being said I haven't taken it out in the rain, a stumbling point for some Stetsons...

 

[Cookster]

Thanks TommyK -- I appreciate the help very much ...