TopHatters (San Leandro) - In Memoriam of Ted & Marie Lee

[TheDane]

This could be the source for many an interesting novel ... not to mention movie

 

[John Galt]

Here are a few photos of the San Leandro shop, as it was when I bought the hat making supplies:

 

[Lotsahats]

Did you get *all* of those tools, JG?

A

 

[besdor]

Im drooling over all of those flanges. Are any of them for sale?

 

[John Galt]

Did you get *all* of those tools, JG?

A

I actually got all of this and more.

I bought no finished hats (I couldn't afford them), but I did get anything and everything to do with _making_ hats (men's & women's).

This included hand tools, stretchers, spinners, blocks, flanges, flange stands, flanging cloth, hat bodies, sweats, liners, feathers, steam irons, blocking/flanging/steaming machines, rhinestones, feathers, silk flowers, a cabinet of vintage ribbon, hat boxes, etc.

If it had to do with making hats, and I saw it, it came home with me. I had a 20 foot U-Haul and two strong young men, and we were there all day taking down tools and moving stuff.

The only thing in this category I didn't get was the boiler, but it was too big and I would have needed another day, a bigger crew, and a boiler engineer to move it and install it. I did get a jiffy steamer (highly recommended).

It was hard work (and that's coming from an ex choker-setter), but it was one of the best days of my life!

 

[John Galt]

Im drooling over all of those flanges. Are any of them for sale?

Sorry, not at present.

 

[Lotsahats]

Wow--I think I simply didn't grasp the scope of your haul. Well done, sir. Perhaps I'll run away and apprentice with you.

A

 

[Landman]

John, I think it is great you were able to keep all this stuff together!

Did they have many finished hats for sale? I really like the gray mid width ribbon hat sitting on a flange in one of the pictures.

 

[Lotsahats]

I look at all of those flanges and blocks, and I know that there must be differences among them, yet I can't envision what the shapes will translate to. Blocks are a bit easier, I'll admit, but I don't have the vision to understand flange difference yet.

I *did* learn, in my short-lived flirtation with home hat repair, that shaping hats and brims is far harder than it looks.

A

 

[John Galt]

John, I think it is great you were able to keep all this stuff together!

Did they have many finished hats for sale? I really like the gray mid width ribbon hat sitting on a flange in one of the pictures.

Yes, they had a large stock of finished hats, but Peter is looking to sell them all as a lot.

If anyone is interested, check out the TopHatters.Net site or PM me for his contact info.

The hat you admired is actually my own sky blue Champ Featherweight.

;-)

It was in the pic because I had laid it there while talking, and then decided to take pics of the shop. It really wasn't a set up photo, but I will admit I initially set it on the tools because I thought it was cool to lay it on the hatters bench.

 

[John Galt]

I look at all of those flanges and blocks, and I know that there must be differences among them, yet I can't envision what the shapes will translate to. Blocks are a bit easier, I'll admit, but I don't have the vision to understand flange difference yet.

I *did* learn, in my short-lived flirtation with home hat repair, that shaping hats and brims is far harder than it looks.

A

There are a lot of different shapes, and each shape is repeated for each size/oval. This batch has a lot of Lundstrom blocks & flanges. That's cool because it's an old SF company and one of my first hats was a Lundstrom. I imagine Ted & Marie bought these when Lundstrom closed down.

 

[Roger Fugere]

Years ago, 30 or more, I purchased a Beaver Hat from them. Top Hatters is the standard by which all other hat shops will be judged. All have fallen short of the selection, service, knowledge, and helpfulness of Top Hatters. When you walked in, you felt like family. I will always miss them...........................rj

 

[Lincsong]

I've bought several hats there. They people were always nice, friendly and VERY knowledgeable. I remember the last time I bought from them, it was a Borsalino newsboy in 2006? 2007? Anyway, some typical Bay Area aging hippie came in, shorts, t-shirt and ragged ball cap. The guy was in his late 50s too. He wanted to buy another ragged ball cap. Ted told him to go to Walgreens. lol When the guy left, Ted and Marie said; "I can't believe he had the nerve to come in here dressed like that and wanting to buy something so ugly. I would be embarrassed to go out of the house looking like he did." I have friend who was uncomfortable there because they always followed him around. They were always wonderful with me.

 

[BobHufford]

Thanks for the bump. I'm always amazed at the nuggets that get unearthed out of this forum from time to time.

 

[RJR]

Thanks for the bump. I'm always amazed at the nuggets that get unearthed out of this forum from time to time.

+1