Toppers Unite

[Charlie Huang]

Well, I know that Lock's would charge you £70 to replace the sweatband, £200 for reblock, £400 for total refurb (unless it is one of their own hats which means they charge around half that, I think). Patey's would charge £100 for reblock, £250 for full refurb. I think simple replacement of brim binding and sweatband would be roughly £30-50.

TBH, any hatter in the US worth their salt could replace the sweatband and binding. You just have to instruct them very carefully what to do (i.e. replace the said things exactly how it is and looks like; binding must be silk grosgrain and hand stitched in, sweatband must be hand stitched in, don't let a machine anywhere near the hat, etc.) It's only reblocking, reconforming, total refurb, etc that requires the expertise of the English hatters who know and have the equipment to do this sort of stuff.

Eitherway, if you do send them the hat, make sure you send it insured and tell them to send it via a trackable service so you know where the hat is and when.

Chausser, I would definately phone them up now to talk to Trevor to find out what is the status of your hat. If it is lost then you need to arrange with them postal compensation claims, etc.

 

[Garrett]

Hope it's not really "beaver fur skin"!
This thread is really motivating me to get that snazzy topper I purchased from you properly restored by Patey's, Garrett.

Dan, for what it will cost to refurb it in England you could have a decent vintage one on Ebay. I'll keep my eyes peeled for a good one in our size and forward a link if I find one.

 

[dhermann1]

The one you sold me is a real gem, tho, even in its present condition. The sweatband has completely ossified and broken off in several areas, but I was able to wear it at least once. Would you say it dates to about the WW I period? I saw some pics of a Woodrow Wilson cabinet member, and the shape of his topper was almost exactly the same.
I did pick up a very serviceable collapsable topper not long ago, that I will wear when and if I have the opportunity.

 

[Garrett]

Yes, WW1 is what I thought as well.

 

[Garrett]

Picked up another old topper

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360281278249&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

 

[dhermann1]

"Temple of Fashion" !!! Tres cool. Nice to see a hat sold by somebody who knows something about the item.

 

[The Lark]

Speaking of top hats, I spent some time at the Tim Burton exhibition in Melbourne today admiring Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter hat. It is quite a fantastic piece of work with amazing texture in the material. Not quite as audacious in shape as Beadle Bamford's lid though -

 

[Charlie Huang]

I actually went to SAB this weekend to ask about the HJ silk hat polish. They phoned Oliver Brown then sent me there, only for me to discover that the OB people misheard the SAB people! First they raise my hopes only to bleeding dash them!

It's official. This elusive polish is not sold anymore.

 

[Garrett]

Well damn. Luckily we have the tallow tutorial

 

[Charlie Huang]

Reporting back, the odor has disappeared so that's no problem. The integrity of the silk is also like/similar to the Patey polished hat I have.

One word of warning, avoid applying too much tallow! I have a lighter patch on the brim due to overloading the pad and I need to think of a way to remove it.

 

[Garrett]

 

[Garrett]

 

[Garrett]

 

[Garrett]

 

[Garrett]

 

[dhermann1]

Garrett: For a couple of seconds I thought you had posted the same post three times. Wow, them are nifty toppers. They all look VERY old. Could you give dates and provenence for them?
Intereresting to see you avatar in black and white looking down on them.

 

[Garrett]

The Lincoln Bennett topper is from 1929

The Blaylock & Blynn topper is between 1890-1910 (rough estimate)

The first topper depicted with the 7 1/2" crown is early 1850's or slightly prior

The other taller topper is French with a 7 1/4" crown. RLK found this manufacturer was at the 97 Pinaud address (stamped on the liner) from 1848-1867 so somewhere in that time frame.

The "Temple of Fashion" topper is unique in that it does have the slim trim binding like the older toppers but it has a sweatband more in line with those of the early 1900's. In addition, this topper has a plastic buckle with metal pins attached to the thin ribbon. The style of plastic used for the buckle was definitely made later in the 1900's. The liner is that of the older toppers so I'm guessing the hat needed a sweatband/ribbon replacement in the 1900's but was originally made in the late 1870's.

I have 4 additional mid 1800's toppers that I will be posting in the near future. Two haven't arrived yet and two are in very delicate condition.

 

[Garrett]

The two in delicate condition

 

[Garrett]

Note the interesting metal belt-buckle style thin ribbon

This hat was made prior to C.H. Garden & Co's move to 606 Market Street in the early 1840's. Its the oldest topper I own and the most interesting.......and the most damaged

 

[Elgin1924]

Note the interesting metal belt-buckle style thin ribbon

It seems to my relatively untrained eye a very singular hat.

Is the ribbing along the brim intentional, do you think, or the result of poor storage over the years.