Toppers Unite

[jwalls]

http://www.xoopit.com/s/20um7cjq58eneajy9bsj I pick up this custom from David at D bar J for the SASS Convention at the Riviera in Las Vegas Dec. 3-6. Just what I need another hat.:eusa_doh: :eusa_doh: :eusa_doh:

 

[Charlie Huang]

Charlie,

Thanks! Does the hat look like beaver or silk to you?

Difficult to tell as you need to take a photo of it in good light. Silk feels, erm, 'silky'. Fur has a different texture to it; you can see that in jwalis's posting above: that is a fur hat.

My inkling is that it's silk.

 

[Charlie Huang]

I just won this on Ebay. Opinions? Thanx.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330381300026&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

That is a rather nice silk grosgrain opera hat. I have one like that but by Herbert Johnson. The crown looks a tad low IMO.

 

[Brad Bowers]

I won this tonight, my second Crofut & Knapp hat, and my first top hat:

Kanpp-Felt Top Hat

Looks to be in okay shape, other than the brim binding. From the few auction photos, it looks like it might be pre-1900, but I'll know more when I get my hands on it. The sweat leather looks more like a 19th century style, but maybe circa 1900 and they used a different textured leather for their toppers than for their derbies. Too bad it's not my size.

I find it interesting that both of my Knapp-Felt hats are made from Clear Argentine Nutria, though one's a derby.

I'll post it here in the Topper thread and the C&K thread for review.

Brad

 

[filfoster]

Christie's Topper

Just got the Christy's of London topper bought on ebay from a Canadian seller. Perfect fit for my 7 1/8 head. Beautiful silk plush without blemishes and nice tapererd crown 'waist'. The crown is a nice 6"+ high. The only problem is the brim has gone a bit flat from improper storage. The box was probably upside down for a long time or it was improperly displayed. The latter is unlikely because of the mint condition of the hat otherwise. I am going to follow the bartender's advice and use some denatured alchohol and gentle steam application to restore the curl.
Yes, I know: Without pictures the post is worthless but I don't have a digital camera! I will post when I get one.

 

[Mulceber]

Just won the following:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280430562071&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:US:1123

Think it was a good deal?

Now I've gotta contact Patey's about getting it refurbished. Any thoughts on how much they'll charge to refurbish this one? Thanks, -M

 

[Dreispitz]

Here is another one

Won this Henry Heath one.

 

[Chasseur]

Here are some photos of the topper out in the sunlight, I think its silk though the seller said beaver.

Also just for Charlie here it is next to a similar vintage Edwardian Fox umbrella.

 

[Charlie Huang]

Mulceber: Ow! There are a lot of things that need to be done! First, a new leather sweatband needs to be installed and then the silk on the corwn edge has rubbed away to a very significant degree (there are also lots of bumps on the crown)! The latter is the most difficult to restore! I wouldn't hesitate to say that Patey's would charge you the full restoration fee of £250. Before that, you need to know if it fits (without the sweatband this is difficult). Personally, this is what I would call a 'theatre prop lot' and I would sell off and buy a better one in better condition.

Dreispitz: That is a very good one! Henry Heath! I would carefully pull the riband down a bit so it sits on the brim.

Chasseur: It looks like silk to me. One way to find out is to use a bit of water and polish it and it it comes out slick then it is silk.

 

[Mulceber]

Doubt I'll be able to do that, since I have a rather large head size. The seller measured the inside for me, and it fits, so I think I'm better off going with this one, unless I can find a better deal elsewhere. -M

 

[Dreispitz]

Dreispitz: That is a very good one! Henry Heath! I would carefully pull the riband down a bit so it sits on the brim.

Charlie, well observed! The riband sits slightly high on the picture. I am curious about the inside condition.

Dreispitz

 

[Charlie Huang]

Doubt I'll be able to do that, since I have a rather large head size. The seller measured the inside for me, and it fits, so I think I'm better off going with this one, unless I can find a better deal elsewhere. -M

If you are sure it will fit then by all means restore it. As I said, this will require the full works IMO.

http://www.pateyhats.com/?page_id=70

 

[Dreispitz]

Won this Henry Heath one.

I was quite astonished, when I took the hat off the box. It is some size 54/55 cm and not 58/59 cm

Bad luck

 

[daizawaguy]

What bad luck, especially as they quote a 58-59

 

[Charlie Huang]

I was quite astonished, when I took the hat off the box. It is some size 54/55 cm and not 58/59 cm

Bad luck

Indeed! And it looks very good as well... *sigh*

 

[Chasseur]

It is some size 54/55 cm and not 58/59 cm

Thats too bad, I had the same thing happen to me last summer as well...

 

[m000m000]

I was quite astonished, when I took the hat off the box. It is some size 54/55 cm and not 58/59 cm

Maybe they measured it on the outside around the ribbon instead?

 

[Garrett]

This is on its way

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330381169035&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

 

[Brad Bowers]

Received my Knapp-Felt top hat over the weekend. The plush is in really good shape for its age, with very little noticeable wear. That's good, because that's the hardest thing to repair. The brim binding is in sad shape. The leather sweatband is still in good shape, but the thread holding it in the hat has just about rotted away. The silk on the underside of the brim is a bit faded, but no one really sees that part of it. I had no idea what size the hat was when I bought it, but that didn't matter. I suspect it's a 7 3/8 Extra Long Oval, though, because it has room at the front and back on my head, but the sides really pinch.lol Six-inch crown. I haven't done anything to it other than dust it.

The seller sent me some history of the gentleman who wore it. He was born in 1892 or thereabouts, served in the army in WWI, and then worked the rest of his life on the railroad as an train engineer. She also sent me his white gloves which he wore with the top hat, but I forgot to take a photo of them. The sweatband led me to think that perhaps the hat was a late-19th century hat, but that doesn't fit with the timeline. I have to admit that I don't know enough to date C&K top hats with anything resembling accuracy, though.

Clear Argentine Nutria, just like my Derby.

It was retailed at Maurice L. Rothschild in Chicago. The only tag inside the sweatband I've found is a partial paper tag with the Rotschild's logo, nothing else from C&K.

Pay no attention to the goofball with the crooked tie. Just got off work... Too bad the auto-timer and auto-focus don't work in sync with each other.

No, I didn't wear the hat to work. Wore my grey Cavanagh.

Brad

 

[Mulceber]

Sweet hat, Brad. You should get the necessary repair work done and then you can wear it to formal events. -M