"Uncontested - The Champ"

[navarre]

This little fella just showed up on my door step. I have one with similar brim sculpting like this but it has worn down on the front of the brim, where as this one is in great shape. Could use a new feather but not too shabby.



Note the sculpted lines in the brim. This is similar something Tonak still produces.

 

[Dinerman]

 

[FedOregon]

Got a grey Champ today. Nothing fancy, but I really like it.

 

[Jeremiah]

My recent champ won on eBay.
Both Alan and moontheloon feel it may be 40s-50s era.
$30
Just love the color of the ribbon and the fading it has undergone.
The felt feels like the felt on my Stetson whippet. Not as lightweight feel as on my Dobbs fifteen but very nice nonetheless.

 

[FedOregon]

Great buy! What a fantastic lid!

 

[RJR]

Great buy! What a fantastic lid!

+1

 

[Jeremiah]

Thanks.

 

[Frunobulax]

My first Champ, and it's a sought after hat for me - an inky blue Homburg. Apologies in advance, as the lighting and my poor photography skills do not get the color of this hat right. It is the "so blue it's black" variety of blue. Wonderfully constructed, great felt, easy to work with. I gave it a steam bath last night, brushed it and put a center dent and some pinches in it.

5 3/4" open crown
2 1/2" brim (not counting curl, which puts it at almost 3")

Mid-50s?

One drawback that's sort of an advantage for me. The hat is a 7 3/8, but fits my 7 1/4 head pretty well as the sweatband has shrunk a bit. The affected area is the front of the sweatband where it met the original owner's forehead. You can see the shrinkage there and, unfortunately, it's a bit stiff in this area and there is one crack present, which doesn't go all the way through. I have given it one Lexol treatment and will likely retreat it soon and baby it. Comes the day it needs a new sweat, I will need to re-block/re-size it or stuff the sweatband. But for now, I'm a happy hat guy!

On to the pics!

 

[Daniele Tanto]

My first Champ, and it's a sought after hat for me - and inky blue Homburg. Apologies in advance, as the lighting and my poor photography skills do not get the color of this hat right. It is the "so blue it's black" variety of blue. Wonderfully constructed, great felt, easy to work with. I gave it a steam bath last night, brushed it and put a center dent and some pinches in it.

Jim you have a real nice hat!
The Champ homburg in blue is astounding

 

[FedOregon]

Awesome Champ, awesome color.... just awesome!

 

[Frunobulax]

Jim you have a real nice hat!
The Champ homburg in blue is astounding

Thanks, Daniele! High praise coming from you. I'm going to enjoy wearing this one.

Who'da thunk, when I first started wearing hats, I'd have five Homburgs? And I still need a nice gray one!


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Frunobulax]

Awesome Champ, awesome color.... just awesome!

Thanks, Fed!


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[BobHufford]

Jim -- glad you tried that on before you sold it! Nice find!

Guess I should add this to the thread (forgot to do it over the summer). Doesn't fit me, but fits my wife (and looks great on her). Love the pug...

 

[buler]

Seeing this thread bumped reminded me of this mint blue Champ I haven't posted yet. I can't even bring myself to snap the front brim. It's such a perfect, preserved hat that I want the first owner that it fits to have the honor. Although now that I've edited these pics I'm seeing a couple of brown spots on the felt. The box it came in was full of brown flakes from a deteriorated liner tip. The blue felt is such a great color. The pictures are close, but of course, not a perfect representation.

B

 

[Frunobulax]

Somebody with a size 7 head will be very happy

I love it when a thread like this gets jump-started!


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Redfokker]

My first Champ, and it's a sought after hat for me - an inky blue Homburg. Apologies in advance, as the lighting and my poor photography skills do not get the color of this hat right. It is the "so blue it's black" variety of blue. Wonderfully constructed, great felt, easy to work with. I gave it a steam bath last night, brushed it and put a center dent and some pinches in it.

5 3/4" open crown
2 1/2" brim (not counting curl, which puts it at almost 3")

Mid-50s?

One drawback that's sort of an advantage for me. The hat is a 7 3/8, but fits my 7 1/4 head pretty well as the sweatband has shrunk a bit. The affected area is the front of the sweatband where it met the original owner's forehead. You can see the shrinkage there and, unfortunately, it's a bit stiff in this area and there is one crack present, which doesn't go all the way through. I have given it one Lexol treatment and will likely retreat it soon and baby it. Comes the day it needs a new sweat, I will need to re-block/re-size it or stuff the sweatband. But for now, I'm a happy hat guy!

On to the pics!

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This is a great find, congratulations. Are you going to do a simple center dent or the new fangled mullet 'Berg. Like the color.

 

[Redfokker]

Jim -- glad you tried that on before you sold it! Nice find!

Guess I should add this to the thread (forgot to do it over the summer). Doesn't fit me, but fits my wife (and looks great on her). Love the pug...

Nice straw Bob, with the arctic blast hitting the nation right now (it is 27 on my deck right now) there are probably more than a few teary eyes, longing for their boxed up May 15th hats right now.

 

[Redfokker]

Seeing this thread bumped reminded me of this mint blue Champ I haven't posted yet. I can't even bring myself to snap the front brim. It's such a perfect, preserved hat that I want the first owner that it fits to have the honor. Although now that I've edited these pics I'm seeing a couple of brown spots on the felt. The box it came in was full of brown flakes from a deteriorated liner tip. The blue felt is such a great color. The pictures are close, but of course, not a perfect representation.

B

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OMG I love this hat!! My head it to rotund for it. Maybe I need cranium reduction surgery (kind of like a big boob...) to be able to fit into these wonderful "miniatures".

 

[Frunobulax]

This is a great find, congratulations. Are you going to do a simple center dent or the new fangled mullet 'Berg. Like the color.

Thanks, Red. I'm going to leave it as it is in the last shots. TBH, I'm not certain exactly what the mulletburg refers to.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[BobHufford]

Nice straw Bob, with the arctic blast hitting the nation right now (it is 27 on my deck right now) there are probably more than a few teary eyes, longing for their boxed up May 15th hats right now.

Thanks Red. 27-deg-F sounds almost warm right now (currently 6-deg). The sunny day in the pics behind this hat does look pretty good.