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"Uncontested - The Champ"

My wife's new-to-her Champ.

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FedOregon

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,134
Location
Oregon
A new to me Champ that is different than the other two I have. This one has different felt; thicker and a bit softer. This is a dirty one, with mothing as well. Lots of stains to try and clean with naptha, etc.

The curiosity to me is the unreeded sweat (usually signifying an older hat, right?) and the fancy looking, pleated liner that has been attached with double sided fabric tape. An anomaly or this is newer and a touch more cheaply made or???

I pulled the liner to see if I can clean the stains with ozyclean and/or white vinegar. Anyone ever have luck removing black felt tip marker ink? Owner's initials are right there in solid black.

I knew this would be a "beater" of sorts, purchased inexpensively and a grab-n-go, no worries felt hat. But I would like to clean it up anyway.

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i-JrS6mTj-L.jpg


i-HTWwB2j-L.jpg


i-fdpMPzX-L.jpg


i-LJQMBnH-L.jpg


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You can also see a few broken stitches near the embossed store stamp. Should I fill in a few stitches or just replace with a reeded sweat?
 
Messages
12,384
Location
Albany Oregon
A new to me Champ that is different than the other two I have. This one has different felt; thicker and a bit softer. This is a dirty one, with mothing as well. Lots of stains to try and clean with naptha, etc.

The curiosity to me is the unreeded sweat (usually signifying an older hat, right?) and the fancy looking, pleated liner that has been attached with double sided fabric tape. An anomaly or this is newer and a touch more cheaply made or???

I pulled the liner to see if I can clean the stains with ozyclean and/or white vinegar. Anyone ever have luck removing black felt tip marker ink? Owner's initials are right there in solid black.

I knew this would be a "beater" of sorts, purchased inexpensively and a grab-n-go, no worries felt hat. But I would like to clean it up anyway.

i-VsqFz6c-L.jpg


i-383RQxL-L.jpg


i-GVHSzpn-L.jpg


i-JrS6mTj-L.jpg


i-HTWwB2j-L.jpg


i-fdpMPzX-L.jpg


i-LJQMBnH-L.jpg


i-pgMS9cM-L.jpg


i-SKfmqhQ-L.jpg


You can also see a few broken stitches near the embossed store stamp. Should I fill in a few stitches or just replace with a reeded sweat?
A worthwhile project indeed. I had a conversation about un-reeded sweats with Mike Miller, he has not been able to replace them, although he has tried. Is this hat a late 50s flavor? I wonder if someone has messed with the liner at some point and couldn't figure out how to sew one back in? Following the progress on this one intently.
 

FedOregon

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,134
Location
Oregon
A worthwhile project indeed. I had a conversation about un-reeded sweats with Mike Miller, he has not been able to replace them, although he has tried. Is this hat a late 50s flavor? I wonder if someone has messed with the liner at some point and couldn't figure out how to sew one back in? Following the progress on this one intently.
That's what I was wondering, the age that is. It looks like a 50s hat, but the liner was taped in place with fabric tape rather than sewn in, and it looks original... yet it has an unreeded sweat, which I thought was phased out by the 50s. It's a mystery perhaps some of our resident experts can shed some light on.... @alanfgag @moontheloon @carouselvic , etc...
 

moontheloon

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,592
Location
NJ
That's what I was wondering, the age that is. It looks like a 50s hat, but the liner was taped in place with fabric tape rather than sewn in, and it looks original... yet it has an unreeded sweat, which I thought was phased out by the 50s. It's a mystery perhaps some of our resident experts can shed some light on.... @alanfgag @moontheloon @carouselvic , etc...
first ... what an honor to be mentioned among those gentlemen... I'm not worthy of it by any stretch of the imagination, ... and I'm not sure I'm an expert of anything outside of drumming and percussion education, but thank you

Unfortunately I won't be of much help here for my experience with Champ hats is pretty limited

I can say that a sweat being reeded or unreeded doesn't really factor in all that much on dating the hat

If I had to guess I might say late 40s to early 50s would be safe ... again just a gut feeling guess based on what I see
 

FedOregon

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,134
Location
Oregon
first ... what an honor to be mentioned among those gentlemen... I'm not worthy of it by any stretch of the imagination, ... and I'm not sure I'm an expert of anything outside of drumming and percussion education, but thank you

Unfortunately I won't be of much help here for my experience with Champ hats is pretty limited

I can say that a sweat being reeded or unreeded doesn't really factor in all that much on dating the hat

If I had to guess I might say late 40s to early 50s would be safe ... again just a gut feeling guess based on what I see
Thanks Anthony. I appreciate your thoughts on this one.
 
Messages
19,425
Location
Funkytown, USA
That's what I was wondering, the age that is. It looks like a 50s hat, but the liner was taped in place with fabric tape rather than sewn in, and it looks original... yet it has an unreeded sweat, which I thought was phased out by the 50s. It's a mystery perhaps some of our resident experts can shed some light on.... @alanfgag @moontheloon @carouselvic , etc...

I do not own any Champs to compare, but they were a lower priced hat. Perhaps their liners were taped to cut some costs/corners?


Sent directly from my mind to yours.
 
Last edited:
Messages
15,083
Location
Buffalo, NY
That's what I was wondering, the age that is. It looks like a 50s hat, but the liner was taped in place with fabric tape rather than sewn in, and it looks original... yet it has an unreeded sweat, which I thought was phased out by the 50s. It's a mystery perhaps some of our resident experts can shed some light on.... @alanfgag @moontheloon @carouselvic , etc...

Tape tabs for the sweatband are likely a vestige from a later clean and block by a hat shop. The threads that once held the liner appear in one of your photos. Looks like a post-war to early fifties hat to me.
 
Messages
15,083
Location
Buffalo, NY
Good eye, Alan! I didn't pick up on that. I blame the tiny pics on my phone. [emoji4]

I remember the shop in my neighborhood in NYC growing up... hat shaped neon sign and a big sandbag weight in the window. I never went in - it was an old fashioned vestige by the 1960s. I remember it feeling more like a dry cleaner than a retail store.

I have owned a number of hats where the liner was taped in by small pieces of paper tape. It looks a little more "finished" than the large piece used in your Champ, but I don't think any were original, rather the result of some after sale R&R.
 

FedOregon

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,134
Location
Oregon
I remember the shop in my neighborhood in NYC growing up... hat shaped neon sign and a big sandbag weight in the window. I never went in - it was an old fashioned vestige by the 1960s. I remember it feeling more like a dry cleaner than a retail store.

I have owned a number of hats where the liner was taped in by small pieces of paper tape. It looks a little more "finished" than the large piece used in your Champ, but I don't think any were original, rather the result of some after sale R&R.
Thank you for the insight, Alan. Great information.
 

KarlCrow

One Too Many
I just recieved this, my first vintage hat, from a small thrift store in Kentucky (eBay purchase).

I could not be happier with this hat! What a Champ!!

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Cheers for all the info on Champ Hats!
Nathan
always wondered what happened to the karate kid and his crane kick: grew a beard, bought a sarong and 3 hats, still crane kicking; heard worse.

nice hat (-:
 

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