What is this hat?

[Chuck]

What is this?

Can anyone ascertain that this hat is a Stetson or is it a Beaver Brand Hat? Is it vintage? Is it a Bowler? What is this thing?

I emailed the seller, but he doesn't know. He bought it at an estate auction.

The box says Stetson . . . what say you?

 

[Brad Bowers]

It's definitely a Beaver Brand Hat, not a Stetson. It's a bowler, and probably not that old. From what I can see of the sweatband and liner, it looks just like their current offerings that I own, but it could be a couple of decades old.

Brad

 

[Chuck]

What is vintage?

Please allow the following obvious newbie questions...

If that hat is only 20 years or so old, then can it be called "vintage"? What is the accepted age range for a hat to be considered vintage? It seems I read somewhere that it has to be pre-1960. Does this sound right?

 

[Andykev]

Moth Food

I believe it prudent to ask the seller if there is any MOTH damage, ie. nibbles, spots, holes, tracks, etc.

The pics of the hat seem to show it is in poor condition. Or terrible photography.

Remember, you can replace liners, sweat, ribbon, but holes and divots in the felt are CANCER. Looks like a homburg that was not "bashed" or blocked.

 

[jamespowers]

What you have there is a Beaver Brand Hat. It is not a Stetson but a Langenberg brand hat. This company has been around since 1868 and most recently, in the 1990s or so, was purchased by the employees. They make decent hats as far as I can tell but I have never encountered a 1980s bowler from them so I really cannot tell what kind of quality you are dealing with.
The seller also has another one of these hats listed with the same Stetson box. The tag on the inside (that is computer generated and likely from a printer that they didn't have even in the 1960s), the liner and the sweatband all say 1980s hat.
I hope that gives you some background on it. If you like bowlers and that is what you are after then it is just that. If the price remains under about $40 then it might be an ok deal for a bowler of that age and quality. Finding one in that size, vintage or otherwise, is difficult to say the least. This is certainly not a vintage bowler though. The ribbon is too wide and the shape is all wrong. Why they listed it as such is probably just due to ignorance. :kick:

Regards to all,

J

 

[Brad Bowers]

They make decent hats as far as I can tell but I have never encountered a 1980s bowler from them so I really cannot tell what kind of quality you are dealing with.

Thanks for the history, J.

I think Beaver Brand hats are some of the nicer modern (mass-produced?)hats out there, and far superior to Stetson and the like. I have two of them, and they have held up well to plenty of inclement weather, heat, and sun. And they don't bleed their colors in the rain like Stetson!

Brad

 

[jamespowers]

I am glad they still have standards they work to. When the Langenberg family owned the company it made some really nice hats but they never made a ton of them. If you find a vintage one it is probably very rare.

Regards to all,

J

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Either bad pics or i see moth bites in the felt. I'd pass on it

 

[jamespowers]

I finally found a picture that I meant to add to this thread a while back. I suppose it is better late than never.

Regards to all,

J

 

[SHARPETOYS]

I finally found a picture that I meant to add to this thread a while back. I suppose it is better late than never.

Regards to all,

J

The box is made better than the hat and also looks much better

 

[jamespowers]

The box is made better than the hat and also looks much better

Hahahahhah! Maybe better than the hat in question but they made some decent hats in their day.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Twitch]

Anyone wanna make a wild or educated guess as to the fedora Howard Hughes is wearing here?- I don't know the answer.

 

[The Wingnut]

Hughes strikes me as the sort that would have his hats custom made, especially considering his need to control details and hygene. Purely speculation, of course.

Rather high crown for the late '40s.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Howard Hughes wore a Herbert Johnson. He had one hat that was considered his "lucky fedora" that he wore most often. Though it turned out to be not so lucky because it was burned up, I believe, in the crash of the XF 11.

A few years before he died, he did have a custom hat made; it was of his "lucky fedora" that was lost. He wore this hat on his last flights around Europe that he did in his sixties in a rare period of lucidity. I haven't discoverd who made the custom hat, but I will.

As an aside, I am having a copy of that jacket made.

 

[MattC]

Herbert Johnson

I too have heard that he wore a Herbert Johnson. I think the style bears some resemblance to the Stetson Whippet--same rough crown height, ribbon width, brim and brim binding. Anyone else think so?

 

[fedoralover]

The first thought that came to my mind was the Whippet.

fedoralover

 

[Biltmore Bob]

My first thought was Sratoliner.

But the more I studied I caould tell the band was too wide. But with his facination with planes, one would think he would have a Strat or two.

 

[Twitch]

Thanks for the keen insights guys. I'd simply wondered for a long time.

 

[RBH]

Howard Hughes wore a Herbert Johnson. .....

A few years before he died, he did have a custom hat made; it was of his "lucky fedora" that was lost. He wore this hat on his last flights around Europe that he did in his sixties in a rare period of lucidity. I haven't discoverd who made the custom hat, but I will.

As an aside, I am having a copy of that jacket made.

Just looking thru some old post. I wonder if Hemimgway has had any luck in his search?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Huh, never saw this thread before.

I too have heard that he wore a Herbert Johnson. I think the style bears some resemblance to the Stetson Whippet--same rough crown height, ribbon width, brim and brim binding. Anyone else think so?

The first thought that came to my mind was the Whippet.

fedoralover

I'd say the brim binding is too thin to be a Whippet.

bk