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Bollman (?) Summit Trilby or Fedora

Guesses without photos are terrible. Those based on photos are slightly better.

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LOL--you are right! Here are clickable thumbnails for Hat #1, the Summit hat with a Bollman imprint on the sweatband. I do not have a pic yet of the other hat... Also, I thought this was 50s or 60s, but after further research, I'm thinking it could be 40s? And would this be more accurately a trilby or a fedora? Beautifully cleanly creased crown, not pinched at sides. Narrow snap brim. Thanks to anyone who can help!

It's looking very 60s to me. Brims got narrow toward the end of the 50s and continued that way through the 60s. Crowns shrunk as well, to the point where a center-dent without pinches was about all that could be put in many of them.

Trilby and fedora are pretty interchangeable, trilby is just a bit more for the fish&chips crowd.

There's info. on Bollman in this thread.

Thank you, Lefty! Ah, I must learn to trust my instincts on dating. I'm familiar with the Bollman Hat Co.; my biggest problem is being totally unable to find any example of this "Summit" line anywhere....

new question

My question: How do you remove the old crease in a felt hat? Appreciate your thoughts.

Soak it with distilled water & push it back to an open crown & let it dry that way. Use a small mixing bowl to press out from the inside.
Or send it to a renovator & ask to have it sent back in open crown shape.

The sweat pictured is an example of intricate 1940's stitching over the reed. Over time the hat has sunk about ½” from the tagged size. Is it practical to r-block or stretch the hat up ½” back to the original size with out removing the sweat band?

New question: Straw hats for $100, please

I bought a new Dobbs Bellagio this summer. I can't keep the brim snapped. I've tried steam, water, spray starch, hanging weights overnight. Nothing will keep the thing from popping up.

I don't think I can bring out my inner cool with the brim up. Any hints or suggestions?

I'm confused by the question. Are you asking for a good, under $100 replacement, or instructions on how to fix the one you've got, or both?

Lefty said:

I'm confused by the question. Are you asking for a good, under $100 replacement, or instructions on how to fix the one you've got, or both?

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It was a reference to a game show. I hope to correct the one I have.

Gotcha. I don't know how I let a Jeopardy reference go over my head.

It sounds like you've done everything that anyone around here would suggest, so you might need professional help at this point. If you've got a hat shop near you - maybe where you picked up the hat - they should be able to flange the brim for you to give it some snap.

What is flange the brim and can I do it at the kitchen table?

Mr. Lucky said:

I'm considering buy a Stetson Nostalgia. Are they true to size? Run big? Run small?

Thanks.

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My experience was different. I'm exactly a 7 3/8 and it was exactly on it. I sent it off to Optimo to have the edge bound and had them stretch it a half size so it can shrink back to me. Expect it back in a day or so.

The felt was lovely and thick. You could shape it dry by hand with no trouble.

It's the "real tools" version of the homespun method you've been trying. Check out this link about flanging panamas.

Looking for humbly asking

Hello to everyone I know I have not been with the The Fedora Lounge very long have ask about info on a few hats I have gotten have learned small bits about hats and history. Now I am not sure how to ask or go about asking, in one of the threads (How did you start to wear hats) I talked about when I was growing up I use to wear fedoras, no this does not make me a expert and I talked about after my Father passing away this spring it brought out a sleeping desire to start wearing hats again. Along with this need to want to go back to my roots of wearing hats it also brought out the memory of my Grandfather and my Father both having Stratioliner’s. Throughout the summer and fall trying to get one now time has paid off I have been able to fulfill this dream to own one of these as an in memory of my Father and Grandfather of having theirs. Now this is where the asking comes up to be hard, someone over the corse of time has taken out the hat liner removed the thin ribbon and tapping on a 1 ¼ black ribbon that part is fixable but the hat liner this is the difficult part finding one. I would like to be able to put it back to original as possible with the hat liner I know there are a lot of collectors in The Fedora Lounge I know which hat liner is needed. I would now like to ask does anyone have a liner I could buy I do not care of the quality or if it has some stains or what the condition is I just would like to bring my 7 3/8 – 7 1/2 blue-gray Stratoliner to somewhat of its glory and be able to have the memory of I have a hat like my Father and Grandfather to wear it and feel like they are with me as I drive places and walk down the street. Maybe I am over stepping my bounds by asking, no one’s knows who I am and just a newby but my Father always told me if I do not ask the questions I do not find out the answers and sometimes the questions are the most important things in our lives. So I leave this to your group to all of you if you do have an extra liner I would be grateful to you and would like to work out a price. Thank you for your time for reading this. Gregory L M Smith glilwing@charter.net

Glit, The lack of liner will extend the season's you can wear your OR by making it a bit cooler. In the mean time look for a moth eaten unwearable one on the bay or elsewhere at a good price and use the liner from it.
Tom D.

Lefty said:

It's the "real tools" version of the homespun method you've been trying. Check out this link about flanging panamas.

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What a fantastic link, Lefty, I spent a few hours reading the entire site. I recommend it to any Lounger. Thanks for posting that.

Has anyone here ever bought a hat from Brent Black?

St.Ignatz said:

Glit, The lack of liner will extend the season's you can wear your OR by making it a bit cooler. In the mean time look for a moth eaten unwearable one on the bay or elsewhere at a good price and use the liner from it.
Tom D.

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Like Tom D says, you'll need to scavenge a liner from one with worse felt than the one you have. I know this is more sentimental than anything but you can get a generic liner for fairly little coin & use it until you land a replacement. I have swapped out generic Stetson liners among hats but I'm more focused on wearability & use than authenticity of restoration. It is going on my noggin not hanging in a museum or exhibit for somebody to point out anachronisms.

Lefty said:

It's the "real tools" version of the homespun method you've been trying. Check out this link about flanging panamas.

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Thanks. I'm frustrated enough to try the homemade version of this and get medieval on it. I bought it new for $39.00 at the factory outlet. I wonder if it has a defect. These run much higher elsewhere.

marvelgoose said:

What a fantastic link, Lefty, I spent a few hours reading the entire site. I recommend it to any Lounger. Thanks for posting that.

Has anyone here ever bought a hat from Brent Black?

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There are a handful of older BBs, and even fewer new ones. As you can see, the prices are quite high. One poster showed up long enough to post his (I think it was) $10k BB hat.

While stories of his practices make some look down on BB, I don't think that anyone has questioned the quality of his product.

Any idea what this Mallory Barrister's age might be?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110451594098&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

I'd never heard of the model but couldn't resist for the price.