The School of Hard Knox

Socially Distorted · Nov 20, 2015

Hey Guys
Picked up my first Knox a couple weeks ago, a Canadian made 'SNAP-amatic'. It's very much the epitomy of stingy but I'm a small guy so I can get away with it I think!

RJR · Nov 20, 2015

Nice catch.

javadave61 · Nov 24, 2015

So Fruno kindly asked about the new Knox I picked up at the Stetson outlet. I realize this isn't vintage, and probably isn't even a real "Knox" as in the Knox of old. But it bears the name nonetheless.

This hat has about the smoothest felt of any modern fedora I've handled, and it seems like you could run over it with a train, and it would be no worse for the wear. Its crown is quite robust, and it sports a 2 1/2 inch brim.

But the reason for its deep discount became apparent shortly after I arrived home and noticed black marks on my forehead. The cheap, cheap sweat was disintegrating right before my eyes. My guess is that because this hat was custom made for a particular hat store, Hatco (or whoever actually makes the hat) stamped the store logo on the cheapest sweat they had. I scraped the outer layer of the sweat off until I had a temporarily wearable hat, sans black-band head.

Meanwhile, I picked up a new sweat from Lounge member Bond (via eBay) and carefully sewed in a new sweat. I'm grateful to the instructions I found here on the Lounge.

Here's the result (followed by the obligatory pic of that horrible sweat).

NEXT QUESTION: I'm thinking about a silver or gray ribbon to make this graphite gray hat stand out. Ideas? 2"? 1.5"? Shiny? Matte finish? Subtle? Bold? Another color I should be considering? I'd welcome your input.

Sent from my SM-G925P using Tapatalk

Frunobulax · Nov 24, 2015

OK, now I underrstand about the sweat. Please ignore my question in the WHAYWT thread. Yeah, a muted silver would look great.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/227327...home_active_17&ga_search_query=grey+grosgrain

https://www.etsy.com/listing/238017495/vintage-1940s-silk-grosgrain-78-inch?ref=shop_home_active_1

moehawk · Nov 24, 2015

Stingies like wide ribbons. I think it kinda makes up for what they lack in other places. Grey would be nice, but don't dismiss a deep dark brown. I haave a black stingy with a wide brown ribbon that looks great.

rlk · Jan 22, 2016

30's Knox Twenty

[7E800318IMG]http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160122/5e3329b98b87a3c464c8452111ee1077.jpg[/IMG]

Brad Bowers · Jan 22, 2016

Fascinating and exquisite specimen, Robert.

Brad
~The Hatted Professor

1mach1 · Jan 23, 2016

Robert, that's beautiful!!

Lotsahats · Jan 23, 2016

Fantastic, Robert! I didn't realize that the Twenty went back that far.

moehawk · Jan 23, 2016

Beautiful Twenty! Was that on Etsy? I was looking at one that looked just like that but sold last week just as I was about to buy it.

buler · Jan 23, 2016

Lotsahats said:
Fantastic, Robert! I didn't realize that the Twenty went back that far.

Aaron, the Knox Twenty goes back to 1915! See this thread, http://thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-first-twenty-hat.69985/.

B

hatsRme · Jan 23, 2016

So nice to see you post, Robert, and your standards have only gone UP. Super Spectacular find!!

Lotsahats · Jan 23, 2016

buler said:
Aaron, the Knox Twenty goes back to 1915! See this thread, http://thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-first-twenty-hat.69985/.

B

Ah, thanks, Bill. I had missed that thread. At first I tried to use an inflation calculator to understand the price, but it worked out to around $450--not that far off from where good hats are selling now. However, the article mentions that the average hat could be had for $2-$3; that puts the relative price of a Twenty in 1915 closer to $1500 now, if not even more. Fascinating!

At any event, I'm so glad to see Robert sharing his hats again. Your collection, sir, is beyond compare, and sharing it here helps the rest of us see what hats can be.

From the snow,
A

Bob Roberts · Jan 23, 2016

hatsRme said:
So nice to see you post, Robert, and your standards have only gone UP. Super Spectacular find!!

...and the turkey was much better then last year!

moehawk · Jan 29, 2016

I've been wanting one of these for a while. Saw it at a decent BIN, so I went for it.

Other than a slightly stiff sweatband and broken off size tag (which I may have done, but it came off suspiciously easy) it is in nice overall shape. Seller described it as dark brown, almost black. I would call it black.

. Nice fit, great felt, medium weight with a nice soft hand for it's relative stiffness. All in all, a keeper!

moehawk · Jan 29, 2016

Here's the factory tag.

clintfisher · Feb 5, 2016

Hey gang! Thought I would post a few shots of my latest Knox 20.
Any date estimations appreciated.
Crown: 5"
Brim: 2 3/4"

Frunobulax · Feb 5, 2016

Nice, Clint! It would seem from the re-order tag the open crown blocking is 5 5/8"?

clintfisher · Feb 6, 2016

Frunobulax said:
Nice, Clint! It would seem from the re-order tag the open crown blocking is 5 5/8"?

Ah good catch!

Lonn · Feb 13, 2016

Greetings Gentlemen,
I just dropped this beauty on ebay. I'll put it in Classifieds later today.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/291683958119?

The School of Hard Knox

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