" The Great British Hat Makers "

steur · Apr 14, 2017

Another British manufacturer worth taking a look at is this one: Chestergate of Stockport near Manchester. While the English brands of note, like Lock&Co, Christys and Bates usually take the limelight there are numerous other British hatmakers worth taking a look at. In Penny McKnights book Stockport Hatting it states that Chestergate was only a wholesale manufacturer of hoods but they clearly had their own brand of hats as well. Chestergate homburg size 6 7/8, no measurements at hand but a nice sleek looking homburg with high quality finishing and great felt. I corrected the of center dip in the brim with some steaming by the way.

steur · Apr 20, 2017

Posted in Homburg Nation thread as well. Joseph E. Ward Luxe Quality, size 58 (but fits me remarkably well), brim 6cm, crown 10,5 cm at the front (no pinch in this one). It doesn't show on the pictures of course, but this one has the thinnest felt I have ever seen for a homburg. Very high quality finishing. Joseph E. Ward was a hat company based in Bredbury, England and didn't make hat bodies itself. It just did the finishing. In 1958 it merged with the hat factory Battersby&Co of Stockport England, which places this hat somewhere in the late fifties or early sixties. The liner still shows Jos. E. Ward Bredbury and the sweatband Joseph E. Ward Stockport. The factory merged together with some others into Associated British Hat Manufacturers in 1966.
The ribbon does have a few wrinkles, but these will steam out fine.

M Hatman · Apr 20, 2017

steur said:
Posted in Homburg Nation thread as well. Joseph E. Ward Luxe Quality, size 58 (but fits me remarkably well), brim 6cm, crown 10,5 cm at the front (no pinch in this one). It doesn't show on the pictures of course, but this one has the thinnest felt I have ever seen for a homburg. Very high quality finishing. Joseph E. Ward was a hat company based in Bredbury, England and didn't make hat bodies itself. It just did the finishing. In 1958 it merged with the hat factory Battersby&Co of Stockport England, which places this hat somewhere in the late fifties or early sixties. The liner still shows Jos. E. Ward Bredbury and the sweatband Joseph E. Ward Stockport. The factory merged together with some others into Associated British Hat Manufacturers in 1966.
The ribbon does have a few wrinkles, but these will steam out fine.

What a nice find............
M

steur · Apr 22, 2017

M Hatman said:
What a nice find............
M

Hatman, Thanks. I find the English makers did really make some excellent hats, but I haven't seen any homburg hats in other colours than black. Picked up another one yesterday (I still need to take pictures of that one). Be posting that one soon.

Bob Roberts · Apr 22, 2017

Is there a new "Poet" being offered? If so, any pics available?

steur · Apr 27, 2017

Can't help you with the "poet" question, Bob, but here's a hat worth looking at. Posted in the Homburg Nation thread as well. Robert Heath of 37-39 Knightsbridge London was a high end hatter to Royalty. The shop lasted until the mid sixties as far as information goes. Size 56, 6,5cm brim and 11 cm crown at the pinch. Very high quality finishing (have look at that liner). Stamp on the inside sweatband dates this one 1957.

Bob Roberts · Apr 27, 2017

steur said:
Can't help you with the "poet" question, Bob, but here's a hat worth looking at. Posted in the Homburg Nation thread as well. Robert Heath of 37-39 Knightsbridge London was a high end hatter to Royalty. The shop lasted until the mid sixties as far as information goes. Size 56, 6,5cm brim and 11 cm crown at the pinch. Very high quality finishing (have look at that liner). Stamp on the inside sweatband dates this one 1957.

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Beautiful.

steur · Apr 29, 2017

Third one for today. In one of my recent posts I advised everyone to buy a hat made by T&W Lees of Stockport, England, if they spotted one. Practise what you preach (the Robert Heath hat above seems to be made by Lees as well, judging by the label). But this one certainly is made by them. G.A. Dunn&Co homburg in black, size 59 (not my size), 6cm brim and 11 cm crown at the front (didn't pinch this one - yet). As usual the high quality felt and finishing I've come to expect from Lees. I think mid forties to mid fifties, but it might very well be before WWII. Exceptional hat. I'll be posting it in the Homburg nation Thread as well.

steur · Apr 29, 2017

Just to remind us that the British makers made other hats than black homburgs here's another one. I did find a Wilson homburg in a nice heather grey colour, but it wasn't my size, so I didn't bring it (which I regret now). This one is also not in my size and I handled it before and didn't buy then. Bought it now because it is made by T&W Lees as well and I think I can stretch it enough to just about fit me. Branded "The Cambridge hat", but the sweatband, liner and label all point to T&W Lees. Size 55, in a beautiful blue grey colour named Paris, with a 5,5cm brim and 11cm crown at the pinch (the center dent is horribly crooked on the picture, but I took it in between stretching sessions) and shark gill bow. Imported by Gunnar Carlsson of Gislaved, Sweden. Mid fifties to mid sixties I believe.
Fourth hat of yesterdays' haul.

Redfokker · Apr 29, 2017

Beautiful hats from the British Isles. Your posts are both educational and inspiring. Love a shark's gill ribbon treatment.

steur · Apr 29, 2017

Thanks, Mike. I like to find out about the backstories myself and if I can find anything, well, why not share? Keep your eyes open: there's more to come (watch the homburg Nation thread).

steur · May 30, 2017

It's been a while since I posted one in this thread. This one is not the highest quality, but worth taking a look at anyway. Attaboy in black size 57. Raw edge brim at 6cm and crown at 10 cm at the pinch. Unlined with a cloth crown patch. This is a woolfelt hat that was shaped in an ugly low crown shape. With a bit of steaming it took its current form perfectly however, which I didn't expect from a woolfelt hat. Attaboy was a brand made by the Denton Hat Company in Denton, England. There were several hat companies in Denton and there still is one today called Denton Hats. I'm not sure if it's the same company though.
The hat was sold by Jacobs & Vles which was based originally at the Keizersgracht 407 in Amsterdam. The company was bought in 1976 by a man called Petje ("caps") Mulder of NNP (Noord Nederlandse Pettenfabriek) based in Musselkanaal, Groningen. The company still exists but deals in textiles these days.

steur · May 30, 2017

As a bonus: I remembered seeing the name Attaboy before. So I dug up these pictures from Penny McKnight's book on Stockport Hatting.

fabiovenhorst · May 31, 2017

steur said:
It's been a while since I posted one in this thread. This one is not the highest quality, but worth taking a look at anyway. Attaboy in black size 57. Raw edge brim at 6cm and crown at 10 cm at the pinch. Unlined with a cloth crown patch. This is a woolfelt hat that was shaped in an ugly low crown shape. With a bit of steaming it took its current form perfectly however, which I didn't expect from a woolfelt hat. Attaboy was a brand made by the Denton Hat Company in Denton, England. There were several hat companies in Denton and there still is one today called Denton Hats. I'm not sure if it's the same company though.
The hat was sold by Jacobs & Vles which was based originally at the Keizersgracht 407 in Amsterdam. The company was bought in 1976 by a man called Petje ("caps") Mulder of NNP (Noord Nederlandse Pettenfabriek) based in Musselkanaal, Groningen. The company still exists but deals in textiles these days.

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I have an Attaboy homburg

steur · May 31, 2017

fabiovenhorst said:
I have an Attaboy homburg
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Fabio, that's a cool looking homburg with a nice reverse taper. Looks like there's no label in that one either (apart from the union sticker). Is it a woolfelt hat too?

Mustang Mike's Hats · May 31, 2017

steur said:
It's been a while since I posted one in this thread. This one is not the highest quality, but worth taking a look at anyway. Attaboy in black size 57. Raw edge brim at 6cm and crown at 10 cm at the pinch. Unlined with a cloth crown patch. This is a woolfelt hat that was shaped in an ugly low crown shape. With a bit of steaming it took its current form perfectly however, which I didn't expect from a woolfelt hat. Attaboy was a brand made by the Denton Hat Company in Denton, England. There were several hat companies in Denton and there still is one today called Denton Hats. I'm not sure if it's the same company though.
The hat was sold by Jacobs & Vles which was based originally at the Keizersgracht 407 in Amsterdam. The company was bought in 1976 by a man called Petje ("caps") Mulder of NNP (Noord Nederlandse Pettenfabriek) based in Musselkanaal, Groningen. The company still exists but deals in textiles these days.

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Aagghh! I had my hands on one of these this past weekend and passed on it as I was unfamiliar with the brand. Oh well, hats can be a lot like buses; miss the first one and ... (that said, it wasn't in a good of a condition as the one's the the pix)

fabiovenhorst · May 31, 2017

steur said:
Fabio, that's a cool looking homburg with a nice reverse taper. Looks like there's no label in that one either (apart from the union sticker). Is it a woolfelt hat too?

Yes, it's a woolfelt too. As far as I got it on web, the Attaboy line of hats was a cheaper one, all of them are woolfelt.

steur · Jul 9, 2017

This thread was sinking way too low. Here's a recent purchase that fits here. Moores homburg in black, size 7 or 57. Unlined with a nice crown patch. Brim at 6 cm and crown at 10,5 cm at the pinch. Not the very best British hat I have, but a very nicely made high quality hat nonetheless. J. Moores&sons was located in Denton, England and made hats under that name untill 1966 when it joined Lees, Battersby, Wilson and Christys to form Associated British Hat Manufacturers Ltd. I suspect they kept the brand name after 1966 but shortened it to "Moores" instead of J. Moores&Sons. The 73 number on the label may well be the production year. The material used for crown patch however points towards an earlier date. I'll post this one in the homburg nation thread as well.

steur · Jul 23, 2017

Before I post another British made hat, here's a bit of extra info regarding the Moores hat. Advertising from the fifties I believe.

steur · Jul 23, 2017

As promised another British made hat. i've posted a Wilson hat before and this is another one. Wilson fedora in chestnut colour. Size 56 with an overwelt brim at 6cm and crown at 11cm. Inlined with a cloth crown patch that is unreadable at htis point. As written before: Wilson was not at the top end of English hatmaking and this is more an everyday hat. Could very well be before WWII.

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