Looking for hat information?

Paravians · Mar 18, 2018

Yes looks like the £495 Lock 'Stratton' with a dark ribbon.

Edward · Mar 18, 2018

jlee562 said:
So this video popped into my YouTube recommendations, ostensibly a tour of the Christy's factory, at the 3:00 mark, they show a brass embossing die with the Bates logo.

I don't know about Lock's, but it's certainly true that a number of Bates' furfelts are manufactured for them by Christys' - and then sold under the Bates label at around double the Christy price!

Zoukatron · Mar 18, 2018

One of the director's at Lock mentioned in an interview that they use a manufacturer in the Manchester area (I've been trying to work out who), so unless something has changed I don't think they use Christy's, at least currently. If the quality of the worksmanship in the Bates hats matches Lock's, it's interesting that Christy's put more effort into the hats they make for other people than their own brand.

1mach1 · Mar 19, 2018

jlee562 said:
The felt will probably have a nicer/softer hand than an Akubra, but won't be nearly as resilient to the elements.

Totally agree.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T377A using Tapatalk

ecleccentric · Mar 20, 2018

Thank you!

Lean'n'mean said:
I have it on good authority that it's a lock & co, like a lot of Dave's caps & hats.

Christopher Smith · Apr 10, 2018

Hello, I'm new to the forum and I have a kind of odd and specific question. So I have three photos of my grandfather wearing his winter fedora (he only owned one) and each one is at a different angle, different lens distance, etc. I was wondering is there any way based on vintage photographs to calculate or at least get an estimate on the measurements of his fedora? Basically I'm just wondering about brim width and crown height. If anybody knows if this is possible or knows how to do this let me know.

Cornshucker77 · Apr 10, 2018

Welcome Christopher. Great photos.

Christopher Smith · Apr 10, 2018

Cornshucker77 said:
Welcome Christopher. Great photos.

Thank you!

viclip · Apr 10, 2018

If perchance there's an item in any of the pics which you can still locate, then you could use that as a gauge.

This could be as simple as using a button for example.

suitedcboy · Apr 10, 2018

From looking at a bunch of hat photos, not much science here, I'd say 2 inch brim, 4 1/2 inch crown. I think the ribbon on that hat is 1.5 inches and crown is about 3 times the ribbon.

Christopher Smith · Apr 10, 2018

suitedcboy said:
From looking at a bunch of hat photos, not much science here, I'd say 2 inch brim, 4 1/2 inch crown. I think the ribbon on that hat is 1.5 inches and crown is about 3 times the ribbon.

Thank you! I just always really liked the look of his fedora and have been thinking of maybe one day buying one like his. So I'll keep those measurements in mind next time I go hat shopping.

scottyrocks · Apr 10, 2018

If you're looking to replicate it via a custom hatter, the block shape plays as much a role as the actual dimensions of the hat.

It is a beautifully proportioned hat, and welcome to the forum.

Christopher Smith · Apr 10, 2018

scottyrocks said:
If you're looking to replicate it via a custom hatter, the block shape plays as much a role as the actual dimensions of the hat.

It is a beautifully proportioned hat, and welcome to the forum.

Thank you for the welcome! I haven't been able to figure out what the shape of the crown would be. You mean whether it's teardrop or center crease, right? I have only ever seen these three photos of him in his hat. And sadly none of my relatives know where his actual hat is. So really these pics are all I have to work from. If I were to bring the photos into a custom hatter would they be able to make an educated guess of what the crown shape would be based on the photos?

Oh, and there is another piece of information I forgot. Apparently, according to my mother, he wore a Knox fedora. To my understanding Knox made various different shapes and models of fedoras. But I just thought I'd mention that in case that information helps at all.

scottyrocks · Apr 10, 2018

Christopher Smith said:
Thank you for the welcome! I haven't been able to figure out what the shape of the crown would be. You mean whether it's teardrop or center crease, right? I have only ever seen these three photos of him in his hat. And sadly none of my relatives know where his actual hat is. So really these pics are all I have to work from. If I were to bring the photos into a custom hatter would they be able to make an educated guess of what the crown shape would be based on the photos?

No, the creases are put in after the hat has been 'blocked' - stretched and formed over a specific wooden form to give the hat a starting point for creasing. In general, the straighter the sides of the form, the 'blockier' or straight-sided the creased, finished hat will be.

Blocks with slanted sides will yield a hat said to have 'taper,' which slants inward as it goes upward. Most people who wear hats have their own opinions on how much taper looks correct to them. Your gf's hat appears to have less taper than the dark hat on the man to the left of the picture.

To get a good idea of how different hats can look depending on block shape, brim length and flange (how it is shaped when it is made), and the many, many different top and side creases put into them, take a look through all 8 million pages of the What Hat Are You Wearing Today thread.

Zoukatron · Apr 10, 2018

I would also add that choosing to replicate a loved one's hat in shape is not always a smart move - you may well find a different shaped crown (both height and taper) and brim width suit you better, but you can still likely get away with similar colours and overall styling.

Christopher Smith · Apr 10, 2018

Zoukatron said:
I would also add that choosing to replicate a loved one's hat in shape is not always a smart move - you may well find a different shaped crown (both height and taper) and brim width suit you better, but you can still likely get away with similar colours and overall styling.

That is very true. I guess maybe I should focus on figuring out my own style as opposed to trying to replicate my grandfathers. Thank you for the advice.

Zoukatron · Apr 11, 2018

I think it is a mistake a lot of us make - Indiana Jones style hats a very popular, but I'd wager many of the people who like them do not have a face shape that is complimented by the Indy style hat.

That being said, lots of those people do so anyway and are very happy to do so.

Just Jim · Apr 11, 2018

suitedcboy said:
From looking at a bunch of hat photos, not much science here, I'd say 2 inch brim, 4 1/2 inch crown. I think the ribbon on that hat is 1.5 inches and crown is about 3 times the ribbon.

I threw the pics on a grid, did some ball-park estimates of sizes etc, and came up with maybe a 2" brim and a 4 1/2" crown. . . and then realized it was probably a 1 1/2" ribbon.

I'm going to go kick myself now for not thinking before doing.

jlee562 · Apr 11, 2018

Two points: I'm gonna dissent and say that's a 2" ribbon. Brim I'd put between 2 1/4 and 2 1/2, probably closer to the former than the latter.

I also would contend that the old "rules" of matching crown shape and height are really more of a general suggestion than a decree from the fashion police.

RJR · Apr 11, 2018

jlee562 said:
Two points: I'm gonna dissent and say that' a 2" ribbon. Brim I'd put between 2 1/4 and 2 1/2, probably closer to the former than the latter.

I also would contend that the old "rules" of matching crown shape and height are really more of a general suggestion than a decree from the fashion police.

I agree.

Looking for hat information?

New in Town

One of the Regulars

New in Town

New in Town

Call Me a Cab

New in Town

Practically Family

One Too Many

New in Town

I'll Lock Up

New in Town

I'll Lock Up

One of the Regulars

New in Town

One of the Regulars

A-List Customer

I'll Lock Up

Log in

Forum statistics