The Bailey western-to-fedora

[Fatdutchman]

Here's the Bailey 5x Beaver western "cattleman" hat I got off ebay. Came just today. The hat is virtually unworn, and seems VERY well made. The sweat is a nice, thick, soft leather. The felt is thick, dense, and stiff (the way I like it). Here it is as it came to me:




Here it is after I "blocked" it out with steam and my fingers:



The crown height is right about 5 1/2", and the brim is 2 7/8" wide.

Here it is after shaping to a diamond crease (which was kinda hard for me to get used to doing...)





I think I did a pretty durn good job shaping this hat. The problem is, the thing is a size too big! It's a 7 1/8, which is what I'm "supposed" to be, but each hat company sizes their stuff differently... It probably "should" be sized 7 1/4. I'm a long oval, so I "ovalized it" by steaming the far out of it and squeezing the sides together. This made it fit a bit better, and gave me one serious bit of reverse taper! I can stand (and even like) reverse taper, but I don't like a hat that looks too big for my head. It fits me all right now with foam tape all the way around inside the sweatband. It still looks too big for me, I think. I don't know, I'll think about it and see what I want to do with it....

[RBH]

WOW and I mean WOW!!!!
That is the best hat of yours I have seen yet!!!
You did a great job, if you do not have a hat jack that can help 'ovalize' a hat some.
Once again great job !!!!!!!

I had to add that I like the some what 'western' look the fedora has. That is the reason I like the Indy hats so well, they have a distinct 'western' flare to them with out being overtly cowboyish.

[RBH]

I also had to add I like the diamond crease, your hat has the same high crown as my TVA. That type crown really does well with a diamond.
By the way I think it fits you great. It does not seem too big on you at all.

[Rick Blaine]

It brings to mind the apocryphal brown Open Road. Fits you to a "T" too, great job! Was this a stiff felt or more dress weight?

[Fatdutchman]

This hat would have made a kickass Indy hat...the right size and shape and even color. I think it will make a serious heavy-duty work hat.

I have a grayish Stetson on its way to me that is basically the same size and shape as this one. It's getting the same treatment. If Stetson is consistent with their sizing, it will fit me a bit better than this one does. I should have it in hand any day now.

Where am I going to put all these dang hats???

You can see how thick the felt is by looking at the edge of the brim. It is nice and thick and dense and stiff.

I'll try to take some pictures of me in the hat outside tomorrow or sometime....It's black outside by the time I get home... A shot of it square-on, that's where I think it looks kinda wide on my head. At any other angle, no matter how slight, it ROCKS. I held a 1 1/2" wide ribbon on the hat and it just made the hat look shorter and squatter, which didn't help... I wonder if maybe it's just that I'm not used to something SO wide at the top of the crown and where you can't really see a center dent and "camel humps", which is what I'm so used to... The Squatter I usually wear fits almost as big on me as this hat does. I have felt in the front and back of this hat, none on the sides, not that that matters (hats never really touch me on my temples no matter what).

[Badluck Brody]

Very sharp and well done!!

Come to think about it... I was just looking at an old Truewest Rockmount of mine I've had for years.... Hmmmmm. that might also make a good change to a fedora. I even have an old ribbon which should work.... you guys are nothing but trouble!!

[RBH]

... A shot of it square-on, that's where I think it looks kinda wide on my head. At any other angle, no matter how slight, it ROCKS. I held a 1 1/2" wide ribbon on the hat and it just made the hat look shorter and squatter, which didn't help... I wonder if maybe it's just that I'm not used to something SO wide at the top of the crown and where you can't really see a center dent and "camel humps", which is what I'm so used to... .

You hit the nail on the head there Dutchman. The diamond crease on a tall crown gives a great reverse taper, and that makes the hat seem a little wider. That was what I first thought on my TVA, I had worn my c-crowns and the Adventurebilt, but the diamond crease was so different.
I really like it now.
Dont give up on this hat as from the photos it looks great on you.
If you remember ..what did you think the first time you put on your Adventurebilt?
I thought mine was HUGE" but it was just the tall crown I was not used to.
In fact I have sold a few thin ribbons of mine because I can not [now] get used to the shorter crowns.

By the way I think the ribbon that is on it gives the hat its own ''personality''. While I have now began wearing my wider ribboned hats more than the thin that one make me remeber why I like a thin ribbon fedora.

[carter]

I think you did an excellent job on reblocking that hat.

It may take some getting used to but, that hat does not look too big on you. It looks very good. Give it a chance and you'll come to like it a lot.

[Colby Jack]

Really great job....!!!

[Fatdutchman]

RBH, I'm still waiting on my Adventurer. I'm at eleven months....

You're right, though, my first Akubra Federation looked HUGE. Man, it was sure tall. Now it looks totally normal, and anything smaller looks downright puny.

Did I mention how well made I think this hat is? I really like this sweatband. It is twice as thick a leather as anyone else's, and nice and soft. It's all very neatly stitched together. I have NO idea as to the date of the hat. If I were to GUESS, I'd say 80's...that's just judging by the appearance of the box, which really doesn't mean anything.