My First Hat

[mano]

Actually my second. I bought a Montecristi a while back, but this is my first cloth hat. $20 off craigslist, it's a Dobbs 5th Avenue Forty. The fellow said his father and someone before him bought it in the 1950's or earlier and wore it a few times on stage for a burlesque show.

A sticker on the box reads: "1959 Panama" and obviously it's not a Panama.

The hat is in excellent condition with the exception of four pinhead size moth nibbles on the right side of the crown. I'd appreciate any and all feedback and input.

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[Marc Chevalier]

Dude, you rock! Great hat, great price!

.

 

[mano]

Thanks Marc! I was about to pass on it as the creases in the crown seemed asymetrical and even though my Monticristi is a 7 1/8, this was a tad tight. The moth bites also concerned me, but I figured, what the heck, it's only $20.

Do you think I need to do anything to this hat like have it blocked? Also, what's a hat like this usually go for?

 

[RBH]

Hey Mano, I think what you need to do with that hat is... wear it!
After wearing it alot you will up the size some.
Looks like a great deal to me. Do a search here on the Lounge and try some of those tricks on those moth nibbles. Sometimes after you work them over you never can tell they were there.

 

[feltfan]

not cloth, felt

I guess felt is a kind of cloth...

Outstanding hat. You should be able to form it
with your hands. Don't send it out for blocking.

 

[K.D. Lightner]

Mano -- that is one gorgeous hat. And what a price!

Will we get to see a photo of it on your head anytime soon?

best, karol

 

[Snrbfshn]

That is a kick-butt hat...

And at half the price it originally sold for. That's a steal. You may end up with many hats over your life, but few will be better than that one.

 

[mingoslim]

I am jealous AGAIN!

An exceptional hat, and an exceptional deal. You done good!

 

[mano]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

What's the significance of the "forty"? I've read on other posts various hats are "twenty" and there's also an "x" rating.

 

[Dinerman]

Forty means it cost 40 bucks when it was new.

 

[K.D. Lightner]

And that was probably "way back when" at a time when 40 bucks was a significant amount of $$.

karol

 

[mano]

Forty means it cost 40 bucks when it was new.

For some reason it's amazing to me that the name of the hat is the cost, but Snrbfshn said essentially the same thing. Considering the hat's about 50 years old, it was relatively expensive at the time.

What's the phrase when you have unexpected good luck?..."stepped in shit?"

Well, it looks like I stepped in shit.

 

[DOUGLAS]

Damn that is a great hat!! Way to go:eusa_clap

 

[Stoney]

I was about to pass on it as the creases in the crown seemed asymetrical

That's one of the things that separates this hat from a factory blocked hat.
Don't try to even it up too much.

 

[jimmy the lid]

Nice job, Mano -- looks killer! Enjoy it!

Cheers,
Jimmy

 

[Lady Blue]

Fabulous lid! :eusa_clap I never would even have thought to look at craigslist for hidden hat treasures. Great find. I second the request to put it on. Lets see how it looks!

 

[John in Covina]

MAybe some gentle nudging with a hat jack will get you un-snugged. It is a nice lid.

 

[mano]

Thanks again for your kind words; however both my wife and son said I don't look good in this hat and I have to agree. Apparently, I don't have much of a hat face. As much as I'd really like to keep the Dobbs and wear it, I'm going to sell it on ebay.

I did a search, but can't seem to find information on how to "treat" the moth nibbles. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Stoney]

You may want to hang onto that hat for while before you give up on it.

You can try a hat with a smaller brim to start with. It's less of a change and for most folks any change is normally avoided, this is normal human nature at work. After you wear the small brim for a while you may like this hat after all.

 

[mano]

It's not so much the brim but the high crown. I have a Montecristi fedora, in which I look okay. I was thinking about the Bailey safari or another similar casual "outback" type hat, but my wife and son reminded me I don't look good in hats.

I'm not ready to give up on hats just yet, but this one isn't for me.