Wekony the Hatter - South Bend, Illinois

[ScottF]

Following are pictures of a wonderful fuzzy, custom hat made by 'Wekony the Hatter' out of South Bend, Indiana. I'm guessing sometime in the mid-40s.

I couldn't find anything about this custom shop on the internet, but pieced together a bit using Ancestry.com:

Thomas Dominick Wekony, born 1891, immigrated to Illinois from Yugoslavia in 1910. His WWI draft registration indicates that in 1917 he worked as a hatter for S.B. Hat bleach Co. By 1921 he lived in the South Bend area. In 1930 he was still a hatter, worked in a hat store and owned his own home in South Bend.

His son, Thomas H, born 1914 in Illinois listed his job in 1942 as 'unskilled occupations in manufacture of hats and caps,n.e.c'

The hat is of very high quality, and I thought Mr. Wekony deserved his own thread. If any of you have additional info to add, please do. I also found other details about his life, but nothing additional related to hats.

 

[Dreispitz]

Great hat and a great piece of history :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Lefty]

Very nice. You're finding some fantastic hats. :eusa_clap

You might be able to narrow the date by searching the patent number (which I can't make-out).

 

[rlk]

Really a beauty!!

 

[RBH]

COOL!

 

[billysmom]

Very nice! Love the colors!

Sue

 

[Brad Bowers]

That felt is gorgeous. Wish I could get some like that today.

Brad

 

[buler]

That is a great hat! Nice find. Let us know what that patent number is.

B

 

[ScottF]

That is a great hat! Nice find. Let us know what that patent number is.

B

Thanks everyone. I think the patent number on the 'controlled brim' stamp is: 2,039,875. Here's a close-up in case I'm wrong:

 

[HungaryTom]

Wekony. Vékony. Means 'thin' in Hungarian. In 1910 it was called Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. A country that is gone, like Yugoslavia. Vekony originated most probably from the province that is called today Voivodina.

Nice hat.

 

[rlk]

Thanks everyone. I think the patent number on the 'controlled brim' stamp is: 2,039,875. Here's a close-up in case I'm wrong:

Its a textile pulley from 1936. so must be something else.

 

[ScottF]

Wekony. Vékony. Means 'thin' in Hungarian. In 1910 it was called Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. A country that is gone, like Yugoslavia. Vekony originated most probably from the province that is called today Voivodina.

Nice hat.

Interesting - one of his documents said he was born in Austria. Also, family listed German as their native tongue.

 

[rlk]

Found your patent:2038875 Harry Siegelbaum Dalton Hat Co. appl.1934
http://patimg2.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid...&SectionNum=&idkey=NONE&Input=View+first+page

 

[tonyb]

So how'd this hat come your way, Scott? On my monitor, the photos have the body looking a fuzzy dark gray, the edge binding a darkish gray and the band and bow ribbon a light maroon.

It's cool. What kinda shape you gonna give it?

 

[BobC]

What a cool looking hat, Scott! It looks so pristine. Is this how it looked when you got it? Thanks for the history. Looks great! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[ScottF]

So how'd this hat come your way, Scott? On my monitor, the photos have the body looking a fuzzy dark gray, the edge binding a darkish gray and the band and bow ribbon a light maroon.

It's cool. What kinda shape you gonna give it?

Tony, it was a $24 ebay BIN. It looks as you have described, but a touch darker;however, I couldn't bump the exposure on the pics without washing it out. The felt is fuzzy, with light flecks. Ribbon is maroon. The binding and trolley match the felt fairly well, but stand out because no flecks.

As far as shape, it looks very good with a diamond bash and loose pinch, but it's a tad small (22 1/4) so will need a 1/2" stretch. For now I'm just enjoying looking at it and feeling the felt - the brim feels like the old Stetson 3X dress hats.

BobC - thanks, all I did was pop out the crease and brush it, but the felt is so soft that it was no issue.

 

[thunderw21]

Wow, that felt looks amazing. And that ribbon is perfect, looks like an Art creation.

Keep us updated if you find anymore about the hatter.

 

[besdor]

What I know about the Dalton Hat Company is that they were located in Yonkers NY . I was not aware that they did private label . They are long gone of course.




steven
www.bencrafthats.com
lol

 

[ScottF]

What I know about the Dalton Hat Company is that they were located in Yonkers NY . I was not aware that they did private label . They are long gone of course.




steven
www.bencrafthats.com
lol

This hat was made by Wekony, and used a brim process patented by Dalton Hat Co.

 

[Boxytheboxed]

That hat is exceptional, makes me a little jealous