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What Hat Are You Wearing Today 1?

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No, I hadn't seen that. There's a longer article in the DH thread that talks about him racing the horse and giving his employees the day off to see the race, etc.


Story in Time Magazine, Monday, Aug. 23, 1948:

The Happy Hatter

Harrison Hoyt is a chunky, red-faced man who lives in Connecticut and makes hats. Unlike most fairly well-to-do men who own harness horses, he likes to race his own in the big time. At Goshen's Good Time Park last week, tradition was against him as he maneuvered his prize three-year-old into line for the start. No amateur had ever won the famed Hambletonian, trotting's Kentucky Derby.

Hatmaker Hoyt was in a sulky instead of a saddle strictly by accident. Several years ago, he bought a saddlehorse named Louis Cobb, which had been a trotter. Just for the fun of it, he decided to put him back in a sulky. After four victories, Driver Harrison Hoyt was a wholehearted harness horseman (he even named a hat the Louis Cobb). He began to buy harness horses. At a Harrisburg (Pa.) yearling sale two years ago he paid $2,600 for a bay horse named Demon Hanover and got a bargain.
Like all harness horses, Demon Hanover had to learn not to break into a gallop or canter, a process known as teaching a trotter "good manners." The Demon caught on beautifully. Last season, mostly on half-mile tracks, Demon Hanover won twelve races in 14 starts. Last week, Hoyt felt so certain of his chances in the big race that he closed up his Danbury hat factory for the day.

Most of his 85 employees turned out at Goshen, N.Y. to pull for the boss: he had promised them their day's pay if he won. There wasn't much doubt about the first heat. Demon Hanover stepped along in front easy as could be, with the boss, in his goggles and cap, driving like a professional. Demon Hanover won the heat without straining. His time: 2:03 1/5. If he could repeat in the second heat, there would be no necessity for a third. In the second, Demon Hanover trotted even better (2:02), won the Hambletonian, the richest harness race in the world. His share of the purse—$32,500.

Hoyt had already turned down $75,000 for his $2,600 buy. Now that he had won the Hambletonian, he might accept the offer, if repeated. And his 85 employees expected soon to be turning out a new hat called Demon Hanover.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.
Super cool! Don't cha just luv it!
 

mmbarnes

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A tad northwest of Richmond, VA
Good morning. Traveling end of last week thru yesterday, I got to only witness the terrific parade of hats. Truly excellent. Thanks to all for sharing!

Yesterday evening a VS (dove beaver felt Stratoliner clone) was my head cover.

i-G2cvvR3-M.jpg


i-b8k9Cr9-M.jpg


i-HQq2b9h-M.jpg


Earlier this morning my heathered vtg.Borsalino. The felt and colors of the hat make me smile when I pick it up.

i-5VHvNtV-M.jpg


i-rB2SDzZ-M.jpg


i-XGq4wrJ-M.jpg


Best to all, Eric -
Those are exceptional, Eric.

The Borsalino is a jawdropper. Would you please post a superduper, extreme close-up of the felt? I'd love to get a good look at the mixture of colors.
Thought I better take her out for a turn around the town!



103131-cfb394ff4a629f954d1a6f659d0c784b.jpg
Fantastic.

Great to see it at home on your head.
 

Michael A

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6,287
Is this one as navy blue as it appears in the image? I just love it. The name of the store it came from is a total hoot!
To my eyes it appears to be black, but the camera was certainly seeing blue in it. The label says an unhelpful B. That store must have closed some years back and they had a ton of hats on the Mpls Goodwill auction site. I also got the Dobbs homburg from there. And maybe one or two others.

Here it's looking more black like as I'm ready for my trip downtown
DSCN9209 crop by Michael A2012, on Flickr

Thanks,
Michael
 

GHT

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9,279
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New Forest
I'm sure that my modern production Stetson is no match from a stellar Weis creation. Love this one.
You are too kind, Belgium produces fine chocolates and fine hats and if you ever purchase a Weis creation, you will receive both hat and chocolates.
Thought I better take her out for a turn around the town!
103131-cfb394ff4a629f954d1a6f659d0c784b.jpg
That's got a great, Sherlock Holmes, look about it. I love it.
No jokes about being elementary, thank you.
 
Last edited:

AbbaDatDeHat

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No, I hadn't seen that. There's a longer article in the DH thread that talks about him racing the horse and giving his employees the day off to see the race, etc.


Story in Time Magazine, Monday, Aug. 23, 1948:

The Happy Hatter

Harrison Hoyt is a chunky, red-faced man who lives in Connecticut and makes hats. Unlike most fairly well-to-do men who own harness horses, he likes to race his own in the big time. At Goshen's Good Time Park last week, tradition was against him as he maneuvered his prize three-year-old into line for the start. No amateur had ever won the famed Hambletonian, trotting's Kentucky Derby.

Hatmaker Hoyt was in a sulky instead of a saddle strictly by accident. Several years ago, he bought a saddlehorse named Louis Cobb, which had been a trotter. Just for the fun of it, he decided to put him back in a sulky. After four victories, Driver Harrison Hoyt was a wholehearted harness horseman (he even named a hat the Louis Cobb). He began to buy harness horses. At a Harrisburg (Pa.) yearling sale two years ago he paid $2,600 for a bay horse named Demon Hanover and got a bargain.
Like all harness horses, Demon Hanover had to learn not to break into a gallop or canter, a process known as teaching a trotter "good manners." The Demon caught on beautifully. Last season, mostly on half-mile tracks, Demon Hanover won twelve races in 14 starts. Last week, Hoyt felt so certain of his chances in the big race that he closed up his Danbury hat factory for the day.

Most of his 85 employees turned out at Goshen, N.Y. to pull for the boss: he had promised them their day's pay if he won. There wasn't much doubt about the first heat. Demon Hanover stepped along in front easy as could be, with the boss, in his goggles and cap, driving like a professional. Demon Hanover won the heat without straining. His time: 2:03 1/5. If he could repeat in the second heat, there would be no necessity for a third. In the second, Demon Hanover trotted even better (2:02), won the Hambletonian, the richest harness race in the world. His share of the purse—$32,500.

Hoyt had already turned down $75,000 for his $2,600 buy. Now that he had won the Hambletonian, he might accept the offer, if repeated. And his 85 employees expected soon to be turning out a new hat called Demon Hanover.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.
Greeting Fruno et al:
Hoyt and his horsey is a super cool story! Talk about underdogs and elitists. Recall Seattle Slew, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, California Crome, etc stories where “low dollar” no names came out and put “the big boys” in their place, classic. Demon Hanover was all them rolled up into one in the bugy world. Demon Hanover did it all with Hoyt on top and he made nice hats to boot. He was not your typical Hambletonian uppercrust kinda deal. You gotta love the underdog stories that excite us regular folk.
Please tell me you knew all this before you beat me on that hat! Yes, the horsey, the horsey! Ha
Be well. Bowen
 

AbbaDatDeHat

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Greetings All:
Today it’s a Knox Twenty. I don’t think i’ve posted any Knox here before. A pretty nice hat, very crease obedient. Nice custom edge touch. High contast black/grey colors. All in all i like it about half as much as a Forty. Ha
As always, thanks for all’s responses of late.
Be well. Bowen
 
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19,096
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Funkytown, USA
Greeting Fruno et al:
Hoyt and his horsey is a super cool story! Talk about underdogs and elitists. Recall Seattle Slew, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, California Crome, etc stories where “low dollar” no names came out and put “the big boys” in their place, classic. Demon Hanover was all them rolled up into one in the bugy world. Demon Hanover did it all with Hoyt on top and he made nice hats to boot. He was not your typical Hambletonian uppercrust kinda deal. You gotta love the underdog stories that excite us regular folk.
Please tell me you knew all this before you beat me on that hat! Yes, the horsey, the horsey! Ha
Be well. Bowen

Yes, I was well aware of the history. I had coveted one for some time, but frankly never thought I'd find one I could afford. The fact that it has a color scheme I had also coveted was the icing on the cake (or the saddle on the horsey!).

Now if I could only find a box.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.
 
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