Boater faction!

David Conwill · Mar 21, 2011

Well, it arrived:

Any good?

-Dave

Mr E Train · Mar 21, 2011

David Conwill said:
Well, it arrived:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/conwi1wd/Fashion/e4834e07.jpg

Any good?

-Dave

Looks great! How does it fit? It looks a bit small, which is as it should be. It should ride a little high, no matter what you may have seen on Boardwalk Empire.

David Conwill · Mar 22, 2011

Fit is about how I expected. Not squeezing, but it doesn't feel at risk of blowing off. The only real disappointment is that the brim is bent slightly upward at the front, requiring that I wear the hat tipped forward on my head.

-Dave

dhermann1 · Mar 22, 2011

Just right. Just exactly right.

Bingles · Mar 22, 2011

Perfect!!!!

David Conwill · Mar 22, 2011

Thanks, fellas.

-Dave

jswindle2 · Mar 22, 2011

Yea David,I'm afraid I was the guy bidding against you if that Lee is a 71/2 and from how good it looks I wish I would have won it. I gave up and bought a Capas Hats Plus Panama Boater. I am very happy with it and would recommend it to those of us with big heads.

David Conwill · Mar 22, 2011

jswindle2 said:
Yea David,I'm afraid I was the guy bidding against you if that Lee is a 71/2 and from how good it looks I wish I would have won it.

That's the one. I apologize for all the unkind things I said about you when your bid showed up. This is, however, the most I've ever paid for a hat (all at once, at least).

-Dave

Mr E Train · Mar 22, 2011

David Conwill said:
The only real disappointment is that the brim is bent slightly upward at the front, requiring that I wear the hat tipped forward on my head.

You should be able to steam it until it softens and then carefully bend it down and sit it on a flat surface with a weight on it until it dries to flatten it.

Edward · Mar 22, 2011

Sooo..... I have two boaters to date. The first one is an uber-cheap, fancy dress type which I picked up years ago for a friend's thirtieth birthday party, which was on a 'golden Age of Hollywood' theme (I went in an approximation of Harold Lloyd's look from Safety Last). It's a 'one size fits all' job, which seems to be a 58, alas: just too large to feel quite right. Just recently, I seem to have rather taken to the boater as a Summer look. Picked up a fairly inexpensive vintage one with a nice brown and cream ribbon, and am considering one or two others if they come up price wise. What gives me pause is the question of cost. I'm not averse to spending some money on a half decent hat, but at the same time I am cheap enough to wish to avoid spending money if I don't need to! The other thing that niggles at the back of my mind is that the Boater was traditionally a cheap hat that was considered semi-disposable - worn for a season, then dumped, was it not - or has that been exaggerated by popular mythology / Hollywood? So what is the deal with higher-priced boaters, like the Olneys or Christys at in and around GBP40-50. Are they worth paying out for?

jswindle2 · Apr 13, 2011

Here's a question for the guys who bought a Tesi or a boater from Hats Plus. The headliner of my hat consists of a plain white sticker applied to the inside top of my hat. I was wondering how the inside of the others hats looked. Can you guys post pics of your headliners. I just expected the headliner to be a bit more flashy. Will you guys help me figure out what brand my hat really is?

Big_e · Apr 14, 2011

Big Man said:
I bought myself a new hat the other day and thought I'd give a review of sorts in the event anyone here was interested. The hat is from Village Hat Shop,and is listed as their "Budget Skimmer". ( http://www.villagehatshop.com/budget_skimmer.html ) The hat sells for $18.95, has a 3 3/4 inch crown and a 3 inch brim, and is listed as "one size". The $18 price got the best of me and I just had to order one to see what it was.

For $18 I really wasn't expecting much, but was a little surprised when it came. The hat is not all that bad. If the brim were in the 2 1/2 inch range, I believe it would b better. With the larger brim, it tends to not hold itself straight. I have a big head (size 7 3/4), and the "one size" fit surprisingly well. The hat is light weight and very comfortable. I had a great uncle who I remember as always wearing a straw hat, and this (with the exception of the overly large brim) reminded me a lot of the kind of hat he used to have.

Would I recommend this hat to wear out on the town? Probably not. But, as a good summer hat to work around the house and garden, well I think I found a good use for this $18 hat.

Here are some photos of the hat, so you be the judge.

Big Man, that boater looks better in your pics than it does in the Village Hats website. The brim does lack the rigid look that I like in boaters but the generous brim size makes up for it. That hat is definately up to the task of being worn for outdoor summertime work or play. I'd wear it most anywhere if it didn't just come in one size.
Ernest

jswindle2 · Apr 23, 2011

In the last few months I have become a boater fanatic and today while I was browsing hat sites for some inexpensive goodies and I came across a new boater on offer at Village Hat Shop. They are listed as a Jaxon Black Band or Red and Blue Band Skimmer. They are said to be made of 100 % Wheat Straw.The price is $32.00 and have a 2 inch brim,3 1/2 inch crown and a 1 1/2 inch band. I,of course, purchased one with a black band. I'm sure it is not as sturdy as a vintage or modern Italian hat,but it will be a lighter hat that will not make me cringe if it falls apart. I will let ya'll know all about it when I get it in the mail and put pictures of it on my Blog.

Big Man · Apr 23, 2011

jswindle2 said:
In the last few months I have become a boater fanatic and today while I was browsing hat sites for some inexpensive goodies and I came across a new boater on offer at Village Hat Shop. They are listed as a Jaxon Black Band or Red and Blue Band Skimmer. They are said to be made of 100 % Wheat Straw.The price is $32.00 and have a 2 inch brim,3 1/2 inch crown and a 1 1/2 inch band. I,of course, purchased one with a black band. I'm sure it is not as sturdy as a vintage or modern Italian hat,but it will be a lighter hat that will not make me cringe if it falls apart. I will let ya'll know all about it when I get it in the mail and put pictures of it on my Blog.

I will be very interested in getting your review of this hat. Please post pictures here, too.

bowlerman · Apr 23, 2011

Miller Hats appears to have some interesting variations on the boater these days. Some even in Panama straw. I don't know that I'd ever be able to pull one off, but has anyone tried the Miller boaters?

jswindle2 · Apr 24, 2011

Big Man said:
I will be very interested in getting your review of this hat. Please post pictures here, too.

They appear to be made of the same material as your Budget Skimmer. They have the similar color and the Budget Skimmer has been discontinued. I'm guessing they decided the new versions would be more desirable and be a better seller.

Big Man · Apr 25, 2011

Today was a good day to wear a straw hat.

Big Man · Apr 25, 2011

jswindle2 said:
They appear to be made of the same material as your Budget Skimmer. They have the similar color and the Budget Skimmer has been discontinued. I'm guessing they decided the new versions would be more desirable and be a better seller.

The smaller brim and crown size would be an improvement. I also noticed the new boater had sizes listed (as opposed to the "one size fits all" of the old Budget Skimmer).

BinkieBaumont · Apr 25, 2011

Easter Sunday, I did my Nostalgia radio broadcast, so I was wearing headphones between 6-9am, then popped on a straw boater with simple navy trim, for my walk home from the Studios

http://www.rtrfm.com.au/shows/nostalgia

jswindle2 · Apr 29, 2011

Well guys, I got my "Jaxon Black Band Skimmer" this morning. The thing is, it was'nt the black band. Village sent the red and blue band hat instead. This normally would'nt matter that much,but the red and blue has a taller,almost 4 inch crown. If that was'nt bad enough, the hat bulges at the top like a chef's hat and this makes the brim look even more stingy.Speaking of the brim,it is wavy and very weak like my army boonie hat.I was so bummed I did'nt take pictures. I just sealed it back up and took it back to the UPS store. I don't blame Village for sending the wrong hat,but I don't think they should even bother to make these hats. If you want a cheap boater, order a Panama style or the $48 stiffer Scala from EBay. Needless to say guys,I am disappointed. I'm just waiting for a vintage hat in my size shows up on EBay.

Boater faction!

Call Me a Cab

One Too Many

Call Me a Cab

I'll Lock Up

A-List Customer

Call Me a Cab

One of the Regulars

Call Me a Cab

One Too Many

One of the Regulars

Practically Family

One of the Regulars

My Mail is Forwarded Here

I'll Lock Up

One of the Regulars

My Mail is Forwarded Here

My Mail is Forwarded Here

Rude Once Too Often

One of the Regulars

Similar threads

Log in

Forum statistics