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Introduction and story

VaderSS

New in Town
Messages
17
Location
Houston, TX
Hello all. Great forum here. Wish I had found it a couple of weeks ago, but, Oh well...

I've always been a hat fan, with the fedoras of the old movies being my favorite. I had wanted a charcoal grey fur-felt fedora for as long as I can remember, but had never been able to find one in the areas I lived.

My first fedora was a Dorfman Pacific in light gray canvas. I bought it at a Lake Charles mall store back in 1987. I had searched every store in the area that had hats, but was unable to find what I was looking for, so I figured, any fedora is better than no fedora... I wore this one for several years, until 1991 when I got in a conversation with an old bar-owner, who told me about Meyer the Hatter, in New Orleans.

Lake Charles to New Orleans is a 207 mile trip, and all I had at the time was a 250cc motorcycle. One day I hopped on the bike, popped some aspirin, and rode to New Orleans. I spent the night in a cheap motel and went to Meyer's the next day. I walked into this store, long and narrow, but packed full of hats. I felt I had found Mecca. I told the salesman what I was looking for and he showed me a Stetson hat that, to me, looked nothing like a fedora, but he had me try it on for size. He went upstairs and, after shaping it, came back a few minutes later with the hat I had been looking for for years. I tied the hatbox to the back of my bike, using string the hatshop gave me, and hauled it back to Lake Charles.

I wore that hat until 1996, when it was stolen. I was so distraught over it that I did not wear another felt hat for many years. While in Ecuador last year, I was in need of some sun protection and the only hat that fit, in the vendor's selection, was a brown wool felt fedora. I bought it and had worn it a few times since.

Last weekend, I went to New Orleans for a long weekend. Meyer's is still there, so I dropped in. I went ahead and bought a grey Stetson Temple, which I find is not as good as the hat I once had, but I still like it and will wear it until I decide on something else.

The other hat in my collection is a Tilley Hemp hat, which is purely for sun protection.

Started looking for information on the hat, and ran across this site. I'm glad to find it.
 

WEEGEE

Practically Family
Messages
996
Location
Albany , New York
NEW ORLEANS

Still after all, New Orleans is one of the worlds most excellent places.

Meyer's is a great shop.


Welcome VaderSS

Art Fawcett Welcome aboard VaderSS..pull up a chair & sit a spell!!!

Second the invite..Yes..pull up a chair & sit a spell
 

deanglen

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,159
Location
Fenton, Michigan, USA
Thanks for telling your story! I can honestly say you'll make friends for life here among people you've never met face to face or spoken to over the phone. There's always a place for you here, VaderSS.

dean
 

Matt Deckard

Man of Action
Messages
10,045
Location
A devout capitalist in Los Angeles CA.
Welcome to the Lounge. Here you will find a lot of information on hats... and hopefully we'll get you back into sporting fur felts.

I recently had my most prized hat stolen. It was a bone colored Borsalino from the 30's and was softer than anything feltwise I have seen.

It didn't put me out of hats thouggh it did cause me to keep a closer eye and not just set my hat down randomely when out in public.
 

VaderSS

New in Town
Messages
17
Location
Houston, TX
Thank you all for the warm welcome.

Well, the fur-felt bug has bitten me again, so I doubt I'll stop wearing them again, and the cost is now much less of a hit to me than it was in my 20s.
 

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