How many hats do you have?

deadlyhandsome said:

His waiting list for just in case he returns to hatting is over a year...and I’m on it. Speaks to his craftsmanship that even when he’s stopped making hats there are enough people wanting one to line up hoping for his return. I’m just glad that these hatters aren’t from the Adam Smith school of supply and demand and haven’t raised their prices commensurate with their scarcity. I bet he could raise his prices 50% and still have more work than he could handle. Bless them.

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After I purchased my first hat he raised his prices a fair amount BUT he offered all his existing clients to hold the lower price for their next two hats. I purchased one further hat and I don't think it fair to hold him to the second one all these years later.

5 straw hats

6 felt hats

3 wool caps

2 beanies

3 ball caps

I probably only wear half of them with any regularity.

I didn't list my dozen or so custom tweed Newsboy caps as I forgot about them as hats. They are easy to store as they all fit in a corner of a drawer.

With what arrived today, and what is due to arrive this week...

5 flat caps and newsboys (one linen, four wool blend)
2 wool felt (a blues trilby and a bowler)
2 canvas (Brazilian tarp hat and ball cap
2 other ball caps
1 mountain cap
4 brimmed cotton (a safari, a trilby, a Henley, and a bucket)
1 leather coachman (awful hat! potential project)
1 nubuck safari
0 fur felt but may try one later in the year

So that's 18, and potentially 19 later this year. I have had others in the past that either expired or went missing, so it's possible there may be one or two others lurking somewhere.

I would guess 35 total give or take, that would be everything. Straw, felt, news boys, moto caps etc. That doesn't count ball caps, there are a lot of those. A lot of ball caps have been given to me and a lot have been purchased as souvenirs, I seldom wear any of them. I have decided to thin the herd, any that I don't actually wear need to go to someone that will enjoy them. I also decided to start wearing some hats that in the past I haven't worn very much because I was afraid they would get dirty or damaged. Well, the real pleasure in owning a nice hat is in wearing it so anything that doesn't get used will be sold. Of course I will use the money from the sales to purchase new hats and caps. It's a sickness !!

I was only looking for 4 (bowler, top hat, fedora, homburg) but it may be close to 100.
They reproduce like cockroaches is the only explanation I can think of.

From Optimo Hat Company: 2 Milans, 2 Montecristi Panamas, 1 Homberg (Aubergine) 19 Fedoras in various colors. 1 Resistol Cowboy Hat I purchased on a trip to Virginia City, Nevada. 1 Montecristi Panama I purchased at Newt at the Royal in Honolulu. Various caps I have acquired over the years but rarely wear. I also have a Montecristi Panama being made by Optimo that I ordered through their Optimo Insider Cellar Event and is due before Memorial Day

About 60, 55 felts - 5 Panama. The felts are about an even mixture of vintage, custom made, and made by me. There are a few modern off the rack hats kicking around in the mix somewhere but I have shed most of them.

After 2 years at this, I've accumulated 12 fur felt hats. 10 are my rotation hats (each gets worn every 10 days or so ) and the other 2 are beaters. The beaters don't come out much, but when they're needed for special assignment, they perform marvelously.

I DO own 3 ball caps that never get worn. 2 are service caps from the ships I was on in the USN. They're on a closet shelf. The third ball cap is from an old employer, and is in the car for emergency sun-visor use.

I still think my wife put someone up to starting this thread. I keep telling her that everyone into hats has at least 1,000 of them.

deadlyhandsome said:

I still think my wife put someone up to starting this thread. I keep telling her that everyone into hats has at least 1,000 of them.

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Oh, were we supposed to list the full inventory? I'm sorry, I'll have to head over to the warehouse tomorrow to update the ledgers.

Zombie_61 said:

Oh, were we supposed to list the full inventory? I'm sorry, I'll have to head over to the warehouse tomorrow to update the ledgers.

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No, it will have to wait until Monday when my curator is in.

I'm at the tipping point where I change over from counting individual hats to tracking the total cubic feet of storage space required to support my little "hobby".

If you can enumerate your hat collection in one paragraph, you need more.

WonkyBloke said:

With what arrived today, and what is due to arrive this week...

5 flat caps and newsboys (one linen, four wool blend)
2 wool felt (a blues trilby and a bowler)
2 canvas (Brazilian tarp hat and ball cap
2 other ball caps
1 mountain cap
4 brimmed cotton (a safari, a trilby, a Henley, and a bucket)
1 leather coachman (awful hat! potential project)
1 nubuck safari
0 fur felt but may try one later in the year

So that's 18, and potentially 19 later this year. I have had others in the past that either expired or went missing, so it's possible there may be one or two others lurking somewhere.

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Caps aside, I've decided my target is six main hats. I currently have eight brimmed hats, and I'm not convinced hat the six I want as primary hats are amongst them. However, I think I need to cycle between them a fair bit more to determine what's missing, and what's surplus (or occasional use).

I think I'd rather have a select few that I wear to destruction, than a vast array that never gain additional character. Although, I don't mind having a few occasional use hats as well, so any that don't make the top six, won't necessarily be parted with.

That is exactly what most of us said when we started down the path...a couple of hats for winter and a few straws for summer, we said. Not to worry, you'll still be welcomed here on TFL when you add a zero behind that six.

WonkyBloke said:

I think I'd rather have a select few that I wear to destruction, than a vast array that never gain additional character. Although, I don't mind having a few occasional use hats as well, so any that don't make the top six, won't necessarily be parted with.

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Stetson 3X sand and green.

Rmccamey said:

That is exactly what most of us said when we started down the path...a couple of hats for winter and a few straws for summer, we said. Not to worry, you'll still be welcomed here on TFL when you add a zero behind that six.

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Ha Ha! I have neither the storage space nor finances for that, but I do understand what you mean. I'm not really a collector type, so that should save me to some extent. However, I think I still have a bit of exploring to do before I settle on the big six, so there will be more purchases to come, I'm sure.

WonkyBloke said:

Caps aside, I've decided my target is six main hats. I currently have eight brimmed hats, and I'm not convinced hat the six I want as primary hats are amongst them. However, I think I need to cycle between them a fair bit more to determine what's missing, and what's surplus (or occasional use).

I think I'd rather have a select few that I wear to destruction, than a vast array that never gain additional character. Although, I don't mind having a few occasional use hats as well, so any that don't make the top six, won't necessarily be parted with.

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When I started, it was with a Panama I purchased in Old San Juan while on vacation. I wasn't a "hat guy," but decided I needed a genuine Panama since I was going to be in that area. Fast forward a couple of years, and I decided I needed a nice dress hat for when I wore a suit - something for weddings, funerals, First Communions, Bar Mitzvahs, yadda yadda. It was then I met Gus Miller of Batsakes in Cincinnati and visited my first real hat shop.

Then I discovered vintage hats and began hanging out here. After seeing what was out there and getting more comfortable wearing a hat most or all of the time, I dove into the vintage market, and from there customs. I've always had a collector's mindset, so I guess it was inevitable I wound up where I am, now. However, for me, it's not just about volume, but also about history, preservation, character, workmanship, and the like. I'm much choosier in my selections whan I was in the beginning, but I still see hats that I "gotta have."

As far as developing character, that's one thing that makes vintage fun and interesting. Each hat comes with it's own character pre-installed, then you get to make your mark on it.

Held strong at a bakers dozen for a while (all felt, 3 of them are my wife’s), but pulled the trigger on #14 yesterday. I keep telling myself, and my spouse, that I’m done. Just can’t seem to stop looking

Frunobulax said:

When I started, it was with a Panama I purchased in Old San Juan while on vacation. I wasn't a "hat guy," but decided I needed a genuine Panama since I was going to be in that area. Fast forward a couple of years, and I decided I needed a nice dress hat for when I wore a suit - something for weddings, funerals, First Communions, Bar Mitzvahs, yadda yadda. It was then I met Gus Miller of Batsakes in Cincinnati and visited my first real hat shop.

Then I discovered vintage hats and began hanging out here. After seeing what was out there and getting more comfortable wearing a hat most or all of the time, I dove into the vintage market, and from there customs. I've always had a collector's mindset, so I guess it was inevitable I wound up where I am, now. However, for me, it's not just about volume, but also about history, preservation, character, workmanship, and the like. I'm much choosier in my selections whan I was in the beginning, but I still see hats that I "gotta have."

As far as developing character, that's one thing that makes vintage fun and interesting. Each hat comes with it's own character pre-installed, then you get to make your mark on it.

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Great post! I completely follow your reasoning there, even though I find myself walking a different path.

I've always liked hats, but typically been a one hat guy, or should I say one mid winter hat, and one summer sun/rain hat. Now I find myself expanding a little, but cautiously so. I'll try to give some perspective, although as I'm still trying to understand my own perspective, what I say may not be entirely accurate.

To my mind, there's accessory hats, and working hats. The following hats are what I would consider working hats.





Both of those are great in terms of function. The wide brims being great at protecting me from the elements. However, neither hat is what I would go shopping in, or wear if going out for a meal etc. They're home use (either mine, or friends or family), in the garden, either doing jobs that need doing, or enjoying a drink and BBQ.

On the other hand, these two are ones I'd consider accessory hats.





The narrower brims aren't as functional against the elements, but both look better on me for going about a daily life in a public setting. One is good in sun, and the other will keep my head warmer. I have another that is my go to rain hat, a weathered look cotton trilby. Three more are needed for my out and about primary six. I have my eye on a Christy Foldaway and Tilley tecwool hat for dressy functional, and for mid winter. I don't particularly need more in terms of working hats though. Maybe what some would consider beater hats.

As for character, I like new hats. I like them more when they don't look new any more, and knowing that every crease, stain, scuff, or hole, is a story from my life, not just an unknown impairment from someone else's. In fact that's quite close to my thinking... if I put it there, it's character and welcome, but if someone else did it's an unwelcome blemish.

As to collecting... nah, not for me. Too many choices as what to wear, too much stuff to find homes for, hats taking too long to develop character as the stories are spread across too many items. I'd rather have a select few and beat the snot out of them. I also appreciate that some of my hats might not to be up to the task in terms of longevity, and are merely placeholders. That's fine. If they get wrecked and need replacing, I know it's the right type of hat. If it sits sulking and neglected, it's the wrong type of hat, but doesn't matter, because it was just a cheapie.

Time will tell where the big money needs to go, and for the most part, will go to replacing the most quickly wrecked cheapies. In essence, going towards needs, not wants. If I fancy something of a different type just for the heck of it, it will be uber cheap. My grey bowler will never be a primary hat - I just wanted one. Less than £20 scratched that itch successfully

Sorry, rambling post, but I hope I've given some clarity. Six primary accessories, a couple of working hats that the public don't have to be subjected to, and a couple of novelties for the fun of it. That's me quite content.