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From one extreme....

RedPop4

One Too Many
Messages
1,353
Location
Metropolitan New Orleans
...the Mossant......to the other.

My buddy at work, brought this to me one day. It belonged to his uncle who left the area a couple months ago. He asked me if it was any good and did I want it. He gave me this a couple months ago, it's dirty as hell, especially right around the pinch. I got some hat sponges and worked on it with that for a couple hours yesterday, then worked with Scout light felt cleaner. It's showing minor, very minor improvement. But it's a fantastic Royal Stetson, that I don't want to just pitch.

It's chock full of holes, a few moth nibbles, but I might make it a daily beater, since it has a unique color, and a very unique, somewhat orange-y-brown grosgrain. The ribbon, though, is stained. I may dunk it in naphtha and see what happens. The sweat is in great shape, and it's got that same great bow treatment as the Mossant. I left it sitting on the counter open-crowned sine the day or two after I got it. I simply pushed the crown back in to get the shape you see.

I'm really torn over what to do with it. I don't know if it's worth the $60 or so that Jimmy Pierce would charge to really clean it and reblock it.Meyer the Hatter, on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans is where he purchased this. However their "guy" retired about three years before the storm, and there's no one else in the area. The western shop where I bought the sponges and Scout, won't fool with a fedora. The hat is still somewhat stiff, not at all like the Mossant, but it's got a bit of a chalky feel to it, partly due to the Scout, but partly due to neglect.


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WEEGEE

Practically Family
Messages
996
Location
Albany , New York
A fading beauty

RedPop4,


With all due respect, it was a great hat that has seen the times.


I think the swanky places are its past and a grand fishing hat is its future.


Most Regards,

michael
 

WEEGEE

Practically Family
Messages
996
Location
Albany , New York
Oh yeah

It can go many places and its a beauty.


I just would not invest in a rehab. As i see it the holes are nonnegotiable.


Would have loved to see it in its prime.
 

scotrace

Head Bartender
Staff member
Messages
14,373
Location
Small Town Ohio, USA
It has lived-in, rakish charm as is. Fiddle with the brim and try the Depp Swoop. (Depp's hats have holes). As long as you can get it presentably clean, what the heck? Redford doesn't look perfect anymore either, but he's still got it in spades. Same with this hat!
 

DOUGLAS

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,777
Location
NYC
I would wear it as is. It has a lot of charm and character. It has a great shape too. You will just be adding to its history.
 

big kahuna

Familiar Face
Messages
81
Location
SF Bay Area
bash it and wear it...

It's great, and I mean really great. Right out of a vintage movie, wherein real men at real jobs wear hats that they are an integral part of their daily wardrobe.

I think this photo, taken at a farm camp in 1942, shows well worn hats

320767972_ac95504763.jpg


Wear it as is, with pride!
 
Messages
10,561
Location
My mother's basement
DOUGLAS said:
I would wear it as is. It has a lot of charm and character. It has a great shape too. You will just be adding to its history.

Couldn't agree more. It's a beater, no doubt about it. But it's a great beater.
Sure, we all treasure our pristine (or nearly so) vintage lids, but there's much to be said for a stylish (and that hat IS stylish, if you ask me) old hat that you don't worry about leaving the worse for the wear.
 

RedPop4

One Too Many
Messages
1,353
Location
Metropolitan New Orleans
I wore it to work on Monday, as it was raining out and didn't want to wear my Montecristi. It got drop marks, that dried and left white drop marks. A couple turns of the sponge at home took care of it. I gave it some steam afterwards and the crown is now a touch shorter. My older son, 11, with a good eye, likes it, but I'll have to redo the creasing again. The only advantage of the way I have it now is that one would have to view the hat from above to see most of the holes.
 

RedPop4

One Too Many
Messages
1,353
Location
Metropolitan New Orleans
The temperatures have dropped below 90*¬? the past two days, so it's getting worn. It's been sitting on the bar/counter so it's redeveloped a nice, natural snap/swoop to the front of the brim.
 

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