Anyone know of a hatter near Raleigh, NC?

Hi,

Hi, y'all. I'm new here, and I need a little hat help.

I need to find a source for a new hat. I live near Raleigh, NC and no one around here seems to know of a store (or a person for that matter) that makes (or even sells) hats.

One of the things I need is for someone who knows what to do to properly measure my head. I've bought a couple hats off of eBay, and that has turned out to be a mixed bag, to say the least (nothing terrible, but somewhat confusing).

I know I can buy via the net, but without knowing exactly what to ask for is, I think, just asking for more results like I've had - just more costly.

Here's the backstory, if anyone cares.

I had a hat. It was my dad's. After lurking here for the past month, I can identify what it was. Somewhat. It had no liner, so I have no brand, nor did it have any tags. It was a fur felt Fedora with around a 4 1/2" crown and a 2 3/4" snap brim. It fit me fine, as dad and I shared a lot of features.

I wore it for 20 or so years. It's gone now, but I wish to find another one. Or, more than one given what I read around here! I bought a couple of the el-cheapo wool felt things they sell these days, but was never happy with any of them. I want another *decent* hat to keep my head warm, even though I don't dress-up, per se.

I figured that this would be easy. All I need to do is buy a hat the same size as my racing helmets, which is 7 3/8. Well, there must be a sizing difference between helmets and hats, as my first acquisition at 7 3/8 was *way* too large! Fortunately, I didn't pay a lot for it and I have a friend it fit.

Ok, so a helmet has to meet a lot of extra criteria that a hat doesn't. It has to have lots of padding, be very snug, protect the base of the skull, be fireproof and all that. Carbon fiber and Nomex are not hat materials. Size probably *should* vary from regular hats. That was just me being lazy and going for the wrong thing.

Heck, a new 7 3/8 brain bucket (racing term) is so snug you'd swear that your brain is having it's blood supply pinched off yet after a couple dozen hours in the cockpit the thing rattles on your head and you have to get a new one. They can be rebuilt, as long as it hasn't been in a wreck, which is good since we're talking over $600 a pop (maybe that's a bad term when we're talking about heads here).

Sorry, I digress. Anyway, you can see I started out on the wrong track, so to speak.

Anyway, after the 7 3/8 goof up, I dug up a size chart and a tape measure and came up with 7 1/8 for a hat size. I bought a couple more hats in 7 1/8 and one is just a little too large (which I fixed with a spacer inside the band). The other is quite a bit too large, more like 7 1/4 although it's tagged 7 1/8. Maybe it's been stretched at some point and the seller didn't know that.

This brings me to the thought that perhaps I need something different in the way of the oval shape, though, something that the simple 'stagger tape' doesn't account for. Sorry, that's a racing term I couldn't resist using, which is what we call it when we measure the circumference of our tires.

So, I think this means finding someone that can properly measure my head, and then make me a hat that fits properly.

Right. Make that Hats. I have already figured out from y'all that hats are like potato chips. Can't stop at just one.

Anyone know of a hatter anywhere near me?

Thanks!

Stan

Stan,
I'm also in Raleigh. I have some ideas for you. I'd PM you but your post count is too low, but feel free to Email me for some help at:

bxtr987s at mac dot com

Is it pressure at the forehead and back of your head? Like maybe you are a long oval? Can you post some pics?
Oh and welcome to the lounge!

Welcome to the Lounge Stan!

Hi,

First off, thanks for the replies.

Well, of the two 7 1/8 hats I bought off eBay, one is a bit too large, as in it sort-of rattles around on my head. Seeing as this was a vintage hat (a Champ), it may well have been stretched a bit. So, I'm not too awfully worried about that one.

The other is a new hat, although not one of the better ones (a Scala fur felt), but this one feels pretty good on my head. The felt is somewhat thick, and the hat a tad on the heavy side, at least compared to the vintage one.

I don't think I want to bother with eBay any more at this point, since there are so many variables. For example, the Champ in hand is not the color I thought it was in the eBay photos. Someone had their white balance a tad off. It's not a major issue, but just something that can easily go wrong. There's a lot of those when talking about ebay, and they can even affect on-line stores. Hence the desire to find a hatter somewhere around here.

I don't mind spending $20 - 30 on something that winds up not quite right, but I have no desire to repeat this on a hat that would run 10x that amount from one of the on-line hatters.

I also don't mind travelling a bit to find a hatter, so if someone knows of one in Charlotte, say, that'd be OK too. In fact, I wonder just where the closest hatter to me might happen to be. I've run many seach variations, but nothing turned up. That might not mean anything, though, as they could very easily not have a web presence.

Later!

Stan

Welcome, from another local lounger

I live in Chapel Hill. Welcome to the Lounge! I have an old post trying to generate some interest for a rendezvous in the area, but I never found any other local members. Now I know of at least 3!

There are no real hatters in the area. The closest is in the DC area. I've purchased some hats from a shop in Georgetown that had a good selection, but I need to look up the name when I get home. I'm not aware of any down in Charlotte, either.

With the variability in sizes both within a manufacturer and between manufacturers there is no replacement for being able to try on hats to see what really fits. It also allows you to check the look and make sure the style of the hat really does compliment your head. I've see a lot of hats I like that just don't look good once I pop them on my coconut.

As for measuring your head, try this: take a cloth tape measure and use scotch tape to make a ring at a specific diameter. If a hat is listed with a particular circumference (the only way to have a reasonable idea of the fit), then tape the measure at that size. Then you can slip this on your head and feel how it feels. Most of us know where we like a hat to sit and how tight it should be. When we measure our heads, it's very hard to recreate this feeling. This method gives you a good approximation of how it would wear. You can do the same approach using measurements based on different sizes. This won't help you with the Long Oval issue. Perhaps someone else can suggest a ratio that constitutes a long oval. I don't know.

Let me know if you'd be interested in getting together with some fellow loungers at a local establishment.

Hi,

That's a great idea! One could go a step further and make up some posterboard rings as 'hat templates' to try some variations.

You echoed my thinking - it'd be best to vist someone that knows what's up, and figure out what's the best match. This is exactly what I want to do. Unfortunately, I seem to be 50 years past the time when this was an easy thing to do.

I'd be up for a meet somewhere. I work in RTP, so just about any weekday evening would be fine on my end.

I don't have enough posts for the PM function to work, but one can send email to wa2kqy at arrl dot net to get around that.

Later!

Stan

Not much here, either...

Welcome to the Lounge. Best hat site on the web, as you've already seen. I'm in Charlotte and there's precious little here. Best I've found are menswear stores that cater to African Americans. Holloway's on N. Tryon St and Freedom Dr. are most reliable. Other than that, vintage clothing and consignment stores or estate sales.

Hatter in N.C.

I don't know how close Cincinnati, OH is to you but GUS MILLER AT BATSAKES HAT SHOP makes a reasonably priced hat of very good quality. I have misplaced my notes on him but I am sure somebody here has the phone number and address.

jeboat

Hi,

Cincinatti is something on the order of 450 miles from Raleigh, NC. Should I have reason to head in that direction, it would be a good place to stop by. That might be a bit far to go just for the one thing, though.

Part of the problem is that I gave up racing a couple years ago and no longer get around the country like I did. We decided that racing was getting old, and it does cost a lot of money (even with sponsors a lot comes out of pocket). So, we gave that up and bought a small farm. Now I mess with chickens and hay and such, not hotrod cars.

I also figured out part of my problem. In the original post, I mentioned that I wear a 7 3/8 helmet but a 7 3/8 hat is way too big. It just came to me last night. Duh! A helmet is measured around the ears and a hat is not! Duh, duh, duh!

I submit as an excuse for the faux pas that it has been 20 years since I figured out what helmet size I wear!

Later!

Stan

I also live in Chapel Hill and work in the Triangle, and think it sounds like a swell idea.

Mark

Hat Store in Durham, NC

Hello Stan,
This is the place I have been buying hats from since September of 2007.
Its called The Hat Lounge located in Northgate Mall. They have the biggest selection of Fedora hats I have ever seen out of my hometownof NYC. Go check them out. You will like that place.

Hi,

Now there's a place easily enough visited! Thanks for the pointer.

When I lived in the Hudson Valley, it was easy enough to drive to Poughkeepsie and hop onto the Metro North and go to NYC in search of things like this. Sadly, it's no longer that easy.

I had looked online as well as in the printed yellow pages for a hatter, or even a hat shop, around here with no luck. Somehow I missed this place. I might even get there this evening, since I'm still at work and have no other plans. As long as this series of tests keep going well, that is.

- edit -

Oh, I see now by their web page (or boilerplate 'el quicko' version thereof) that they are only about a month old. That's how I missed the place!

- endedit -

Thanks!

Stan

ScottyBlues said:

I live in Chapel Hill.

Click to expand...

fftopic: ...ahhh, Chapel Hill. Had an old girlfriend move back there-

Wow a Hat Shop in Durham. I also work in RTP. Will have to check it out.

Welcome

Just wanted to say welcome. I don't get in as often as I'd like.

Hi Y'all,

I just thought I'd post that I managed to get to that hat shop in Northgate Mall up in Durham on Saturday. It's an interesting place, and is the only hat shop I've run across in the area.

The guy that owns the store is into hats, like the rest of us. He has quite a selection of different styles, and during the 20 minutes I was in the store he had a dozen folks drop in, several of which bought something.

Unfortunately for me, the only offerings he had in the way of fedoras were all made from wool felt. I admit that I really didn't hold out hope of him having any stock of fur felt hats, however I was surprised at the number of wool felt ones he did have.

His prices were reasonable considering that he's running a storefront in a shopping mall. Most of the fedoras were in the $30 range.

He originally started with a kiosk and has built his business enough that he's graduated into a regular store. So, if anyone in the area has friends that want a hat and also want to go to a store to look things over, this is the best place around here. It's called The Hat Lounge (catchy name, eh?)

Later!

Stan

A Good Experience at Alexander Hats (Charlotte, NC)

Good afternoon, folks. I'm from Atlanta and new to this forum. I saw this post and wanted to bump it to make sure the North Carolina folks are aware of Alexander Hats in Charlotte.

Last week, I happened to be in Charlotte for business and went to Alexander Hats during a break (I had Google-d "Hats in Charlotte" and found this place. I had a great experience there and ended up ordering a hat from Keith (the owner). The store sells hats by Borsalino, Selentino, Bailey, Stetson, Dobbs - pretty much whatever you may need. It is not a huge shop, but if they don't have the hat you're looking for, they can order it for you. I beleive they also do blocking and cleaning, and even do some custom made hats. Keith seems like an honest-to-goodness "hat guy" hatter that has been in the business for a long time (he mentioned he got started at Worth & Worth in NYC) - and there aren't too many of those guys left. It's a plus that he's a nice guy.

No connection to the place - just a first-time visitor who had a really good experience and a great chat with another "hat guy."

I'm sure Keith won't mind listing the address, so here it is:

4401 E. Independence Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28205
www.alexanderhats.com

All the best,

Chad

Atlanta Fop said:

... I saw this post and wanted to bump it to make sure the North Carolina folks are aware of Alexander Hats in Charlotte ...

Click to expand...

Thanks for the information. Although I try to stay as far from Charlotte as possible should I find myself in the city I'll be sure and look up this shop.

Thanks!

Hi,

I was unaware of this, even though I've been looking for months. I get to Charlotte from time-to-time as it's the regional racing center due to all the support outfits that also deal with the big-time stock car crowd. Next time I'm down there, I'll make sure that I take some extra time and stop by!

Later!

Stan