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Same here.
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- Thread starter Lefty
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When discussing hats, you can felt things other than animal hair. Stetson literally made felt from plastic in the 1950s. There is some reason to believe that other non-fur derived protein fibers were used in the old/original Vita-Felt hats. Despite what any dictionary might say, felt is any material made by the feting process.
I agree with the need to differentiate by using wool felt or fur felt etc. I don’t dispute the general superiority of fur felt, but I’ve also had a few old wool felt hats that were a revelation as to what is possible with wool.
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nvilletele
One of the Regulars
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In my usage, felt could mean fur felt, wool felt, cotton felt etc.
(I make my hat sizers from cotton felt from the craft store)
I too pretty much exclusively prefer fur felt, but I do have a few nice wool felt fedoras. Two pork pies by Kangol (their “Linotype” model), a Ben Sherman Trilby found at the Nordstrom Rack, and one Bailey that I picked up at that crazy little hat shop in Bisbee many years ago, when I somehow found myself hatless. I tried on a lot of fancy hats that day, but the Bailey wool fedora best fit the bill.
(I make my hat sizers from cotton felt from the craft store)
I too pretty much exclusively prefer fur felt, but I do have a few nice wool felt fedoras. Two pork pies by Kangol (their “Linotype” model), a Ben Sherman Trilby found at the Nordstrom Rack, and one Bailey that I picked up at that crazy little hat shop in Bisbee many years ago, when I somehow found myself hatless. I tried on a lot of fancy hats that day, but the Bailey wool fedora best fit the bill.
capt_redbeard
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Hi all - I'm hoping to have your help identifying a Stetson fedora type hat. Going by the logo, it looks 1960s-ish. It's The Sovereign, size 7. The fur is a little longer than I'm used to seeing on Stetsons. Kind of a chocolate color. Adding photos here. Thank you in advance for your expertise!
-scott
-scott
belfastboy
I'll Lock Up
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If you use the Google search....."The Fedora Lounge, dating a Stetson." Threads will pop up and if you peruse those threads you will get the info you seek. One good indicator is the size tag.....shape/colour/font
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While not conclusive, that checkerboard pattern liner is something I associate with 1970s and 80s hats. The black rectangular size tag and that liner…I’m guessing 1970s. That also matches with the style of the hat.
It looks sort of like a velour finish. Different finishes were more common back in the day, but they are still being made today.
As far as identifying the hat, that’s something someone else will have to help you with. It’s not a style seen a lot around here and it’s not from an era that gets much love here (usually deservedly so). Good luck.
Edward
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It definitely seems to be the case that wool hats are more common in colours that might be particularly fashionable for a season or two, but less desirable to many long term - presumably the lower price of the production line wool options makes a lot more sense for the more short-term nature of a fashion piece, rather than something deliberately classic, intended for long term wear.
Totally agree that wool can be a great way of dabbling with styles about which you're not sure; I've gone through a couple of cheaper hats in the past figuring out what I liked before I "upgraded". I think too for something like a bowler where a snap brim / bashability and such (which are, in my experience, much better with furfelt) isn't an issue, for a hat that I simply might not wear as often, wool can be a good option.
Of course, as often discussed before, wool gets a reputation for equating to lower quality because it's typically used nowadays in cheaper hats, rather than because its properties are inherently qualitatively inferior (as distinct from different in certain respects) to furfelt. Rather reminds me of the three-bolt neck design Fender adopted on the Stratocaster between 1971 and 1981.... Not an inherently inferior design, but to this day it often gets the blame, unfairly, for CBS's lowered quality assessment standards in that period.
Always hopeful that more people will begin wearing hats again - likely moreso, over here, in the Summer with the rising temperatures we have experienced in recent decades. In Paris last week, there were a lot of men downtown wearing panamas and various cotton-style fedoras. Soem ballcaps, though mostly those were in kids, interestingly. Inevitably, though, the majority of adult men everywhere (particularly tourists) were hatless still, though - and plenty of them (again, particularly tourists, who were more likely to be outside all day) with peeling red faces and necks, which a hat would have saved them from. I think there has been a small rise in the number of Summer hats I see worn here in London this year, though it will probably still take a combination of fashion and repeated health information to really pick up.
Opera does, it turns out, have an iphone version for free download on the Appstore, though it is a browser rather than an app as such. I've always preferred to do everything in a fast mobile browser rather than apps, so I don't know what else is available app wise, I'm afraid.
Interesting - didn't know they'd built up to a full browser, I must check that out. DDG is my search engine of choice these days.
pacolizarraga
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The brand name a Dobbs and the product line is Westward…several western styles in the line.
pacolizarraga
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do you know the era of this hat? 50's , 60's, 70's?
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If you fold the leather sweatband down there should be a paper label on the felt covered by the leather that will have the information that is valuable. The label is usually close the the back or the hat where the seam of the leather sweatband is. You might need to move the satin liner around to see it. If you can post a photo of that label it would be helpful.
I’d say this is 1950s or earlier. There is a thread here called the Dobbs Diner that you should look at. You should also use Google to search The Fedora Lounge for Dobbs Westward.
Better photos of the hat would also be useful.
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Early 50s, maybe earlier. Everything you need to date your hat can be found at https://www.thehattedprofessor.com/
pacolizarraga
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pacolizarraga
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No moth signals , the hat is very nice, feels like new, I was looking in the page and maybe this hat is around late 40's
pacolizarraga
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Blare
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Were you able to find the paper label under the sweat?
pacolizarraga
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Unfortunately there is no label under the sweat
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Very nice! I'd like to have a hat like that.
Of course ... we have a thread for that!
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/show-us-your-vintage-hat-store.95776/
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Nice find. Nothing to add to what the others have already said. The Dobbs Westward is a great looking style and not often seen in black I think. Congrats.
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