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[SnappyHat]

Maybe try a WTB hats in the classifieds. Describe exactly what qualities you’re looking for and a price range would let others know what they might have for you.
They will come.
B

might do that thxs after I learn more.

 

[jlee562]

Ok so pre war , does it also have to be pure beaver?
Open road to Stratoliner was just the range I wanted it to be able to shape to. So are the lower priced 15s not able to do this?

I don't own any fifteens.

I don't think my hat is pure beaver for a number of reasons, so I would say no, not necessarily. The pure beaver phenomena is more modern than most folks think. There are a decent amount of Stetson 100's out there, but so many more in the lower quality grades (Royal, Royal Dlx, 3x, etc). That having been said, if I were rolling the dice on an eBay hat for this specific hat quality, the higher end hats are a safer bet. Though another thing my hat has going for it, is that it is most likely a mercury processed felt. So pre-1941 IIRC. The mercury allowed lower quality furs to achieve a finish closer to the finer finishes.

 

[RickP]

Any tips or instructions for tying a western hat ribbon like a 3 or 4 row after cleaning? Are they usually a slipknot of some kind or just tied snugly before tacking in place? Have one old hat with a sort of funky looking knot... not sure it thats the way its always been but it was tacked in place so Im leaning towards origional.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Where do I start? I keep reading about these magical hats that you can just shape without steam . What hats are these , what would I look for? It seems to be mentioned on Stetson 25s but are there other models ? Whats the newest hat that can do this without being too old . I dont want to break the bank , and Im not picky about it having to be pristine, I just want to experience a hat that shapes by hand without steam . I wear a 7 1/4 . I want to go from an open road shape to a stratocaster shape or some sort of fedora shape.

People go on and on about this quality but I'm actually not that keen. First, if a hat's stiffener is so far gone that the hat will be bashed without steam, it often means that the bash will be easily bumped out of place. I have a number of hats like this and I don't find it to be a strength. If the wind blows hard, the hat loses it's shape. Not my cuppa.

The second kind of hat like that is the one whose stiffener becomes de-activated over time if it's not steamed or wetted. But as soon as it meets rain or steam the stiffener becomes reactivated. I have tons of hats like that.

And I don't dislike steaming hats. I actually love it, the feel of the felt melting like butter and then the felt molding like clay before it rehardens. Honestly, it's a bit magical and one of my favorite attributes of good quality lids.

Now I do have a handful of hats whose crowns will take and keep any shape without steam and even if I hit it with steam the felt will still perform that way. But I couldn't tell you that these are all of one particular quality level or another. Personally, I think it has less to do with the felt quality and more to do with the stage of stiffener degeneration. But that's just my opinion and folks who know better might correct me.

What is also my opinion but won't be corrected is that I don't enjoy these hats more than I do my other vintage lids. In fact, I tend to wear them less frequently than I do my steam-stiffened lids because I like hats best that keep their shape if they get knocked around.

So my advice to you is just to collect what attracts you and eventually you will get some felt that is particularly pleasing to you for some special reason.

Sorry for the dissertation.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Does anybody know what this movie is with Lee Marvin? I just saw this one photo on YouTube and love this hat. I wanna see more of it!

 

[Bamaboots]

"Bad Day at Black Rock"

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

"Bad Day at Black Rock"

Thanks!

 

[Blare]

People go on and on about this quality but I'm actually not that keen. First, if a hat's stiffener is so far gone that the hat will be bashed without steam, it often means that the bash will be easily bumped out of place. I have a number of hats like this and I don't find it to be a strength. If the wind blows hard, the hat loses it's shape. Not my cuppa.

The second kind of hat like that is the one whose stiffener becomes de-activated over time if it's not steamed or wetted. But as soon as it meets rain or steam the stiffener becomes reactivated. I have tons of hats like that.

And I don't dislike steaming hats. I actually love it, the feel of the felt melting like butter and then the felt molding like clay before it rehardens. Honestly, it's a bit magical and one of my favorite attributes of good quality lids.

Now I do have a handful of hats whose crowns will take and keep any shape without steam and even if I hit it with steam the felt will still perform that way. But I couldn't tell you that these are all of one particular quality level or another. Personally, I think it has less to do with the felt quality and more to do with the stage of stiffener degeneration. But that's just my opinion and folks who know better might correct me.

What is also my opinion but won't be corrected is that I don't enjoy these hats more than I do my other vintage lids. In fact, I tend to wear them less frequently than I do my steam-stiffened lids because I like hats best that keep their shape if they get knocked around.

So my advice to you is just to collect what attracts you and eventually you will get some felt that is particularly pleasing to you for some special reason.

Sorry for the dissertation.

I kinda know what you mean and the best example I can give are 4 Stetson Whippets I have. Three of them… while I can certainly pop them open and shape by hand.. if I want them to go just right or totally get out of their “ghost crease“ steam is probably a necessity. Where as the 4th is more pristine than the others has this buttery felt that does whatever I want but does with with soft angles. I’ve never hit it with steam as I fear it would reactivate the stiffener and make it more like the others. It might be the older of the 4.. but they are all 50s era hats.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

I kinda know what you mean and the best example I can give are 4 Stetson Whippets I have. Three of them… while I can certainly pop them open and shape by hand.. if I want them to go just right or totally get out of their “ghost crease“ steam is probably a necessity. Where as the 4th is more pristine than the others has this buttery felt that does whatever I want but does with with soft angles. I’ve never hit it with steam as I fear it would reactivate the stiffener and make it more like the others. It might be the older of the 4.. but they are all 50s era hats.

"soft angles" is an excellent description.

Speaking of Whippets, the only one I've ever had was a "no steam needed" felt. The bash changed too easily and would never get "sharp". I hardly ever wore it and finally passed it along to another lounger.

But I have seen some Whippets that have blown me away - at least one of the ones you have is a real stunner, and Eric has a few as well that really show what a Whippet can be.

 

[SnappyHat]

People go on and on about this quality but I'm actually not that keen. First, if a hat's stiffener is so far gone that the hat will be bashed without steam, it often means that the bash will be easily bumped out of place. I have a number of hats like this and I don't find it to be a strength. If the wind blows hard, the hat loses it's shape. Not my cuppa.

The second kind of hat like that is the one whose stiffener becomes de-activated over time if it's not steamed or wetted. But as soon as it meets rain or steam the stiffener becomes reactivated. I have tons of hats like that.

And I don't dislike steaming hats. I actually love it, the feel of the felt melting like butter and then the felt molding like clay before it rehardens. Honestly, it's a bit magical and one of my favorite attributes of good quality lids.

Now I do have a handful of hats whose crowns will take and keep any shape without steam and even if I hit it with steam the felt will still perform that way. But I couldn't tell you that these are all of one particular quality level or another. Personally, I think it has less to do with the felt quality and more to do with the stage of stiffener degeneration. But that's just my opinion and folks who know better might correct me.

What is also my opinion but won't be corrected is that I don't enjoy these hats more than I do my other vintage lids. In fact, I tend to wear them less frequently than I do my steam-stiffened lids because I like hats best that keep their shape if they get knocked around.

So my advice to you is just to collect what attracts you and eventually you will get some felt that is particularly pleasing to you for some special reason.

Sorry for the dissertation.

Good food for thought , just never had one of these soft hats so never
thought of the downsides to them . They just sounded interesting, one crown this day another the next just by hand shaping sounds like fun but maybe not

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Good food for thought , just never had one of these soft hats so never
thought of the downsides to them . They just sounded interesting, one crown this day another the next just by hand shaping sounds like fun but maybe not

If you like thin ribbons, you might look for a Mallory Dallas. I have two and they are both no steamers. I would say it's coincidence but a few other Loungers have reported the same with theirs.

 

[SnappyHat]

"Bad Day at Black Rock"

Never saw this one and I live for 40, 50s movies .
First 10 minutes and its got a mix of Western , Fedoras , and baseball caps . And the Cast! Cant believe I never saw this one.

• Spencer Tracy as John J. Macreedy
• Robert Ryan as Reno Smith
• Anne Francis as Liz Wirth
• Dean Jagger as Sheriff Tim Horn
• Walter Brennan as Doc Velie
• John Ericson as Pete Wirth
• Ernest Borgnine as Coley Trimble
• Lee Marvin as Hector David
• Russell Collins as Mr Hastings
• Walter Sande as Sam, the diner ow

 

[Bamaboots]

What does that make, five Oscar winners in one movie?

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

"Bad Day at Black Rock"

Never saw this one and I live for 40, 50s movies .
First 10 minutes and its got a mix of Western , Fedoras , and baseball caps . And the Cast! Cant believe I never saw this one.

• Spencer Tracy as John J. Macreedy
• Robert Ryan as Reno Smith
• Anne Francis as Liz Wirth
• Dean Jagger as Sheriff Tim Horn
• Walter Brennan as Doc Velie
• John Ericson as Pete Wirth
• Ernest Borgnine as Coley Trimble
• Lee Marvin as Hector David
• Russell Collins as Mr Hastings
• Walter Sande as Sam, the diner ow

I just finished it.... absolutely fantastic movie.

And the hats!

Just terrific.

 

[jlee562]

Whenever I hear Lee Marvin, I can only think of:

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Whenever I hear Lee Marvin, I can only think of:

That actually sounded a bit like him once he started singing.

A little funny (though not much), but comes nowhere close to eclipsing Lee Marvin unless you are willfully trying to denigrate him.

 

[jlee562]

That actually sounded a bit like him once he started singing.

A little funny (though not much), but comes nowhere close to eclipsing Lee Marvin unless you are willfully trying to denigrate him.

Why so serious? It's Sunday, let your hair down, so to speak. Fair enough if it's not your cup of tea...but it's The Simpsons. A famously satirical show.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Why so serious? It's Sunday, let your hair down, so to speak. Fair enough if it's not your cup of tea...but it's The Simpsons. A famously satirical show.

You're right and I probably take film a little too seriously. TBF, I did say it was a little funny, and it is.

But "Paint Your Wagon" is very low hanging fruit and not at all difficult to satirize. I've honestly never seen it, but that song "I was born under a wandering star" does get in my head real easy. Marvin does such a good job with that song that I am curious: is the movie as bad as it's reputed to be?

 

[Frunobulax]

You're right and I probably take film a little too seriously. TBF, I did say it was a little funny, and it is.

But "Paint Your Wagon" is very low hanging fruit and not at all difficult to satirize. I've honestly never seen it, but that song "I was born under a wandering star" does get in my head real easy. Marvin does such a good job with that song that I am curious: is the movie as bad as it's reputed to be?

It isn't that bad, but it isn't that good, either. Worth sitting down with a bag of chips for a bit.

 

[RickP]

Dont forget the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was involved with Paint Your Wagon