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Lefty

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,639
Location
O-HI-O
Not all brims are meant to snap. Borsalino sells relaxed brim, as well as snap brim, hats. The relaxed brim can be nice if you want to change your style, from having the brim dip in the center, to having it dip just slightly to one side. You pay for this flexibility of style with a brim that can is easily bumped out of position. While snap brims are generally more popular, relaxed brims have been around as long as soft hats.
 
Messages
15,023
Location
Buffalo, NY
I have a modern day Borsalino Como... it is a very soft, almost mushy hat. I have tried to enforce the side dents with steam which helps just a little. I like the lines of this hat and plan to use it for travel. The refinement and felt character of vintage Borsalino hats is, from my limited experience, on a different plane that what you see in this example.
 

Mr. Garrulus

One of the Regulars
Messages
108
Location
N/A
I am asking the help of you FL, the ones who seems to know everything necessarily and unnecessarily about hats.

What is this type of hat called? Trilby? Homburg?
From what period is this? I would guess 50's or before because of the "Exclusively made for NK" printing.

The brim is 6-7cm(~2,35-2,75inch) and the ribbon is 4,5cm(~1,75inch) if that helps anything...

PresidentHat.jpg


If the 60cm(7 1/2) is the size it is incredible how much it has shrunk over the years to fit me who is a 58cm(7 1/4).
 
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DRB

One Too Many
Messages
1,621
Location
Florida
Is there any place to buy hat making equipment for such things as pouncing, and other items required? Have they all gone out of business? I see hat block makers but pouncers?
 

furfeltfettish

New in Town
Messages
27
Location
Austin
I recently purchased a royal stetson, stamped "custom V" on the sweat. appears to be a 40's hat, almost identical to the stratoliner I have on my profile pic. ultra light weight and nice curled 2 1/2 snap brim. bound edge.I have never heard of this model before. Does anyone know of it, and something of its general value?
 

Lefty

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,639
Location
O-HI-O
You're not going to get an estimate of its value. It's worth what someone will pay for it.
The Custom V is an early 50s hat. While many hats were once offered open crowned (unshaped), the selling point of the Custom V was the factory blocked-in shape that would stay in the hat. Do a google image and ebay search for
stetson "custom v"
I believe there are only 2 or 3 ads for that hat, which appears to have been a short lived model.

Have a look at this thread.
 
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Messages
10,524
Location
DnD Ranch, Cherokee County, GA
Has anyone ever used spray starch to stiffen a floppy felt hat?

I'd steam it first to reactivate the shellac in the felt if the hat has become floppy over time instead of starting out that way. Otherwise, I'd use spray stiffener for felt hats = http://www.baronhats.com/Felt_Hat_stiffener.htm
It may be the same chemical as spray starch but felt is a lot different than woven fibers of cloth that starch is used for...JMHO
 

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