Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Judgmentalist

A-List Customer
Messages
373
Ordered a set of three. Works out to ten bucks apiece.

81sXM7CYYqL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
Is this hard on soft hats? Limited point load on the brim?
 

Trouser Bark

Banned
Messages
640
Location
Your Cerebral Cortex
Is this hard on soft hats? Limited point load on the brim?
Not to be judgmental but how soft is soft? I've got standard fedoras in wool, mink, beaver and probably some other stuff on those racks and they've been perfect. There's no way to put a flat cap or similar lying flat on them though as there's not enough structure for the hat to stay in place given the distance between supports.
 

Judgmentalist

A-List Customer
Messages
373
All I'm seeing is a little crumpling, which can most likely be fixed with some steam and less than 30 minutes of your time.
If this guy gets this one cheap I’m going to be annoyed for not trying to snag it but if I get involved someone is definitely going to overpay for it. It’s at $280 now with like 5hours to go - it will probably go for like $425-$475 if I was betting my money. But you can get these routinely for like $500 in perfect shape… that’s my read anyway. What do you guys think?

Also I don’t need it - I just want a brown one lol
 

Judgmentalist

A-List Customer
Messages
373
Not to be judgmental but how soft is soft? I've got standard fedoras in wool, mink, beaver and probably some other stuff on those racks and they've been perfect. There's no way to put a flat cap or similar lying flat on them though as there's not enough structure for the hat to stay in place given the distance between supports.
I assume you are correct - ChatGPT didn’t like the relatively limited support but ChatGPT is very very dumb sometimes and it’s hard to tell exactly when
 

blewnote

One of the Regulars
Messages
100
If this guy gets this one cheap I’m going to be annoyed for not trying to snag it but if I get involved someone is definitely going to overpay for it. It’s at $280 now with like 5hours to go - it will probably go for like $425-$475 if I was betting my money. But you can get these routinely for like $500 in perfect shape… that’s my read anyway. What do you guys think?

Also I don’t need it - I just want a brown one lol

I'd say that I saw a beautiful brown Royal Stetson Deluxe from the 40s in what appeared to be great shape with a 2 5/8" (maybe 3/4) brim in a size 7 1/4 sell for less than $145 a couple weeks ago so I'd be willing to bet that if you are patient you could find an absolutely beautiful Stetson/Dobbs/Knox in your size from that era for far less than $500. For $500 you could probably get one that's of a higher tier like a Clear Beaver or a Forty or what have you and that would be an even more fantastic hat.

I'm sure an Optimo is a nice hat, but personally I'd rather get one from the good old days.
 

Judgmentalist

A-List Customer
Messages
373
If this guy gets this one cheap I’m going to be annoyed for not trying to snag it but if I get involved someone is definitely going to overpay for it. It’s at $280 now with like 5hours to go - it will probably go for like $425-$475 if I was betting my money. But you can get these routinely for like $500 in perfect shape… that’s my read anyway. What do you guys think?

Also I don’t need it - I just want a brown one lol
This dang hat went for $280 which it sat at for days. I’d give $50 just to know what his top bid was.
 

blewnote

One of the Regulars
Messages
100
This dang hat went for $280 which it sat at for days. I’d give $50 just to know what his top bid was.

That's how it is sometimes. And sometimes you try to snipe it at the last second and get outbid by someone else who wasn't even in the contention for several hundred more than you were willing to pay. And sometimes you win it at one price and then find the winning price magically much closer to your max bid after bidding has ended. The auction game is kinda a black box and sometimes you win at it and sometimes you don't.
 

Tom Donahue

New in Town
Messages
1
Afternoon all. I'm pretty new to hats, but I saw this in a leather shop last week and could not resist snapping it up. It's the Carrboro woven leather hat from Henschel Hats. I can't figure out how to store it (in a way that also displays it). I have a hat stand, but it's only a 4.7" dome which feels too small (the top of the hat warps when it rests on the stand). It's an XL, which their website says is a 7 1/2" - 7 3/4". Any suggestion for what size stand, or any alternative display/storage methods?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9457.jpeg
    4.3 MB · Views: 41
  • IMG_9458.jpeg
    4.4 MB · Views: 35
  • IMG_9459.jpeg
    IMG_9459.jpeg
    2.2 MB · Views: 44
  • IMG_9460.jpeg
    5.3 MB · Views: 38

Ant1

New in Town
Messages
1
This seems to work on other sites, so I figure that it deserves a shot here.

If you've got a quick hat question and don't see a thread for it, just post it here. Whether the question is about cleaning, anatomy of a hat, brands, etc., this is the place.

Here's one to break the ice.
1919-1940ArentsCigaretteCards.jpg
1919-1940ArentsCigaretteCardsback.jpg
Greetings everyone, I inherited a Stetson Panama-style hat, a "Jefferson Montecris," from my grandfather some time ago. I was wondering how to dress lightly enough to wear it with the warmer weather coming. Alternatively, is it possible to slightly widen the head circumference without damaging the hat?
 

Dan718

One of the Regulars
Messages
125
Isn’t possible to get replacement open road hat bands? The band on my RR OR has some pretty bad staining that isn’t going to wash out. It’s not huge but does draw my eye so I think I’d replace it if I could.
 
Messages
11,250
Location
vancouver, canada
Isn’t possible to get replacement open road hat bands? The band on my RR OR has some pretty bad staining that isn’t going to wash out. It’s not huge but does draw my eye so I think I’d replace it if I could.
post pics. Is it sweat stains? Two possibilities. You might be able to at least lessen the stain while it is place. If you are prepared to sew on a new one....why not take this one off and rinse it out? Let me know and I can walk you through it in more detail.
 

jskeen

One of the Regulars
Messages
123
Location
Houston
Hat cleaning question, did read the threads, but didn't find this particular issue discussed.

Picked up this Borso a couple days ago at an estate sale, literally 3 blocks from my house. Ya just never know what's where... Anyway, it has this stain on the brim that doesn't seem to extend as far as the band.

Question. Is it safe to try just dipping a portion of the brim in Coleman fuel, and giving a gentle brushing to the area, or do I need to soak the whole body. Really don't want to have to resew the band if avoidable.
Thoughts and experiences?
Gracias :)
 

Attachments

  • 20260503_111314.jpg
    20260503_111314.jpg
    3.1 MB · Views: 27
  • 20260503_111326.jpg
    20260503_111326.jpg
    3.3 MB · Views: 31
Messages
11,658
Location
Alabama
Hat cleaning question, did read the threads, but didn't find this particular issue discussed.

Picked up this Borso a couple days ago at an estate sale, literally 3 blocks from my house. Ya just never know what's where... Anyway, it has this stain on the brim that doesn't seem to extend as far as the band.

Question. Is it safe to try just dipping a portion of the brim in Coleman fuel, and giving a gentle brushing to the area, or do I need to soak the whole body. Really don't want to have to resew the band if avoidable.
Thoughts and experiences?
Gracias :)
Spot cleaning often reveals that these vintage hats are dirty all over and you end up with a bigger, though cleaner spot. If the leather sweat is in good shape, naptha will have no adverse effects on it.
 
Messages
11,250
Location
vancouver, canada
Hat cleaning question, did read the threads, but didn't find this particular issue discussed.

Picked up this Borso a couple days ago at an estate sale, literally 3 blocks from my house. Ya just never know what's where... Anyway, it has this stain on the brim that doesn't seem to extend as far as the band.

Question. Is it safe to try just dipping a portion of the brim in Coleman fuel, and giving a gentle brushing to the area, or do I need to soak the whole body. Really don't want to have to resew the band if avoidable.
Thoughts and experiences?
Gracias :)
Any stain has to be flushed out of the felt. Any used hat is dirty, so if you attempt to spot clean it you may remove the stain but you will also remove the built up dirt. So then the area of the stain will be cleaner than the rest of the hat and likely a lighter shade. I am a hat restorer and rarely have success with attempting to spot clean a hat. My experience is: the quickest way is to do it right the first time. Attempting shortcuts most often ends up taking up twice the amount of time....first the shortcut ....then doing it again the right way.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
114,449
Messages
3,174,857
Members
58,285
Latest member
kaanchkaglass
Top