Banana Republic safari hat [mystery solved]

[RBH]

Back in the mid 80s I really wanted one of these hats....

But not having enough cash at that young age I never got one.

A year and 1\2 ago I found one on E Bay.

Put it in a box with some cedar blocks and never thought much about it
till tonight. I was going through my hats for another project.

It has some cool Banana Republic labels.....

A really neat liner [can't photo it too well]

It also has some really neat vents in the side.....

Wait a minute... those vents look familiar.

Sure enough, I have the vent die that Major Moore bought at the Beaver Brand auction.

My machine shop is doing a retro fit for the Major. So I got it out and sure enough...
Its the same as the vent pattern on the Banana Republic hat.
If I remember right, Richard [from Beaver Brand] told us that he made the vent die himself.
So I now believe I know for certain that Beaver Brand made the safari hats for Banana Republic.

 

[g.durand]

Rusty, I bought a couple of those in 1986 from the Banana Republic flagship store in San Francisco. I took the pugs off after a couple of years and replaced them with leather bands. In fact the olive colored one, which is either the same or similar to yours, was the first felt fedora I ever owned. I always wanted to know who manufactured those for BR. The lighter one, though, is an Akubra and is labeled on the liner. What's interesting is that even though they're vented, they're lined. The script in the liner on the olive hat is faded on mine, and it doesn't photograph well, but it's the same as yours.

 

[RBH]

Ahhh... The Akubra has the same vent.
I wonder if I am on the right track or not.
I have not seen this style vent but on a few hats at the Beaver Brand auction and now on your Akubra.
I have found the ad for the Akubra in Banana Republic.

 

[RBH]

Could be they liked the Akubra vent and Richard made them one.

 

[g.durand]

I wonder if Beaver Hats vented the crowns and embossed the logo on the sweatbands on the Akubras for BR after they were shipped to the US?

 

[RBH]

So the Akubra has a BR logo....
That would make sense.

 

[RBH]

From 1984

 

[Duck]

Rusty, I have a Thoroughbred hat that has the same vent. It may have been made by Beaver Brand too.

 

[mayserwegener]

Great detective work!

 

[RBH]

Rusty, I have a Thoroughbred hat that has the same vent. It may have been made by Beaver Brand too.

Thanks Duck...

Here is a quote from the Thoroughbred thread.

Thorobred looks to be the same hat as a Lyon 100% beaver I have. I think they were a Biltmore made hat.

We know that the Langenberg Hat Co made LION Hats.


I just ran across this.

THOROUGHBRED. Registered May 7, 1929. Harris-Polk Hat Company. Renewed May 7, 1949, to Harris Langenberg Hat Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri. MEN'S HATS AND CAPS. Class 39. 256.102.

 

[RBH]

Great detective work!

Thank you very much Sir!!!!

 

[Blackthorn]

That's quite a collectors item!

 

[RBH]

Just so everyone will know, Langenberg Hat Company later became Beaver Brand Hats.

 

[RBH]

I would bet the vent die was used on other hats as well.
Maybe we can get a good idea of the scope that Beaver Brand covered.

 

[Doc Glockster]

I found a hat like the one in this thread, same side vents and all, marked "Dynafelt" on the inside. Perhaps an early Banana Republic item?

 

[RBH]

I bet it was produced by Beaver Brand.

 

[Doc Glockster]

Whoever made it, I'd love to find a spare. The hat has a really thick brim and it's stiff as a board. I'd bet the hat can withstand some real abuse and bad weather just fine.

 

[TheDane]

Btw, Rusty: I don't know if you remember me, whining over BB in the pre-auction thread. I bought a bad POS back in 2010, and that being my only experience with BB, I had nothing good to say about the company - although I had heard a lot of good. Later I realized that my lovely 50s Worth 100% beaver western dress fedora was actually made by BB (Langenberg). The one from 2010 should never have passed the quality control, but they sure made some really great lids earlier on

 

[RBH]

Yep I remember.
That stuff happens...
But I have to say my Banana Republic safari hat is an excellent felt hat. The crown is not as tall as I like now .... but for a safari style it is great!

 

[RBH]

Ole... from the early '80s to 2010... a bunch of water under the proverbial bridge.

I also have to say that at the auction I saw some really fine examples of BB hats.
I also saw some that were not so fine....