Beater Brotherhood

[squid]

I am not quite sure. Do I have to remind everyone what a beater really is?
Here you go four of them:

Regards,

J

Those hats were up on ebay not once, but twice! And with an opening bid of $30! Are they up a third time now?

 

[jamespowers]

Those hats were up on ebay not once, but twice! And with an opening bid of $30! Are they up a third time now?

Yep the beater auction is up again. Interested?

Regards,

J

 

[Bud-n-Texas]

Those hats were up on ebay not once, but twice! And with an opening bid of $30! Are they up a third time now?

To be honest, I am suprised that they did not sell. I have seen worse sell for higher. Seems they are quite sought after up north for decorations. I saw one once go for $60.00, it had some reported calf blood and other natural stains. I have been tempted to sell off some of my old ranch clothes and hats. They surely do have "natural stains" on them. haha

 

[ortega76]

Vintage Champ

I've had this one for about two months now. It's my daily hat, especially now that the weather is cooling. I bought off the 'Bay for about $20. Good condition, lining intact. I'm amused because the original owner's name is still inside and I decided against removing the label.

Me wearing my beater.

The hat itself

Interior shots

Hat pin. I have no idea where it's from but it looks like a small eagle.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Show Us Your "BEATERS"

This may be "old hat" but in the event that there hasn't been a thread like this for a while it might be interesting to see the rumpled, stained, and storied hats which many of us have among the show pieces.

I'll start with this:
I've been wearing brimmed hats for years and I work in public where I meet a lot of people. Recently I've added more nice, vintage lids to the bunch but of all the prizes I have in the collection, the one people remember and respond best to is my ugliest, dirtiest, shaggiest hat.

Now, you fine felt fedora ******ists might take a dim view of this Minnetonka Outback leather number and I can't blame you. It's logged a lot of miles on my head though - at work, in the deserts of Arizona, the rivers of the Carolinas, the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming and on and on. It's greasy and bent up into some kind of weird backwards brim shape that I didn't even consciously apply to it.

Recently, I've left this at home and have been sporting museum-piece Borsalinos, Dobbs, Stetsons, Knoxs, Champs, Wormsers, etc.

So here's what I keep gettin' from folks:
"Where's your OTHER hat?"

"What do you mean? - I've been wearing a different hat every day for a
month and there are still more to come. I've got a lot of hats."

"No, you know the one; the leather one that's all beat up. We like THAT one. It's got CHARACTER."

"Yeah, but this is a 1935, Bors..."

"Naw, naw, naw. We like that OTHER hat. THAT's YOUR hat."

Well here it is and links to more pix:
Now show us YOURS.

"That's not a brim - - now THIS is a brim"

http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii79/harpplayergene/Leather Outback Beater/

 

[jake_fink]

Lots of "beaters" in this classic beaters thread.

Okay, so not so many after all. But lots of Photobucket logos.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Thanks Jake

Lots of "beaters" in this classic beaters thread.

Okay, so not so many after all. But lots of Photobucket logos.

Might be time to do an updated thread on this is folks are interested.

Jeez, you people have pretty high standards! Judging by what others consider "beaters" every hat I'm proud of to own is a beater. I thought there might be some rougher ones out there but we'll see...

All the best,

Gene

 

[kpreed]

My everyday "hat" is a grey Bailey fedora, but I wear this cap most days.

 

[Dinerman]

Brent adventurer

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Now THAT's more like it!!

Hey Dinerman - that's a great one!

Gene

 

[Slouch-Hat]

I posted pics of this one in a thread about identifying it. I got a lot of good feedback, but no one could pin it down. All I know is it's a great hat for wearing in any weather and/or just knocking around. It's a Cav-edged old boy with a lot of character.

Slouch-Hat...

 

[carldelo]

Go figure

I've been meaning to dig out my first fedora to post here on the beater's page. I bought it at age 15 or 16 for 75 cents at a thrift store in my hometown of Renton, WA. I wore it almost continuously for 10 years and really beat the **** out of it - it's been in a box for the last 20 years or so. So I finally located it in the closet and brought it out to photograph. Well it's a Cavanagh, and lo and behold it has the eponymous edge treatment - go figure.

http://s97.photobucket.com/albums/l234/carldelo/Misc hats/?action=view&current=Hatshow038.jpg
http://s97.photobucket.com/albums/l234/carldelo/Misc hats/?action=view&current=Hatshow039.jpg

I couldn't get this anywhere close to fitting, so no photos of it on my head. I thought I remembered a Cavanagh edge, but my memory can play tricks sometimes. I do remember sitting in a dive bar on the lower east side years ago, where a geezer told me "hey kid, that's a real uptown lid you've got there" or words to that effect. Wish I could get in on my head again...

 

[AdmiralTofu]

I've been meaning to dig out my first fedora to post here on the beater's page. I bought it at age 15 or 16 for 75 cents at a thrift store in my hometown of Renton, WA. I wore it almost continuously for 10 years and really beat the **** out of it - it's been in a box for the last 20 years or so. So I finally located it in the closet and brought it out to photograph. Well it's a Cavanagh, and lo and behold it has the eponymous edge treatment - go figure.

http://s97.photobucket.com/albums/l234/carldelo/Misc hats/?action=view&current=Hatshow038.jpg
http://s97.photobucket.com/albums/l234/carldelo/Misc hats/?action=view&current=Hatshow038.jpg

I couldn't get this anywhere close to fitting, so no photos of it on my head. I thought I remembered a Cavanagh edge, but my memory can play tricks sometimes. I do remember sitting in a dive bar on the lower east side years ago, where a geezer told me "hey kid, that's a real uptown lid you've got there" or words to that effect. Wish I could get in on my head again...

What a beaut! :eusa_clap How much of a size difference is there? I'm no expert (faaaaaaaar from it lol), but there's a lot of brim on that hat... maybe you could lose some of it and have it re-blocked bigger?

-Tofu

 

[carldelo]

Well....

What a beaut! :eusa_clap How much of a size difference is there? I'm no expert (faaaaaaaar from it lol), but there's a lot of brim on that hat... maybe you could lose some of it and have it re-blocked bigger?

-Tofu

The size difference is probably about 2 sizes, so I suppose it could be resized with a new ribbon. But there's some pretty significant moth-chewing, not to mention the holes and staining at the pinch, messed up lining, etc. I think it's a 'memento mori' at this point:

http://s97.photobucket.com/albums/l234/carldelo/Misc hats/?action=view&current=Hatshow033.jpg
http://s97.photobucket.com/albums/l234/carldelo/Misc hats/?action=view&current=Hatshow036.jpg

Also cool - I found a note tucked inside the band - "Lou Reed wore this hat - live at the Bottom Line - June 14 1979". He picked it up from my table at the edge of the stage (I had a friend who waiting tables there at the time) and wore it while singing a version of "Sweet Jane". At the end he (of course) sailed it all the way to the back of the crowd - someone nicely gave it to a waitress to bring back to me. I wish I had a picture...

 

[bolthead]

Here's mine....

I can't date it for sure, but I know it's at least from the 40's, or so I was told, but it sure is one of my favorites. My Light Grey/gray Borso....

 

[J.T.Marcus]

bolthead, It sure looks a lot better on your head!

 

[bolthead]

bolthead, It sure looks a lot better on your head!

Thanks my friend.

 

[indycop]

I can't date it for sure, but I know it's at least from the 40's, or so I was told, but it sure is one of my favorites. My Light Grey/gray Borso....

It only looks like a beater on the inside!

 

[Garrett]

So this is a thread for our most well-loved hats. Here's my favorite beater - an old 50's Stetson Whippet - Similar to the condition of Johnny Depp's Borsalino.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Great thread!


My Stetson Vita-Felt 'Eagle' from the early 1940s. The pinch is fraying; the hat is pretty well broken in. It's the most Bogie-looking fedora I've got, and the friendliest too.

HarpGenePlayer has an identical one, but in better condition:

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And here is an advertisement from 1942, the first year they were produced. Note the patriotic red, white and blue feathers in the ribbon.

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