Collection Arrangements

[barrowjh]

Here is a pitifully small group of straws - a significant deficiency. Working with PB to remediate, looking forward to better days for this group:

In the lower right foreground is a vintage 400 wpi, and on top of the box is my 1st straw - nice looking hat from Miller Hats but heavier than a fur felt. In-between are a couple of PB's overstock from Ebay; both are nice hats. This group WILL improve!

 

[barrowjh]

Thin Ribbons on Parade:

Borsalino on the left on the head stand, couple of Strats in the back, Resistol k'boy in the foreground, and I really love the Resistol on the lower rt on the box (a fave). The Loewe hat in the middle has the nicest felt of the bunch, better than the Allesandria or the Royal Deluxe dark grey Strat. Beater OR in upper rt. While putting these away, found another, a very nice pure beaver Bandera made for someone with a round head (NOT fave!). Maybe next time I'll remember to include it.

 

[barrowjh]

Got da blues? Naw, got da browns though:

Get tired just thinking about describing this bunch. Nice Stetson in the foreground on the table, and the trio in the very back are superb: Choc Bond on it's green box (L), Stetson Soveriegn in the middle on the gold box, and Stetson Flagship overwelt on the right side. Choc Beaver Brand in middle on the table. Two Penney's on the left; Marathon on it's box and a Towncraft that just would not clean up. Nice Dobbs on it's box on the right, but it is a stingy-brim, and a Dalton 2 1/4 brim that I will eventually give away or sell.

The Bond has the best felt, and the sweatband states it is a beaver-hare blend, so I suspect it is maybe 1/3 or 1/2 beaver. The Sovereign is also very nice felt. Both of these have felted edge brims, as does the Dobbs stingy.

 

[barrowjh]

"I'd like to look at your felted-edge fedoras, if you please"

Grey Dobbs 20, Stetson Sovereign, Bond beaver blend, and my fave Borsalino dark olive (water lilly) in the middle. I have fallen in love with the Sovereign's gold box; the crest includes the words "American Manufacture" - some ancient dialect, I suppose. Worth another pic-

 

[barrowjh]

Greens - the Borsalino and two Barbisios:

The two on the table were restored by Graham Thompson (Optimo Hats, Chicago), and that ribbon on the kelly-green Barbisio always draws compliments.

 

[barrowjh]

Greys:

Dobbs Twenty on the left, fair Mallory in the middle back (some moth pocks on it), stingy Cavanaugh on the right (with the Cav edge), and a 1984 Borsalino on the table. It came with a feather behind the bow, 'nuff said.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Where do you eat?

 

[rmrdaddy]

Fine collection sir!! :eusa_clap

 

[barrowjh]

Pencil Curls:

The two bowlers are Stetsons, one with a vented crown (unlined) and the other with a Maurice Rothchild 'Select Quality' crest in the liner. Borsalino on the back left, and the Cunningham on it's box on the right. I really like the Cunningham; the crown height and brim width just seem right for me. It is fairly nice felt, and my first (and only) experience with a pencil-curled brim NOT bound. Ugly grey Stetson St. Regis on the lower right - it was just too beat up and will not clean up.

Finest of the bunch - in the foreground on the head stand, from the Willard haberdashery (Willard Hotel in D.C.?) - it is a really nice hat, and when I steamed/pulled the front and back down, which pulled the wide brim high on the sides, I kinda like it on me (but not as well as I like the Cunningham).

Well, that's it. Wwaaayyy tooo much money for one darned head. Still, there are some 'deficiencies' - but I have learned to work on them more slowly now, and savor the fun. I have given away at least another dozen hats as gifts, and have probably sold a half-dozen ebay 'gambles' that I decided not to keep to a local vintage clothing store, at cost or a little below.

 

[funneman]

Wow!

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[J.T.Marcus]

John, Fine examples, beautiful presentation, impressive collection. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
How about two or three head shots?

 

[indycop]

GOOD GOSH!!:eusa_clap

 

[frijoli]

Where in heavens name do you keep all these??
What a great group of hats.

Clay

 

[MattJH]

This is my entire collection. I'm between a 7 5/8 and a 7 3/4, so vintage ones are hard to come by. Nonetheless, I think I've done pretty well! Maybe this can add some hope to those bigheads out there who've been having a hard time finding vintage hats.

Back row, starting from the left:

Vintage Brown / Grey hybrid MacLachlan in 7 5/8 Long Oval (my favorite one)
Vintage Fawn Herbert Johnson made for Brooks Brothers in 7 5/8
Vintage Tan Brooks Brothers stingy brim in 7 5/8
Vintage Dobbs 25 Golden Coach in 7 5/8

Middle row, starting from the left:

Vintage Black Knox 20 in 7 3/4 Long Oval
New Diamante Panama from PanamaBob in 7 3/4
New Koa Straw Stetson Gambler in 7 5/8
New Indiana Panama from PanamaBob in 7 5/8
Vintage Brown Dobbs 20 in 7 5/8 (this one would be this forum's favorite, I think - it's huge)

Front row, starting from left:

New Tanbark Brown Akubra Sydney in 7 5/8 (hand-creased)
New Moonstone Grey Akubra Stylemaster in 7 5/8​

 

[barrowjh]

Thanks for the compliments! eat? not in the finest restaurants, can't afford that! blew it all on hats . . If I could get good help, could do some head shots, and I need to. It would be informative to see the difference that crown height, taper, and brim width can have when you wear a homberg, the right combo can really make a difference.

I keep all of them in boxes, and usually a small sack of lavender in each box, and make use of the downstairs. I have a 'Winter' group - the fedoras and pencil curls, and they are upstairs during the cooler months, and the 'Summer' group (thin ribbons and straws) switch places at the appropriate time. Both groups have enough 'borderline' weights to cover the Fall / Spring. There are some exceptions, but that is the general rule.

 

[barrowjh]

Very nice, Dumbjaw!! I see you are working with PB also to 'remediate' your straw needs! Nice hats. That brown Dobbs on the Dobbs box does look nice, brim size seems more appropriate for the crown.

 

[Colby Jack]

I am so in awe!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap John and DJ...Wow!...What a great collection!

 

[J.T.Marcus]

Dumbjaw, That's a beautiful assortment! Nicely arranged for the photo, to. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[MattJH]

Thanks for the compliments, everyone!

My collection obviously doesn't come close to barrowjh's, but I like what I have a good deal. I only keep what I wear. Everything else goes to eBay.

 

[Yohanes]

W O W