Current production Fedora makers (Not Custom)

[Aureliano]

Guerra 1855 are superb. You can buy them at worth & worth in NYC. Cappellificio Cervo are also great. Used to be sold at W&W... not sure if they still are though.

 

[Garrett]

There is also the Henry from Adventurebilt - though a production hat, it is quite stellar.

 

[Sam Craig]

I have several months now into wearing a Jaxon Iconoclast and I have to say I am impressed

I've had to do quite a bit to it ... I reblocked it before I ever wore it and I didn't think I would ever get the brim to stop "waving" but I did

I've replaced the factory ribon with a better quality and more appealing color

I wear the hat at least once a week ... maybe more depending on what the job has on

I wouldn't pair it with a church suit, but it's great with slacks, shirt and tie for work... and it's tough

I would love it if they'd produce the same hat with about another inch or so in the crown height, but for the money it's a good work hat and keeps me from using my original fedoras when they should be safe at home

Sam

 

[barrowjh]

Beaver Brand is Tops for Factory-Made

Beaver Brand may (or may not) be tops in comparison to Borsalino, I do not live near a store where I can compare them side-by-side, but Beaver Brand is way too good to go unmentioned in this thread. Their factory is in Missouri and their hats are well made. I wish I lived near this store and could check out this River Runner:
http://www.johnhelmer.com/prod.itml/icOid/35
A nice-looking thin ribbon available in sizes up to 7 3/4 for only $125 - what's the catch? If that hat is a fur felt, up to Beaver Brand's quality standards, it is a bargain at that price. thefedorastore, a vendor here, sells Beaver Brand stock hats, and will be your agent to get a customized hat from them where you can tweak certain parameters as you wish.

My first hat was a Beaver Brand center dent in their Heritage body:

and more recently I picked up this all-beaver thin ribbon when thefedorastore put them on sale last year:

 

[XPLSV]

Beaver Brand

A few years back, when I was looking at buying my first fur fedora, I had stopped at a hat shop that had dozens of Beaver Brand hats. I thought they were pretty nice, but the one thing that unsettled me a bit that day, hats tagged in my 7 3/8 size fit differently. Some too big, some too small, some 7 1/4 fit better, some of those too big, too small, etc. Even now, I'm a little puzzled that there were that many that differed in size in new hats...even within the same style (some 7 3/8 in one style ran the gamut from too small to too big). I did find them to be very nice looking hats and the quality seemed to be very good. Sometimes I wonder if that place was selling factory seconds...

 

[barrowjh]

Beaver Brand

Size inconsistency is not a good thing, does not speak well of their quality control. I think there have been some management changes there in the past decade, so maybe what you experienced was a past situation. I have never been in a store that carried them where I could try on several, so I really cannot say whether or not they have that situation under control now or not. However, I would think that FL vendor thefedorastore would trade out and correct any size problem with any line of production hats, and same with Bencraft.

 

[Bill Greene]

Beaver Brand

I'll vouch for Beaver Brand also. I have two of them, and they're easily the quality of any other hat I own - and I have a lot of decent names. My two Beaver Brand hats are relatively new and I haven't seen any size inconsistency whatsoever. Great hats.

 

[donnc]

Will follow up if the retailer responds to my questions.

OK, finally heard back: "We've concluded it's the exact same hat and made by the same manufacturer."

I.e., at least in some cases, "Golden Gate" and "Broner" are labels printed on the otherwise same hat - Golden Gate farms some of its line out to Broner or they both use a third manufacturer.

I will dig into it a little further, in the interest of science.

 

[donnc]

OK, finally heard back: "We've concluded it's the exact same hat and made by the same manufacturer."

Just to set the record straight: he was lying. I returned the Broner in exchange for a real Golden Gate, and the latter is similar design but not the same material. The LiteFelt in the Broner hat is sort of weirdly supple and velvety, for wool. The "Softee" material in Golden Gate's similar crusher is thicker and a bit more abrasive. The retailer has desisted from this practice and now sells the hat as a Broner.

So, in case anyone who cares should come along at some date in the future, my conclusion is that, contrary to implications in my prior post, Golden Gate is for all I know alive and well and making their own hats in their own factory.

 

[besdor]

Golden Gate hats are made by Bollman in the USA. Broners hats are now starting to be made in China. Bot are wool but different factories. Check the tags in the hats.


Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[donnc]

Golden Gate hats are made by Bollman in the USA. Broners hats are now starting to be made in China. Bot are wool but different factories. Check the tags in the hats.

This Broner's tag claimed US manufacture, but I'm sure you're right. Maybe the part that's made in the US is the tag. That LiteFelt "wool" ... no doubt genuine, but something kind of creepy about it. I didn't wear it anywhere, as I intended to return it, but in the couple of minutes it spent on my head, it had an odd clammy, rubbery feeling. A natural material made unnatural.

Interesting to see the list of brands in "The Bollman Group" - Bailey, huh? Along with Kangol, half a dozen others.

 

[portolan]

You guys just cost me some bucks...

Just placed an order on the fedora store for a Beaver Brand Grand Beaver fedora in blue. They indicate they can have it to me in time for Monteagle! I ordered a dark blue with matching 9 ligne ribbon and 2 3/4 inch brim. They say it will come with a C crown bash. Not sure what that is, but I asked them to bash it as low as possible to lower the crown height. The hats were on sale and seem to be a way to get a kind of custom hat at a bit of a lower price. I am anxious to see if they get it done and how it looks. I don't like fancy, so I am hoping a thinner ribbon will tone it down a bit without giving it an Open Road thin ribbon look. I didn't know what kind of bow style to order so I just picked the one that was already there in the selector. I couldn't tell from the description if it is beaver or not, Beaver Brand Grand Beaver doesn't mean it is beaver! I think it is probably a mix of some kind. Not sure. Now the wait. Thanks for pointing me to Beaver Brand. I hope it will be a great hat! best, Phil

 

[theinterchange]

I think a lot of people are missing the point that John In Covina was making in his initial post. He was wanting to get an overall opinion of factory hats to compile a list as I read it... not get blasted with eBay cries and "go vintage!".

I have a Beaver Brand that has tapered like the dickens since I got it nearly 2 years ago.

Other than that, I've only had experience with Akubra in modern factory hats.

Randy

 

[cybergentleman]

hmm not to divert this thread, but what did you subject your beaver brand to- they are pricey and have a decent reputation.


also what kind of crease did you have in it, if it started off sorta tapered then maybe it just looks worse,

 

[theinterchange]

hmm not to divert this thread, but what did you subject your beaver brand to- they are pricey and have a decent reputation.


also what kind of crease did you have in it, if it started off sorta tapered then maybe it just looks worse,

Long story!

It's only been in a couple of rains, and never more than a surface wetting. [matter of fact, I think all but one of the rains I've subjected it to were documented here in the hats fresh from the elements thread] It started as an Indiana Jones hat, so little to no taper when new. I bought it from Lee Keppler/Adventure Supply and therein lies the long story. [huh]

I love the hat, it just needs some renovation. The part that puzzles me is how the hat got larger with wear. It started as a well fitting 7 1/4 but now fits like a 7 3/8.

Randy