Hat brands...Relative Quality?

[Riley Dee]

After wearing and collecting “newsie” style flat caps for a couple of years and bolstered by the truly remarkable “What hat are you wearing today?” thread I have decided to take the plunge into the world of fedoras and trilbys. I currently have a Dobb’s Fifth Avenue straw with box and a couple of lower end wool fedoras. I am ready to start looking in earnest for decent hats and would like to have an idea of the brands available and their quality. How would you all rank the brands on the market for relative quality?

If there is a thread in the “Hats” section that covers this I apologize in advance as I didn't find one using the search function.

 

[indycop]

That would depend somewhat on what type of hat you want as well as how much you are looking to spend. Art Fawcett makes some of the top echelon hats at a good price and it will be a beaver and custom. Akubra makes good hats at a great price with many different offerings. There are numerous good hatters on the lounge also.
You should receive good advice shortly!!

 

[indycop]

Oh!! I don't believe I've met you yet so welcome!!!

 

[carter]

OPAS

Welcome, Riley Dee. There is more information than you can imagine on the Hat threads. Just start looking and reading.
If you're looking for vintage hats and an idea of their cost, ebay is a good place to start.
The more you get involved, the more you'll learn.
Come in, have a seat, the company is congenial and the bar is always open.

 

[Riley Dee]

Thank you gentlemen for the warm welcome to the lounge.

 

[Feraud]

Welcome the Lounge Riley Dee.

I suggest reading some older threads and get a feel for what the members like. There are many discussions where we rave about this or that hat. Some choose to buy custom, retail, or vintage exclusively. You will quickly read who likes what and why.
Feel free to bump one of those threads with a question about brand quality, construction, cost, etc.

 

[barrowjh]

I have a new Beaver Brand hat, and it was made reasonably well. There is some debate here about which is best amongst the factory outfits of Beaver Brand, Hatco, Borsalino, Biltmore, and Akubra. Beaver Brand is the only factory that will customize a hat (within their options available) at regular retail prices (see TheFedoraStore), but Borsalino earns points amongst us for style. The Akubra Federation has a following here because of its non-tapered crown, but like an old Ford model T, there are few options within the factory-made hats. Ebay - as you learn what to look for, its hard to resist bidding on great vintage hats; you can score a great hat for a fraction of what it would cost to buy that same quality made new. I started looking at Ebay after buying the Beaver Brand, and have since won about a dozen nice hats.

The custom hatters have earned our respect and most of us would commission a new hat from one of them rather than buying a factory hat. Mike Moore (Buckaroo Hatters) is a member here. Vintage Silhouettes (Art Fawcett, also a FL member) makes great hats - I can't make up my mind which of those limited edition hats I want most!! The most respected hatter might be Optimo Hats in Chicago, where the proprietor (Graham Thompson) is an experienced hatter (edited - a 'senior moment' removed).

IF - if I had found FL before ordering that first hat (the Beaver Brand), would I have bought that hat? In factory hats, I now look at Borsalino's Allesandria in taupe color, Hatco's olive green (cannot remember whether it was a Stetson or Dobbs, or the color 'name'), Beaver Brand's 'kangaroo' medium brown. There are lots of options if you are patient. hard to decide on just one . . . .

 

[thefedorastore]

100% Beaver????

Welcome to the lounge! I just received the prototype of our new 100% beaver fedora by Beaver Brand Hats, and you can read my opinions on it and view it in the merchants section. Based on all of the production hats I have had my hands on, it's the best I have ever touched. It is made from the same felt hoods at the Borsalino 100% beaver. I only have one available now, and it's a 7-1/2 teardop in black.

 

[barrowjh]

uh-oh - that changes things a bit! 100% Beaver, in their Universal crown (unless there is a better non-tapered option now), 2 5/8 brim w/bound edge, hmmmm. Are they offering any new colors?

 

[thefedorastore]

uh-oh - that changes things a bit! 100% Beaver, in their Universal crown (unless there is a better non-tapered option now), 2 5/8 brim w/bound edge, hmmmm. Are they offering any new colors?

WE will be doing black only. Felt is on order, and we can take pre-orders but you are looking at about 6 to 8 weeks for delivery.

 

[Lensmaster]

That's a nice looking hat.

 

[Vintage Betty]

Welcome to the Lounge Mr. Dee! I haven't had the pleasure yet.

There are many good threads on this subject. For myself, here's what I'd offer up:

• Try on a variety of hats before buying one so you can decide what looks good on you
• Bring along an honest friend, who can give you feedback and bring a camera too.
• Remember what color you will be wearing and makes sure it looks good with your skin/hair.
• Do you want a winter hat? Summer hat? Many hats have "seasons" in which they must be in storage in off-months.
• Do you need it to be waterproof?
• Do you sweat a lot and need an interior band which absorbs sweat?
• Do you know your hat size?
• Do you plan on changing your hair, mustache, beard in the next few months?
• What is your budget?
• Do you like hats that are "broken in" and show wear over a period of time, or do you want it to remain pristine? Something in between? The answer to this question will assist with the material the hat is made of.
• Do you want to pass this hat on to a family member?

Here's a rough guide to assist:

High-priced Hats
Custom hats

Medium-priced Hats
Formed hats with custom finishes
High quality materials used in mass market hats

Low-priced Hats
Mass market hats, easily replaced for a low price. Usually felt or blends.

If possible, I'd recommend attending an event with Lounge members, who will, if asked nicely, be happy to let you inspect their hats, ask questions, and maybe even try the hat on if you buy a round of drinks. :cheers1:

Cheers-
Vintage Betty