Hemingway Cap

[Tracy Jenson]

This is also the hat that "Bernie" wore in "Weekend at Bernie's II".

 

[Tiki Tom]

Looks like you can get one from Sloppy Joe's on-line shop too. I'd actually be up for that, as I was stationed in Key West during the Mariel Boatlift. Spent a lot of hours at Sloppy Joe's. Toured the Hemingway's house, and also hung out at Captain Tony's which, I'm told, was the original Sloppy Joe's. KW was also where I picked up a paperback copy of Carlos Baker's Hemingway biography, and thus a lifelong interest was born. So the hat would have a little sentimental value. (Have I talked myself into it yet?)

https://store.sloppyjoes.com/classic-logo-sunblock-long-bill

As it is, I have a really old "Hemingway long-bill fishing cap" that I bought in the early 90s. It is all cloth: Off-white cap with dark Khaki bill. It is probably the most beat-up and abused hat I have. Sweat-stained and battle-scarred. I wear it if I know I'm gonna be in the sun all day, if I'm doing yard work, or if I want to make my wife roll her eyes.

 

[RJR]

Looks like you can get one from Sloppy Joe's on-line shop too. I'd actually be up for that, as I was stationed in Key West during the Mariel Boatlift. Spent a lot of hours at Sloppy Joe's. Toured the Hemingway's house, and also hung out at Captain Tony's which, I'm told, was the original Sloppy Joe's. KW was also where I picked up a paperback copy of Carlos Baker's Hemingway biography, and thus a lifelong interest was born. So the hat would have a little sentimental value. (Have I talked myself into it yet?)

https://store.sloppyjoes.com/classic-logo-sunblock-long-bill

As it is, I have a really old "Hemingway long-bill fishing cap" that I bought in the early 90s. It is all cloth: Off-white cap with dark Khaki bill. It is probably the most beat-up and abused hat I have. Sweat-stained and battle-scarred. I wear it if I know I'm gonna be in the sun all day, if I'm doing yard work, or if I want to make my wife roll her eyes.

 

[Tracy Jenson]

The one at Sloppy Joe's is not the same hat as J. Peterman sells though, which is out of stock right now.

 

[davidd]

I'm currently mid-way through my second summer of wearing the J. Peterman Company Hemingway's Cap (Item no. 1537) as my general purpose "getting stuff done" cap. I thought I'd share an updated photo.

J. Peterman Company "Hemingway's Cap"
​

After some serious real-world use and abuse, this cap is staring to look a lot less like a goofy novelty piece and a lot more like something Hemingway might have worn during some of his adventures.

I still haven't had a chance to wear it out fishing in The Keys (because, y'know, I'm currently living in a totally landlocked state), but one of these days I hope to add some saltwater stains to the sweat and dirt and mud and stuff that drips out of pipes under the house stains.

The Hemingway's Cap is available seasonally from The J. Peterman Company web site: http://www.jpeterman.com/item/mht-1537/100101101/hemingways-cap

 

[davidd]

My first J. Peterman Hemingway's Fishing Cap is holding up just fine, but today I ordered another one to have on hand for the inevitable day it gets lost or irreparably damaged... or, heaven forbid, Peterman closes up shop (again). The J. Peterman Company tends to have End of Season sales and to offer coupon discounts and free shipping specials, so I took advantage of some discounts off the current $59.95 regular price.

I wore the cap during a short hike today. Not that anybody cares, but here's a few pics of how it's holding up:​

​

Lookin' much better than when it was all bright and shiny and new, IMHO.

 

[scotrace]

Mine is just too darn tight to wear. I'm an extreme long oval, and the elastic in back causes a serious dent in my forehead.

 

[davidd]

Eighteen months since the last update, I'm still wearing the J. Peterman Co. Hemingway cap:

 

[davidd]

I hear that the Down On His Luck Fishing Boat Skipper look (aka Charter Boat Chic) is all the rage this fashion season.​

​

For this ensemble, our stylish model wears the J. Peterman Company Hemingway cap combined with a vintage Banana Republic (from back when they were a "Travel & Safari Clothing" retailer) safari shirt, custom-styled George brand selvedge denim from Walmart, and a classic moc toe boot from Red Wing Heritage, accessorized with a canvas shoulder satchel from Magnoli Clothiers and a banjo ukulele from Luna Guitars.

In the latest edition of the J. Peterman Company catalog (Owners Manual No. 171, Fall 2019) the name of the Hemingway Cap has been changed to the generic "Fishing Cap," and all references to Hemingway have been expunged from the product description. I do not know if this is part of the "modernization" that John Peterman's son Matt is implementing to bring the references in the catalog descriptions up to date, or if the Hemingway estate (after, what, twenty or thirty years) has suddenly issued a cease & desist request, or if this is a retreat in the face of rampant political correctness; in the current socio-political climate, a brawny, brawling "man's man" (aka "***ist pig") like Hemingway has become persona non grata.

Whatever. I still wear the hat regularly. And hey, right now, the "fishing cap" is only $39 on the J. Peterman website. Get one while you still can!

 

[Vagabundo]

I found one of the older union made versions of this hat at the swap meet the other day for $1. Love it!

 

[davidd]

Quaker Marine claims to be the original manufacturer of the long-billed fishing cap worn by Hemingway. Recently Quaker Marine reintroduced this hat, with a four-panel canvas crown and a black patent leather bill:

https://quakermarine.com/collections/hats/products/oysterman

The "Oysterman" cap comes in and out of stock - mostly it's out of stock... which seems odd to me if the company actually makes the hats as they claim.

The bill is shorter than that of the Peterman version.

The J. Peterman Company no longer seems to be offering the Hemingway cap. What look to be overstock or remainders are currently available on eBay, packed in a J. Peterman plastic bag.

Also, I finally got some genuine "salt water stains" on my Hemingway cap during a visit to the west coast this past December:

The following month I wore it to Florida. Didn't make it all the way to Key West, so Daytona and Panama City had to suffice.

 

[Just Chris]

Hello everyone. This is my first post on the forum.

I have the J Peterman cap, as well as the first and second iterations of Quaker Marine Supply's reintroduced Oysterman.

Since @davidd has done such a wonderful job reviewing the J Peterman version, I'll focus on the QMS hats.

Since I had been following information posted to social media about QMS' reopening I was able to buy the new Oysterman almost as soon as their site went live. I was excited to finally get my hands on an authentic longbill fishing cap with a patent leather bill. I already had J Peterman's version and liked it a lot, but the leather bill always made me reluctant to use the hat for the purpose it was intended for.

Long story short, when I received the first hat I was disappointed. The canvas crown was soft and floppy, which is not my preference, the bill was thick and inflexible, and the patent leather was soft and easily scratched.

I love the look of the hat, but it seemed to me like more of a novelty than a useful piece of outdoor gear; an attempt to emulate the original that didn't quite succeed.

However, the second generation addressed those

 

[Just Chris]

When QMS announced an updated version of the oysterman, I figured what the heck. I grabbed one in navy blue.

This second iteration is much better. It features a sturdier cotton crown, and a thinner, more flexible patent leather bill that is more scratch resistant than the old one. It's super light weight.

This hat has become my everyday go to cap. The only comments I get are about how ugly it is, but I love it.

 

[earl]

The only time I stumbled upon a "Hemingway"-style cap for sale was in Aruba some 24 years ago. As I thought the style a unique take on a ball cap, bought it. Still looks as pristine as the day I bought it.

 

[davidd]

​

Left to right:

Quaker Marine Oysterman in khaki poplin
J. Peterman Co. Hemingway Cap
Quaker Marine Oysterman in yellow waxed cotton

The bill of the J. Peterman version is nearly a full inch longer than that of the Quaker Marine Oysterman. The Peterman was offered "semi-sized" (SM - M - LG - XL) with an elasticized back hem, while the Quaker Marine is one size with an adjustable fabric back strap with a metal fastener. The Peterman bill is covered in brown leather. The Quaker Marine bill is black patent leather (a shiny black plastic) with a dark green vinyl underside. (The underside of the bill no longer displays the Quaker Marine logo as pictured previously in this topic.)

The Peterman has apparently been discontinued, but New Old Stock shows up regularly on eBay. The Oysterman is currently available in a variety of colors at the Quaker Marine website, along with a fabric bill version called the Swordfish. All versions of these caps ship with flat bills which can be shaped to preference.

Current prices: around $60 USD for both the Quaker Marine and the J. Peterman.

As for my first Peterman Hemingway cap that I started wearing in 2016, and have mentioned (probably too many times) in this topic, it is still hanging together. Last season I was prepared to replace it, but it hasn't quite reached the point where I feel it is ready for full retirement.

New and Old J. Peterman Hemingway Caps​

 

[davidd]

Not a lot of love for the Hemingway or "long bill" cap, huh?

Oh well, I'll keep the flame burning. I just placed an order for a ridiculously overpriced "long bill" fishing cap, the "Pilar" from Papa Nui Cap Co.

With a wink and a nudge to the Peterman catalog's flowery fictionalized copywriting, following a lengthy anecdote about Hemingway's son Jack fly fishing behind enemy lines in Europe during WWII, the Papa Nui 'Pilar' product description adds:

Forget the malarky and hokem, this isn’t a Ketchum Gas Station find nor a recreation lookalike, this is the real deal, no clever copy writing just the true ‘Gen’.

I'll update this topic with observations as to how much "malarky and hokem" (back in my day, we spelled it "hokum") is inherent in the Papa Nui 'Pilar' cap once it arrives. At twice the price of either a Peterman or a Quaker Marine, the Papa Nui had better be somethin'.

I ordered my 'Pilar' (available semi-sized: Medium, Large, X-Large) via an American distributor, C Woodcock & Co.

Papa Nui Cap Co: https://papanuicapco.com/products/pilar-cap

C. Woodcock & Co.: https://cwoodcockandco.com/shop/ols/products/the-pilar-cap-the-true-gen