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Messages
18,915
Location
Central California
That is very true. I guess maybe I should focus on figuring out my own style as opposed to trying to replicate my grandfathers. Thank you for the advice.

There are lot of reasons to own a hat, and replicating an ancestor’s hat is as good a reason as any. I occasionally shoot my great-grandfather’s Parker Bros. Shotgun; not because it’s the best gun I have but because it connects me to my past.

My recommendation is to get whatever you want because if you don’t you’ll regret it. You might also consider getting a second hat in a different style and color so you can mix it up and match your wardrobe.


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LevendiPaul

Familiar Face
Messages
58
Hello, I'm new to the forum and I have a kind of odd and specific question. So I have three photos of my grandfather wearing his winter fedora (he only owned one) and each one is at a different angle, different lens distance, etc. I was wondering is there any way based on vintage photographs to calculate or at least get an estimate on the measurements of his fedora? Basically I'm just wondering about brim width and crown height. If anybody knows if this is possible or knows how to do this let me know.


Your grandfathers hat looks very similar to a hat made by Black Sheep Hatworks
Style The Passport

6092C6B1-1DB0-4D02-ADFD-6554D57804DF.jpeg
 
Messages
12,384
Location
Albany Oregon
Thank you for the welcome! I haven't been able to figure out what the shape of the crown would be. You mean whether it's teardrop or center crease, right? I have only ever seen these three photos of him in his hat. And sadly none of my relatives know where his actual hat is. So really these pics are all I have to work from. If I were to bring the photos into a custom hatter would they be able to make an educated guess of what the crown shape would be based on the photos?

Oh, and there is another piece of information I forgot. Apparently, according to my mother, he wore a Knox fedora. To my understanding Knox made various different shapes and models of fedoras. But I just thought I'd mention that in case that information helps at all.

Welcome Christopher! I agree with the knowledge shared previously. I wholeheartedly support the idea of having one of our resident hat makers create a "homage" to this family hat. With the black and white images, it will be hard to come up with an actual color, but working with a custom maker, you can capture the look at least. I think with some luck, you could find a vintage example of a Knox hat that would also represent your relative's hat. I might have missed it, but do we have a date on these wonderful images? That would also give some clues to what we are looking at.

I am a historian for Oregon State University and have commissioned three different hats based on images I have found in our archives. They are some of the most memorable in my collection. The hat below is a copy of a 1913 image of one of the Regents of the college, Ben Olcott. This hat is now known as the "Olcott" If you need some more guidance, stick around, I'm sure many Lounge members will weigh in on this quest. Good on you!

OAC Regents c1915 Flashy guy hat 350x.jpg
Birthday with Olcott front 350x.jpg
 
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DE STIJL

New in Town
Messages
12
Hi , I've just acquired my FIRST Stetson and would be grateful with any help that could be given with Model , dating etc.
It was made under licence in England - I think from the labels in the 50s but I can't find a comparable hat anywhere .
I've posted a few pics that may help ( Just received it so it needs a bit of shaping ! )
 

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The Wax Man

New in Town
Messages
2
I've had this hat for a few years and I've tried once before to find it's date and "model" (for lack of a better word) with an unsatisfactory, and probably untrue, result. So I thought I'd ask for help this time.

Hat
 
Messages
18,915
Location
Central California
I've had this hat for a few years and I've tried once before to find it's date and "model" (for lack of a better word) with an unsatisfactory, and probably untrue, result. So I thought I'd ask for help this time.

Hat

A detailed description would help and lots of high resolution photos are just about a requirement.

Try posting the photos etc. in one of the Resistol threads or in the thread below:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/thre...to-discuss-the-age-of-your-vintage-hat.30350/

Understand that,with some exceptions, the date of manufacture will only be an estimate and often the model name will remain unknown.

Good luck.
 
Messages
18,915
Location
Central California
Hi , I've just acquired my FIRST Stetson and would be grateful with any help that could be given with Model , dating etc.
It was made under licence in England - I think from the labels in the 50s but I can't find a comparable hat anywhere .
I've posted a few pics that may help ( Just received it so it needs a bit of shaping ! )

The photos are very low resolution. If you can attach better photos you will no doubt get a better response. Try posting the high resolution photos here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/thre...to-discuss-the-age-of-your-vintage-hat.30350/

You can also look at the various at the links on dating Stetsons by liners, Sweatband, size tags, etc.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/links-to-important-hat-forum-threads.52584/

Good luck.


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Just A Hat Rack

Practically Family
Messages
619
Location
Buckeye Nation
Hello all. I stumbled across this forum while searching online for hats, and having a few questions I decided to join in the charade. I've been a hat lover for most of my life, from ball caps, to "fashion" fedoras. I've always had a fondness for brimmed hats, thanks to Indiana Jones. The only ones I've ever owned outside of crushable wool or cotton have been a cowboy hat and an Indiana Jones brand fedora, both wool felt. I've never really worn them because I live in the urban midwest, and it's not necessarily the hip thing to wear. Now that I'm older and could care less if I'm hip, I've decided to step my game up and treat myself to something nice without breaking the bank.

Other than how they look, I know pretty much nothing about hats when it comes to terminology or how they're made. I'm in the market for a western style fedora or pinch front with a flatter brim. I would prefer it to be fur felt, again without breaking the bank. A question I have is do all fur felt hats have a firm feel to them? I ask this because on a recent trip to Arizona, I visited the Az-Tex hat company in Scottsdale. Most, if not all of their fur hats had a softer feel to them. The brims weren't floppy or anything, but they definitely had some give. I really liked the feel of them, but don't feel like shelling out the $500 they were asking for many of them. Now I'm left confused because all of the other hats I've looked at elsewhere had the firm feel to them like the wool felts that I have. Another question I have is how well fur felt holds up in rain? I know fur holds up to the elements better than wool, but I'd most likely be wearing it to work a lot (I work outside) and didn't know how well it would survive a sudden downpour. And, am I right in believing that fur wouldn't be ideal to wear in the summer?

I am sorry for the lengthy post, and if any of my questions were silly. Thank you for your time.
 

jlee562

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,047
Location
San Francisco, CA
The condensed version:
1) The "softness" of a hat can mean two things that are slightly related, but also, not. There's the malleability of the felt and then there's the actual tactile feel. The former is more related to the quality of the felt itself, as well as the addition of stiffener, while the latter is related to the material and the time and effort spent finishing the hat.

Modern western hats are fairly stiff.

2) Most fur felts should be fine in the rain. Some caveats apply. Generally, wild hare is favored over rabbit, and beaver is favored over wild hare in terms of water resistance.

3) Yup, summer is straw hat season, you need one of those too. :D
 

Just A Hat Rack

Practically Family
Messages
619
Location
Buckeye Nation
Also, does anyone know anything about Biltmore hats? I found one online by them that's up my alley, but know nothing of the brand other than they're based out of Canada, which is kinda funny seeing as I'm looking for a western hat.
 

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