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[2_K]

Picked up this Lion Hat Co. cowboy hat. All I know is it's 8x imported coney (rabbit). Coney was used up to the 18th century. Any idea of when this hat was made, other info and a valuation would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Trouser Bark]

Coney was used up until 1700?

 

[2_K]

Coney was used up until 1700?

"The term coney, yes. It was used much later as well, but it was just known as rabbit fur.
Until the 18th century, rabbits were called coneys, based on the French conil, shortened from the Latin cuniculus. Rabbit first referred to the young of coneys until eventually the word took over in popularity."

 

[Frunobulax]

"The term coney, yes. It was used much later as well, but it was just known as rabbit fur.
Until the 18th century, rabbits were called coneys, based on the French conil, shortened from the Latin cuniculus. Rabbit first referred to the young of coneys until eventually the word took over in popularity."

It's not unusual to see "coney fur" noted on a hat well into the 50s and 60s.

 

[moehawk]

Lion hats were made by the Langenberg hat company. They made way more hats for independant menswear retailers and small regional chains. They also made other branded hats, Wormser comes to mind. To the best of my knowledge around 1980ish, they changed their own brand from Lion hats to Beaver Brand hats.
I have handled a few of these hats, both Beaver Brand and ones made for retailers with their store name printed inside. They are good hats, well made with decent (but nothing special) components. All I have handled were sturdy, nothing delicate about them.
Good looking hat, btw!

 

[2_K]

Lion hats were made by the Langenberg hat company. They made way more hats for independant menswear retailers and small regional chains. They also made other branded hats, Wormser comes to mind. To the best of my knowledge around 1980ish, they changed their own brand from Lion hats to Beaver Brand hats.
I have handled a few of these hats, both Beaver Brand and ones made for retailers with their store name printed inside. They are good hats, well made with decent (but nothing special) components. All I have handled were sturdy, nothing delicate about them.
Good looking hat, btw!

I've read that coney specifically is highly sought after and more precious than later hats made with rabbit. Is it blended with another finer fur or beaver? The X factor had to play a part with a hat this old.

 

[BobHufford]

The plastic liner tip and the lower quality of the logo on the sweatband would put this in the mid-1950s at the oldest. I’ve had several of the Coney hats and most were of this ‘50s - ‘70s era. I did have one Beaver Brand with Coney that would have been after the move from Lion to Beaver for Langenberg (circa 1980)?

Pure beaver Langenberg hats of this era were sometimes marked as 20X.

 

[Frunobulax]

Lion hats were made by the Langenberg hat company. They made way more hats for independant menswear retailers and small regional chains. They also made other branded hats, Wormser comes to mind. To the best of my knowledge around 1980ish, they changed their own brand from Lion hats to Beaver Brand hats.
I have handled a few of these hats, both Beaver Brand and ones made for retailers with their store name printed inside. They are good hats, well made with decent (but nothing special) components. All I have handled were sturdy, nothing delicate about them.
Good looking hat, btw!

I didn't know Langenberg made Wormsers. The one Wormser I own is markedly nicer than any other Langenberg I've handled.

I've read that coney specifically is highly sought after and more precious than later hats made with rabbit. Is it blended with another finer fur or beaver? The X factor had to play a part with a hat this old.

Felt hats are made from a variety of furs. Everybody covets beaver, but rabbit, hare, nutria have all been used. Many European hats use hare from what I understand. They all make great hats.

 

[moehawk]

I didn't know Langenberg made Wormsers. The one Wormser I own is markedly nicer than any other Langenberg I've handled.

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Felt hats are made from a variety of furs. Everybody covets beaver, but rabbit, hare, nutria have all been used. Many European hats use hare from what I understand. They all make great hats.

I seem to remember somebody posted about some old equipment from Langenberg, including some of the dies for sweatband stamps. If I recall correctly, a Wormser one was included.

 

[moehawk]

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/langenberg-beaver-brands.101868/

AA couple of posts down...