The Penney's Marathon

[Bogie1943]

lining..

 

[Bogie1943]

detail...

 

[Bogie1943]

more detail...

 

[Bogie1943]

lastly...

 

[Engr-Chas]

Greetings!
The Penney's Marathon is very similar to the Stetson Stratoliner. If I am not mistaken, it was make by the Lee company, but Art would know for sure. This is the same hat that Art leased to Seabiscuit for the character Charles Howard. Nice looking fedora, wear it well!

Charles

 

[Art Fawcett]

HI Josh
Chas is right, the Marathon was made for Penny's by the Lee hat Co. in Danbury. It was meant to be a rugged every day type of hat and filled the bill nicely. Not alot of innovating styling, just a plain old good hat!!

Art

 

[Sergei]

I have one too. However, it's the same looking hat as used in Seabiscuit. Same color and hat size as Jeff Bridges, 7 1/2. I bought mine from Havershaw. It had the original sales reciept from the early 50's, $4.95!

Enjoy it.

 

[Bogie1943]

Jeff Bridge's lid in Seabiscuit is one of my favorite lids of all time, I always thought my other light grey lid looked like that one.

 

[fedoralover]

Some of the Marathon's do indeed look like the Stetson Stratoliner, however having had about 5 Stratoliners and seeing numerous Marathon's, I would have to say the Stratoliners were a much better quality hat. Just my opinion.

fedoralover

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Art wrote.

HI Josh
Chas is right, the Marathon was made for Penny's by the Lee hat Co. in Danbury. It was meant to be a rugged every day type of hat and filled the bill nicely. Not alot of innovating styling, just a plain old good hat!!

Art



Art,
Can you make the same hat today as the movie hat? Since you have the org. hat.:cool2:

 

[Michaelson]

The first, and at that time ONLY, fedora I ever owned was a Marathon from Penney's. I wore that thing until it literally wore out BEYOND any thoughts of reclaimation. Great hat, and was built to take anything dished out to it. Regards. Michaelson

 

[jamespowers]

Originally posted by Michaelson
The first, and at that time ONLY, fedora I ever owned was a Marathon from Penney's. I wore that thing until it literally wore out BEYOND any thoughts of reclaimation. Great hat, and was built to take anything dished out to it. Regards. Michaelson

Out of curiousity, how long did it take to wear it out completely. I have never actually done that so I would like to know how long it would take. Lee hats are workhorses. They made some decent hats too if you paid more for them. $20 in those days got you a very nice Lee---on par with a Mallory at least. Maybe not the same as a Knox or a Dobbs but close enough. They all got their hat bodies from the same places. It was just how they handled them that made the difference---a lot of difference.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Michaelson]

In my case, about 5 years, but that was from day in, day out, didn't matter WHAT I was doing at the time type wear. I did not treat the hat with any thought other than to wear it, unlike how I treat my hats today. Hind sight being 20/20, it should still be on my shelf if I had taken care of it. Bear in mind, though, in my part of the country, they were still available, and the idea of them completely disappearing was not one that even remotely crossed our minds. Therefore, you rode 'em hard and put 'em away wet...so what? You could replace them should they give up the ghost. Man, was I wrong!! Regards. Michaelson

 

[jamespowers]

Originally posted by Michaelson
Therefore, you rode 'em hard and put 'em away wet...so what? You could replace them should they give up the ghost. Man, was I wrong!! Regards. Michaelson

Five years! Let me guess the character for Norton on The Honeymooners was based on you. LOL
Yep, you and a few thousand other people soon found out that they were not going to keep making them like they used to. Fortunately there were people out there that treated their hats a little differently.
Come to think of it, in five years you got 1,825 wearings out of it and probably about 16,425 hours out of it. Not all that bad really---unless it was hit by a few 18 wheelers every day. LOL

Regards to all,

J

 

[Michaelson]

Looked like it when it got retired, let me tell you. You'll be proud to know that it did NOT get tossed in the trash like some discarded piece of garbage...NO sir. It was honorably cremated in my wood stove at the time of it's demise. It was the only correct thing to do. Regards. Michaelson

 

[jamespowers]

Originally posted by Michaelson
it did NOT get tossed in the trash like some discarded piece of garbage...NO sir. It was honorably cremated in my wood stove at the time of it's demise. It was the only correct thing to do. Regards. Michaelson

Yep, worn out hats and American flags get the same honorable demise when their useful lives end.

Regards to all,

J

 

[fedoralover]

All these posts about the Marathon and just today I stopped into a vintage store and there was one for sale. The felt was in excellent condition with the sweatband and liner in good condition. It fit me and I wear a size 7 1/4. It was $48.00 in case anyone here is interested, I could pick it up for you and if you pay the shipping I'll send it to you. The color was a very very light brown with a 1/4 inch ribbon. Brim was around 2 5/8ths. Crown was in the classic teardrop shape.

fedoralover

 

[jamespowers]

Very nice find. Now find me one in my size. LOL

Regards to all,

j

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Fedoralover wrote

I could pick it up for you and if you pay the shipping I'll send it to you.


Now thats a good deal a nice hat for a little shipping costs. Someone should jump on this deal.LOL LOL

 

[Art Fawcett]

"Can you make the same hat today as the movie hat? Since you have the org. hat"

Yup Sharptoys, I think I can. All I have to do is keep measuring.))