Werner Hilton Fedora Hat

[MJ Warren]

I just acquired a handsome Werner Hilton hat from an estate. it is the short billed 1950's hat. The inside band is worn leaving very little trace of the lettering which would address beaver fur percentage.

Anyone familiar with this brand or hat maker? Saw one on Poshmark listing as 100% Beaver. It feels right for neaver rather than rabbit.

 

[Frunobulax]

I just acquired a handsome Werner Hilton hat from an estate. it is the short billed 1950's hat. The inside band is worn leaving very little trace of the lettering which would address beaver fur percentage.

Anyone familiar with this brand or hat maker? Saw one on Poshmark listing as 100% Beaver. It feels right for neaver rather than rabbit.

Pics?

 

[MJ Warren]

These are some pictures of the hat. Your input would be most appreciated

 

[Frunobulax]

Can't tell much from those photos. The size tag is somewhat common to many brands, including jobber brands. More information could be gleaned by a clearer picture of the sweat imprint, and if you look behind the sweatband, there may be a re-order tag that can give us a better idea.

BTW - it's doubtful you'll ever learn the beaver content, if any. And it really doesn't matter.

 

[MJ Warren]

Thanks again for your input. The band canot be made clearer. I only thing I see for sure is traces of Werner Hilton.

So, you are saying that the beaver fur content is not a huge deal. Ok. My plan is to sell it. Just trying to come up with some verifable credential. Kind of you to help me with this. I am realy having fun with the hats.

 

[MJ Warren]

Forgot to mention thta this is no identifical tag on the inside of the hat. It is lined with some lightweigh cotton, I am guessing for comfort.

 

[Frunobulax]

Good to hear you're having fun with hats. I find them pretty enjoyable, myself!

As far as beaver content, which is something that many folks seem to obsess about, when I say it doesn't matter, this is what I mean.

In a vintage hat, the fur blends are rarely, if ever, something that would be known by the consumer. Manufacturers such as Stetson, Mallory, Knox, Dobbs, etc, kept the makeup of their hats, manufacturing techniques, and finishing techniques pretty closely held. Like all industries, the hat industry was competitive and trade secrets were the norm. I personally think most hats I have that are vintage are mostly hare, maybe with some beaver, mink, ermine, or something else thrown in for higher quality hats. Even the ones marked "3X Beaver" or some such, which likely contain beaver, may not have that much in it. We have no idea what the Xs mean, and I view them more as marketing than anything else. Regardless, the vintage fur felts can be quite fantastic and, personally, I don't care - I just enjoy the hats. If you look at old ads for these brands, beaver content is rarely, if ever, a feature.

It has been stated on here by folks that know more than me that vintage European hats, which are known for their quality and finishes, are pretty much hare. The secret is in the felting and finishing techniques employed, and reportedly, a talented hatter can get a superior finish from hare (particularly Eastern European hare, I believe).

Beaver reportedly felts better, due to its physical structure (barbs on the fur). Most modern hatters tend to feature beaver as their higher end hats, and I understand beaver is a bit easier to work with and execute the finishes and attributes we desire. However, and no offense to the hatters, it's likely that, were they to be able to learn and employ the older techniques (many lost to the dust of time), they might get even better results from hare or fur blends. However, those techniques are likely time consuming and expensive, and as with many things like this, efficiency wins out. Hence, beaver.

These are my impressions. The bottom line though, is, if your hat looks great, feels great, does its job, and you're happy with it, don't sweat the beaver content.

As far as selling points, when I read an eBay or some such ad that tells me a vintage hat is all beaver, I really just don't pay attention to that.

Sorry about the wall o' text. I kind of started typing and didn't stop, LOL.

 

[MJ Warren]

Thank you for the education. Wonderful info. I feel I know a great deal more after reading than any other sources I could fine. I agree, the larger the number of people interested, the more efficienciesare employed. Does not always give us the same quality. I love these hats!!!

 

[Frunobulax]

I do not mean to denigrate the quality of the modern hatters I refer to above. I'm thinking of some of our custom hatters. It's just that, if they are going to hit that $300-$350 price point many of them have, they can only put in so many man-hours or purchase so many tools to accomplish the job. Starting off with a felt that's easier to work with, or a felt that is pre-finished by the felt hood manufacturer, gets them to that price point.

There are several modern hatters employing such techniques to at least get close to some of the finishes, etc. found on older hats, but their price point reflects it, too.

 

[MJ Warren]

Of course. Again, thank you for taking the time to respond.