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What hat are you waiting for today?

It was bound to happen ...

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The seller (Horstmann) was established in 1815 and was under this name from 1893 to 1940.
 
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Messages
18,915
Location
Central California
A brace of Smithbilts:

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Smithbilt is a brand best know for cheap tourist western hats made for the Calgary Stampede tourist trade. I accidentally bought one a few years back and it was awful. A couple years ago Art Fawcett was getting rid of hats he had collected and he offered me a Smithbilt. Art assured me his hat was a fur felt hat, and more than that he said it was a very nice hat. I took a chance and love it. These two have huge potential.
 
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johnnycanuck

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,005
Location
Alberta
A brace of Smithbilts:

View attachment 442009 View attachment 442010 View attachment 442011

Smithbilt is a brand best know for cheap tourist western hats made for the Calgary Stampede tourist trade. I accidentally bought one a few years back and it was awful. A couple years ago Art Fawcett was getting rid of hats he had collected and he offered me a Smithbilt. Art assured me his hat was a fur felt hat, and more than that he said it was a very nice hat. I took a chance and love it. These two have huge potential.
To be fair the white ones are usually low end wool with elastic sweat bands for the people that only bring them out once a year to wear at the stampede. Smithbilt does offer a full range of felts at higher price points. It also should be said it’s not the most stable company. I have heard it has changed hands more than a few times in the last two decades and with staffing changes the quality has been varied.
Johnny.
 
Messages
18,915
Location
Central California
To be fair the white ones are usually low end wool with elastic sweat bands for the people that only bring them out once a year to wear at the stampede. Smithbilt does offer a full range of felts at higher price points. It also should be said it’s not the most stable company. I have heard it has changed hands more than a few times in the last two decades and with staffing changes the quality has been varied.
Johnny.


My fur felt Smithbilt from Art is also the same off-white color as these two. They aren’t quite the pure white of the wool Stampede hats. I’m also guessing these hats are from the 1960s or earlier. I’ll know more when they arrive, but I have high hopes.
 

ILB Frank

One of the Regulars
Messages
180
It’s too early to post about waiting for a Gannon (since I’m still in the que and have a good 1-2 months before it even gets started) but that is where my heart is. Anyway, I am waiting on a Sunbody 4" brim, 5-3/4" open crown, Guatemalan standard palm hat…
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My current palm straw is starting to show some wear and tear. It should last the rest of this straw season and then I’ll have a fresh one on the peg when next straw season rolls around.
 

Steve1857

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,306
Location
Denmark
A brace of Smithbilts:

View attachment 442009 View attachment 442010 View attachment 442011

Smithbilt is a brand best know for cheap tourist western hats made for the Calgary Stampede tourist trade. I accidentally bought one a few years back and it was awful. A couple years ago Art Fawcett was getting rid of hats he had collected and he offered me a Smithbilt. Art assured me his hat was a fur felt hat, and more than that he said it was a very nice hat. I took a chance and love it. These two have huge potential.
They look very promising indeed, Brent. Looking forward to seeing and hearing more about them once they arrive.
 
Messages
11,894
Location
Southern California
In spite of the discussion of wool hats a couple of pages back, I pulled the trigger on this Gamble & Gunn "New Orleans" Pork Pie:

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Curious to see what color it really is because their website lists it as "Slate Grey", but it looks tan in their photos to me. Two things are certain--first, it'll be a little too large for a snug fit; second, that feather is getting plucked. Other than that, we'll see. Not my first wool felt, probably won't be my last.
 

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