Where to buy?

[LetterJ]

I'd like to get my first fedora, but am not sure where to look. As I've noted in other threads, I tend to fall outside of the normal bell curve on sizing and my head's no different and I wear a 7 5/8.

I do, however, view this as a good thing because it typically forces me to not just grab the first crappy knock off I see (as they are typically aimed at people in more normal sizing). So, I tend to *have* to buy more custom clothing.

So, I'm wondering where to buy a hat. I live in St. Paul/Minneapolis, but buy an awful lot online and am expecting that there are decent places online.

What exactly makes a good fedora? Material, construction, etc.?

 

[fedoralover]

You have several options. Brand new off the shelf-(bad idea, too much money, poor quality). Ebay-( good idea, generally cheaper and higher quality vintage, BUT, hard to find in your size).
Custom-(good idea, high quality, good construction and custom made to fit your head. BUT, the price will be higher)

Optimo hats in Chicago are well known here and highly recommended. Price is around $400. Art Fawcett in Rodeo Calif. sells vintage and also makes custom. He posts here often, look for his name and click on it and send him a PM or e-mail for a price quote. He does great work and works with great materials.

good luck, fedoralover

 

[myronw]

Hi,

I feel your pain... I wear the same size as you do; and believe me, I've not had much luck finding any hats on ebay. Just keep at it though... I finally bought one over the weekend, and I'm waiting on pins and needles to see it. It's a Dobbs, which is supposed to be a pretty decent hat.

Wish me luck,

Myron

 

[Art Fawcett]

Hi LetterJ, welcome to the Lounge.
Since I was already referred to I will invite you to stop by my website & take a look around at the vintage hats. I would be happy to build you a custom if you would like and would prefer to speak to you about it through PM or email. I am in Los Angeles for the weekend and will return next week.
Good hunting!!

Art
Myron, my fingers are crossed for you!!

 

[Nathan Flowers]

LetterJ:

You must be like a slightly stockier version of me. I have been going through all of the same problems that you have with regard to shirts, suits, ties, and even hats.

I'm 6'6", wear 40/34 pants, 18/37 shirts, size 15C shoes, and a 7 5/8 hat.

With regards to hats, I think Fedoralover summed the situation up well. I have vintage hats from Ebay (as he said, very hard to find in our size, and great quality, although it may be compromised by moth holes, etc), I have hats from Optimo in Chicago (top quality with lots of styles that aren't seen very often today, and they charge a top quality price), and I have a hat from Art Fawcett (top quality with tons of really neat styles that aren't done today, at a very fair price).

With regards to construction, you want to stay away from wool felt, as it does not stand up to rain, and will shrink. As for furs, the ones to go for are wild hare, nutria, and beaver in blends, or 100% beaver.

When ordering, you'll have to decide about brim and crown size, how wide of a ribbon, and whether or not to get the brim bound (ribbon sewn around the edge of the brim for strength and looks). My advice to you here is to talk about your build and face shape with the hatter, to ensure that you get something that will work for your shape. Broad shoulders can use a healthy sized brim, a big jawline can use a fuller crown.

Good luck, and welcome to the Lounge.

edit: Oh, and here's the websites for these two hatters:

Art Fawcett
www.vintagesilhouettes.com

Graham Thompson
www.optimohats.com

 

[SHARPETOYS]

I have hats from the makers above and i must say i love them.
I also have two 100% Platinum Beaver hats from Steve here at this lounge he goes by Fedora and for a little over $200.00 they are superb!!. The pure beaver is out of this world.
His web site is still being built. His email is

Steve Delk
E-mail Address(es):
sdelk@cableone.net

 

[Fedora]

Thanks Sharpetoys. Just be forwarned though, I make only Indy fedoras. If you are looking for other styles, go with Art. He is the man. regards, Fedora

 

[fedoralover]

However, it should be noted that all fedora has to do is leave out the dimensional cut on the brim and style it like a Last Crusade and it will pretty much look like a regular 40s fedora.

regards fedoralover

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Thats right one of the Beavers i bought from Fedora he just left it open crown for me. I love his beaver fedora's

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Try the following online vendors:

Noggintops:

http://www.noggintops.com/

Miller Hats:

http://www.millerhats.com/

Hartford York:

http://www.hartfordyork.com/

Hats in the Belfry:

http://www.hatsinthebelfry.com/

 

[fedoralover]

All those places sell pretty much the same standard faire of new fedora's that are of low quality felt and poor workmanship. I've seen and handled most of them in person from several hat shops and I haven't seen one yet that would even come close to matching what Optimo, Art or fedora could provide.

No offense, but once you've seen the custom hats made by these hatters, you know that those off the shelf fedora's are a waste of money.

fedoralover

 

[The Mad Hatter]

No offense taken. It's simply that the guy asked for some online listings, so I gave him some.

Those listings, BTW, do offer such brands as Borsalino, Stetson, and Akubra, which are highly regarded.

As for what's the best fedora, it's the one that makes you feel good.

 

[fedoralover]

Stetson, Borsalino, along with Dobbs and Resistol used to make outstanding fedora's. However many people here who have bought the new ones found out the hard way that "They ain't what they used to be".

One of the purpose's of this forum is help people find the best for the least. We don't want to steer someone into paying over several hundred dollars for a new Borsalino, when one could get a custom beaver felt fedora with 10 times the quality and workmanship for the same price.

regards fedoralover

 

[jamespowers]

Originally posted by fedoralover
Stetson, Borsalino, along with Dobbs and Resistol used to make outstanding fedora's. However many people here who have bought the new ones found out the hard way that "They ain't what they used to be".

One of the purpose's of this forum is help people find the best for the least. We don't want to steer someone into paying over several hundred dollars for a new Borsalino, when one could get a custom beaver felt fedora with 10 times the quality and workmanship for the same price.

regards fedoralover

Boy, you said it! They just don't make them the way they used to. The color on modern Stetsons runs and the felt is so "dense" that you could use them as a colander as well as a hat! LOL
An example of real workmanship is in the putting. I took my old Dobbs Fifteen (a mid grade hat of the time) out in the rain for three or four hours last weekend. It performed perfectly! The felt was so dense that it did not soak through even in the hard raining periods! Come to think of it, it did start to at the top but that was because it has a center dent and a puddle had collected in it! Now that it performance under pressure. All of this from a hat that is considerably moth eaten. Actually, I think the rain helped the hat rejuvenate itself a bit. The moth damage is a lot less noticeable now. LOL Imagine a hat that gets better after use! :cool2:
The point of this is that hat bodies of vintage hats and from custom hatters of today are probably what you are after for durability and resistance to wear. A hat for most of us here is not just a fashion statement. It is a utilitarian accessory. It gives one shade in summer; warmth and protection from the elements in winter. Hats were meant to be worn and were made with wear in mind. "Commercial" hats of today are made for fashion statements not with durability and wear in mind.
Just my two cents worth from a guy that has a few hats and has worn a few more over the years.

Regards to all,

J

 

[LetterJ]

Thanks for all of the discussion. The range of options was exactly what I was looking for.

As with almost any passion, this discussion ranged from the purists to those who consider this just one of many passions. However, after seeing both ends of the spectrum, I can choose to buy based on where I fall in that spectrum.

I've watched this discussion in every hobby or interest that I've participated in has the same range of opinions. Unfortunately, if I took the position of the purists in every one of my hobbies, I'd need 3 more jobs. Just ask a few enthusiasts in photo equipment what the "minimum" is in camera equipment or the "necessary" modifications to a favorite vehicle model, the necessary equipment to cook "properly", etc. and you'll most certainly be spending your time at the expensive end of the spectrum.

However, as a result of this discussion, I know that a "proper" hat is going to cost me a couple of hundred, but that that amount is best spent with one of the custom shops listed.

However, as my hat budget has to come out the same budget that's paying for other work clothes this season (the first season requiring full business dress), which include a dress wool coat, new suits, etc. As a result, a $200 hat is out of the question, while I DO need one to make the half-mile walk to the bus doable this winter.

As such, I picked up a $60 Stetson with an eye to getting a "good" hat next fall.