WTB 7 3/8 Shantung Stetson Whippet OR Gray Milan Stratoliner

[Doomstein]

If anyone wants to get rid of a silverbelly 7 3/8 Shantung Stetson Whippet or a Gray Milan Stratoliner, I'd sure like one. Unfortunately I was a little late to the party on the whippet. I'm offering 50 bucks plus whatever you'd need for shipping.

If ya want to sell, PM me.

 

[dogrocketp]

New Gray Milan Stetson Stratoliners can be had in ebay for as little as 89.99 including shipping. The only question I have is....are they real straw? I just got one on ebay, and its heavy and smooth. I'm thinking synthetic. Does anyone know?

 

[Doomstein]

Paper straw, coated in a synthetic junk called 'Weatherall' for waterproofing I'm told. I did check ebay, but they're out of 7 3/8 in gray. I suppose I could get a 7 1/2 and pack the band, but I'd rather have a hat that actually fits : D Also the ones on Ebay say they don't come with stratoliner pins : P

 

[Doomstein]

A bit ago I went down to my local mens store downtown, which is a REAL men's store that sells half decent hats. I asked their resident hat guy Ahmed how much it would be to order one in from Stetson directly. So after fishing out the Spring/Summer 2012' catalog he got the color/model numbers and gave them a call. Turns out the grays are completely out of stock over there, and it'd have to be made as a special order for a small additional fee, I think it was only about $10 extra, but then there's also shipping bla bla bla. Price would come to 104 bucks or so before tax (more than I feel comfortable paying for a production milan). Not exactly a bank breaker, but here's the kicker: It'd take till the end of September to finish and ship. The end of straw hat season! (even though technically straws are never out in Central Florida, still...) So I had to pass.

Really best thing is for me to wait and see if a fellow lounger gets tired of theirs.

I can wait.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

I have a Grey Strat its a great hat it is a plastic weave milan and is fairly open weave for a Stetson. Very well made hat I had Mike of Buckaroo hatters reflange the brim so that it would be flater and not so cupped.

 

[dogrocketp]

Is it one of the new Stratoliners? Mine was. That's why I wanted to know about the material.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Yes mine is a new Strat I order the gray one because everyone was ordering the sand one. It is a plastic weave Milan the santung is more of a flat product so it's easy to tell. Most western store and look at any of the western straws by Stetson that is santung

 

[dogrocketp]

I just got an email from Stetson about the Stratoliner. It's made out of polyester fiber. They believe that true Milan Straw is too expensive to use in a milan straw hat.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

For Stetson it is too expensive. They are hitting a low price point they want cheap parts to make a hat. More money for them.
Art uses real Milan straw for his Milan hat's.