Stetsons

[Strine]

I just had a gander at Blueprint 292 by Gerald Franklin and was blown away.

$700 for a Stetson tittfa :eek:.

That's $US I presume which makes it about $950 in our money. I shudder at the $AU114 for my trusty Akubra. Seems to me a hat hook is not what is warranted, a locked glass cabinet would be more in order. Where would you wear a hat costing more than an arm and a leg; surely not in the sun where it might fade or in the rain where it might get wet. I s'pose it shouldn't be used for fanning the fire or as a make do water bowl for the dog either. I'm just flabbergasted.

By the way, nice hat hook and blueprint Gerald

[rthibeau]

That's collector values, Strine, in reality you can get one that doesn't cost near that much. If you're fast enough :)

[sandpile]

HATS--Hats are costing a way too much money. I have a half a dozen that need to be cleaned and re-blocked. They are really good hats that can not be equalled on todays market.

I sent two in to the Ristitol company to have them cleaned and blocked. They sent a letter offering $500.00 for the used hat. I checked around and found out, if you had one made like it today. It would be as high as a good power hammer.Grin. I am glad I did not take them up on the offer.

Chuck

[Ten Hammers]

Chuck, can you still buy Elephant boots ?

[irnsrgn]

I have a black 5x beaver flat brimmed hat custom made as a dress hat for the Amish that I got from an Amish home store years ago, I think it cost me $32.00 then.

[rthibeau]

okay, we're in to hats. I have a beautiful fur hat made of prime skunk pelt, the white traces across both sides and down the back in a tail. got it in South Dakota.

[Thomas Dean]

Ten Hammers, I bought a pair of elephant hide boots 20 years ago. Was told then that they could not get any more, elephants were being put on the 'protected' list. The boots look like the were bought yesterday. Have had them resoled at least twice. I need to have them stretched some but have been told you can't stretch elephant...

[sandpile]

I don't know for sure wether you could ever buy shor-nuff elephant skin boots. They had a way of tanning cow hide to have the texture of shark and elephant. Our son had a pair of each and we never did know for sure if they were authentic exotic skins or not. I know they were both tougher than a normal pair of boots.

JOE BOB had two of his toes cut off inside the shark skin boots and it did absolutely nothing to the boots themselves. Loaded stock trailer dropped onto his foot. Edge of the angle iron, under the tongue, is what cut the toes off.

The piece of Elephant Raw-hide that I have, is about 5/8" thick

Chuck

[Jeff Mack]

I can never find hats that fit my thick skull. At a size 8, even adjustable baseball caps usually don't fit. Looked into custom ones at one point, but the price tag made me think about all the tools I could buy instead.

Jeff

[HWooldridge]

I have my grandpa's old "silver belly" Stetson from the 1930's, still in the original box but the brim has a few red spots that look like rust (I have no idea why). I also have my dad's black Stetson and a couple more that date from the 1960's. However, I usually wear straws all year long unless it's real cold and then I wear a thermal cap so the felts don't see much use. Guess I'll pass them on to one of the boys...

[ThomasPowers]

I keep my hat under lock and key to keep Sandpile from sneaking away with it...

Thomas "Disreputable Red Hat" Powers

[Ironscot]

I had a hundred X built out in Lost Wages Nevada years ago when I had way more dollars than sense. That hat has had snow up to the crown looking like a wedding cake, heat like I hate to think about, rain like a cow pishin on a flat rock and it still looks pretty much like the day I got it, though the finger roll is a little more loose. You can't go wrong with a good pure beaver block. The style is all in your hands though.

[Mills]

Whilst we are on the subject of Hats, What are some good long term storage tips? I have three round browns that I have noticed some tracks in. I would like to pass them on to my daughters as they have children, to remind them of their roots and to not get sucked into 'stupid'.

[HWooldridge]

Mills,

Keep them in the box if possible. They like to be upside down and supported all the way around the brim. Put some moth balls down in the bottom of the box to protect from weevils or any other eating insect...

[sandpile]

LONG term storage.-- Hollis is right on---don't know about moth-balls--make a hat smell to high heaven.grin. I have some OLD pre-40s & 50s Stetsons that belong to deceased grand parents. They are done as Hollis says with the addition of a lot of tissue papers. Boxes or taped to keep vermin from them.

Chuck

[gerald]

Mills,
Method one: Visualize a box with a cardboard stovepipe taped to the bottom. The stovepipe is open toward the top of the box. Turn your "round brown" upside down so that the crown of the hat is pointing down into the stovepipe. It is supported so that the crown doesn't touch the bottom of the box.

Metod two: The Drills Sgts used to have a circular apparatus that looked like a raised up toilet seat and lid. The brim of the hat was slid into the space between the "seat" and the "lid" to hold the brim flat. One of these shouldn't be too hard to fabricate.

However you store the hats, consider cedar (chips, slabs, whatever) rather than mothballs.

Gerald

[son_of_bluegrass]

I just had a gander at Blueprint 292 by Gerald Franklin and was blown away.

$700 for a Stetson tittfa :eek

You are paying $100 for the hat and $600 for the name.

[Mills]

Got it, simple and succinct. 2 of the hats are in the original boxes but I did not think of mothballs or cedar chips nor taping them closed. A friend made the toilet seat you described gerald and that is where the third one is. All the eagles are still shiny (enough) and the straps need to be repolished. Will do.

Thanks guys, I have never had a hat long enough to worry about storage and never paid more than 75. That was 30 years ago though when I had more money.

[sandpile]

MILLS to put this hat deal in the right perspective.

In 1973 I was just back from living in Mo. I went in to the TEPEE WESTERN store in AMARILLO. It has since sold out and the Mesa Petro. Inc. bought the place and put in their headquaters on the old location.

BILL the man that owned the Western store liked to flip coins. To make a long story short. My luck was running and his was not. After an extended amount of time and coin tossing he give it up as a lost cause.

A counter was piled high with the merchindise(sp) he had lost. In the pile was a 100% Beaver Resitol hat. That day and age the hat was costing $100.00. TODAY to replace that same hat it would cost. $4000.00 So you might want to go back and hunt up the hat you gave $75.00 for.

My naive brother was with me and did not realize we were betting that much money on the toss of each coin. I started gathering the booty up and carrying it out the door and JIM says "HEY!! You have not paid for this stuff". BILL says "The hell he hasn't, get it out of here, and him with it".BOG.

Some days are just nicer than others.Grin.

Chuck

[Mills]

:) Somewhere between Kinta and Wilburton, OK somebody found a really nice hat complete with a store bought hat press to keep it in good condition. That was the day that I reconsidered my 'if it blows out I don't need it anyway' view of moving. Learnt me a buncha stuff that first year of college. <:p

[HWooldridge]

Mon gran' pere used moth balls on everything in their closet including his hats so that's why I suggested it. I have never liked the fragrance - most prob'ly 'cause he and grandma always smelled like...well...moth balls.:-)

[bruce wilcock]

as youngsters we used to crush up mothballs and put them in the pockets of lads going out on a date .

[Nick]

My favorite hat is a green Boy Scout fedora. It's heavier duty and wider brimmed than the ones you see in most stores.

I've also got a BSA campaign hat, with the way prices are going it's probably over $100 new now. My favorite is a black Stacy Adams wide snap brim fedora with a white band. It's the sort of thing Humphrey Bogart would have worn.

I'd like to get a vintage top hat, but it's hard to find ones that aren't worn around the crown and brim. And when I do find them, they're really expensive.

[irnsrgn]

try here Nick

Victorian Mens Hats