Cavanagh also offered a tuxedo hat in the '30s. Very soft felt, little stiffener, covered underbrim, and cloth sweatband. Cavanagh used to make their own, but the one I have was made by Chapeau Mossant in France and is a post-1936 hat, so perhaps they stopped making them by 1936 and instead imported...

Fedora wrote:I reckon I was too old to box with my son in law. May change my name to Patch Fedora. Fedora

Wouldn't "Old Indy" be more appropriate? Sorry to hear about that Steve.

Brad

Man, I can't believe you missed this one, Steve! If you look closely, you'll see the 54 is actually the fraction 5 3/4, which is the height scottyrocks6 gave us. The 3 and the solidus (fraction bar) are obscured by damage, but you can just make them out. This happens all the time on ebay, the seller...

I use a stitch awl with a Singer sewing machine needle, which gives me the benefit of the two-thread lock stitch without a sewing machine. It also allows me to work from the outside of the hat so I sew a much straighter line than I could with a regular needle and thread. It speeds up my process, too...

When Crofut & Knapp (makers of Knapp-Felt, Dobbs, Disney, and later Cavanagh, Knox, Dunlap, and Berg) built their modern factory in 1923, they built air-tight rooms and enclosed blowers for the mixing of the fur to protect workers from the mercury vapors, as there was concern for their health ev...

Ah, I just love block talk! Just to give you an idea how different block numbers can be, here's a 6-inch #51 block I have. In this profile shot, note that the peak of the dome is not centered, but is about a third of the way in from the right. Also note the inward taper at the base of the block. A v...

It has an underwelt on it, to mimic the look of a Cavanagh Edge. Felt manufacturers will no longer make them.

Brad

Anyone interested in the history of the Cavanagh Edge might enjoy an article I wrote for the Fedora Lounge. http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=28773 By far, it's my favorite edge treatment, but I like raw edges as well. Bound edges are growing on me, but only for a more dressy hat. Brad

Some high-end hats were still very conservatively styled in the mid- to late-'50s, so a justification for a wider ribbon could be made along those lines. And I see Indy as a very old-fashioned guy, anyway. That being said, I think the narrower ribbon looks great, and can't wait to see the magazine c...

Here's a little bit larger photo of three of the steps. These are all undyed rabbit:



Brad

This is an old-time hatters process. The hat factories used to have employees that would do nothing all day except take the pounced hat bodies and shave them to a really smooth finish with a sharp knife.

Brad

Very nice, Kilgour! I love that color.
Good job, Steve.

Brad

Oh, it's definitely better now than as it came from the factory! There's no denying that, and it's far better than any factory hat today. Enjoy it! This little gem helped me out, as well. I'm working on a history of Cavanagh (started out as a history of the Cavanagh Edge!), so even little pieces of ...

Hat Corporation of America (not the same as the current Hatco) got out of the hat business altogether in 1972 and sold their licensing rights to the Cavanagh, Dobbs, Knox, Crofut & Knapp, Dunlap, Champ, Byron, and Berg brands to Koracorp, who owned Byer-Rolnick. This is why I consider a true Cav...

From what I can determine, about the only western style Cavanagh made during the Hat Corporation of America era was an Open Road style. I don't think they really tapped this market until the Koracorp period, post-1972. Steve, did you get a feel for the age of the hat? I know Cavanaghs are notoriousl...

Speaking of old movies, what material do you think was the material of choice when it came to fedoras back in the Golden Age of Hollywood? I'm guessing that it wouldn't be beaver felt, since those fedoras on the screen certainly look very, very soft. The majority of the hats made by the U.S. hat in...

Okay, I nearly fainted when I saw a Cavanagh Edged hat amputated, but after I recovered from my apoplexy, a thought occured to me: Do you still have the piece you cut off, and if so, may I have it? I have wanted to dissect a Cavanagh Edge for my research, but didn't actually want to destroy a good v...

Any idea on how soon Ford might receive the hat you made for him?

Brad

Pitfall Harry wrote:You do realize though by saying this that you'll probably get a ton of rush orders from people thinking your retiring right now.

He'll be backed up with orders for two years!

Brad

Fantastic, Steve, this is great!

Not to change the subject, but this e-mail indicates that the hat at the Smithsonian is from Raiders. When I saw it a couple of years ago, I thought it looked more like the LC hat.

Brad

Cavanagh produce some of the finest hats in its day. They were higher-end hats for sure. You got a great hat, there!

But if you cut off a beautiful Cavanagh Edge, please don't tell me about it! It would break my heart!

Brad

Renderking Fisk wrote:Steve, what would keep someone from putting the fedora on the block once a day, like at night?

I think it would be hard on the bash, as you'd have to rebash it every morning, wouldn't you?

Brad

Fedora wrote:So you could slip the block in the hat wihout removing all the parts, like the sweatband and ribbon. Fedora

Thanks, Fedora.

I had forgotten that hat blocks are larger than actual hat sizes to accomodate all that stuff. I must need more coffee this morning.

Brad

Forgive my ignorance, but why get the next smaller size block?

Thanks,

Brad

What about throwing a couple of bricks in with it for automatic distressing?>

Brad

Hmm, I wear a suit size 46S, maybe this 44S will fit all right ...

Brad Bowers

I just hope no one wants the hat when he is swimming to the plane. I am afraid it would be dried out, or mildewed by the time the mail got it to you. Aww, I was going to ask for that one, it's my favorite! Actually, I stand under the shower for three minutes each morning while wearing my hat, and t...

I ate roadkill once, that had been peeled off a car fender. I didn't know it at the time, though.

Brad

Schwammy, I just received my Indy-style Montecristi from IndianaMontecristi in Ecuador this week, and I can't imagine this hat ever cracking, unless it's left out in the sun for years, I suppose. This is my first experience with a straw-type hat, and I'm blown away. The paja toquilla fibers are noth...