I know we usually stick to discussing Indy hats here (and maybe I should join the Fedora Lounge if I want to keep this up) but I think many of us have a few non-Indy fedoras too. I picked this one up on eBay and spent most of last night trying to get rid of the teardrop bash.
Does anyone else have vintage fedoras that they wear regularly?
Like I said, it's not really an Indy hat. The only screen accurate thing about this pics is my crooked nose. I think it might be a little small on me too, but seeing as how I'm between sizes...
thats a great bash and i think it suits you perfectly as a retro chic men's fedora
there's a few gents here with vintage fedoras and i'm sure they appreciate you sharing. that felt looks very rich in texture....is it nice and soft to the touch?
It's a 7 3/8 Stetson. I probably need a 7 7/16. The seller said that the logo dated it in the 50s. It's kinda hard to describe how soft it is. It's certainly not stiff, and it's very smooth, but I can still feel the texture of the felt, especially when I compare it to my other Stetson.
I generally do prefer a raw edge. Oddly enough, all my hats are bound or rolled edges (go figure). While the raw edge is more adventurous, the rolled, and especially the bound edge are much classier. Besides, I wouldn't want my hat to look like it's perforated. After 60 years, removing the bind would look terrible.
That is a nice looking fedora, (yes you should post it at the lounge).
Regarding the bound edge, I've removed a few myself and it's a real gamble. Most of the time the felt under the edging will be darker, since it has not been subjected to the sun. It really ruins the hat IMHO, there are lots of hats that come raw edged, why not have some variety and keep it as it is.
You should join the Lounge!
I have a few that vintage hats that I bought from Art Fawcett and some I got off Ebay. Ten vintage hats and two IJ hats.
I tend to wear the vintage more than my Indy bashed Federation or my Indy bashed Optimo, as they are more suited to my trench coat (rain gear) and dress clothing.
I find that I get alot more "Hey Indy" comments if I wear the Optimo or Federation. Check out that post by Ghost Assasin and the picture of his vintage gray fedora with a wested jacket. Very nice!
I wear the Indy hats for doing chores or field work on San Nicolas Island.
I removed the bound edge on a couple of hats, and not all of them featured a different color under then binding. However, the most recent one ended up tearing a the perforation just before I got the last of it off. I managed to salvage the hat by tearing the rest of it off at the perforation, which actually looks pretty cool.. though I wouldn't recommend it,
binkmeisterRick wrote:If anyone's serious about removing the bound edge from a vintage fedora, send it to me and I'll save the hat from your evil ways.
That hat is Indy enough. ... I'm watching a lot of old westerns on TV Land, and I'd say most, or, at least half, of the hats in those old 50's and 60's westerns had bound edges. Gunsmoke's Matt Dillon's for example. (Ford was in one or two Gunsmoke episodes) If the Raiders brim was trimmed, maybe it had a bound edge originally? (Like my beloved 1989(?) Akubra Bushman used to have before I hacked the whole mess off with with a scissors, with room to spare .)
DanielJones wrote:Nice job on the bash, it looks good.
So, is that field jacket in the background from At The Front?
Cheers!
Dan
Not only does he recognize the jacket, but he can ID the vendor too, how about that? Yes, it is. I find it makes a pretty good companion for any earthtone hats. Besides, it has the same character as the Indy jacket without all the Indy comments.
mufflowne wrote: Alright, alright, I take it back. Now that I think about it it's a dumb thing to do since the hat's vintage.
BUT, If you wanted to run with the whole vintage IJ, you could trim the brim, so as to avoid the all the binding. BUT, don't do it.
Sorry, my friend. I just know how hard it is to find a good vintage fedora in tip top shape like that sometimes, so I'm always inclined to keep the integrity of the hat as is and to fight for the rights of vintage hats everywhere. (Dons cape) Bound edges can be found on hats from every era, so it's still Indy appropriate as far as the vintage goes.
Mark Brody wrote:
Not only does he recognize the jacket, but he can ID the vendor too, how about that? Yes, it is. I find it makes a pretty good companion for any earthtone hats. Besides, it has the same character as the Indy jacket without all the Indy comments.
Dan, you've got a pretty good eye.
Thanks. I have one myself. I figured it was either ATF or WPG. They're a great light weight alternative and look a lot like a Drizzler or a Barracuda. They go perfectly with either one of our Indy hats or a vintage Indyesque like yours.
Great hat Mark, also very good job on the bash!
I have several vintage fedoras that I were. Oddly they are all bound edge thin ribbons.
I wear my vintage Stetson Stratoliner some and more often would have a vintage Open Road [fedora style] Here is a picture of my Penneys Marathon.
Pay no attention to the dark beard, I think it is a trick of ther camara
Come to think of it, Toht's Raiders fedora had a bound edge brim. It also appears to have been an HJ, with a blue shield on the liner. (Visible in the bazooka scene.) So I wouldn't be surprised at all if Indys' hat was originally bound edged.
3thoubucks wrote:Come to think of it, Toht's Raiders fedora had a bound edge brim. It also appears to have been an HJ, with a blue shield on the liner. (Visible in the bazooka scene.) So I wouldn't be surprised at all if Indys' hat was originally bound edged.
nope!!
That's not true because Tom Baker ( who portrayed the fourth Doctor Who)
Wore a HJ Poet model , but he wears the untrimmed version, there's no bound edge.
Bound edge It's not very noticeable, and fans who have made their own black Toht fedoras here, haven't even noticed it, (or cared to recreate it) as far as I can remember.
You're absolutely right. I've seen the movie a million times and never noticed the bound edge. It seems the hats in Raiders had more variety than I originally thought (down-turn brim, bound edge, etc.). It seems the only thing they all have in common is the tall crown and wide brim (which was the style at the time).
If you're looking for a place to talk about non-Indy Fedoras, and your own adventures and subjects that are off topic or off-subject here and on "The Lounge," there's will always be The Fedora Chronicles.
As for your fedora, I think it's perfect the way it is now and I wouldn't change a thing. The Center-Dent seems to make it more authentic to the era, but that's just my thoughts and observation. The C-Dent always struck me as more of a 40's-50's thing.
.)Alright, alright, I take it back. Now that I think about it it's a dumb thing to do since the hat's vintage.
You did a great job geting rid of the tear drop! 
Bound edge 
It's not very noticeable, and fans who have made their own black Toht fedoras here, haven't even noticed it, (or cared to recreate it) as far as I can remember.