First quality fedora—what’s the current landscape?

[elstevo]

Goodness, it’s been years since I’ve been here—I’m so glad to see that COW is still the absolute best place to be for Indy gear and that a handful of folks who were around then are still here!

Almost 20 years ago, fresh out of college, I spent what money I had on a Wested jacket. The rest of my gear was built around what I already owned or could afford—including, I’m somewhat ashamed to say, my fedora, which was a Disney World version I’d gotten when I was maybe 19 or so.

Now that I’m a full-fledged adult with both the years AND the mileage, I’d like to finally get what I’ve always wanted—a true, quality Indy hat. But having not kept up over the last decade-plus, the landscape of hat makers looks a little different from what I remembered. Adventurebilt is now owned by Penman? I see HJ and Akubra are still options. Steel & Jones, AdVintage are new to me. Anyone else to consider?

From what I’ve seen, I think I like the AdVintage Raiders with a turn best (thinking Thomas’ standard Raiders rather than the SoC, as the mushroom crown may not work on my noggin), and I’m considering his Masterpiece in beaver. This will be worn routinely & I live in Maryland, where we get all four seasons, occasionally to their extremes; I’d like it to both look nice and last as long as possible. Unfortunately, Thomas recently posted that he’s not taking any new orders until later this year. I’m okay waiting, but the wait now has me left with time to obsess and explore what’s out there.

Am I on the right track with holding out for an AdVintage? Anyone else I should be considering?

Thanks!

[IJJTM]

I would stick with Advintage, I recently got a CS Hero from him and it is phenomenal. Definitely worth the wait. Steele and Jones are a great budget option and they conform the hat to your face. But the Advintage would be worth the wait.

[elstevo]

I would stick with Advintage, I recently got a CS Hero from him and it is phenomenal. Definitely worth the wait. Steele and Jones are a great budget option and they conform the hat to your face. But the Advintage would be worth the wait.

Thanks, IJJTM. I’ve seen your pics and your CS Hero looks glorious!

[IJJTM]

Thanks elstevo!

[Charybdis]

Same here. I would say Advintage or S&J.

[Illinois_Jones]

Well, like people are saying, AdVintage is probably the best all around option especially since you're probably looking to get beaver. But like everything, it's all about weighing options and costs. You'll have to wait a good 6 months for Thomas to turn it around. Brian at Screencapped is somewhat cheaper but also at 6 months. HJ would probably be faster but also more expensive. Penman is just starting back up and I'm not sure what his lead times are anymore and he's also expensive. S&J are also faster but AFAIK they still only use hare felt -- good but not beaver. There are others like Hufvud who make quality hats but the styling is a bit over the top IMO. David Garrison makes really good lids but he hasn't been taking many orders lately. There are a few others out there who also dabble.

You just have to decide what type of felt, how much you're willing to spend, and how long you're willing to wait.

[elstevo]

Thanks, Charybdis & Illinois_Jones. I'm not in a rush, so I'll wait for an AdVintage. In the meantime, I'll send out some positive vibes to Thomas, hoping that all goes well for him and that he can begin taking orders again soon.

[Indiana Jeff]

I have several hats made by David Garrison, both made new and reblocks of older hats. His work and customer service are great and he has beaver felt as an option. He is Local Land Surveyor here so it would be worth sending him a PM.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[elstevo]

I have several hats made by David Garrison, both made new and reblocks of older hats. His work and customer service are great and he has beaver felt as an option. He is Local Land Surveyor here so it would be worth sending him a PM.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

Good to know—thanks, Indiana Jeff!