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Hasidic Jewish hats
- Thread starter Lotsahats
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- 11,262
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- vancouver, canada
You need to be more specific. What exactly do you need help with?
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- Messages
- 18,978
- Location
- Central California
I feel like we’ve been here before with you and the brim press. I believe that you were provided what was available.
“…more black.”
- Messages
- 11,262
- Location
- vancouver, canada
I made a brim press out of 3/4" plywood. Just cut a hole in the plywood to match the outer dimension of the block. You will need one for each size block you are using. Then place the hat on a sheet of plywood, place the cutout sheet over the crown of the hat sandwiching the brim between the two sheets of wood. Then clamp the wood together. I use 4 clamps one for each quadrant. If you steam/press the brim flat and place it between the wood while still ward and damp you should get a perfectly flat brim. I use this method for even wide brimmed western hats and they turn out flat. Let it sit overnight, iron again in the morning with a good heavy steam iron and you should get the effect you desire.
Cannot help you with getting the felt blacker......just buy blacker felt to start with. If you are not happy with your supplier then find another one.
- Messages
- 18,978
- Location
- Central California
is this good for biver hair as well?
- Messages
- 18,978
- Location
- Central California
I'm 100% for real, yes. I'm also being tongue-in-cheek with the "Are you Jewish" question since I'm 100% Jewish...and obviously so.
That long-haired hat is available through Belmonti Hatters. I'm also a fan of Primo's on Kingston Ave, although they go more for the black fedora.
Edward
Bartender
- Messages
- 26,277
- Location
- London, UK
I've come back to this (excellent) thread with a question. Recently, I spotted this hat on eBay:
I very much like this with the wide brim-binding. It is being sold as a 'Hasidic Jewish Hat'. Which gave me pause. As an outsider to that community, and a gentile who wears a black fedora as a fashion choice, is there anything specifically Jewish about this style of black fedora of which I should be aware? To be clear, my concern here is that I would hate to upset anyone by wearing something that has in and of itself a very specific religious meaning (as distinct from being simply a popular form of head covering, the religious aspect being that the head is covered rather than the manner of the cover itself). I do sometimes cross paths with people from the Hasidic community in our local supermarket, but I'm hesitant to ask any of them about their clothing; my understanding is that there's an element of religious modesty in the way these gentlemen dress, and I'd hate to insult them by treating what to them is observant, religious dress as a fashion item. (Although not Catholic, as a practising Christian I've had reservations myself about the crucifix being adopted as a fashion item at times over the years, so I would consider it important to be sensitive to other faith paths that way too.)
I very much like this with the wide brim-binding. It is being sold as a 'Hasidic Jewish Hat'. Which gave me pause. As an outsider to that community, and a gentile who wears a black fedora as a fashion choice, is there anything specifically Jewish about this style of black fedora of which I should be aware? To be clear, my concern here is that I would hate to upset anyone by wearing something that has in and of itself a very specific religious meaning (as distinct from being simply a popular form of head covering, the religious aspect being that the head is covered rather than the manner of the cover itself). I do sometimes cross paths with people from the Hasidic community in our local supermarket, but I'm hesitant to ask any of them about their clothing; my understanding is that there's an element of religious modesty in the way these gentlemen dress, and I'd hate to insult them by treating what to them is observant, religious dress as a fashion item. (Although not Catholic, as a practising Christian I've had reservations myself about the crucifix being adopted as a fashion item at times over the years, so I would consider it important to be sensitive to other faith paths that way too.)
Edward
Bartender
- Messages
- 26,277
- Location
- London, UK
Thought I'd share my hats as I'm new here and can also give a bit of an update on Hasidish fashion trends.
I usually like to wear what's called a Krach hat (or an "up hat" in English) - Krach being the colloquial term in the hasidic world. I've been told in a Satmar shul that Krach stands as an abbreviation for Krias Yam Suf, which refers to the splitting of the red sea, though this might just be a rumor. The Krach refers to the indent in the top of the crown, which "splits" the hat.
I got this hat from Kova, which sells Fernandez & Roche, but Barbisio also supplies similar hats at other shops. These generally run around $300 but can be found used online for much less. This hat was shaped to my head in Kova and is the best fitting and most comfortable hat I've ever owned.
There is a similar looking hat called a shtufina, which is slightly taller, has a much smaller indent in the top, and has a more ornate edge. The shtufina hat is largely worn by members of Satmar and similar sects (and tends to cost slightly more). The krach/up hat is worn by a wide range of Hasidim and by some Litvish/Yeshivish Jews. Gur wears a hat similar to the up hat, but without the pinch and usually slightly shorter.
Attached are photos of the hat and box:
I also own a platshige biber hat (low beaver hat) from Belmonti, which is generally worn by hasidim from more insular sects or from sects that originate from Hungary. It is worth noting that the style of these hats changed about 15ish years ago. They used to have a much more rounded crown and were produced by Huckel. Now, they appear to be mostly produced in China or Europe without any brand markings (other than the hat shop selling them) and have a much more boxy shape. These hats run around $300-400 new in Beaver and a bit cheaper in a waterproof plastic, which is a newer innovation.
As mentioned above, these hats are not water resistant (thus, the many images of Hasidim wearing trash bags over their hat in the rain). A friend of mine had one of these hats ruined in a rain storm recently and the shape was completely distorted and some of the dye bled from the fur. It's always important to take a close look at any used ones on eBay or online retailers, as I've seen many for sale that were ruined by rain being listed online at a slight discount. Used, these hats vary in price greatly and some good deals can be found if you know what you're looking for.
The story for these hats that I've heard is that the low beaver hat became popular in the Hasidic world because of the Ottoman rule of Jerusalem. As Jews traveled in the Middle East, it was beneficial to be identifiable as a citizen of an aligned European power, as the police were more likely to avoid discriminating against or harassing you (to avoid international incident). One way to do this was to wear a Huckel Vien hat known as a "Superior" model, which identified these Jews as citizens of Austria-Hungary. Since many pious Jews traveled to Jerusalem, those in insular sects followed the customs of these pious men. The trend spread and now these hats are sometimes known as "Supers" for this reason. An image of the original Huckel "superior" hat can be found here, worn by Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld Z''l. That's how the story goes at least (which itself may just be a folk tale). If anyone has any information on these early Huckel "super" hats, I would love to hear anything you know!
Finally, for my weekday hats, I have a Borsalino, which I purchased in Crown Heights years ago. I was surprised to find that my hat size for these hats was slightly larger (since Hasidish hats are worn a bit higher) and that the brims were so short (I purchased one of the larger brims available). This is likely because it was in Crown Heights and serves a more Lubavitch audience, who tend to wear short brimmed hats like their Rebbe. More Yeshivish/Litvish people tend to wear larger brims. Styles do change, however, and I was told that, years ago, wide brims were more stylish. The hat size is also a bit more forgiving and the material less stiff, when compared to those listed above.
This hat has a much wider range of prices, since Borsalino has a broader line of products, but they tend to be in similar price ranges to the hats above. One neat detail is that Borsalino seems to have its own Jewish brands (For Attica and Borsalino Hasidic, which is I believe is newer). Borsalino hasidic seems to specialize in up hat/krach style hats, but I have never seen them, as they seem to be based in Israel and are, again, a newer development.
For some reason, the hat box picture for the Borsalino won't load, but it is a black box which has Hebrew location names, unlike some of the other hats.
Finally, the Shtreimel. Much is written about the Shtreimel, but I'll add a couple of tidbits here.
There is a lot to be said about Shtreimel height (the advertisements often boast about how massive a certain shop's Shtreimelech are). I've seen people with low Shtreimels in shul (not as low and old as the one posted here in 2015), and people with massive Shtreimels. Mine is modern, but not too crazy high; it's low enough to be a bit more modest but not so old-school that it isn't stylish. The color matches my beard, which is always a nice touch. Prices range drastically, and there are often sales. There are shtreimels for most price points and used ones can be found for not so much online (though they're usually in either poor shape or very old).
My wife's family is in the Shtreimel business (not as a maker but works with makers), and there are a lot of neat tidbits on how they're made. I recall there being a video circulated that includes the process (which, funnily enough, uses a microwave), which I'll share if I find it.
Mine needs a refresh (there are shops which specialize in this), but it serves me well. Again, box images won't upload for this one, but they're in an ornate and tall rounded box.
I'm hoping to start collecting old-school hasidish hats, and I am looking for a low shtreimel in my size (like what was worn in the 70s-90s) and the old style beaver hats (which I have a classified up for on this forum). I've seen some members of this website posting the older style hasidish hats and repurposing them, which is very nice. If I find any older hats to add to my collection, I'll add pictures here and give a brief description.
Historically, the Orthodox world wore a wider range of hats, but they've become very standardized in the past 60ish years. You'll largely see Hasidim or Litvish/Yeshivish Jews wearing the same few hats (albeit with minor style changes or differentiators), which wasn't always the case. Some of the hats posted by others on this thread, while they would have been seen in older generations, are unlikely to be seen today (but are still cool regardless!).
I usually like to wear what's called a Krach hat (or an "up hat" in English) - Krach being the colloquial term in the hasidic world. I've been told in a Satmar shul that Krach stands as an abbreviation for Krias Yam Suf, which refers to the splitting of the red sea, though this might just be a rumor. The Krach refers to the indent in the top of the crown, which "splits" the hat.
I got this hat from Kova, which sells Fernandez & Roche, but Barbisio also supplies similar hats at other shops. These generally run around $300 but can be found used online for much less. This hat was shaped to my head in Kova and is the best fitting and most comfortable hat I've ever owned.
There is a similar looking hat called a shtufina, which is slightly taller, has a much smaller indent in the top, and has a more ornate edge. The shtufina hat is largely worn by members of Satmar and similar sects (and tends to cost slightly more). The krach/up hat is worn by a wide range of Hasidim and by some Litvish/Yeshivish Jews. Gur wears a hat similar to the up hat, but without the pinch and usually slightly shorter.
Attached are photos of the hat and box:
I also own a platshige biber hat (low beaver hat) from Belmonti, which is generally worn by hasidim from more insular sects or from sects that originate from Hungary. It is worth noting that the style of these hats changed about 15ish years ago. They used to have a much more rounded crown and were produced by Huckel. Now, they appear to be mostly produced in China or Europe without any brand markings (other than the hat shop selling them) and have a much more boxy shape. These hats run around $300-400 new in Beaver and a bit cheaper in a waterproof plastic, which is a newer innovation.
As mentioned above, these hats are not water resistant (thus, the many images of Hasidim wearing trash bags over their hat in the rain). A friend of mine had one of these hats ruined in a rain storm recently and the shape was completely distorted and some of the dye bled from the fur. It's always important to take a close look at any used ones on eBay or online retailers, as I've seen many for sale that were ruined by rain being listed online at a slight discount. Used, these hats vary in price greatly and some good deals can be found if you know what you're looking for.
The story for these hats that I've heard is that the low beaver hat became popular in the Hasidic world because of the Ottoman rule of Jerusalem. As Jews traveled in the Middle East, it was beneficial to be identifiable as a citizen of an aligned European power, as the police were more likely to avoid discriminating against or harassing you (to avoid international incident). One way to do this was to wear a Huckel Vien hat known as a "Superior" model, which identified these Jews as citizens of Austria-Hungary. Since many pious Jews traveled to Jerusalem, those in insular sects followed the customs of these pious men. The trend spread and now these hats are sometimes known as "Supers" for this reason. An image of the original Huckel "superior" hat can be found here, worn by Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld Z''l. That's how the story goes at least (which itself may just be a folk tale). If anyone has any information on these early Huckel "super" hats, I would love to hear anything you know!
Finally, for my weekday hats, I have a Borsalino, which I purchased in Crown Heights years ago. I was surprised to find that my hat size for these hats was slightly larger (since Hasidish hats are worn a bit higher) and that the brims were so short (I purchased one of the larger brims available). This is likely because it was in Crown Heights and serves a more Lubavitch audience, who tend to wear short brimmed hats like their Rebbe. More Yeshivish/Litvish people tend to wear larger brims. Styles do change, however, and I was told that, years ago, wide brims were more stylish. The hat size is also a bit more forgiving and the material less stiff, when compared to those listed above.
This hat has a much wider range of prices, since Borsalino has a broader line of products, but they tend to be in similar price ranges to the hats above. One neat detail is that Borsalino seems to have its own Jewish brands (For Attica and Borsalino Hasidic, which is I believe is newer). Borsalino hasidic seems to specialize in up hat/krach style hats, but I have never seen them, as they seem to be based in Israel and are, again, a newer development.
For some reason, the hat box picture for the Borsalino won't load, but it is a black box which has Hebrew location names, unlike some of the other hats.
Finally, the Shtreimel. Much is written about the Shtreimel, but I'll add a couple of tidbits here.
There is a lot to be said about Shtreimel height (the advertisements often boast about how massive a certain shop's Shtreimelech are). I've seen people with low Shtreimels in shul (not as low and old as the one posted here in 2015), and people with massive Shtreimels. Mine is modern, but not too crazy high; it's low enough to be a bit more modest but not so old-school that it isn't stylish. The color matches my beard, which is always a nice touch. Prices range drastically, and there are often sales. There are shtreimels for most price points and used ones can be found for not so much online (though they're usually in either poor shape or very old).
My wife's family is in the Shtreimel business (not as a maker but works with makers), and there are a lot of neat tidbits on how they're made. I recall there being a video circulated that includes the process (which, funnily enough, uses a microwave), which I'll share if I find it.
Mine needs a refresh (there are shops which specialize in this), but it serves me well. Again, box images won't upload for this one, but they're in an ornate and tall rounded box.
I'm hoping to start collecting old-school hasidish hats, and I am looking for a low shtreimel in my size (like what was worn in the 70s-90s) and the old style beaver hats (which I have a classified up for on this forum). I've seen some members of this website posting the older style hasidish hats and repurposing them, which is very nice. If I find any older hats to add to my collection, I'll add pictures here and give a brief description.
Historically, the Orthodox world wore a wider range of hats, but they've become very standardized in the past 60ish years. You'll largely see Hasidim or Litvish/Yeshivish Jews wearing the same few hats (albeit with minor style changes or differentiators), which wasn't always the case. Some of the hats posted by others on this thread, while they would have been seen in older generations, are unlikely to be seen today (but are still cool regardless!).
jeffgarf
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,171
- Location
- Jerusalem, Israel
Reviving one of my (obviously) favorite threads here to share my hands on experience with a shtreimel in 2026. It seems as the years go on ( this thread is 11 years old!) the heights get higher. Since it was from family, I was able to get good shots of the top and insides too.
jeffgarf
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,171
- Location
- Jerusalem, Israel
Further update with 2 styles that were not represented here.
First, for children, the Kashket, worn by children of Polish Hassidic dynasties (this young man is Belz).
Next is the Samet hat worn by many Hassidic groups. The two boys pictured here are from 2 different sects. One, the Belz, wears his with the ribbon on the left side and a trailing ribbon on the back of the same side, as usual for a men's hat. The other young man (Vizhnitz, originally an Ukrainian branch) wears his ribbon on the right side with the trailing part of the ribbon coming off of the front of the right side. When I asked if the hats are made this way or just worn backwards, I was answered that the ribbon is usually added later facing the requested direction, but sometimes, it is just the same hat worn backwards. Who knew?
First, for children, the Kashket, worn by children of Polish Hassidic dynasties (this young man is Belz).
Next is the Samet hat worn by many Hassidic groups. The two boys pictured here are from 2 different sects. One, the Belz, wears his with the ribbon on the left side and a trailing ribbon on the back of the same side, as usual for a men's hat. The other young man (Vizhnitz, originally an Ukrainian branch) wears his ribbon on the right side with the trailing part of the ribbon coming off of the front of the right side. When I asked if the hats are made this way or just worn backwards, I was answered that the ribbon is usually added later facing the requested direction, but sometimes, it is just the same hat worn backwards. Who knew?
Last edited:
- Messages
- 10,792
- Location
- Boston area
Thank you for your updates, Jeff.
I learned of this timely event yesterday…
…in case you’re around the area!
jeffgarf
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,171
- Location
- Jerusalem, Israel
Wow! I knew of a Zayde's Market in Providence, RI. Wonder if they are related?
- Messages
- 10,792
- Location
- Boston area
Thank you for your updates, Jeff.
I learned of this timely event yesterday…
View attachment 791505
…in case you’re around the area
As a friend and hat “consultant” to the heir apparent, I can easily inquire…
Do you recall the approximate era?
jeffgarf
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,171
- Location
- Jerusalem, Israel
East side. I just looked this market up and it seems to be different people, but I do see that they provide kosher food to RI seniors (Meals on Wheels, I guess).
Edward
Bartender
- Messages
- 26,277
- Location
- London, UK
That more brownish colour of this style is what I've seen worn in North London, rather than jet black in this style.
Saw quite a few (along with all the various other options in this thread) being worn during a long, rerouted bus journey through that part of town, on a Sabbath, on the way home from Euston Station. Not seen one from above (or below) before; interesting construction. Reminds me somewhat of a Cossack hat, which probably follow given what I understand to be the geographical overlap in point of origin of this style?
