Thomas Begg or Beqq? Who's that?

[adamgottschalk]

I just won (buy it now) this awesome stingy-brim (1"!) vintage fedora last night on eBay. (Take a look at www.adamgottschalk.net/beqq.html ).Exactly my size --23". Usually I have to buy a 7 3/8 and have it stretched a bit. My fingers are crossed that this will be a perfect fit.

From inside the band it says "A Thomas Beqq orignal New York". The seller made reference to TB being a now-defunct NYC hat maker, and implied in one spot that this hat might be vintage 1960s. I googled and couldn't turn up anything on this hat maker. I'm not sure if it says Thomas BEQQ or Thomas BEGG. The seller wrote Begg for sure. Anyone know?

 

[tonyb]

Looks like no one has the answer, Adam. That is indeed a STINGY brim. It's good for you, Mr. Stingy Fancier, that your favored lids tend to attract less attention than wider brims and are therefore likely to sell for less dough. (How much did you pay for that one?) There's a Brooks Bros. housebrand stingy at a local vintage store (it was there a week ago, anyway) marked at 30-some bucks, as I recall, but I bet they'd move on that price.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Looks late 60's... show us the inside when it is in your hands.

Wear it well.

 

[adamgottschalk]

Too much

Looks like no one has the answer, Adam. That is indeed a STINGY brim. It's good for you, Mr. Stingy Fancier, that your favored lids tend to attract less attention than wider brims and are therefore likely to sell for less dough. (How much did you pay for that one?) There's a Brooks Bros. housebrand stingy at a local vintage store (it was there a week ago, anyway) marked at 30-some bucks, as I recall, but I bet they'd move on that price.

Well, it was one of those moments when I got swept up in the cosmic winds... I mean I _wanted_ that hat. I know of no fur-felt fedora with a 1" brim. And in exactly my size, exactly? _And_ from an ebay seller I've used before and who always has the dope threads? I couldn't take a chance: the starting bid was $75, and I used buy it now for $99. Ouch. That'll hurt in a week or two.

 

[adamgottschalk]

60s yes I think, and pics

Looks late 60's... show us the inside when it is in your hands.

Wear it well.

I was thinking that a person would have had to be pretty radical to wear a hat with a brim that stingy in the 50s or early 60s. Heck, JFK didn't even take his hat off until 60 Gee, maybe you have to be pretty radical now...yeah right. It reminds me of the Jetsons a little bit, in an odd way, a good way (I always loved the Jetsons).

I will post better pictures when I do have the hat in hand, but for now there are a few from the auction page, found at www.adamgottschalk.net/tbinside.html . Brand spanking new. What's that "chevron" finish at the back of the sweat band all about? You can see what I mean about the name: does that say beqq or begg?

I intend to wear the hat in only the best of fashion and health. I have this funny feeling it's "meant" for me (it better be for $100).

 

[besdor]

Thomas Begg was a label used by HATCO in the 1960's . :cool2: