Dirty Billy Hats

[Johan Steele]

Last summer I purchased a Dirty Billy Slouch at an event for $35-$40 for my wife... I recently decided that I wanted a slouch for myself and as I've never heard anything but good things about the comapany an my wife likes hers and so off I went to their website. My wifes hat is over $100. Am I missing something? Do they have two lines? One for the authentics vs mainstreamer of different quality?

I find it hard to believe a sutler would sell a hat or anything for that matter at cost. Or did I just get very lucky somehow?

Thanks

[JCbluegrassrifles]

Re: Dirty Billy Hats

If you got a Dirty Billy at that price, you got a deal. Did you buy it directly from him or someone else? If you got it from him, he must have wanted to get rid of it or had a sale or something. All of his hats run in the $100 range.

[BHoover]

Re: Dirty Billy Hats

If you got a Dirty Billy at that price, you got a deal. Did you buy it directly from him or someone else? If you got it from him, he must have wanted to get rid of it or had a sale or something. All of his hats run in the $100 range.

Actually, perhaps not. Dirty Billy makes some fine hats, but he also sells some low end blanks and such as well. The Watch Dog criticised him for this years ago, and he is still complaining about that criticism to this day. By his lights, he sells what the market wants, and if many reenactors want $40 hats, then he will sell them.

Several years ago, I heard him make a comment along the lines of "I don't bring many good hats when I come south because you rebs just want the Jethro hats in the first place".

Is this a reasonable policy? I don't personally agree with it, but ultimately the responsibility for buying quality and avoiding dreck lies with the consumer. Caveat emptor and all that, doncha know!

p.s. Just so no one thinks this is a rant against Dirty Billy, I own two of his hats (just bought the second one last month) and am very happy with them.

[Johan Steele]

Re: Dirty Billy Hats

Upon closer inspection of the website I believe I may have purchased a factory second. My wifes hat appears to be an Appomatox Hat C23 from the civilian hat section and there is a mar on the sweat band.

What strikes me is that I recall a half dozen hats of a similar vein of varrying sizes. i wonder if he sells he factory seconds on the cheap to some Sutlers...

Oh well before i buy a new hat I'm going to get my Enfield Defarbed...

Thanks for the replies.

[smithjub]

Re: Dirty Billy Hats

I'm interested in this myself. I've noticed many sutlers, including the Regimental QM in G'burg, selling "Dirty Billy Hats" that aren't blanks, and don't appear to be seconds or DB's modern hats, though I could be mistaken. The slouch I was looking at was nicely made, with sweatband and a bound brim and was only $45, compared to the Dirty Billy site's $110.

If this is the modern hat, it doesn't appear the way DB's site shows it. If not, I'm curious, like the original poster, to know what the deal is. Thanks.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Dirty Billy Hats

Hallo Kameraden!

Dirty Billy does indeed, sell "two lines" of hats, and has done so for a goodly number of years.

There was a time when Dirty Billy climbed to the top of the Hat Game, but then rested on his laurels while other newcomers did their research and surpassed Dirty Billy. And what was "museum quality" in 1981-1991, is no longer.

I have had a number of conversations with Dirty Billy over the years, an dI suspect I kust have caught him on bad hat days- as he can be quite vocal and animated against certain "segments" of the CW hobby.

Yes, does offer a higher quality hat line as well as a so-called "reenactor grade" or so-called by Billy "Dirty Billy Special" range for those who want to pay only $35-40 for their hats instead of $100+. (and for those that feel rabbit fur felt and the details, etc., etc. is better than a somewhat flimsey and lighter weight "carboard felt." ;-)

Dirty Billy gets "conflicted" between the two- selling tons of "Dirty Billy Specials" at $35 but at the same time complaining about the folks that buy them (even throwing a few out of his tent in my presence...) and why at certain types of events he is bringing back the $100 hats while selling out of the $35 "Style Du Jour" hats.

Dirty Billy starts to see a couple or three competitors making and selling a more historically accurate hat, and in weeks instead of six months or a year... He gets miffed and angry.

And the fable goes on, all the while at many events, the exact same "out of the box" Dirty Billy hats appear "ad nauseum" on way too many heads...
;-)

I have been wearing his "high end" hats and caps since 1981, numbering about a dozen hats and caps as well as 1 or 2 "D B Specials" at the start- but in the last 6 or 7 years found superior products from other makers as my personal needs and requirements changed.

Others' mileage may vary.

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt

[Bill Cross]

Re: Dirty Billy Hats

Gents,

It's not necessary to reinvent the hat.

Tim Bender makes an historically-accurate hat for almost any need or army (and civilian, too), makes it to fit your head, delivers it on time and is about as pleasant to deal with as any individual out there. You can scour around, or you can purchase the product you need. You can scrimp on what you pay, but remember that your lid is the most noticable part of your material impression. A good hat will overshadow a poor coat, and a bad hat will absolutely kill a good jacket.

[Robert Braun]

Re: Dirty Billy Hats

Dirty Billy has come a long way since he first started out... and I mean this in a positive way. As with ANY vendor, you need to know what you are looking for.

Speaking only for me, Tim Bender is the only way to go. Courteous, accurate, outstanding quality, reasonably priced, and he gets his products out the door quickly. He did two antebellum era hats for me just recently, and I can't say enough good things about them.

Caveat emptor...

Bob.

[CaptainUCSB]

Re: Dirty Billy Hats

My experience with Dirty Bill hats and caps:

When I first bought one of his caps in 1998, it was fantastic. Definitely a masterpiece.

A friend of mine bought one last year, and it was a piece of crap. Compared to Joel Bohy's caps, they are a joke. The stitching is huge and awful.

Now dont get me wrong, it is still a ton better than the run of the mill sutlers but there are definitely better hat makers out there now.

For caps, I would stick with Joel or ************. For hats, Tim Bender is my only choice at this time. However, for specialty hats Dirty Billy may be the only choice right now.

[Chad Teasley]

Tim Bender Hats

No bad reflection on Dirty Billy, but if you are looking for an impeccably authentic top-quality hat, combined with unparalleled customer service, look no further than Tim Bender. I know that's already been stated above, but my dealing with Tim was so positive that I feel compelled to relate it.

A couple of years ago I phoned Tim on a Friday evening to inquire about purchasing one of his hats, and we had a very cordial conversation. He said it would probably take a couple of weeks to make my hat, which of course delighted me because I expected it to be longer. Well, he was much better than even that. Early the next week I received an e-mail that my hat was complete, and on the way. It arrived in the mail exactly one week after I placed the order, along with a hand-written note from Tim thanking me for my business. The hat was a work of art (no exaggeration), and has served me well through two arduous season's use since then. I haven't had occasion to purchase another hat since, but will be investing in an 1858 regulation hat in the near future, and you'd better believe that Tim will be receiving my business.

When it comes to caps, I've had similarly great experiences with Greg Starbuck, Mike Anderson, and Don Smith. You can't go wrong with any of them.

[Jefferson Guards]

Re: Dirty Billy Hats

I made a post earlier in regards to manufacturers of Mechanic's Caps and the only reply was "Dirty Billy makes them." I am not really thrilled with the idea of having a Dirty Billy cap. Does anyone know if Greg Starbuck, Mike Anderson, or Don Smith manufactures these caps?

[Rhinevalleylad]

Re: Dirty Billy Hats

What about Tim Allen,
is he l an approved AC-vendor??

I Know he is stilldoing some stuff if you ask him.

What is your expirience ?

I own a 8 year old tim-allen-flat-top and still believe is one of the best
hats i´ve ever seen.
Regards

Ingo
Ingo Rolletter
5th Va Inf

[58 lorenz]

Re: Dirty Billy Hats

I have to second the post above about Mr. Tim Bender. On the 9th, I talked to him about ordering an M1858 hat, and today I am sitting here typing this, wearing that excellent hat. I am truely impressed!
Doug Price

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Dirty Billy Hats

My first dealings with Bill took place YEARS ago when I was about 14 years old and looking for an accurate reproduction of the so-called "Whipple Cap." I dug the patents out for the cap and sent them off to Billy, and he reproduced some Whipple Caps from the patents "to the T" but after I managed to get five others to buy the things he started to form an attitude with me whenever I would talk to the guy. It basically went like this: "Hey, I need this type of hat, can you do it?" "Yes, I can." "I have six of them for my unit now, thank you, and by the way, can we work on another kind of cap?" "No, I've had it up to here with you and yours, go away and don't bug me anymore."

Years later I bought a reproduction of the USSS cap that's in the Gettysburg Museum (later found out his are made all wrong in every way possible) and I was satisfied at the time, but I noticed his cap cloth changed over to something that I had Pat Kline make up three years ago; 11 ounce dark green broadcloth for my group's May 1862 issue frock coats. This particular cloth had a problem, and that was the changing from dark green to orange when you sweat on it (NOT Pat's fault, but his dyer!). BIlly was using this cloth for caps and I tried once to talk to him about it and right after he told me that he researched the cloth and had it specially made for himself, he kicked me out of his tent for questioning his product.

To this day he knows who I am and if I walk into his tent just to browse he leaves through the back or else he's very short and snide with me. I don't like to deal with that kind of a vendor and so I haven't in years. I've moved on to Joel Bohy, who makes what I think are the finest caps ever reproduced.

Plenty of others to go to for hats and caps.

Brian White

[3rdARboy]

Re: Dirty Billy Hats

The best place in my opinion is Clearwater Hats ,at www.clearwaterhats.com, in Northern Arkansas. They are all handmade and are all extremely accurate and well made. They all run around teh $80-$120 range, but they are well worth it.

Lane Reeder
Co.E, 3rd Arkansas
Texas Brigade