End of an Era: Arnold Hatters Closes for good

by Fredo

"Much is said by what you wear on your head"

It is with great sadness that I report the closing of Arnold Hatters (aka Knox Hats) in Manhattan. Arnold's was more than just a hat store. It was an affordable alternative to Fifth Avenue hat specialists JJ Hatcenter and Borsolino whose hats can cost upwards of of $1,200. They were happy to work with you to find the right hat for your budget and even went the extra mile to steam a fedora for free as I talked about last year. Arnold Hatters was my hat store. It's former incarnation, Knox Hats, was my Grandfather's hat store. According to the blog Vanishing New York: "Arnold Hatters, also known as Knox Hats, which had been at 620 Eighth Avenue for more than 40 years and whose owner (Arnold Rubin) could trace his Times Square hat-selling lineage to 1926." The post goes on to discuss how eminent domain was used by City of New york to take the original Knox Hats space. The Rubins were forced to move a few blocks south to 8th Avenue and 37th Street in 2007 but the volume of business fell off. The drop in sales (despite hats coming back into fashion)due to displacement coupled with the recession was too much for the 83 year old business, this May Arnold Hatters closed its' doors for good.

According to their website:

"To all of our dear friends and customers,

Due to the worsening condition of the economy, we have had to close our doors and go out of business. We're very grateful for your patronage over the years.

God bless you all,

Arnold, Peter and Mark Rubin
Arnold Hatters"

Thank you for the countless hats, education, class, and tradition. I will miss your store, the banter, and your dedication to the craft. I wish you the best in these tough times.Godspeed!

(Photo by Vanishing New York)

Lounge Essentials: Come back anytime ...with the hat

A few weeks ago, I was running some errands in Manhattan. The list of things to do included buying a new winter paper boy cap, meeting my tailor for a fitting, and getting a buzz and straight razor shave at Freemans Sporting Club. In between, I stopped for a dozen oysters and a carafe of Muscadet at Balthazar because I was hungry, know what I mean? But let's rewind to the new hat part of my journey.

I went to Arnold Hatters on 8th Avenue and 37th Street because that is my first and usually only choice when purchasing a new lid. For vintage hats, I go to an undisclosed location in Carrol Gardens. Now as everyone knows, Arnold HattersKnox Hats store. The owner told me the store had been in the family since then, so as I was buying my new brown/orange/beige hounds tooth wool lid by Stefano (made in Italy), I decided to show him my vintage fedora (bought at my secret find in Brooklyn). used to be located across from Port Authority in the old

The fedora is a Knox Hats original, brown felt, with black band from the late 1950s/early 60s. It is practically dead stock with perfect lining, and strong brim. The owner of Arnold's took one look at it and called over his son.

"They don't make them like this anymore. Look at the craftsmanship."

He then asked if I minded if he brushed it for me and offered a complimentary hat steaming. I told him to go right ahead and he meticulously brushed the hat and steamed the sides to open it up.

"What a beautiful hat, you know how much a hat like this would cost today..$200 easy!"

His attention and caring was a sight to behold and almost brought a tear to my eye.

Once I got the fedora back and swore an oath to keep it pristine, he told me:

"Come back anytime ... with the hat."

- Fredo