New MLB hats next season

[baseballking99]

I think it would be stupid for them to stop making the 5950.  Its the highest quality hat you can buy.  Hopefully they'll keep making the 5950's as normal and just sell these new caps as the "authentics"

Seriously? You cannot believe this. When I went to buy my Twins road 5950, I had to go to three stores to find a hat that had the M straight, the red and white aligned without gaps, the red top button in the real middle, and the mlb logo on the back straight. I looked at over a hudred hats and they were all shoddy.

Good riddance 5950, New Era's riding on yesterday's laurels and tomorrow's compost.

Besides the inconsistencies, if you find a good one they're the highest quality. Look at Nike, Reebok, TOW, and all the others. They don't make anything close. THe 5950 is the only good non streth hat.

[Sodboy13]

I have a Zephyr X-Line hat, fitted, and it's arguably the most comfortable hat I have. Coming in a close second is the Reebok Argos cap I just bought last month, which is a one-size-fits-all flexfit and surprisingly looks and feels good on my size 7 5/8 head. Third place goes to my Beloit Snappers 5950, which seems to have more of a mid-level crown than MLB on-field caps.

I have a couple of MLB 5950s too. Both have that high crown, and the fit is a bit shifty. (Though I had a Brewers one I bought in '98 that I wore into oblivion, it fit so well.) I made the mistake of buying a 5950 online this year and learned a lesson about their quality the hard way. The alleged 7 5/8 was so big, it conquered my forehead and fit loosely over my ears.

Of course, if you're rockin' your hat to the side, not bending the brim, and wearing a do-rag underneath, odds are you're not that concerned with sizing or comfort. I'd venture a guess that those of us who value a good fitting, well-constructed hat are in the minority of hat wearers.

[Swiss]

I think it would be stupid for them to stop making the 5950.  Its the highest quality hat you can buy.  Hopefully they'll keep making the 5950's as normal and just sell these new caps as the "authentics"

High quality? Really? A lot of them are made in sweatshops, they aren't consistantly sized, and can come apart way too soon. They're priced to be high quality, but the product doesn't back it up.

Oh, yeah. I know it perfectly because I used to buy online caps from Argentina... and when the stuff arrived home... often it is too tight or too loose for my 7 1/4 head.

What a s#!t.

[ManCalledAmp]

Slightly off topic, but I couldn't help but post it...

Somehow I think a hat with "BM" on it doesn't send the right message about your franchise.

[FiddySicks]

I think it would be stupid for them to stop making the 5950.  Its the highest quality hat you can buy.  Hopefully they'll keep making the 5950's as normal and just sell these new caps as the "authentics"

High quality? Really? A lot of them are made in sweatshops, they aren't consistantly sized, and can come apart way too soon. They're priced to be high quality, but the product doesn't back it up.

Made in Sweatshops? New Era caps are all American made.

[ElwoodCuse]

Made in Sweatshops? New Era caps are all American made.

Yes, and how poorly they treat workers at their American factories has led to many labor groups to criticize them. Just look up "new era sweatshop" on Google.

[JohnnyFriedRice]

I think it would be stupid for them to stop making the 5950.  Its the highest quality hat you can buy.  Hopefully they'll keep making the 5950's as normal and just sell these new caps as the "authentics"

High quality? Really? A lot of them are made in sweatshops, they aren't consistantly sized, and can come apart way too soon. They're priced to be high quality, but the product doesn't back it up.

Made in Sweatshops? New Era caps are all American made.

Nope. Do a Google search. Actually, just search these forums. There was a thread on this very topic before. Maybe July-ish.

[FiddySicks]

Made in Sweatshops? New Era caps are all American made.

Yes, and how poorly they treat workers at their American factories has led to many labor groups to criticize them. Just look up "new era sweatshop" on Google.

Yeah i did some research after I posted that and found a few articles about claims filed against new era. Not too suprising really.

[KDubK414]

I personally love the 5950's! I wear a 7 1/4 hat, and go between short hair and longer than short hair, and it fits me very well no matter what. Tight enough that I feel I won't lose it on a rollercoaster, but loose enough that I don't shut off blood supply to me brain. My "new" MB Glove fits like a charm.

I also like the flex fits from RBK! I bought a Packers Sideline hat last year, LOL, I know not a great year, but I loved wearing the cap! It fits me so well! AND, it looks good!

Kyle

[SiddFinch]

And on two I have, the bill seems like its made out of note cards. Its not sturdy at all.

I do not understand this complaint becuase the bills on my USA 5950's are so thick as to be comical, and retain extreme bends much better than hats I own with thinner bills like EFF.

I wear a 7 1/2. I buy the hat, cut out the crown reinforcement, wet the cap from the outside, wear it for a while, and I get a great old school lower profile hat with a full size bill. I can't believe they would stop making 5950's completely because they do make a fairly popular Cooperstown line. I don't see folks buying a Brooklyn Dodgers mesh Cool Flo Cooperstown hat.

[edensker]

Made in Sweatshops? New Era caps are all American made.

Yes, and how poorly they treat workers at their American factories has led to many labor groups to criticize them. Just look up "new era sweatshop" on Google.

Yeah i did some research after I posted that and found a few articles about claims filed against new era. Not too suprising really.

"Their strategy is to produce most of their products in factories located in low-wage regions where unemployment is high and the government offers tax breaks and subsidies, while driving down the wages and working conditions at their high-end factory in Derby, New York."

Sounds like smart business to me.

Granted, I did not do a lot of research on this subject, but what I did read mostly threw out the stigmatized term "sweatshop" without providing any supporting detail. And The National Review published an article debunking the accusations.

http://www.nationalreview.com/maserati/maserati061102.asp

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Made in Sweatshops? New Era caps are all American made.

Yes, and how poorly they treat workers at their American factories has led to many labor groups to criticize them. Just look up "new era sweatshop" on Google.

Yeah i did some research after I posted that and found a few articles about claims filed against new era. Not too suprising really.

"Their strategy is to produce most of their products in factories located in low-wage regions where unemployment is high and the government offers tax breaks and subsidies, while driving down the wages and working conditions at their high-end factory in Derby, New York."

Sounds like smart business to me.

Granted, I did not do a lot of research on this subject, but what I did read mostly threw out the stigmatized term "sweatshop" without providing any supporting detail. And The National Review published an article debunking the accusations.

http://www.nationalreview.com/maserati/maserati061102.asp

Crazy. The National Review defends big business.

[pcgd]

And on two I have, the bill seems like its made out of note cards. Its not sturdy at all.

I do not understand this complaint becuase the bills on my USA 5950's are so thick as to be comical, and retain extreme bends much better than hats I own with thinner bills like EFF.

I wear a 7 1/2. I buy the hat, cut out the crown reinforcement, wet the cap from the outside, wear it for a while, and I get a great old school lower profile hat with a full size bill. I can't believe they would stop making 5950's completely because they do make a fairly popular Cooperstown line. I don't see folks buying a Brooklyn Dodgers mesh Cool Flo Cooperstown hat.

I'm not saying your's aren't like that, but i would love to find one like that. I even have a minor league low profile hat and its the flimsy bill along with the couple 59/50s I have. I don't have hundreds or anything (I think 5) but they are all like that. I prefer the Franchise bills from Twins. Combine those 2 hats (low profile, good bills from the Franchise, wool and authentic from the 59/50s) and you've made me a customer for life.

[SabreGuy]

Granted, I did not do a lot of research on this subject, but what I did read mostly threw out the stigmatized term "sweatshop" without providing any supporting detail.  And The National Review published an article debunking the accusations.

http://www.nationalreview.com/maserati/maserati061102.asp

Crazy. The National Review defends big business.

LOL, yeah. In other news, the sun rose today.

[Gothamite]

I think it would be stupid for them to stop making the 5950.  Its the highest quality hat you can buy.  Hopefully they'll keep making the 5950's as normal and just sell these new caps as the "authentics"

Seriously? You cannot believe this. When I went to buy my Twins road 5950, I had to go to three stores to find a hat that had the M straight, the red and white aligned without gaps, the red top button in the real middle, and the mlb logo on the back straight. I looked at over a hudred hats and they were all shoddy.

Good riddance 5950, New Era's riding on yesterday's laurels and tomorrow's compost.

Besides the inconsistencies, if you find a good one they're the highest quality. Look at Nike, Reebok, TOW, and all the others. They don't make anything close. THe 5950 is the only good non streth hat.

Exactly.

If you ignore:

• the inconsistent sizing;
  
• the brims attached on an angle
  
• the off-center buttons
  
• the off-center team logo on the front
  
• the off-center MLB logo on the back
  
• the poor stiching
  

In other words, if you ignore virtually everything about the construction, then "they're the highest quality."

Ninety-nine out of a hundred are garbage, but that hundreth one? Quality.

[SabreGuy]

when you think about the quality issues, it's actually a shame. as a concept, they are a REALLY good hat. Done right (as they used to be) they couldn't be better. But, due to various market forces, etc, they've had to drop quality in favor of quantity, and in the process we've lost a real, quality hat.

[Gothamite]

due to various market forces, etc, they've had to drop quality in favor of quantity

You're more generous than I.

I would say "because New Era wants to squeeze every dime of profit that they can, they've sacrificed quality control."

[jm1266]

I think I've seen a new version of the caps. It's a redesigned 3930 with a higher crown and made of a thinner material than the BP caps that have been used the past few seasons. It was a Yankees model on sale at the Trenton Thunder gift shop last week during the Eastern League playoffs.

It looked okay but I prefer the old wool caps myself...

[BallWonk]

If you ignore:

• the inconsistent sizing;
  
• the brims attached on an angle
  
• the off-center buttons
  
• the off-center team logo on the front
  
• the off-center MLB logo on the back
  
• the poor stiching
  

In other words, if you ignore virtually everything about the construction, then "they're the highest quality." 

Ninety-nine out of a hundred are garbage, but that hundreth one?  Quality. 

I'd actually like to see some quantification on these claims. (I don't mean, "You, Gothamite, show us some proof or retract!" I just mean that the repeated assertions by many here of New Era's manufacturing incompetence make me curious in the abstract about just how common these product flaws are.)

I've experienced the inconsistent sizing myself, though I cannot say to what extent it has to do with the sensitivity of the head as opposed to negligence on New Era's part. I mean, every pair of pants I own is a slightly different length, though all are either 34" inseams or tailored. But you just don't notice a quarter-inch variance in inseam, or even in waist size. But that same quarter inch variance amounts to most of the circumferential difference between 1/8-inch cap sizes. I certainly do not notice better size regularity from Zephyr's fitted caps, nor from Tilley, Stetson, or the $200 handmade Panama hats I tried on on a lark in Georgetown recently. So to what extent is the size variance inherent in handmade hatmaking, and to what extent does New Era exhibit worse quality control on fitted headwear than other manufacturers? It's a question I'd love to see answered quantitatively.

Further, I've sorted through hundreds of New Era 5950s in my day, searching for the perfect combination of exact fit and tight-cornered logo embroidery, and I just haven't seen the other problems you identify. I've never seen an improperly attached brim. I've never seen an off-center button. I can think of one time I sat behind a guy with a crooked MLB logo. (Drove me batty, as asymmetrical things do, which is why I'm quite sure I've only seen it the once.) I have seen a handful of team logos visibly stitched at an angle, and I see a lot of team logos where a milimeter or two of the foam they use is visible at the corners (a problem, I am convinced, not with New Era quality control but with the basic idea of stupid puffy logos in the first place, since I see the same ragged corners on other brands' puffy embroidery).

It would be valuable if someone with access to a quantity of new 5950s were to check a few hundred caps for the problems mentioned above. Are they in fact common, and I'm the luckiest cap buyer in the world? Or like most anecdotal reports, are the exceptions magnified by perception into a false norm?

[IceCap]

Finally! I HATE the 59/50s.

They're way to stiff on my head (and I've tried to break one in, it's just a stiff cap), they rise up on my head, and the piss poor stitching in the rim makes it very unconfertable to wear.

Add up the generally low quality in recent recent years, and I say it's about time they ditched this hat. I would WELCOME a MLB change to flex caps. Then I could buy an athentic Jays hat that I could actually wear.

I currently don't own a 59/50, or any other fitted cap. I have a graphite Jays flex BP cap, a blue Nike adjustible Jays hat w/the current logo, and red w/navy bill Twins Enterprise adjustible Twins hat. That Twins hat is the most confetable hat I own.