Join "The Fray"

[Marc Chevalier]

Fray-esque? Seems like this kind of hat, on that kind of roughneck (Daniel Trueblood), would've had that kind of sweatband. Maybe. Complete with milkshake.

 

[carouselvic]

The Boss Raw Edge owned by several prop. houses

 

[buler]

RLK's guess that the "Fray" could be attributed to William Fray of the Stetson Co. was correct. See 3rd paragraph.

B

 

[HatsEnough]

So, "The Fray" actually pertains to the special process that made sweatband itself! Great find.

 

[DJH]

Cool - so the Stetson I recently acquired through Dinerman's eBay sale owes a debt to Billy Fray and his sweatband ingenuity.

Oh, I ran the risk of having to confront the wrath of Mr. HatsEnough by changing the crease as well. It is a very wearable hat, despite its advanced age.

 

[feltfan]

Sure thing, Marc, except for the shameful brim binding. That would not have flown in the day.

Look how far the stitching is from the edge of the binding.

 

[Joshbru3]

Here's a picture ad from a 1916 issue of "The American" hatter. I've said before and I will say it again, these American Hatter issues might just be the single most important historical reference for pre-1930 hats in existence. This picture shows the Officers of the John B. Stetson company on their 50th Anniversary of business. William F. Fray is the 1st vice president.

 

[alanfgag]

Stetson Star with Fray Sweat

Note the Fray imprint running vertically across the width of the sweat.

 

[Mystic]

RLK's guess that the "Fray" could be attributed to William Fray of the Stetson Co. was correct. See 3rd paragraph.

B

Huh....

The premier hat man is not wearing a hat.................

 

[alanfgag]

Looking over the posts in this thread and chatting with Josh in PMs, it appears the Fray imprint appeared on a range of sweatbands over the years but most characteristically on this particular style of embossed and coated leather

which seems to have worn like iron. One area of weakness seems to have been a problem with foil hot stamping. The Stetson insignia and Fray imprint were (from our limited samples) inkless blind embossments. The store logos were done mostly in a silver foil which I believe is aluminum. The foil embossments didn't fare as well over time, showing problems with adhesion of the foil:

perhaps from the treatment used on these sweats to withstand moisture?

Other Fray variants sported the same Stetson inkless embossments and store imprints in bronze foil with improved adhesion, as in these auction photos posted by Lefty on the pre-1940s Stetson Western thread:

The slick hard wearing Fray sweat had the potential to be an iron horse sweatband, but it wasn't particularly pretty and it didn't imprint easily. Was it abandoned because of it's weakness in marketing the store brand... or in favor of prettier, softer materials? Ruminations for a Sunday afternoon.

 

[rlk]

1919 Boss Raw Edge and The Fray TM

 

[randooch]

Cool! Any of you own an Apple hat?

 

[Joshbru3]

This is in desperate need of a bump.

 

[alanfgag]

Clear Nutria fur finish with the Fray

 

[Joshbru3]

Well, one thing is for sure. As to the argument of whether Nutria or Beaver make a tougher hat, a long haired Nutria looks every bit as good as a long haired beaver or Rabbit. This hat is a prime example! I could stare at it all day! :eusa_clap:eusa_clap

As a side note, I just had to mention how much I love the sweatband stampings. They are nice and deep and have great definition. I much prefer plain stampings over gold ones on these oldies any day of the week.

 

[jbooth]

Wm Fray worked for P. Herst & Co in Philadelphia from ( 1861 to 1866 ) before joining Stetson. Herst was a large competitor of Stetson, and Herst won government hat contracts in the 1870’s. Sometime afterwards ( 1880 - 1920 ) Herst’s manufactured hats which include the embossed Fray labeled sweatband, ( patented January 1, 1879) a hallmark of Stetson.

 

[Joshbru3]

Bump

 

[splintercellsz]

1900s Stetson Western

1900s Stetson Expo

Recently sold on eBay (NOT mine)

 

[Lefty]

one of my favorite threads for eye candy threads

 

[alanfgag]

Agree.