A Whiter Shade of Pale

[alanfgag]

Cleaning up and putting things away today... I stopped to take a picture of a small harem of neutral color western hats and variation in clear beaver:

from bottom up:

Stetson 25 OR
Stetson 7X Clear Beaver
Stetson 100
Borsalino Alessandria

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Nice stack of lids.

 

[hatophile]

Superb!

 

[danofarlington]

Cleaning up and putting things away today... I stopped to take a picture of a small harem of neutral color western hats and variation in clear beaver:

from bottom up:

Stetson 25 OR
Stetson 7X Clear Beaver
Stetson 100
Borsalino Alessandria

Fantastic. What can you say about 25 vs. clear beaver vs. 100? I now myself have a 25, and an Alessandria. What I'm getting at is, is there a reason to also go after a clear beaver and a 100 eventually, having already a 25? I'm fascinated by the differences or non-differences.

 

[Blackthorn]

Beautiful hats! I'd be so afraid of getting them dirty that I'd probably never wear them.

 

[alanfgag]

Fantastic. What can you say about 25 vs. clear beaver vs. 100? I now myself have a 25, and an Alessandria. What I'm getting at is, is there a reason to also go after a clear beaver and a 100 eventually, having already a 25? I'm fascinated by the differences or non-differences.

Dan, if you find a 7X CB in your size - buy it. These are great hats and they seem to come up much less frequently than the 25s.

My 25 is a 1960's example - the 7X is an earlier hat, early 50s, perhaps late 40s. The 25 is soft and somewhat heavy. The 7X is just a sublime felt - light, and moldable in the best sense. The 100 is stiffer and more finely pounced than the 7X. JTL started a good thread a month or so back that discusses the character of the different Stetson qualities in greater detail.

 

[danofarlington]

Dan, if you find a 7X CB in your size - buy it. These are great hats and they seem to come up much less frequently than the 25s.

My 25 is a 1960's example - the 7X is an earlier hat, early 50s, perhaps late 40s. The 25 is soft and somewhat heavy. The 7X is just a sublime felt - light, and moldable in the best sense. The 100 is stiffer and more finely pounced than the 7X. JTL started a good thread a month or so back that discusses the character of the different Stetson qualities in greater detail.

Thanks. It sounds as though if you had to live with just one of them, it would be the 7x. I'll have to look for one then, but I seldom see them on E bay.

 

[Gromulus]

A nice comparison.

"There is no reason
and the truth is plain to see."

Thanks for sharing!

 

[delectans]

Ravishing.

 

[gtdean48]

Thanks. It sounds as though if you had to live with just one of them, it would be the 7x. I'll have to look for one then, but I seldom see them on E bay.

Dan - I just sold my 25 because I finally scored a 7X CB, already having a 100. There is a definite, quantum jump up from the 25 to the 50. I have a Royal Stetson OR & a Royal Deluxe OR. I have owned & traded a 3X from the early 50's. Having handled & worn them all, the 7X & the 100 are truly far above the rest. JMHO....

There is also the elusive 5X CB too.....

 

[DRB]

Very nice, indeed! You must have quite a nice collection going there Alan. Good for you. There is no such thing as too much of a good thing.

 

[alanfgag]

Very nice, indeed! You must have quite a nice collection going there Alan. Good for you. There is no such thing as too much of a good thing.

Thanks DRB... I'm going to share that good thought with my better half!

 

[DRB]

hahaaha. Wear a helmet.

 

[alanfgag]

I was thinking I would send a text message.

 

[danofarlington]

Dan - I just sold my 25 because I finally scored a 7X CB, already having a 100. There is a definite, quantum jump up from the 25 to the 50. I have a Royal Stetson OR & a Royal Deluxe OR. I have owned & traded a 3X from the early 50's. Having handled & worn them all, the 7X & the 100 are truly far above the rest. JMHO....

There is also the elusive 5X CB too.....

Aha. The 7x being the same as the 50, no? Well, I just got this 25 and it's a big step up from my beat-up other Open Road, so I'll cruise with this one until I see a 7x or 100 in my size, and I win the auction. That could be quite a while. But it's good to know the order of desirability of them. I'm getting to be a big fan of the high-quality, clean-looking hat, sort of like what Alanfgag buys. Sort of stately but edgy. You need the quality to get the look.

 

[gtdean48]

Aha. The 7x being the same as the 50, no? ...

Yep, the 7X CB is the 50 like the old Sovereign is the 20....