Another new Stetson

[Baron Kurtz]

This one a hat i've been hunting for for a while. A non-stingy black fedora. Can anyone tell me anything about it? ie. What date do the various features suggest?

This is a select quality Stetson. No lining. It appears not to have ever had one. In wonderful condition, just needs a bit of a brush to remove some surface dust. The felt is certainly as soft and pliable as any Borsalino i've ever come across ... The edge is bound in thin grosgrain ribbon. Not bad for $10, no?

Using my gentle bashing technique, it came into this shape:

The ribbon is about 1" wide and the bow is frayed at the back side (was this ever done intentionally? or is it just wear and tear?

The "Select Quality" Stetson logo embossed on the sweatband. The bow at the back of the sweat is a rich red, instead of the standard cream, and the size label is a small round sticker ...

Some markings on the underside of the sweat. 2SOFT? what?

And the reorder labels are different from the labels on all my other Stetsons

bk

 

[Wild Root]

Wow BK, that's a heck of a hat! That's 30's I should say! The outer bow is a design I believe... it looks to me to have been a styled fray. The red inner bow is neat! My early 30's Stetson I've posted here a few times has a rich blue bow on the sweat band!

That crown looks so nice and tall... black is a very hard color to find! And for $10. bucks??? HAHAHAHAHAHA Brother, you better keep your eye out for them "brass buttons" because man, you stole it!lol

=WR=

 

[Baron Kurtz]

30s eh? That's what i thought. Thanks, Root. Funnily enough i don't even have the measurements for it. Will measure it up later.

It's a leetle small so i'll get it stretched a bit.

bk

 

[Bud-n-Texas]

Good for you Baron

I have been looking for a black wide brim fedora for some time now. Being 7 3/8 seems to make the search even more challenging. It looks good on you and renews my hope that I may come across one in the future. :eusa_clap

 

[Baron Kurtz]

It's weird. Vintage black suits (no pinstripes) are rare, vintage black hats are rare, vintage black shirts are pretty much unavailable. Black is a vintage impossibility ...

bk

 

[ideaguy]

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap Holy jumping catfish-that's one terrific hat, at any price, which ties in with my theory of the commodification of the objet and oh never mind- 1930's is my lightly researched opinion- the crown meeting the brim with little to no flare, just a thunk! and there's yer crown kinda style-the 2soft is priceless- is it? You're due a hit now and then, cherish this one.
adieu M

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I reckon the 2soft refers to the sweatband. It is very thin and pliable leather, which fits well with the lightweight felt and lack of liner ...

bk

 

[DOUGLAS]

Oh my! that is gorgious. You can definitely find a good hat man. Congrats.
The sweat looks fantastic. Boy are you lucky that is'nt my size. Good for you BK.

 

[RBH]

Thats one slick hat BK

I like it !

 

[Baron Kurtz]

So when did Stetson move over from the Standard Quality, Select Quality etc lines to the Royal and Royal Deluxe lines?

bk

 

[deanglen]

Nice to see your hat. Inspires the rest of us looking for something similar.

dean

 

[MKL]

Very nice! Great find.

Mark L.

 

[scotrace]

Hail hat, well met.

Well done. That's one of the best looking hats ever shown here.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

So when did Stetson move over from the Standard Quality, Select Quality etc lines to the Royal and Royal Deluxe lines?

bk

I'd love to know this also.

Hey, is there any kind of logo on the inside top of the crown? I have a couple of Stetsons without liners (nice in the heat!) and one has the logo and one doesn't.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Well, I've had two Stetson hats from the 1920s that had the exact grainy leather sweatband, stamping, and little round size sticker as yours. I have several Stetsons from the '30s whose leather sweatbands are smooth, whose stamping look different, and whose sizes are indicated on tags, not little round stickers.

Bottom line is, I think that your Stetson fedora is from the 1920s.

.

 

[Pilgrim]

Very nice loking hat. If you have a stretcher, just mount it and give the adjustment a twist every day for a week or so (subject to occasional testing and your best judgement) - it will come around.

 

[Razzman]

Congratulations on a great find Baron. :eusa_clap I like the way you shaped it. Thats a sweeeet hat and at a bargain price.

 

[Wild Root]

It's weird. Vintage black suits (no pinstripes) are rare, vintage black hats are rare, vintage black shirts are pretty much unavailable. Black is a vintage impossibility ...

bk

You're so right! Black is a very hard shade to find! I have one black DB suit coat... wish it had it's pants!!! I saw a beautiful peaked lapel three piece on ebay a wile ago... it was black wool! I even think it was an NRA (National Recovery Act) label inside! A friend sent the link to me... I had to pass on it, it was a 38R or something... oh well.

But, black is hard to find period! And when I do find it, it's priced pretty high!

=WR=

PS. Marc is right, it could very well be a 20's hat!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

yeah, that black SBPL. I thought long and hard about that one. It ended up going for $50 or so. It was in pretty rotten condition, i think: the only reason i didn't go for it. Incidentally, i only have one black jacket too: A 1954 dated SB from Germany ... One of these days! With my luck, i'm praying already.

Tony: the crown on dis Stetson has no logo.

btw. I just noticed in a vintage store around here a Stetson campaign hat that was apparently used by some general or other (a pretty serious battle between the native americans and the feds was fought here) ... I hope the dame will allow me to take pics. A very expensive hat, or i'd pick it up.

bk

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Well, I've had two Stetson hats from the 1920s that had the exact grainy leather sweatband, stamping, and little round size sticker as yours. I have several Stetsons from the '30s whose leather sweatbands are smooth, whose stamping look different, and whose sizes are indicated on tags, not little round stickers.

Bottom line is, I think that your Stetson fedora is from the 1920s.

.

Interesting. The hat just keeps getting older and older. It was sold to me as 50s (which i didn't believe because of the Select Quality thing). Now it's 20s ... thanks for the info.

bk