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Billie89

New in Town
Messages
1
I do not know anything about hats I am hoping someone can help me. I have done some research and I believe its 1960’s part of Stetson. I am looking to find out how old this hat is. It was my husband’s grandfathers and I would love to find out more about this hat for him. Here are pictures I took of the hat. It’s braided and kind of soft.
 

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Snowman

Practically Family
Messages
675
I do not know anything about hats I am hoping someone can help me. I have done some research and I believe its 1960’s part of Stetson. I am looking to find out how old this hat is. It was my husband’s grandfathers and I would love to find out more about this hat for him. Here are pictures I took of the hat. It’s braided and kind of soft.
I would venture to guess that your Stevens hat is from the mid to late 1960s to early 1970s. I am not an expert on these hats, but there are some here who are.
 
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
I do not know anything about hats I am hoping someone can help me. I have done some research and I believe its 1960’s part of Stetson. I am looking to find out how old this hat is. It was my husband’s grandfathers and I would love to find out more about this hat for him. Here are pictures I took of the hat. It’s braided and kind of soft.


Stevens
I do not know anything about hats I am hoping someone can help me. I have done some research and I believe its 1960’s part of Stetson. I am looking to find out how old this hat is. It was my husband’s grandfathers and I would love to find out more about this hat for him. Here are pictures I took of the hat. It’s braided and kind of soft.

I’m not an expert either, but I’d say the 1960s to 1970s sounds right. Stevens bought the Stetson trademark and made hats under the Stetson name from sometime around 1972 until 2005ish. They were not the same company as Stetson, but there is the connection. After Stetson went out of business they existed in name only and Stevens was the first company to own the rights to the name after Stetson called it quits. All the Stevens hats I’ve seen or handled, including those stating “Beaver Blend,” have been lower end hats. Some of the hats made under the Stetson name were shocking bad, but some were decent. I personally haven’t seen a hat from this era with the Stetson name that was better than decent. I don’t know if Stevens continued making hats under their own name after acquiring the rights to make Stetsons. If they did continue making them then your hat may be more recent that they I guessed at. As I said, I’m no expert.
 

GuitarGuy99

One of the Regulars
Messages
134
I've been reshaping the crown on my Northwest fedora and I noticed the felt is spidering or wrinkling a bit. It's not terrible but it is noticeable. I was wondering if that is normal for a custom made hat? Also, the stiffener has a funky smell. Again, it's not terrible but there is a smell, which is something I've ever noticed on any other open crown hat--Stetson or Akubra. Are these things just because the hat is only a few months old?
 
I've been reshaping the crown on my Northwest fedora and I noticed the felt is spidering or wrinkling a bit. It's not terrible but it is noticeable. I was wondering if that is normal for a custom made hat? Also, the stiffener has a funky smell. Again, it's not terrible but there is a smell, which is something I've ever noticed on any other open crown hat--Stetson or Akubra. Are these things just because the hat is only a few months old?

Are you shaping it dry or with steam / water? Dry shaping can do that -- especially on hats with a lot of stiffener.
 

GuitarGuy99

One of the Regulars
Messages
134
I'm sure this question has been asked a hundred times already so once more ain't gonna hurt any--Besides price, is there any big difference between rabbit felt and beaver? Is beaver softer and more "vintage" feeling?
 
Messages
11,714
So there really is a guy named John Hancock? I always thought it was just a US figure of speech......the whole 'to put your john hancock' on a document...sort of like a US John Doe.
Yes, the figure of speech came from the lore of John Hancock being first to sign Declaration of Independence
 

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