Boss of the Plains?

[Frunobulax]

No, reality is the world or the state of things as they actually exist.

So, while the reality is that a Whippet may identify as a BOP, the reality is also that the Whippet is in fact, not a BOP. Saying it so don't make it so.

So you're saying I'm not a little teapot, short and stout?

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

So you're saying I'm not a little teapot, short and stout?

Best post ever!!!

 

[Bamaboots]

I never said he was short.

 

[Frunobulax]

Best post ever!!!

I never said he was short.

I do prefer a good stout over a pilsner.

 

[M Hatman]

Stout is as Stout does........and well drinks.
I like Stout "It makes me a jolly good fellow".

Off to have a stout and whiskey...........it's calling me now.

 

[TWKundrat]

I've seen this a handful of times claiming to be one of the earliest Stetson ads. One site claims it's from the 1875 Montgomery Wards catalog but I've looked through a scan of that catalog online and this isn't in it. It was the spring/summer catalog I looked through so maybe there was another one? Does anyone know the true origins of this advertisement?

Was Stetson using nutria fur this early on? I know I've read that nutria was introduced to North America right around the turn of the century but maybe the fur was imported from South America at that time.

 

[jlee562]

I've also thought that Montgomery Ward claim was dubious. I didn't search exhaustively, but that site that has a scan of the 1901 catalog also has this "Stetson's Monthly" dated 1899. A few pages after the quote below, there is a picture captioned "WASHING NUTRIA SKINS."

https://digital.hagley.org/Stetson_...av[page]=0&solr_nav[offset]=0#page/4/mode/2up

Nutria is valued far higher than any other hatter's furs. Superior strength and rich texture make its high cost. Our position among the world's makers of fine hats may be easily estimated by the fact that we use more Nutria fur than all the other hat-makers in the world combined. The balance of all materials used in Stetson hats is the expert selection of the world's markets, quality being the first consideration.

I think it's probably a fair presumption that they didn't become the "world's leader" in use of Nutria overnight and that they had been doing so for some time.

 

[TWKundrat]

I've also thought that Montgomery Ward claim was dubious. I didn't search exhaustively, but that site that has a scan of the 1901 catalog also has this "Stetson's Monthly" dated 1899. A few pages after the quote below, there is a picture captioned "WASHING NUTRIA SKINS."

https://digital.hagley.org/Stetson_1899_Catalogue?solr_nav[id]=6ed618f80d9c5c0db79e&solr_nav[page]=0&solr_nav[offset]=0#page/4/mode/2up



I think it's probably a fair presumption that they didn't become the "world's leader" in use of Nutria overnight and that they had been doing so for some time.

I hadn't seen that "Stetson's Monthly" before. That's good stuff. Thanks for posting it.

 

[MikeinRome]

Here's a photo of Stetson's Boss of the Plains in that 1899 Stetson's Monthly.

 

[TWKundrat]

I just read through that whole booklet and I guess this answers my question about Stetson using nutria that early on.

 

[MikeinRome]

A Stetson BOP-type Real Nutria hat for sale for $850 on eBay now. Came from the Meyer - Gash store in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I found an article where Max J Meyer was trying to rename the store to Max J Meyer Co in Oct 1926, so this hat is probably pre-1927. Hat has 4 inch brim and 5 inch crown, per seller. It's not marked as an actual BOP, because I asked the seller about that.

 

[MikeinRome]

Also, here's a photo, said to date 1920, of famous actress Sally Rand posing with hats from Max Meyer's store. I found the photo on the Internet. It's claimed that Max Meyer invented the Ten-Gallon Hat for Stetson, whether actually true or not.

 

[TWKundrat]

A Stetson BOP-type Real Nutria hat for sale for $850 on eBay now. Came from the Meyer - Gash store in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I found an article where Max J Meyer was trying to rename the store to Max J Meyer Co in Oct 1926, so this hat is probably pre-1927. Hat has 4 inch brim and 5 inch crown, per seller. It's not marked as an actual BOP, because I asked the seller about that.

I've been keeping an eye on that one. Too rich for my blood but it's a nice hat with some cool history.

 

[MikeinRome]

I've been keeping an eye on that one. Too rich for my blood but it's a nice hat with some cool history.

Yes, I feel about the same way. I thought about it, but I really don't wear low crown hats enough to justify that price, plus it's a small size and I'd have to stretch it. If it had been super old, I might have been tempted.