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Dating a Cavanagh hat

Alive'n'Amplified

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,032
Location
Atlanta, GA
Yes, that's a '30s Cavanagh - the label is '30s, as is the taped sweatband seam. It's too bad the liner is gone, as it would tell us whether it's pre-'36 or post-'36. There should be a store name (Cavanagh Associate, officially) stamped on the sweatband, and we probably just can't see it in the photos.

The box is also of '30s construction. You'll find it's quite heavy-duty. Later decades still used the oval box, but the construction was different and lighter.

Don't let the blocking on Cavanagh hats fool you. Because they were very conservative in their styling, you could buy the same style of hat in 1928 and in 1968. Sure, they offered more modern stylings by the 1950s, but also still made the classics.

Nice find!

Brad


Thanks for the help, Brad! Here are the pics of the hat. Arrived today (er, yesterday)...

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...avanagh-Club&p=1506345&viewfull=1#post1506345

Cheers! :cool:
 

Mr. Pink

New in Town
Messages
5
Location
San Diego
Help dating another Cavanaugh

I'm wondering if anyone can give me an idea when this hat was manufactured. It looks as though it was never worn but came with this deep center dent and tight pinch:

HD0Z3wS.jpg


Open crown is just under 6" and brim is 2.5"

Idu7ovJ.jpg


Sweat has no markings and colors of liner are muted:

OvSzfES.jpg
\

Size tag:

A09EO1Q.jpg


Other tags:

mPmjt4C.jpg

Wrlmuiw.jpg


No other identifying information that I can find. Felt seems very nice, both soft and dense with a smooth hand.
 

Brad Bowers

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,187
Mid-1950s, based on the liner and size tag. That type of factory label was around for a few decades but was only used on rare occasions, especially that late. That fabric with handwritten black ink is something different and unusual. This hat possibly might have been a custom order.

Brad
 

Mr. Pink

New in Town
Messages
5
Location
San Diego
Mid-1950s, based on the liner and size tag. That type of factory label was around for a few decades but was only used on rare occasions, especially that late. That fabric with handwritten black ink is something different and unusual. This hat possibly might have been a custom order.

Brad

Thanks you. It seemed very odd to me that there were no store or model markings.

Mr Pink, I defer to Brad's knowledge on dating. It's a lovely looking hat.

I brushed and steamed it last night and gave it a more normal center dent and pinch this morning. It looks very nice.
 

Brad Bowers

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,187
Thanks you. It seemed very odd to me that there were no store or model markings.


Not unusual about the model name, but a bit odd about no store markings. Cavanagh rarely put the model names in hats, even though most of their hats had model names. That was true of most manufacturers, I think. Most model names probably lasted no more than a year or two at best. Only a few would have any kind of longevity that would warrant the expense of a model name die.

Brad
 

RBH

Bartender
What age do we think this Cavanagh is? My guess is late 50's, early '60's. Unfortunally no label or size- and pricetags in it. View attachment 663322 View attachment 663323 View attachment 663324 View attachment 663325 View attachment 663326 View attachment 663327 View attachment 663328


20241211_101408-jpg.663322


Early sixties seems correct to me... but there are far more knowledgeable than I am!
You wear this one very well.
From casual viewing, it seems the USA hats have a somewhat taller crown than European hats do.
The taller ones suit you !!!
 

Pellie

One Too Many
Messages
1,761
Location
Enschede, Netherlands
20241211_101408-jpg.663322


Early sixties seems correct to me... but there are far more knowledgeable than I am!
You wear this one very well.
From casual viewing, it seems the USA hats have a somewhat taller crown than European hats do.
The taller ones suit you !!!
That's correct, the usa hats do have a taller crown. Thanks for the compliment.
 
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