Dating Vintage Stetsons by Liner: A Field Guide

[HatsEnough]

Late 1930s Stetson Special

Hmmm. I have a Stetson special (with a replaced sweatband) that I thought was a 40s era piece. How do you know yours is a 30s? Maybe mine is 30s, too?

Exact same liner, by the way.

 

[alanfgag]

Hi HE,

The sweatband is certainly a help in narrowing down the vintage and though in this case it doesn't allow us to pinpoint a particular year, I think a bracket of 1938-1942 is going to be pretty close. Additional pictures of the hat are posted here. The sweatband type, stitching, imprint and the gold printed size tag are consistent with this time period. The $5 price tag behind the sweat align with the later advertisements for this model (see the earlier posts in this thread), which morphed from a $20 hat to a $5 hat during the course of the 1930s.

just my .02... others might have better knowledge,
Alan

 

[Rabbit]

Stetson Special midnight blue Homburg

 

[Rabbit]

Hi HE,

The sweatband is certainly a help in narrowing down the vintage and though in this case it doesn't allow us to pinpoint a particular year, I think a bracket of 1938-1942 is going to be pretty close. Additional pictures of the hat are posted here. The sweatband type, stitching, imprint and the gold printed size tag are consistent with this time period. The $5 price tag behind the sweat align with the later advertisements for this model (see the earlier posts in this thread), which morphed from a $20 hat to a $5 hat during the course of the 1930s.

just my .02... others might have better knowledge,
Alan

The liner in my above posted Stetson Special seems to be of the same kind as the one in your collection that you're referring to.

 

[alanfgag]

Yes, it's the same hat, save the color of the liner crest. There is yet another in great shape for a reasonable BIN on ebay.

Is the liner in yours taped in place, or sewn?

 

[Rabbit]

Yes, it's the same hat, save the color of the liner crest. There is yet another in great shape for a reasonable BIN on ebay.

Is the liner in yours taped in place, or sewn?

Alan, the liner is sewn in (with the usual loose stitchings).

 

[Rabbit]

Train of thought:
The Stetson Special Homburg in midnight blue is in absolute mint condition, felt, liner, sweatband and all.
Yours, Alan, is apparently in the same condition, as is the one currently on the 'bay.
During the mid/late 30s, the midnight blue Black Tie became popular and it seems reasonable to assume that the owner of a midnight blue Homburg would have worn this type of hat mainly or exclusively with evening clothes - of which the midnight blue version was only an option, thus reducing wearing time even further. If a man owned a midnight blue Black Tie, chances are it wasn't his ONLY Black Tie.
Just an idea put on the table.

 

[4spurs]

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A 7XCB recently acquired. Price tag says $48.50; so I'm guessing this hat is circa 1950. Have posted this elsewhere, but sharing it on this thread because of the unusual liner for a western. Typically one sees the cowboy watering his horse on a Stetson western liner.

 

[Rabbit]

Stetson 3X Beaver Quality, Mode Edge

No foil on liner crest.

 

[jimmy the lid]

Great 3X, Rabbit. I'd put that one at circa 1952.

Deputy -- you awake out there? Damned if this lid isn't a Mode Edge Wanderer!!! :eeek: :eeek: :eeek: :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[gtdean48]

...
Deputy -- you awake out there? Damned if this lid isn't a Mode Edge Wanderer!!! :eeek: :eeek: :eeek: :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Just got back from holiday deer hunt.... It sure look like the Wanderer ribbon. Like that Mode Edge... Way cool!

 

[randooch]

Great group o' hats! 4spurs, that 7X CB is the ticket!

 

[alanfgag]

Have posted this elsewhere, but sharing it on this thread because of the unusual liner for a western. Typically one sees the cowboy watering his horse on a Stetson western liner.

Very nice 7XCB. Medallion liners are seen on western hats too. Here is a red one from the 1930s.

 

[alanfgag]

Alan, the liner is sewn in (with the usual loose stitchings).

Thanks for confirming that. I thought the taped liner in mine might have been the result of a cleaning... It didn't look like a factory job... even for a $5 hat.

 

[Shohei]

Hi folks,
Your expertise would be greatly appreciated here with my 2 new to me (and first ever) Stetsons I picked up today a Royal Stetson Open Road, and a Stetson Twenty. Question is of course roughly how vintage are they. They are both a bit dirty but solid, sweats are still supple. The OR has a bit of yellow spotting on the liner, other wise great, the Twenty is, well eek scary liner wise. The rest of it is nice.

Royal Stetson OR (local, so Canadian made). Came with the receipt in the box ($12.95):

P2061422 by d.lenentine, on Flickr

Has a plastic tip cover. The liner tip logo has the very shiny gold highlights.

P2061422 by d.lenentine, on Flickr


P2061429 by d.lenentine, on Flickr

Some shots of the sweat band:

P2061426 by d.lenentine, on Flickr


P2061429 by d.lenentine, on Flickr


P2061432 by d.lenentine, on Flickr

Gold foil 1/4 size tag on a yellow card stock when looking at the back side of the tag, though may just be yellowed very evenly?

P2061430 by d.lenentine, on Flickr

ribbon was a bit wonky when i took the pics I have since fixed that up.

P2061435 by d.lenentine, on Flickr

Colour is Med. Gray I just had some bad lighting.


The box, rather confusing too, the receipt was stapled to it.
Says Whippet on there however, I did not see it any wheres else so I'm thinking its meaningless here.


P2061443 by d.lenentine, on Flickr

Too much info I am sure!
I will post the Twenty separately.

Thanks in advance for any info you fine folks could provide!
Cheers

 

[Shohei]

Here is the Twenty mentioned prior:

The liner is rather heavily yellowed and spotted however that tip protector covering the logo is not plastic but that oil fabric.

P2061447 by d.lenentine, on Flickr


P2061449 by d.lenentine, on Flickr

Under the sweat is that onion skin like protective material between the sweat and the liner, taped as you can see:


P2061453 by d.lenentine, on Flickr

some shots of the sweat band, Stetson logo and Aquanized (water proofing)


P2061454 by d.lenentine, on Flickr


P2061455 by d.lenentine, on Flickr


P2061456 by d.lenentine, on Flickr


P2061458 by d.lenentine, on Flickr

the box it was in:

P2061462 by d.lenentine, on Flickr


P2061463 by d.lenentine, on Flickr

and the hat... (again a medium gray)


P2061467 by d.lenentine, on Flickr

Again, apologies if this is a case of too much information.

Cheers!

 

[barrowjh]

Several others here are more knowledgeable than myself, but the clear plastic liner on the first one indicates that it might not be older than mid-1950s. The oil-slick on the 2nd hat, along with other details, indicates mid-to-late 1940s - no younger than early 1950s. My best guess. I decided to add that I have never seen a stetson box like that, looks like a classic Dobbs box (similar colors, black and gold).

 

[jimmy the lid]

Hi folks,
Your expertise would be greatly appreciated here with my 2 new to me (and first ever) Stetsons I picked up today a Royal Stetson Open Road, and a Stetson Twenty. Question is of course roughly how vintage are they. They are both a bit dirty but solid, sweats are still supple. The OR has a bit of yellow spotting on the liner, other wise great, the Twenty is, well eek scary liner wise. The rest of it is nice.

First of all -- congrats on picking up these Stetsons. Very nice!

I would place the first hat at circa mid-50's. The plastic tip protector, along with the style of liner (see beginning of this thread), along with the placement of "Open Road" on the sweat, are all consistent with that time frame.

I would place the second hat at circa 1953. The liner crest has the maple leaf present, and the medallion itself contains color (as opposed to the purely gold version). While the tip protector is not plastic, the oil silk liners were actually in use at least into the early (and possibly mid) 50's. All of these factors taken together are consistent with the circa-1953 estimate, methinks.

All that being said, keep in mind that lids from Canada may always present some anomalies in terms of dating.

Incidentally, "Aquanized Stetson" indicates a Canadian Stetson, as does the Dobbs-like black and yellow octagonal box (I have this same box for a Canadian Stetson that I acquired from feltfan).

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Shohei]

Thank you both for your input! I would have ventured a guess but it would have been just that.

All that being said, keep in mind that lids from Canada may always present some anomalies in terms of dating.

Heh we Canadians always present some kind of anomalies

I tried hunting down any records of its previous owner or the old store as it was certainly before my time, to no avail. Now the tough question is which one do I keep and which goes I bashed the OR a bit more to my liking and well its growing on me.

Again thank you both for you help on this!

Cheers

 

[Marc Chevalier]

.
Got this vintage Stetson panama hat recently. I thought it was from the '30s, but some folks believe it might be even older:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...a-Hat-Thread&p=1383760&viewfull=1#post1383760


Below is a photo of the hat's silk lining. The Stetson logo is embroidered on it in colored silk thread. Could any Loungers (Art Fawcett? JTL? Dinerman? RLK? Anyone?) please help me to place an age (approximate decade or year) on this hat? Thanks so much!