Dating Vintage Stetsons by size tag

[deadlyhandsome]

I found this interesting. The Centennial box shows that the block rectangular size tag was being used by 1965. It also helps place the use of “crafted edge.” I wonder if the “keyhole” size tag had been completely discontinued by this time.

 

[Frunobulax]

I found this interesting. The Centennial box shows that the block rectangular size tag was being used by 1965. It also helps place the use of “crafted edge.” I wonder if the “keyhole” size tag had been completely discontinued by this time.


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I have a 3X OR that came in one of those boxes. FWIW, it has the tan keyhole tag as it's labeled a Wide Oval.

 

[Louis Mountbatten]

I found this interesting. The Centennial box shows that the block rectangular size tag was being used by 1965. It also helps place the use of “crafted edge.” I wonder if the “keyhole” size tag had been completely discontinued by this time.

From my recollection, they still used some of the special keyhole tags for several years into the 60s. Like the wide ovals, etc, the ones that were used less often than the straight sizes.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I have a 3X OR that came in one of those boxes. FWIW, it has the tan keyhole tag as it's labeled a Wide Oval.

From my recollection, they still used some of the special keyhole tags for several years into the 60s. Like the wide ovals, etc, the ones that were used less often than the straight sizes.

A couple of years ago someone here wrote that the long oval, and presumably wide oval, keyhole size tags didn’t neatly conform to the date standards we used on the regular oval hats.

 

[Just Daniel]

Also the keyhole tag with the whole number and fraction together may have bled over into the early 60s.

They are at least an indicator of the later 50s.

I found this interesting. The Centennial box shows that the block rectangular size tag was being used by 1965. It also helps place the use of “crafted edge.” I wonder if the “keyhole” size tag had been completely discontinued by this time.


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[deadlyhandsome]

Also the keyhole tag with the whole number and fraction together may have bled over into the early 60s.

They are at least an indicator of the later 50s.

My understanding, as cobbled together from by betters here, is that the keyhole size tag with the mixed number sizing started sometime in the mid or latter 1950s and ended sometime in the early or mid 1960s.

 

[moehawk]

And let's not forget the transitional black keyhole tag that preceded the rectangle, just to make things even more confusing...

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Including this one just for the O.P.S. pricing. I know the long oval tags don’t often conform to the standard oval tags, but it’s something.

1951 to 1953

 

[deadlyhandsome]

This hat (not mine) is interesting in that it has:
1) Black Sweatband
2) The 3X Roundel on the sweatband,
3) The “green” liner
4) A Selv-Edge
5) Manila keyhole Long Oval size tag without the whole number
6) And a 1960 dated sweatband

 

[M Hatman]

This hat (not mine) is interesting in that it has:
1) Black Sweatband
2) The 3X Roundel on the sweatband,
3) The “green” liner
4) A Selv-Edge
5) Manila keyhole Long Oval size tag without the whole number
6) And a 1960 dated sweatband

Well.....it IS a "Chameleon" after all.......
I do have some mid-60's hats with the roundel, but, as on this example..........they are not very well done...are smaller and have less detail with an almost "blurred" look.

 

[MikeinRome]

I don't know if it's been mentioned, but here's a photo I copied from a Stetson said to date around 1900 or so, a bowler or Derby that's for sale on Etsy. The size tag has a scalloped edge and a red line inside of the edge. I've seen this type of size tag on several different brands of hats, all dating from about late 1880's or early 90's to somewhere after 1900. Also a pic of my Boss Raw Edge size tag, estimated about 1907. Alan discusses these tags on the Stetson Lot Number thread

 

[Louis Mountbatten]

I don't know if it's been mentioned, but here's a photo I copied from a Stetson said to date around 1900 or so, a bowler or Derby that's for sale on Etsy. The size tag has a scalloped edge and a red line inside of the edge. I've seen this type of size tag on several different brands of hats, all dating from about late 1880's or early 90's to somewhere after 1900. Also a pic of my Boss Raw Edge size tag, estimated about 1907. Alan discusses these tags on the Stetson Lot Number thread

It seems they stopped using the little stickers for size tags before the mid 1920s or so.

 

[MikeinRome]

It seems they stopped using the little stickers for size tags before the mid 1920s or so.

Yes, I've read that, but wasn't sure if that was the final verdict.

 

[BobHufford]

It seems they stopped using the little stickers for size tags before the mid 1920s or so.

I think they transitioned from the red/white scalloped sticker to a plain, white on black, round sticker somewhere in the 1920s. This Stetson Tropic Weight (which apparently debuted in 1929) has the later sticker.

 

[circle_t]

I recently bought a Stetson Panama that included a box and receipt from 1976, haven’t seen this size tag posted here before:

I tend to wear 7 1/2 or 60cm regular oval hats, but have a long oval head and this fits me quite well - is it possible this style of tag indicates LO sizing? Or is it maybe unique to straws of the era?

 

[Frunobulax]

I recently bought a Stetson Panama that included a box and receipt from 1976, haven’t seen this size tag posted here before:
View attachment 522686
I tend to wear 7 1/2 or 60cm regular oval hats, but have a long oval head and this fits me quite well - is it possible this style of tag indicates LO sizing? Or is it maybe unique to straws of the era?

That's a fairly generic size tag. It wouldn't surprise me if Stetson's straw manufacturing was licensed out to somebody else separate from the felt plant in this era. Materials can be sourced elsewhere.

Older Stetson straws, such as Medalists from the 40s or 50s, had regular keyhole tags as found in the felts.

 

[Louis Mountbatten]

I recently bought a Stetson Panama that included a box and receipt from 1976, haven’t seen this size tag posted here before:
View attachment 522686
I tend to wear 7 1/2 or 60cm regular oval hats, but have a long oval head and this fits me quite well - is it possible this style of tag indicates LO sizing? Or is it maybe unique to straws of the era?

That tag was used in the 60s. Stetson was no longer making the straw hats and buying them from a supplyer at that time. And they pretty much abandoned the long oval sizes by then, too.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

A size tag not seen too often. I’m guessing later 1960s (not my hat):

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I found this interesting. The Centennial box shows that the block rectangular size tag was being used by 1965. It also helps place the use of “crafted edge.” I wonder if the “keyhole” size tag had been completely discontinued by this time.


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Another Stetson Centennial (1865 to 1965). It shows that the 3X roundel, the black rectangular size tag (without metric sizing), and the Selv-Edge brim edge were all in use on at least some hats in 1965.

Interesting that the terms “Crafted Edge” and “Selv-Edge” were both being used in 1965. Maybe Crafted Edge was reserved for the 3X? Just a guess.

 

[VoodooSan]

I just binged all 15 pages here, and may have sprained my brain. Am I correct in thinking this Royal Stetson, with whole-and-fraction keyhole tag, would be late 50s to early 60s? Other photos in case they help in any way.