Dating Your Hat (A Place to Discuss the Age of Your Vintage Hat)

[Louis Mountbatten]

The Resistol is no earlier than 1960. The Bates could easily be 1980s or 1990s.

 

[dekeshooter]

I picked up a Stetson today I won at an auction. It has some wear and stains or as like to call it, character. Anyway, for $12.00 I think I did ok. It will be a nice knockabout hat.

From what little research I’ve done, I’m placing it as a mid sixties to early seventies vintage.

Can anyone tell me what model the hat is? There are no labels inside the hatband except for a small paper sticker saying the hat was inspected by Joe.

 

[BobHufford]

I’m placing it as a mid sixties to early seventies vintage

Welcome to the Lounge!

I asked a question recently about this liner style (in regards to an Open Road) and the mixed US/Metric size tag. Fellow Loungers put it in the late 1980s, early 1990s.

I think your sweat band has been replaced (no logos). I don't think there is a way to know the model unless you find an old Stetson catalog with the same hat or the same hat "out there" with an intact info card still attached.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I picked up a Stetson today I won at an auction. It has some wear and stains or as like to call it, character. Anyway, for $12.00 I think I did ok. It will be a nice knockabout hat.

From what little research I’ve done, I’m placing it as a mid sixties to early seventies vintage.

Can anyone tell me what model the hat is? There are no labels inside the hatband except for a small paper sticker saying the hat was inspected by Joe. View attachment 498608 View attachment 498609 View attachment 498610

I’d say 1980s or ‘90s. The combination size tag with US and metric sizing came about around 1980-81 and the subdued checkerboard liner was gone by 2000. All the dates are appropriate.

 

[dekeshooter]

The sweatband is original, I believe. There is a very faint John B. Stetson Company logo embossed on one side. I could not get a good photo of it.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

The seller (NOT my hat) of this Stetson Western Royal Open Road style hat has a sales receipt dated 1968. Thought this might be useful to someone:

 

[T Jones]

I'm hoping a Stetson expert can settle something for me. A generous lounger sent this Stetson Western to me. It's a size 6 3/4 that I just converted and reblocked to a 7 1/4 LO. The original sweat band, size tag , and liner were all missing. Fortunately it still had the original manufacturers labels. Here's the hat and labels, and what it looks like now after I converted it. Unfortunately the brim binding came apart in a couple of spots when I was blocking it. The manufacturers label gave the block type as a 52. I just happened to have a 52 block in my size. That's what I reblocked it on. Also, a previous owner punched two holes at the brim break on either side, probably for a wind cord. The reblocking moved the holes up to the crown and are hidden by the ribbon. Anyway, I have my guess to what era the hat came from. A friend of mine suspects that it might be older than what I'm guessing. Any guesses?

 

[Louis Mountbatten]

I'm hoping a Stetson expert can settle something for me. A generous lounger sent this Stetson Western to me. It's a size 6 3/4 that I just converted and reblocked to a 7 1/4 LO. The original sweat band, size tag , and liner were all missing. Fortunately it still had the original manufacturers labels. Here's the hat and labels, and what it looks like now after I converted it. Unfortunately the brim binding came apart in a couple of spots when I was blocking it. The manufacturers label gave the block type as a 52. I just happened to have a 52 block in my size. That's what I reblocked it on. Also, a previous owner punched two holes at the brim break on either side, probably for a wind cord. The reblocking moved the holes up to the crown and are hidden by the ribbon. Anyway, I have my guess to what era the hat came from. A friend of mine suspects that it might be older than what I'm guessing. Any guesses?

Looks like 1920s or 1930s to me.

 

[alanfgag]

I'm hoping a Stetson expert can settle something for me. A generous lounger sent this Stetson Western to me. It's a size 6 3/4 that I just converted and reblocked to a 7 1/4 LO. The original sweat band, size tag , and liner were all missing. Fortunately it still had the original manufacturers labels. Here's the hat and labels, and what it looks like now after I converted it. Unfortunately the brim binding came apart in a couple of spots when I was blocking it. The manufacturers label gave the block type as a 52. I just happened to have a 52 block in my size. That's what I reblocked it on. Also, a previous owner punched two holes at the brim break on either side, probably for a wind cord. The reblocking moved the holes up to the crown and are hidden by the ribbon. Anyway, I have my guess to what era the hat came from. A friend of mine suspects that it might be older than what I'm guessing. Any guesses?

That label was used until the later 1930s, then no more.

 

[T Jones]

Looks like 1920s or 1930s to me.

Thank you Louis. Much appreciated.

 

[T Jones]

That label was used until the later 1930s, then no more.

Thanks Alan. Looks like my friend guessed right. He's the one who gave me the hat and suspected that it might be from the 1930s. I was guessing '40s. We were both curious about the hat's age and I suggested that you'd be one that would know. You and Louis Mountbatten both confirmed that it's older than I suspected, which is just fine with me. The felt quality is incredible on this hat, definitely better than most I've handled. Well, it's wearable again and the felt is solid with only a few very minor issues. I'm a little bummed out over the brim binding falling apart, though. For now I'm going to leave it as is.

Is it possible that the hat could be older than the 1930s?

 

[alanfgag]

Thanks Alan. Looks like my friend guessed right. He's the one who gave me the hat and suspected that it might be from the 1930s. I was guessing '40s. We were both curious about the hat's age and I suggested that you'd be one that would know. You and Louis Mountbatten both confirmed that it's older than I suspected, which is just fine with me. The felt quality is incredible on this hat, definitely better than most I've handled. Well, it's wearable again and the felt is solid with only a few very minor issues. I'm a little bummed out over the brim binding falling apart, though. For now I'm going to leave it as is.

Is it possible that the hat could be older than the 1930s?

Hi Terry... this manufacturing label appears inside virtually all Stetson hats that I have owned from the early 20th century to the late 1930s. It is very hard to be sure about the hat you've posted without it's original sweatband but from the bound brim and 3 cord ribbon I would guess it to be a Stetson No.1 Quality from the period 1935 - 1940. Here is one that I have in black.

 

[T Jones]

Hi Terry... this manufacturing label appears inside virtually all Stetson hats that I have owned from the early 20th century to the late 1930s. It is very hard to be sure about the hat you've posted without it's original sweatband but from the bound brim and 3 cord ribbon I would guess it to be a Stetson No.1 Quality from the period 1935 - 1940. Here is one that I have in black.

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Thanks, Alan. I appreciate the information and the posting of your own hat. That's an awesome looking hat and it looks practically brand new. Mine has that same 3 cord hat band and bound brim and the labels look the same. So it's a good guess to say that mine too is a Stetson No 1 Quality from the same 35-40 era. It didn't come with the original sweat band. Somebody had replaced it.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Hi Terry... this manufacturing label appears inside virtually all Stetson hats that I have owned from the early 20th century to the late 1930s. It is very hard to be sure about the hat you've posted without it's original sweatband but from the bound brim and 3 cord ribbon I would guess it to be a Stetson No.1 Quality from the period 1935 - 1940. Here is one that I have in black.

View attachment 514281

View attachment 514283

View attachment 514282

Alan if i may ask, do you recall the lot number on this black No.1?
Forgive me if it’s already posted in the Lot # thread.
It’s a lovely No.1 and the brim edge treatment is very interesting.
Thank you
B

 

[Kep81]

This is my first purchase. It has not landed yet, but looking for info. I was told it's 50s vintage. Any info would be greatly appreciate. I believe the original box is on the right, but it's missing the inside parts. The hat is shipping in the square box which I was told is a later box.

 

[alanfgag]

Alan if i may ask, do you recall the lot number on this black No.1?
Forgive me if it’s already posted in the Lot # thread.
It’s a lovely No.1 and the brim edge treatment is very interesting.
Thank you
B

I'll have a look... I still have this one.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

This is my first purchase. It has not landed yet, but looking for info. I was told it's 50s vintage. Any info would be greatly appreciate. I believe the original box is on the right, but it's missing the inside parts. The hat is shipping in the square box which I was told is a later box.

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Congratulations on your hat. All that can be reliably determined from your pics is that your hat is pre-1968, the time in which Byer-Rolnik sold Resistol. The black square box is the style Resistol was using & most likely the original box. You will most likely read & receive some major vitriol about the seller from posters here on FL.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

I'll have a look... I still have this one.

No need to go to that trouble, Alan. I was just curious.
B

 

[alanfgag]

No need to go to that trouble, Alan. I was just curious.
B

No trouble at all. I looked this morning and was surprised not to find a LOTXXXX stamp in this hat. I owned a twin in a smaller size with a 75XX number and a couple of others are posted to that thread with a 76XX number. Interestingly, these hats show all three forms of the red manufacturing tag - transition of paper labels during the late 1930s - early 1940s.

 

[Just Daniel]

Yes, as noted above there’s not much more I can give on age other than it looks like a 60s hat rather than a. 50s hat, but I’m not too deep on Resistols.

The seller, on the other hand. Ha. What did they say, a Stetson 20 quality, one size larger because there was no size standards at the time? A great hat from dad’s collection, always on display? The tall tales continue, buyer beware.

This is my first purchase. It has not landed yet, but looking for info. I was told it's 50s vintage. Any info would be greatly appreciate. I believe the original box is on the right, but it's missing the inside parts. The hat is shipping in the square box which I was told is a later box.

View attachment 514427 View attachment 514428 View attachment 514429 View attachment 514430