DOBBS WEST {Open Trail}

[ideaguy]

RBH & John -looked at my Dobbs today- only markings on sweat are the sellers'
name, Hanny's, Phoenix, and opposite that the Dobbs logo,the Gold Coach,
and "ONE HUNDRED" beneath. has a wind trolley, and 2 3/4 in. brim. No mention
of West anywhere-and has the Dobbs Gold crest in the liner-definitely top quality hat, in orig. box. will try and get photo up...and-it has a thin ribbon!!

 

[RBH]

repost

 

[carter]

I wore my Dobbs West Open Trail that I bought from Rusty in 2007 today. 2 5/8" brim, 4 1/2" crown, 1/2" ribbon.

More pictures.

 

[carter]

Two more images:

 

[RBH]

While talking to Carter tonight... we got to thinking his Dobbes West looked kinda like the Dobbs West I sold a couple years ago.
After a check by the F B I they found that the hats were the same!
I did not remember who I sold it to and he forgot who he bought it from!

here is the evidence..

edit... just looked back at the classifieds.. yep I sold it to carter back in '07.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Reading back through this thread, I realize I can add some more information for people and answer some questions.

The Dobbs West brand was created by Koracorp in 1972, shortly after purchasing the rights to the Hat Corporation of America's hat brands. This, of course, means that any Dobbs West hat is 1972 or newer, though I don't know when they stopped making them. These were all made at the plant in Garland, Texas, which is why I think they created the brand in the first place. Since Garland was making more Western hats than anything else, they "borrowed" the Dobbs name for a line of Western hats, hoping to cash in on the Dobbs brand's cachet. This is supposition only, but it makes sense. This is something they could do quickly, since they were already set up to do Western hats, and start trying to make money off of the brands they had purchased.

Brad

 

[rlk]

Dobbs Westward

 

[gtdean48]

...I did not remember who I sold it to and he forgot who he bought it from!

They say the memory is the first thing to go!!!

 

[feltfan]

Oops, deleting links to pictures because I posted them pictures previously, here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?36972-The-Other-Open-Roads...&p=1230919&viewfull=1#post1230919

Very interesting to hear this hat has to be from after 1972.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Oops, deleting links to pictures because I posted them pictures previously, here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?36972-The-Other-Open-Roads...&p=1230919&viewfull=1#post1230919

Very interesting to hear this hat has to be from after 1972.

Actually, my earlier information was erroneous. The evidence I had at the time all pointed to post-1972, but since then I've discovered that HCA developed the Dobbs West line in the late-1960s. I've even seen a Cavanagh West hat that I believe to be HCA.

The gold size tag makes your hat an HCA product.

Brad

 

[feltfan]

Ah, thanks Brad. I was guessing 60s if for no other reason than the nice printing on the sweatband and the nice felt.
Be interesting to know when Norman Sims closed. Just found this though:

There's plenty of information on when Norman Sims opened in SLC and the new store in 1952, but I haven't found mention of the closing.

 

[M Hatman]

70's Dobbs West "Saddler".....in a nice light grey. 6 inch crown, 2 3/4 bound brim.
While NOT an "Open Trail" this is so simular it is good comparison of another Dobbs West model......
Now......it did come to me a little dirty and with the ubiquitous "rancher/cattlemen's crease. I cleaned it up (came out like new.....everything was surface sioil) and of course I had to put in one of my own special creases......
M

 

[steur]

70's Dobbs West "Saddler".....in a nice light grey. 6 inch crown, 2 3/4 bound brim.....
M View attachment 185730 View attachment 185731 View attachment 185732 View attachment 185733 View attachment 185734 View attachment 185735 View attachment 185736

Good to see you posting, Mark. Looks like you've found yourself a very nice looking Dobbs there.

 

[M Hatman]

Good to see you posting, Mark. Looks like you've found yourself a very nice looking Dobbs there.

It is very nice and a nice color.....while not an "Open Trail" it is so similar I thought I would post it here for comparison....helps people to distinguish the differences in the Dobbs West models.....
m