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Ebay Hats: Victories, Defeats, Gripes & Items of Interest

Messages
15,083
Location
Buffalo, NY
For reference, 3 Stetson beaver quality rondels... the one on the left appears in pre WWII hats. The other two are later.

3rondels.jpg
 
Messages
15,083
Location
Buffalo, NY
Thank you, Alan! Now I know what a rondel is

Certainly... rondel was a word of choice used often by our much missed former member Brad Bowers in connection with Dobbs branding. I'm sure you've visited this thread but just to keep it alive in the minds of newer members:
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/stetson-crest-dating.40021/
Haven't looked at it in a while - with its early FL origins it might have info that has been improved over the years. But it is worth a look if your interest drifts to earlier hats.
 

jlee562

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,103
Location
San Francisco, CA
What do you mean by die imprint? Im new to hats so all the vocab is confusing to me

it would be a maker's mark of some sort. These are sometimes done as embossments (or debossments) done with a metal die, and later with just a gold foil logo.

In this case, I was talking about the Boss of the Plains logo pictured in this early 1900's Stetson Catalog:
20180727_080109-2-jpeg.128570


This logo was recreated for the Stetson Japan Boss of the Plains reissue. A hat I would seriously re-import if they offered it in my size....but I digress.
sjwf011_dtl05.jpg


We often engage in the game of "Open Road or no?" There are some who will only accept a hat that actually is stamped with "Open Road" as an actual OR hat. By this strictest definition, I don't recall seeing an "actual" Boss of the Plains, even though a few hats around here seem to fit the bill.
 

Louis Mountbatten

A-List Customer
Messages
313
Unless I am wrong, it is true that Stetson used the Boss of the Plains name in their catalogs and sales material, but didn't mark it that way on the hat itself that I have ever seen. But you have to remember that in those days (pre 1920s) they didn't put model names on any sweatband. Their catalogs were filled with model names, but we didn't start seeing model names on sweats until the 20s and 30s. Many pre 20s hats carried the Stetson names and logos, the 1900 "prize" and expo info, the "Boss Raw Edge" stamps, among other things, but never model names. I hope some of the other members will correct me if I am wrong.
 
Messages
18,209
it would be a maker's mark of some sort. These are sometimes done as embossments (or debossments) done with a metal die, and later with just a gold foil logo.

In this case, I was talking about the Boss of the Plains logo pictured in this early 1900's Stetson Catalog:
20180727_080109-2-jpeg.128570


This logo was recreated for the Stetson Japan Boss of the Plains reissue. A hat I would seriously re-import if they offered it in my size....but I digress.
sjwf011_dtl05.jpg


We often engage in the game of "Open Road or no?" There are some who will only accept a hat that actually is stamped with "Open Road" as an actual OR hat. By this strictest definition, I don't recall seeing an "actual" Boss of the Plains, even though a few hats around here seem to fit the bill.
I had a 3X BOP made under contract by Akubra during the same time they made the Open Road.

FA2154AE-CC18-4CE2-A133-DEDED28AA63C.jpeg


AD748EAF-A083-4C4A-9B20-6CC183DB5965.jpeg


D85FB116-5FD2-40CD-84CB-9B8D111FF26B.jpeg


5684E2DA-BB39-4FD0-A4CE-9750E4C38BAB.jpeg
 

jlee562

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,103
Location
San Francisco, CA
Unless I am wrong, it is true that Stetson used the Boss of the Plains name in their catalogs and sales material, but didn't mark it that way on the hat itself that I have ever seen. But you have to remember that in those days (pre 1920s) they didn't put model names on any sweatband. Their catalogs were filled with model names, but we didn't start seeing model names on sweats until the 20s and 30s. Many pre 20s hats carried the Stetson names and logos, the 1900 "prize" and expo info, the "Boss Raw Edge" stamps, among other things, but never model names. I hope some of the other members will correct me if I am wrong.

Surmising from the "thirty seven years of manufacturing experience" described in the first pages, this catalog is from 1902. Inferring from the caption for other marks, "used in Soft or Stiff hats when specially ordered," it seems dealers could customize their stock somewhat beyond a store imprint. But the mark in question does read "used in the B.O.P. style at $42.00 per dozen and upwards." I take this mean at least a proportion of the hats from this time period must have carried this mark.
 
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