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

[Randall Renshaw]

Wow…. I’m getting pulled in two directions here. That manufacturers tag definitely points to HCA… likely Knox which did a lot of private labeling.

but the white size/to duplicate tag i think I’ve seen elsewhere. Maybe Lee?

Man, I sure wouldn’t be mad if this fedora was made by Knox! Old Mallory and Knox brands are among the elites in my book. This hat’s felt quality is superlative no matter who made it and no matter when it was made. It’s up there with 40s Cavanagh, Resistol Kitten Finish, Stetson Sovereign and C&K hats I own.
I only have 3 hats from the 30s so I can’t make much of a judgment of hats from that era and earlier.
My favorite proportions come mostly from the 40s anyway. This mystery 50s jobber has that look and quality in spades.
Thanks for your input, Joe!
I’d like to nail this hat down, but it’s not absolutely necessary.

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Another mystery hat.
Nabbed this 7 3/8 fixer this week.
Love the silverbelly color. This hairy late 40s felt is unbelievable. Super proportions. 6” crown, 2 7/8 Cav Edge.
I have several other really nice melusines, including a Gorusgu, but this one beats them all. Too bad the sweat has been completely ruined. :-(
I’ll replace the sweat and liner.
Probably reverse the ribbon, too, since it’s faded unevenly.
The mystery is that it has the unmistakable reorder tags dating it as a mid/late 40s lid, but the sweat logo seems to have the Maple Leaf. Weird, to me, if that’s so. Hard to make out because of the leather’s poor condition, but I’d bet money it’s a leaf.
With it’s proportions and other clues it would surprise me if you all say it’s possibly from the mid 50s, but I certainly don’t know all the secret hat dating facts; then throw in all the dating clues overlap issue I’m really at a loss.
“Gay Paree”. Man, I wish this one was in mint condition.

Anyway, at $68 I’d call this hairy fedora a definite victory!

 

[BobHufford]

The mystery is that it has the unmistakable reorder tags dating it as a mid/late 40s lid, but the sweat logo seems to have the Maple Leaf.

Maybe the last of the those labels and the first of the Maple crests (close to 1952?). Anyway ... super cool hat! Do a little research on the store and share it in the "Show Us Your Vintage Hat Store" thread. I think you'll find some cool stuff.

 

[Mighty44]

View attachment 418631 View attachment 418632 Another mystery hat.
Nabbed this 7 3/8 fixer this week.
Love the silverbelly color. This hairy late 40s felt is unbelievable. Super proportions. 6” crown, 2 7/8 Cav Edge.
I have several other really nice melusines, including a Gorusgu, but this one beats them all. Too bad the sweat has been completely ruined. :-(
I’ll replace the sweat and liner.
Probably reverse the ribbon, too, since it’s faded unevenly.
The mystery is that it has the unmistakable reorder tags dating it as a mid/late 40s lid, but the sweat logo seems to have the Maple Leaf. Weird, to me, if that’s so. Hard to make out because of the leather’s poor condition, but I’d bet money it’s a leaf.
With it’s proportions and other clues it would surprise me if you all say it’s possibly from the mid 50s, but I certainly don’t know all the secret hat dating facts; then throw in all the dating clues overlap issue I’m really at a loss.
“Gay Paree”. Man, I wish this one was in mint condition. View attachment 418633
Anyway, at $68 I’d call this hairy fedora a definite victory! View attachment 418634 View attachment 418630

Wow—that says movie mogul all over…

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Wow—that says movie mogul all over…

Does doesn’t it. Thanks, 44.
A bit sad that I now own it and might well be relegated to key grip status.

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Maybe the last of the those labels and the first of the Maple crests (close to 1952?). Anyway ... super cool hat! Do a little research on the store and share it in the "Show Us Your Vintage Hat Store" thread. I think you'll find some cool stuff.

Thanks, Bob. Dropped off a posts at the store thread.
Thanks for causing me to use up a few really late hours...and an another hour this morning, that should’ve been used planting tomatoes. ;-)
You’re right. Enjoyed reading the awesome thread content!
I’ve discovered that vintage hat data/dating investigation is too often like Bible study.
The more you learn the less you can “know”.

 

[Just Daniel]

There are lots of examples of overlap with the labels and crests, it is really hard to tell when they mix. Stetson said on their trademark application for the maple leaf crest that it's earliest use was 1946, so it is in theory very possible that this is a 40s hat.

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/stetson-intellectual-property-data.101506/

I think there is some info on the Mode Edge that can help, I will have to search a bit.

Daniel

PS If this is one you will not be keeping in the permanent collection, let me know

View attachment 418631 View attachment 418632 Another mystery hat.
Nabbed this 7 3/8 fixer this week.
Love the silverbelly color. This hairy late 40s felt is unbelievable. Super proportions. 6” crown, 2 7/8 Cav Edge.
I have several other really nice melusines, including a Gorusgu, but this one beats them all. Too bad the sweat has been completely ruined. :-(
I’ll replace the sweat and liner.
Probably reverse the ribbon, too, since it’s faded unevenly.
The mystery is that it has the unmistakable reorder tags dating it as a mid/late 40s lid, but the sweat logo seems to have the Maple Leaf. Weird, to me, if that’s so. Hard to make out because of the leather’s poor condition, but I’d bet money it’s a leaf.
With it’s proportions and other clues it would surprise me if you all say it’s possibly from the mid 50s, but I certainly don’t know all the secret hat dating facts; then throw in all the dating clues overlap issue I’m really at a loss.
“Gay Paree”. Man, I wish this one was in mint condition. View attachment 418633
Anyway, at $68 I’d call this hairy fedora a definite victory! View attachment 418634 View attachment 418630

 

[Just Daniel]

Yes, I think with that HCA tag you can definitely say it is most likely an HCA hat - a very nice HCA hat at that!

Man, I sure wouldn’t be mad if this fedora was made by Knox! Old Mallory and Knox brands are among the elites in my book. This hat’s felt quality is superlative no matter who made it and no matter when it was made. It’s up there with 40s Cavanagh, Resistol Kitten Finish, Stetson Sovereign and C&K hats I own.
I only have 3 hats from the 30s so I can’t make much of a judgment of hats from that era and earlier.
My favorite proportions come mostly from the 40s anyway. This mystery 50s jobber has that look and quality in spades.
Thanks for your input, Joe!
I’d like to nail this hat down, but it’s not absolutely necessary.

 

[Just Daniel]

From a post way back when by RLK, Mode Edge dates to 1937.

There are lots of examples of overlap with the labels and crests, it is really hard to tell when they mix. Stetson said on their trademark application for the maple leaf crest that it's earliest use was 1946, so it is in theory very possible that this is a 40s hat.

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/stetson-intellectual-property-data.101506/

I think there is some info on the Mode Edge that can help, I will have to search a bit.

Daniel

PS If this is one you will not be keeping in the permanent collection, let me know

 

[Randall Renshaw]

There are lots of examples of overlap with the labels and crests, it is really hard to tell when they mix. Stetson said on their trademark application for the maple leaf crest that it's earliest use was 1946, so it is in theory very possible that this is a 40s hat.

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/stetson-intellectual-property-data.101506/

I think there is some info on the Mode Edge that can help, I will have to search a bit.

Daniel

PS If this is one you will not be keeping in the permanent collection, let me know

Thanks a whole lot, Daniel! Very helpful and thanks for the link to your thread. I learned plenty from it and sure others have/will too.
Maple leaf in use in 1946. Wow. Very good to know.
I love to learn data and info on things that interest me, but until I retire, one day in the far distant future, I haven’t the time or energy to search and study. So glad others are willing to share what they know!
Here’s a pic of another tag I found in the Gay Paree. Does this hand written tag serve to help date the hat?

‘Fraid this hat will stay in my possession for as long as I can afford to keep my collection.
If possible, the day will come when I sell most of them, since I don’t want to die leaving them to my inheritors to worry with, or squander.
However, I will make trades if the swap will be equally beneficial for both of us. ;-)
A fair trade for this hat would be tough, since it’s a great hat—except for the damaged sweat that’s so hard and cracked, the forehead area irritates the skin when wearing.
Curious, if you owned it would you leave this hat as is, or sew in a new sweat?
I’m both, but more of a wearer who loves vintage hats, than a collector.

 

[Just Daniel]

I think the little tag was from a cleaner or something. Ignacio does the same to mark hats when they come in.

As far as the sweat, I think you have to replace it. I am like you, I wear every hat I have. With the sweat falling apart it makes it impossible to wear.

I have been giving some thought to gluing old sweats to new ones, or even just parts with crests. I have no idea if it would work, but it’s a thought that occurs to me in these cases. I think someone on here was giving it a try a few years back but I don’t remember seeing any results.

Thanks a whole lot, Daniel! Very helpful and thanks for the link to your thread. I learned plenty from it and sure others have/will too.
Maple leaf in use in 1946. Wow. Very good to know.
I love to learn data and info on things that interest me, but until I retire, one day in the far distant future, I haven’t the time or energy to search and study. So glad others are willing to share what they know!
Here’s a pic of another tag I found in the Gay Paree. Does this hand written tag serve to help date the hat?
View attachment 419163

‘Fraid this hat will stay in my possession for as long as I can afford to keep my collection.
If possible, the day will come when I sell most of them, since I don’t want to die leaving them to my inheritors to worry with, or squander.
However, I will make trades if the swap will be equally beneficial for both of us. ;-)
A fair trade for this hat would be tough, since it’s a great hat—except for the damaged sweat that’s so hard and cracked, the forehead area irritates the skin when wearing.
Curious, if you owned it would you leave this hat as is, or sew in a new sweat?
I’m both, but more of a wearer who loves vintage hats, than a collector.

 

[Randall Renshaw]

I think the little tag was from a cleaner or something. Ignacio does the same to mark hats when they come in.

As far as the sweat, I think you have to replace it. I am like you, I wear every hat I have. With the sweat falling apart it makes it impossible to wear.

I have been giving some thought to gluing old sweats to new ones, or even just parts with crests. I have no idea if it would work, but it’s a thought that occurs to me in these cases. I think someone on here was giving it a try a few years back but I don’t remember seeing any results.

Thanks for the tag info.

Recently I tried sewing a cut out logo and nameplate from a dried and cracked Stetson sweat directly to a new sweat and it ended up looking pretty rough. Had the piece been in better condition I would have done it a bit differently and then probably would’ve looked much better. Glueing it like you said would probably work out nicely.
This way also looks decent:

It’s taped to the backside of the new sweat kinda like a size tag.

The sewn on version. I don’t like it.
I think if you were to cut out a window in the new sweat in the same shape as the cut out piece and framed it tightly in the window and use cloth tape on the backside to hold, would probably look best.

Glad you feel that way about the sweat replacement.

 

[Just Daniel]

That first version size tag type looks pretty good!

Thanks for the tag info.

Recently I tried sewing a cut out logo and nameplate from a dried and cracked Stetson sweat directly to a new sweat and it ended up looking pretty rough. Had the piece been in better condition I would have done it a bit differently and then probably would’ve looked much better. Glueing it like you said would probably work out nicely.
This way also looks decent: View attachment 419325
It’s taped to the backside of the new sweat kinda like a size tag.




View attachment 419327
The sewn on version. I don’t like it.
I think if you were to cut out a window in the new sweat in the same shape as the cut out piece and framed it tightly in the window and use cloth tape on the backside to hold, would probably look best.

Glad you feel that way about the sweat replacement.

 

[Just Daniel]

I will not buy another 3X thin ribbon silver belly...
I will not buy another 3X thin ribbon silver belly...
I will not buy another 3X thin ribbon silver belly...
I will not buy another 3X thin ribbon silver belly...

 

[Blare]

A bit of patience and a short negotiation has this one on its way..

 

[Rmccamey]

A bit of patience and a short negotiation has this one on its way..

View attachment 420341 View attachment 420342 View attachment 420343 View attachment 420344 View attachment 420345 View attachment 420346

Very special, Joe. I look forward to seeing more!

 

[Blare]

Very special, Joe. I look forward to seeing more!

Thank you Randy. Should be here next week.

 

[BobHufford]

This is out of the norm. Usually you see an ad with six photos of the outside of the hat (sometimes taken from nearly the same angle) with no interior photos or measurements. This one has nine photos (with measurements shown), but only one exterior photo and that is from above.

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Snagged a Cross Country this morning. Glad I took my time getting to work today.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325168225741

 

[M Hatman]

Snagged a Cross Country this morning. Glad I took my time getting to work today.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325168225741

GREAT SNAG!!!!!!!
IF ONLY.....IF ONLY......I were a 7 1/4 or less.....hell from what I find...even 7 3/8 would be a bonus......crocodile tears.