The White Label was the top of the line for the Lee brand. Though I don't have a photo of it to post, this hat also has the original price tag of $15 - the tag is ripped, and rests behind the sweat. The price and White Label designation fit with JtL's theory that I've quoted at the bottom of this listing.
This model, the Boundlee, is the only one of its kind that I've come across. According to Brad Bowers, whom I trust on all such matters, Lee also had an Edgelee model with a self-felted edge. Not being all that clever with names, Lee named its bound brim hat the Boundlee. The name may not be clever, but the hat is sharp as a tack.
PRICE - $125 (was $175, then $155) + actual shipping cost.
SHIPPING - This hat will be shipped open-crown in a regular cardboard box - NOT a hat box. Buyer pays actual UPS ground shipping cost within the U.S. (It should be around $13-$16 depending upon your location.) I will ship internationally using the US Post Office (again, actual cost), but this seems to run between $35 and $70 from what I've experienced.
PAYMENT - paypal only unless previously agreed otherwise
SIZE - tagged 7 1/8. I don't measure circumference, which is far too prone to error.
SPECS - Crown: high, a full 6 inches when open. Brim: 2 5/8 inches from the crown (measured on top of the brim), 2 3/4 inches when measured on the underside.
COLOR- light grey, as shown in the sunlit photos. Note the slight contrast of the lapel button, which takes on a slightly pinker hue than the warm gray of the felt.
CONDITION - about as close to new as you're going to get. The felt is pristine, there are no stains, marks, or pulls on either the binding or the ribbon, and the pleated liner is beautiful. As shown in the photo of the liner, the only flaw I see in this hat is that the logo for the White Label designation, the white square, contains some sort of yellow and red marks.
This model, the Boundlee, is the only one of its kind that I've come across. According to Brad Bowers, whom I trust on all such matters, Lee also had an Edgelee model with a self-felted edge. Not being all that clever with names, Lee named its bound brim hat the Boundlee. The name may not be clever, but the hat is sharp as a tack.
PRICE - $125 (was $175, then $155) + actual shipping cost.
SHIPPING - This hat will be shipped open-crown in a regular cardboard box - NOT a hat box. Buyer pays actual UPS ground shipping cost within the U.S. (It should be around $13-$16 depending upon your location.) I will ship internationally using the US Post Office (again, actual cost), but this seems to run between $35 and $70 from what I've experienced.
PAYMENT - paypal only unless previously agreed otherwise
SIZE - tagged 7 1/8. I don't measure circumference, which is far too prone to error.
SPECS - Crown: high, a full 6 inches when open. Brim: 2 5/8 inches from the crown (measured on top of the brim), 2 3/4 inches when measured on the underside.
COLOR- light grey, as shown in the sunlit photos. Note the slight contrast of the lapel button, which takes on a slightly pinker hue than the warm gray of the felt.
CONDITION - about as close to new as you're going to get. The felt is pristine, there are no stains, marks, or pulls on either the binding or the ribbon, and the pleated liner is beautiful. As shown in the photo of the liner, the only flaw I see in this hat is that the logo for the White Label designation, the white square, contains some sort of yellow and red marks.
jimmy the lid said:***
I also found this 1952 ad:
A few interesting points... In print too small too read here, the ad notes that it was "Photographed aboard Pan American's Clipper 'Undaunted.'" The Adventure is described as "light as air." Also featured are other Lee lids: the All-American, the Warren, and the Corral, all priced at $7.50. Apparently, all Lee hats were treated with DuPont "Aridex" to make them water repellent. The Adventure is a Blue Label quality, priced at $10. In another thread, Harp Player Gene posted a White Label Lee hat priced at $15. I'm not sure where Black Label quality fell in the Lee hierarchy.
Cheers,
JtL
