Mystery eBay Hat Forensics Game: Come Take a Guess!

[MAPip]

Hello Everyone!

Many of us have been there: find a great looking hat, but the liner/sweatband have been replaced and the seller has no information - do I just go for it and enjoy the hat?

Well, I was wading through the Bay looking for a hat for my dad (he's a 7 1/2) and stumbled across a hat in his size. Unfortunately, it had no distinguishing characteristics for brand or quality. The color, homogeneity of the felt, and most of all the texture seemed to be similar to a certain hat I owned. So, $55 bucks and a prayer later, it arrived.

I think I know what it is, but I'd like you all to have some fun taking a guess. I took a ton of pictures, ask for more clues and I'll send them in a reply! First two pics are from the Bay, pretty much all I had to go by when I bought it.

 

[Blare]

Gonna throw in my guess.... Made by Resistol in 50s.

 

[MAPip]

Gonna throw in my guess.... Made by Resistol in 50s.

That's a good guess, exactly what I thought when I purchased it!

 

[Blare]

That's a good guess, exactly what I thought when I purchased it!

Love to see any tags behind the sweat.

 

[MAPip]

Love to see any tags behind the sweat.

 

[Rmccamey]

Doesn't look like any Stetson tag I've seen so I'd probably go with Resistol as well.

View attachment 642148

 

[Randall Renshaw]

I’d need to see the bow.
But so far I’d throw out Stetson—if the bow ends have never been recut.
The sweatband looks to have been replaced by someone who knows how, and the hat band ribbon was stitched on in a way that most factories do not. But hey, some did do it that way. Also appears to be a repair job done long ago. Taped rear seam and sweat leather type.

 

[MAPip]

Agreed on most fronts!

50s Resistol made a lot of sense and clearly the sweatband has been replaced. No specific markings on the sweatband to help either.

I’ll send a pic of the bow when I get home, it looks cut.

Before you throw out Stetson, here are some fun pictures:

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Agreed on most fronts!

50s Resistol made a lot of sense and clearly the sweatband has been replaced. No specific markings on the sweatband to help either.

I’ll send a pic of the bow when I get home, it looks cut.

Before you throw out Stetson, here are some fun pictures: View attachment 642195
View attachment 642196

Well ain’t this fun!
Okay, so a Stetson liner. Can’t make it out enough to judge much else about the logo from these pics on my phone screen.
If the bow keep/knot is actually a knot, and not a faux bow keep knot, then that’s definitely a Stetson thing. At least, that’s the only company I’ve noticed doing the OR bow made of 3/8” ribbon in a particular knotty way.

 

[MAPip]

I was going to wait to give all the answers, but this is too fun.

Here is the bow, my guess is it’s likely not original and was replaced with the sweatband. My wife’s hat is pictured next, very different bow, but has the exact same reorder tag and a similar block number, 102 vs. C102!

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Sorry if I wasn’t clear, I meant the bow on the outside crown. The bow that’s part of the hatband.

That label looks like Hat Co to me, which were used after the buyout in 50s and used on Stetson and Resistol hats.

 

[MAPip]

Sorry if I wasn’t clear, I meant the bow on the outside crown. The bow that’s part of the hatband.

That label looks like Hat Co to me, which were used after the buyout in 50s and used on Stetson and Resistol hats.

My mistake!

Here are some ribbon pics, one is from my known 3x and the other is from the less of a mystery hat:

 

[Randall Renshaw]

My mistake!

Here are some ribbon pics, one is from my known 3x and the other is from the less of a mystery hat:

View attachment 642267 View attachment 642268

If that is a Stetson, as the liner implies, then that bow and hat band was also replaced when the sweatband was replaced, which is definitely possible and probable.
The bow keep isn’t a true knot, as Stetson uses.
The original owner must’ve worn out the sweatband and heavily soiled the other components and the hatter had to replace the bow/hatband, sweatband and he washed the liner in a way that caused the Stetson logo to disappear. Back then, hatters or customers wouldn’t be as worried about that as we are today.
So, my guess is a mid 50s Stetson Open Road. What the felt quality level might be I can’t make out by what I see on the photos.
Can you? Royal DeLuxe? 3X? 7X?

 

[MAPip]

If that is a Stetson, as the liner implies, then that bow and hat band was also replaced when the sweatband was replaced, which is definitely possible and probable.
The bow keep isn’t a true knot, as Stetson uses.
The original owner must’ve worn out the sweatband and heavily soiled the other components and the hatter had to replace the bow and sweatband and he washed the liner in a way that caused the Stetson logo to disappear. Back then, hatters or customers wouldn’t be as worried about that as we are today.
So, my guess is a mid 50s Stetson Open Road. What the felt quality level might be I can’t make out by what I see on the photos.
Can you? Royal DeLuxe? 3X? 7X?

At different light angles, you can read 3X Beaver Quality above the crest, which makes sense. It feels EXACTLY like my two others in stiffness and is very easy to mold.

I'm curious about the hatband. Side-by-side, it looks just like my wife's mid-50s hatband. Same fold, feel, cut length and stitch points.

 

[Randall Renshaw]

There’s only going to be a subtle difference in the bow knot as opposed to the faux knot/keep being done in the way all other brands do them. Unless you’ve taken several bows of Stetsons and other brands apart you may not be able to detect it.
Also, if both the bow ends on your wife’s Stetson are tapered/slash cut to a point then someone along the way has cut them, as Stetson OR bow ends are merely cut straight/squared off.

 

[MAPip]

Wow. I really can't see it! Can you point out the differences between the two hats above? Also, do you have a picture of the hatband uncut, I'm looking through the forums for a good example.

I just looked at my 5X, 7X, and 3Xs and I feel like I'm just not seeing it. They look the same to me..

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Both of those faux knots are done the same way. Another mystery is all I can say…

Maybe you can detect a difference in the bow using this pic. This is the usual knotted keep method and the square cut bow ends Stetson uses on all their vintage ORs.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Can you show closeup pics of the bound edge?? Top and underside of brim. Close as possible.
B

 

[MAPip]

Can you show closeup pics of the bound edge?? Top and underside of brim. Close as possible.
B

Sorry it’s a little wet, getting it clean for my dad:

 

[MAPip]

All clean and ready for a new life with my dad!