Penney's Marathon Beaver 100 Hat And Suitcase

[gtdean48]

Didn't Lee also make the Pilgrim for Sears as well?

 

[Mystic]

My question is......did Marathon hats get gobbled up by Hat Corp of America at some point? I think I remember Brad mentioning that they did, but I am not sure. If they did, it would help date Landman's hat because like I said, the trimmings are VERY similar to the Churchill 100.

This is what I was thinking. After Lee was bought/sold out there were more options for Marathon hats.

The sweat of that 100 (Landman's) looks to be of a newer period than when Lee was making them for Penny's.

 

[Mystic]

True, the Marathons were meant to be a "budget" line of hats however, for most of their history, they were made by LEE. You really got the most for your money when you bought a Marathon or LEE. Every single Marathon and LEE that I have owned have been TOP notch hats, even for budget ranges. I have owned Whippets, Strats, Open Roads, etc, but I have never owned a LEE or Marathon that couldn't stand up to the big boys. Actually many times, they far exceeded the quality of Stetson.

I agree. I have several Lees and Marathons.....

Great hats. Get more head time than my other brands. It has also been my experience that the prices and condition of vintage Marathons and Lees on ebay has been better than Stetson, Knox, Dobbs, Adam.

 

[Landman]

GORGEOUS hat, Landman!!

I was under the impression that Marathon Hats were made by LEE for years. I'm not sure when that ceased, but from the looks of the trimmings in your hat, its VERY similar to Churchill. Churchill was a Hat Corp of America brand I believe.

Thanks Josh. I don't know if Churchhill made this but the case is very similar to Alan's Churchill case. Also, Churchill was a Byer/Rolnick label. I have one of Harry Rolnick's business cards shown in post #44 below.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?49169-HATS-WITH-HISTORY/page5&highlight=history

 

[Landman]

Marathon Beaver 100

Here is a new set of photos showing the tags that were folded under the sweatband. Maybe the experts can tell who made this hat by the tags and markings. You can see in one photo there is a stamp on the back of the sweatband that looks to be "LBC". Maybe that is Lee something? The last photo is a quarter laying on the edge of the brim. I was trying to show the thickness of the felt. The felt is very thin and dense. It is a western and very stiff though. It is as nice a felt as I have every seen on a western. Including the most expensive Stetsons made today.

 

[Landman]

After looking at the new photos can anybody tell who manufactured this hat? Thanks.

 

[John Galt]

The LBC stamp is familiar to me. I will check my Churchill 100, but don't know if that's where I've seen it. May not be conclusive at any rate, but maybe will help if it is the same.

 

[Landman]

Thanks John. The way the "B" is prominent in the stamp makes me think the company name must start with a "B".

 

[John Galt]

I forgot to check my Churchill before leaving home, but recently saw a 1950's Stetson St. Regis with the red LBC stamp on the inside of the sweat. It's posted on Etsy by a friend. She didn't photo the stamp.


"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[fedoracentric]

I agree that the guts of that Penny's is reminiscent of the Churchill. I had a Churchill 25 once and it looked just like that. Same sweatband, same god printed band, sale union tag, it was all just like that Pennys.

 

[John Galt]

Justin (Splintercellz) posted a query regarding a Marathon with the same LBC legend imprinted on the back of the sweat - you might see if he ever learned more about it. I'm coming up short, but based on the Stetson St. Regis tie in, it may just have been a high end provider of sweats or maybe a union stamp of some sort.


"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[alanfgag]

1960s Stetson 100:

I don't think your hat was manufactured by Stetson, but perhaps both sweatbands used the same outsourced leather.

 

[Landman]

I just looked at my 1960's Stetson 100 that is newer than Alan's and it also has the LBC stamp on the sweatband. Must be a sweatband manufacturing company that was used by different hat manufacturers. Maybe "Bxxx Leather Company".

 

[fedoracentric]

Same rubber stamp on the back of the sweatband of my sold off 1950s Playboy (block number 122, by the way) as well.

 

[John Galt]

Same LBC stamp on my Portis Lite Wate.


"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[John Galt]

And yes, also on my Churchill 100.

"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[John Galt]

And not as clear, but still present on my early 50's Nutria Quality Stetson cowboy hat.

"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[John Galt]

And (faintly) in my early 50's Beaver 100 by Out West Hatters (made by Langenberg, I'm sure, given it's own recognizable legend).

"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[Landman]

Well, now I'm more intrigued by the mystery leather sweatband company than the hat

 

[TheDane]

Had the leather been stamped after the cutting of the sweatband, I'm sure there would be only one stamp per band. It's quite obvious, that somone wanted to make sure, that at least one whole stamp (or two half ones) would show up on each sweatband. In my mind the stamps point toward a tannery or a leather supply company(?)