Playboys on Parade!

[Redfokker]

the bows are usually white, but i have seen red, blue, orange, i believe purple as well

I seem to remember seeing a red/white/blue one, probably on one of Moon's museum pieces.

 

[splintercellsz]

I seem to remember seeing a red/white/blue one, probably on one of Moon's museum pieces.

i believe that combo is in his Vitafelt eagle

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

The Stetson Medalist Vita Felt Eagle has a blue bow. The blue was common on some Vita Felts including Strat Vita Felts, others maybe as well. When i see a blue sweat bow i take notice. My 2 cents
Bowen

 

[Frunobulax]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great pick up, Ant. Early 40s?


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[moontheloon]

The Stetson Medalist Vita Felt Eagle has a blue bow. The blue was common on some Vita Felts including Strat Vita Felts, others maybe as well. When i see a blue sweat bow i take notice. My 2 cents
Bowen

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Another masterpiece. These unlined Playboys are truly treasures to see and to wear. Anthony the hat is pristine and the blocking turned out grand. Worth any shekels invested. Wear it with pride sir.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ha ha. Guess i was thinking of this one.

 

[Redfokker]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Love love love love love!

 

[moontheloon]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[40Cal]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I like the blue bow on the sweat! Early 40's ?

 

[psklenar]

As was requested in the WHAYWT thread, I've taken some more pictures of my new Playboy and am adding it to this thread ...

Royal Stetson Playboy, Grey

I won it in an eBay auction. It was described as without obvious defects and *I* don't see any. The seller shipped it in an appropriately sized box with large airpack bubble packs to keep it from sliding around much in the box during shipment.

It's a nice grey. I'm not sure, the brim may be a bit darker/have some dust in it and could possibly benefit from a professional cleaning, but I'm going to try and brush it myself a bit first. I think I'm also going to try and steam & form the bash into more of a teardrop than the simply pushed in crown it came with. And, to my eyes, it looks like the left dent is larger than the right and I want to try and even that off a bit.

The sweatband is supple and seems completely undamaged. The gold logos are completely intact. I can't determined whether the size tag had a tear off portion or not. There's a line of ||||||| marks embossed into the leather all around the inner/upper/free edge of the sweatband.

The liner seems to be in pretty good shape. Minimal age staining. The plastic protector over the Royal Stetson logo is clean, supple and unbroken.

There are no Reorder nor Inventory tags behind the sweatband and no sign that there ever were. I'm guessing that might be due to the hat being a factory reject (danged if I can figure out why tho). Behind the sweatband you can see how the lining is very loosely sown in.

Based on the various "aging" threads I've found here in the Lounge and the articles I've read on the "Huston" Publis pages ... If I understand correctly, the crown logo was used from the 1940s thru the 1950's. The clear plastic crown protector dates it to after 1953. And the black ink on cardstock, keyhole style size tag and sweatband embossings date it to no later than 1960. So I'm guesstimating this to be a mid to late 1950's version of the Playboy?

Photo Index (all reduced to 1024x768, except for size tag one which is merely cropped):
sm_IMG_20180709_114603.jpg - A close up of the edge/stitch treatement
sm_IMG_20180709_114618.jpg - The bow
sm_IMG_20180709_114832.jpg - A picture of the underside of the sweatband showing "Stetson Employees Factory Store Reject" (does that mean the employees store rejected it too? )
sm_IMG_20180713_062654.jpg - In the morning light from the shaded side
sm_IMG_20180713_062700.jpg - In the morning light from the sunlit side
sm_IMG_20180713_062707.jpg - In the morning light with my ugly puss fully visible (sun rising to my right)
sm_IMG_20180715_154440.jpg - Sweatband, Stetson & Playboy logos
sm_IMG_20180715_154446.jpg - Sweatband, Size tag, stitching & embossed edge
sm_IMG_20180715_154452.jpg - Sweatband, store logo: 3 Beall Brothers 3
sm_IMG_20180715_154529.jpg - Plastic protected crown logo

 

[Telemaster]

As requested in the Ebay Victories... etc... thread, here are some more detailed pics of the black German–made Playboy I lucked out on a while back. Moon had put it at late 50‘s and I tend to trust his judgement.

I suck at taking hat photos... but here goes.

 

[Telemaster]

... and a crappy headshot to make it official.

It‘s arguably the coolest hat I have, but I almost never wear it.

 

[Frunobulax]

... and a crappy headshot to make it official.

It‘s arguably the coolest hat I have, but I almost never wear it.

View attachment 130397

Beautiful hat. Am I correct that the brim is raw with no edge stitching?


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Telemaster]

Beautiful hat. Am I correct that the brim is raw with no edge stitching?


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

Yessir. Raw edge.

The felt has a luxurious feel to it, though overall a bit firmer than you’d think for a relatively thin felt. Dense and rich is what I’d describe it as.

I think the firmness is more due to it having been very rarely worn. Though I suck at it, it feels easy to crease.

 

[hatophile]

Yessir. Raw edge.

The felt has a luxurious feel to it, though overall a bit firmer than you’d think for a relatively thin felt. Dense and rich is what I’d describe it as.

I think the firmness is more due to it having been very rarely worn. Though I suck at it, it feels easy to crease.

You def need to wear that baby more.

 

[psklenar]

I haven't had time to play with steaming/rebashing it yet, but here's my Playboy in the office with me today. I like this hat!

pat----
(that's my niece & nephews school pictures from last year next to it)

 

[moontheloon]

As requested in the Ebay Victories... etc... thread, here are some more detailed pics of the black German–made Playboy I lucked out on a while back. Moon had put it at late 50‘s and I tend to trust his judgement.

I suck at taking hat photos... but here goes.

View attachment 130389 View attachment 130390 View attachment 130391 View attachment 130392 View attachment 130393 View attachment 130394 View attachment 130395 View attachment 130396

I don't recall dating this ..... ?

it looks possibly earlier than where you are quoting me ... but I am admittedly not very familiar with its Euro roots

it's a beauty though

 

[Frunobulax]

Yessir. Raw edge.

The felt has a luxurious feel to it, though overall a bit firmer than you’d think for a relatively thin felt. Dense and rich is what I’d describe it as.

I think the firmness is more due to it having been very rarely worn. Though I suck at it, it feels easy to crease.

The raw edge American ones are usually the earlier models. Like Moon, I'm not certain about dating a German Stetson, but it could be older than you think.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Telemaster]

I don't recall dating this ..... ?

it looks possibly earlier than where you are quoting me ... but I am admittedly not very familiar with its Euro roots

it's a beauty though

Hey Moon! Thanks... I had just gotten it in right before the Shore Club was finally delivered and sent you a pic or two in that conversation.

I do love it... but dang, black hats are hard to wear.