A new eBay purchase; a Knox Premier Westlite. These auction photos are not impressive, but these are great hats - very light weight Stratoliner/Open Road clones. I now own three, but still can't wait for this one to arrive.
This Stetson wool western arrived this morning. Perhaps I'm the barkeep at Dodge, or Black Rock? The walking stick is vintage, with a brass duck handle.
I've been looking for another Imperial with Vita Felt and I finally found one. The hat is a blue grey color and has a 2 1/2" brim with mode edge and a 5 3/4" open crown which is wrapped in a 1 3/4" black grosgrain ribbon. The Stetson logo on the crown tip almost looks embroidered but I don't think it is. When you run your hands over it you can feel the imprint. I'm thinking mid 40s for this model but any input would be appreciated.
That is an exceptional find. Early 1940s with the gold printed size tag. Can you find a LOTXXXX stamp on the back of the sweatband? It is usually opposite the seam near the front of the hat. Only the third example of this liner imprint I have seen. Well scored!
Alan I looked it over pretty good when I took the photos and didn't see one. I gave it another look over and there doesn't appear to be one. I don't know where it would be if it's not on the back of the sweatband. I even rechecked the inside crown for some type of stamp or making. The only place it could be would be under the price tag in the photos; however, I doubt it would be there and it would probably be visible on either side of the price tag. Do all Stetson's have a lot number?
No, they do not all have this imprint. It appears in most if not all Stetsons (with their original sweatbands intact) from early in the 20th C. (perhaps earlier - examples are rare) through the early 1940s. They stop appearing during the war years and do not appear again after.
Here is the sweatband stamp LOTXXXX thread. I believe I've posted my Imperial Stetson in there. Some vita felt hats have them. The most recent Vita Stratoliner I acquired did not have one.
There is also the transition between the narrow 3 part red manufacturing label (earlier) and the 1 part manufacturing label. This transition happened somewhere around 1940. My Imperial has the older 3 part label. Here is the thread for this ephemera.
Not rocket science, but interesting bits of history that can help us date our finds more accurately.
This is my latest batch from an American Ebay Raid, managed to get a "mixed lot" of mens hats got them all plus more and shipping for just under $80 to the UK which was good pleasantly surprised, the black on the stretcher is a Borso, the straw a Dobbs, then there are some resistol and mallory as well as the caps!
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