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[Johnny J]

Dobbs Westward - probably mid 1980's vintage with cattleman setup.

Mid 1980s? IMO it looks older.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Mid 1980s? IMO it looks older.

It is. Anywhere from mid-'50s to early-'60s. Nice catch!


Brad

 

[Tommy]

All beautiful hats, gentlemen! :eusa_clap



You can purchase a hat stretcher and stretch it a little at a time - very gently - till you have stretched it one size. That would be around 1/8" in each side of the stretcher - or 1/4" in circumference. Stretch a little and try it on, so you won't overstretch it.

To me it seems pretty clean. You can give it a brush. First against the nap (clockwise), and then with the nap (counter clockwise). Do you see any real spots - and if so, what do you think they are?

it looks clean, and this photo doesn't show it well, but when popped open, there are mild dirt lines revealing a cattlemans crease

The type of wind trolley looks a little weird to me. Could you take a pic where it is unwound? I'd especially like to see the button. I think there should be a loop on one side of the button and the rest of the string on the other(?)

here's a shot of the wind trolley condition



Most ORs you see is actually creased in cattleman's crease, but if you're asking if you can crease it in C-crown, diamond, or any other crease - the answer is "yes". You may need a little help from a steaming kettle, but it's quite easy and won't ruin the hat

The dating of it I based on the shop seal, which to the best of my research indicates a company in business late 70's through early 90's - maybe, but maybe someone else knows more about Reynolds Penland...



Since I have a few C-crowns, I'm thinking of keeping it a cattleman's crease, a little stretch would likely solve it all... thanks for the insights.

 

[rlk]

Reynolds-Penland

 

[gtdean48]

...

....

The wind chord should have a loop on the button like the honda on a lasso. You pull the main string back thru it to make your loop which stretches over the crown & then tightens around the base of the crown by sliding the button. If you don't have the loop then I gots nothing for you...

 

[dh66]

Even if you have to ditch the wind trolley that is a seriously fine looking hat. you also get my vote for keeping the cattleman crease - you just don't see enough 5 gallon hats around

 

[dh66]

I'd also vote older - give the popularity of that style during the Johnson administration. By the 80s I suspect Stetson was the only one still carrying the torch for that style. Urban cowboy was in full swing by then and that style was (nor is still) to hot with the disco cowboy crowd

 

[BigFitz]

Got my Akubra FedIV in dark brown the day before yesterday.

 

[TheDane]

Originally the company was based in Dallas, and it's from way before the 70s:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1931-Italy-...g-PC-Reynolds-Penland-Dallas-TX-/360713190905

http://www.flickr.com/photos/90452479@N07/8260772707/

The former owner wrecked the wind cord, but if you are a bit crafty with needle and thread, I think it's savable. Check this thread on DIY wind trolleys.

First you should free the button from the string. Then you can tie - or even better sew - a loop in the end of the string. The loop should be 1" to 1 1/2" long. Now place the knot or sewing over the hole on the back of the button. Then sew the string to the edge of the button on one side - and the loop on the other side. That will hopefully save your wind trolley

If you don't like that solution, the easiest is to snip the cord with a pair of scissors - as close to the ribbon as possible.

I see the crease lines. They can be hard to get completely rid of without cleaning the hat. They are a bit large for a naphtha spot cleaning, so if you can't remove them with an in-depth brushing, it will have to be cleaned and blocked - probably by a hatter.

But if you like the cattleman's crease, then keep it - slight ageing and crease lines won't be noticeable. It's a beautiful hat in very good condition

 

[Brad Bowers]

Wait, wait, wait, don't touch that trolley! There's nothing wrong with this wind trolley (other than the knot inadvertently tied behind the button), as it does not use a built-in loop. This is just like the trolley on my Borsalino, and the loop is created by the way you place it around the crown, and becomes tightened by pulling the button backwards. I'll dig out the Borsalino and post photos later.

 

[John Galt]

Wait, wait, wait, don't touch that trolley! There's nothing wrong with this wind trolley (other than the knot inadvertently tied behind the button), as it does not use a built-in loop. This is just like the trolley on my Borsalino, and the loop is created by the way you place it around the crown, and becomes tightened by pulling the button backwards. I'll dig out the Borsalino and post photos later.

What Brad said! I have several hats with this set up. Just slide the button under the cord where it is attached, and pull the slack out. You can see where it fits in the photo, because there a bit of a bight in the cord near the point at which it attached. It's just come undone. It will take 1 second to make it right.

 

[g.durand]

Lefty--nice find. It looks better under your care than it did on ebay.

Tommy--a superb example of the OR style.

BigFitz--the Fed looks great. Nice crease, too.

Just got this yesterday. Another ebay find, a chocolate brown Optimo. After some steaming and brushing, I worked it into shape, but it's still a work in progress. It shows dust pretty well. It looks to be something like their "Mitchum" style, with a tall straight crown, 2 7/8" brim with a stitched edge. It's a big hat. The noggin shot shows the truest color rendering.

 

[TheDane]

Wait, wait, wait, don't touch that trolley!

Arrghh ... of course! I'm so sorry to give really bad advice! I did wonder, how they got that knot through the hole. Dohhhh! :eusa_doh:

None of my Borsos are equipped with an original trolley, but now that you mention, I remember seeing several pictures with that type. I'm really sorry!

 

[BigFitz]

Thanks g.durand. That Optimo looks good to me.

 

[ManofKent]

Bigfitz - looks great - nice crease.

g.d. - Is that the one you rescued from a drop in the pool?

Looks really good.

 

[Geldoc]

G.D., you found the Optimo on ebay? What size was it listed as?

 

[g.durand]

Richard--Yes, it was the one I rescued from drowning.

geldoc--it is a 7 5/8, just a tad large. It was not listed as a vintage hat, but under Clothing, Shoes & Accessories>Men's Accessories>Hats.

On a whim I searched for "Optimo" and it popped up. I may send this one to Chicago for some fine tuning.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Arrghh ... of course! I'm so sorry to give really bad advice! I did wonder, how they got that knot through the hole. Dohhhh! :eusa_doh:

None of my Borsos are equipped with an original trolley, but now that you mention, I remember seeing several pictures with that type. I'm really sorry!

No apologies necessary, "no harm, no foul," as the saying goes. If you've only run across one type or the other, it's hard to picture how it would work.

My mistake was in thinking my Borsalino had this particular style. My Borsalino has the kind with the loop, but I haven't worn it in five or six years and had forgotten. I have other hats with the other style, though.

Here's a photo of what John Galt was describing. Just tuck/hook the button under the curve in the cord and pull backwards along the crown to tighten. Works slick as a whistle!



This

 

[Tommy]

Wait, wait, wait, don't touch that trolley! There's nothing wrong with this wind trolley (other than the knot inadvertently tied behind the button), as it does not use a built-in loop. This is just like the trolley on my Borsalino, and the loop is created by the way you place it around the crown, and becomes tightened by pulling the button backwards. I'll dig out the Borsalino and post photos later.

I brushed the years of dust off, and that's good enough for me, and (I think) I also fix the wind chord. thanks for the tips all of you on cleaning and fixing...


and noggin shots - all I've got left to do is stretch it a bit at some point

 

[BigFitz]

It's a good looking hat.