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Messages
12,384
Location
Albany Oregon
Saw this on Etsy. A Dobbs West Twenty-Five Open Road clone in silverbelly, described as "distressed". It was cheap enough, and I didn't recall seeing one before (I'd seen the Westward, but not the West) so I thought I'd take a chance. It arrived Monday. Other than needing a really good cleaning and some reshaping, it's actually in pretty nice condition. It was in a deep cattlenan crease, abd probably had been ui's whole life. I got the crease itself out, but no amount if naptha was going to completely remove the dirt lines. I just resigned myself to living with them.

Here's a couple of pics.

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Now, there wasn't a lot of damage to the hat, but there was a wind trolley I ended up removing. The button was scuffed and dirty, and looks as though at one point it had been jammed up against something to make it press the bow keeper into the crown long enough to make a depression, and push the reed of the sweatband inward on the other side.

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Other than a couple of moth nips, that's the only damage I noted.
The insides and other fun stuff:

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I always feel like I got a bonus when I see an embroidered liner logo.

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I like the zigzag piping. Thought it rather odd that they put the onionskin on the other side.

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The remains of a factory tag. The condition of th e tag along with the fact that the liner was glued in with a very heavy hand (nearly all the way around) and a type of glue I've not seen used in hats plus the plastic sweat barrier behind the sweatband was glued to the felt and the liner glued over it tells me a previous owner had not wanted that liner to come out. I wish the tag hadn't been damaged.

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I picked out most of the glue, but you can see a line of it above the sticker and remains on the sweat barrier.

Some scrawling on the sweat

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Creased

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And a head shot

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Everything about the hat is substantial. 5 1/2" crown, 2 5/8" brim. 185g weight. Thick leather sweat, heavyweight liner. OK, the ribbon is thin, but that's about it. The felt is dense and moldable, with a nice hand. I had to shim it down a little but hopefully it will conform down to my noggin with a little wear.
Date is a mystery. I'm going to say late 50's to early 60's, but as always input is welcomed!

Powered by happy thoughts
Great study of this rare hat. I love that liner. Impressive find.
 

Bushman

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,138
Location
Joliet
It's new to my collection, but not a "new" hat. I was poking around in my long deceased Grandfather's old Dobbs boxes that my mother uses for decoration and was pleasantly surprised to have found a well fitting charcoal homburg I'd had forgotten hand been there! I've decided to start wearing it. It's in immaculate condition, practically like new save for a white stain on the front of the ribbon and the fact that the bash in the crown could use a reshaping to make it stay. The box is definitely worn, but at least its contents are fine. I've no idea the age, though I suspect '60s-ish. That estimate would match the age of my Grandfather's Dobbs stingy brim hat, which my cousin who is appropriately a jazz musician, owns.

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It's new to my collection, but not a "new" hat. I was poking around in my long deceased Grandfather's old Dobbs boxes that my mother uses for decoration and was pleasantly surprised to have found a well fitting charcoal homburg I'd had forgotten hand been there! I've decided to start wearing it.

Glad you found this family treasure! You wear it well...
 
Messages
12,384
Location
Albany Oregon
It's new to my collection, but not a "new" hat. I was poking around in my long deceased Grandfather's old Dobbs boxes that my mother uses for decoration and was pleasantly surprised to have found a well fitting charcoal homburg I'd had forgotten hand been there! I've decided to start wearing it. It's in immaculate condition, practically like new save for a white stain on the front of the ribbon and the fact that the bash in the crown could use a reshaping to make it stay. The box is definitely worn, but at least its contents are fine. I've no idea the age, though I suspect '60s-ish. That estimate would match the age of my Grandfather's Dobbs stingy brim hat, which my cousin who is appropriately a jazz musician, owns.

pRAmqmD.jpg

jMluDDZ.jpg

yWQ1Hqo.jpg

FXw1sjH.jpg

SXl3bQ8.jpg
ubvGvlL.jpg

JMsRm7y.jpg

BYNHzeF.jpg
This is truly a legacy hat. Wear it with pride. You are probably right about the era. It is pre-72 based on the Coachman Logo. Are there any tags under the sweat? Looks nice and supple still.
 
Messages
13,672
Location
down south
It's new to my collection, but not a "new" hat. I was poking around in my long deceased Grandfather's old Dobbs boxes that my mother uses for decoration and was pleasantly surprised to have found a well fitting charcoal homburg I'd had forgotten hand been there! I've decided to start wearing it. It's in immaculate condition, practically like new save for a white stain on the front of the ribbon and the fact that the bash in the crown could use a reshaping to make it stay. The box is definitely worn, but at least its contents are fine. I've no idea the age, though I suspect '60s-ish. That estimate would match the age of my Grandfather's Dobbs stingy brim hat, which my cousin who is appropriately a jazz musician, owns.

pRAmqmD.jpg

jMluDDZ.jpg

yWQ1Hqo.jpg

FXw1sjH.jpg

SXl3bQ8.jpg
ubvGvlL.jpg

JMsRm7y.jpg

BYNHzeF.jpg
Awesome! What I wouldn't give to have any of my granddads old hats....AND to have them fit!!!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 

Richard Morgan

One Too Many
Messages
1,642
Location
Central Tesxas
my favorite hat model ever ... Stetson Stratoliner
this is the Royal DeLuxe version of late 40s/early 50s vintage

been searching for a grey strat since I sold a nice 40s era to Roger a couple years ago

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/QUO
Great looking Stratoliner Moon. I have yet to find a vintage Strat in my size at a price I'm willing to pay.
 

Bushman

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,138
Location
Joliet
This is truly a legacy hat. Wear it with pride. You are probably right about the era. It is pre-72 based on the Coachman Logo. Are there any tags under the sweat? Looks nice and supple still.
Thanks! Yes it is. My grandfather kept his hat's in excellent condition, making them wearable generations later. It's really nice that my cousin and I are able to wear something that was worn by our grandfather. I posted all the images of the brands and logos that are in the hat. There's not even a size. I figured from trying on my cousin's hat that this one would fit me. I also have my Grandfather's service dress hat from when he was in the army. The sweatband on that one rotted away long ago.
 
Messages
18,469
Location
Nederland
This one was part of friday's haul, but not a Borsalino. Wouldn't know which Stetson thread to put this in, so here it is. Don't know why I bought this but it was unrecognizable when I found it. It looked like it had been run over by a truck, but I liked the colour. After brushing and steaming this came out. Royal Stetson made under license in Germany especially for Hut Zeumer. These licensed Stetson hats are not all that common. I have a few from England (different licensee) but this one is my first German one. Size 57 with an overwelt brim at 5,5cm and porkpie like crown at 10 cm. Backbow ribbon. The hat has Trachten influences like the back bow and the way it's shaped. Interesting piece, but not my style. Don't really know what to do with it.

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Steve1857

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,870
Location
Denmark
This one was part of friday's haul, but not a Borsalino. Wouldn't know which Stetson thread to put this in, so here it is. Don't know why I bought this but it was unrecognizable when I found it. It looked like it had been run over by a truck, but I liked the colour. After brushing and steaming this came out. Royal Stetson made under license in Germany especially for Hut Zeumer. These licensed Stetson hats are not all that common. I have a few from England (different licensee) but this one is my first German one. Size 57 with an overwelt brim at 5,5cm and porkpie like crown at 10 cm. Backbow ribbon. The hat has Trachten influences like the back bow and the way it's shaped. Interesting piece, but not my style. Don't really know what to do with it.

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Nice hat rescue, Stefan. I can see why you were drawn to the colour, cool. I'd keep the brim up and wear it as a pork pie. Love the back bow, too.

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk
 

Kiowa Bill

One of the Regulars
Messages
106
Location
Elbert County, CO.
Need a hand. I just picked up two nice hats. A 100% pure beaver Beaver brand and a Bailey Beaver "Fifty" . Want to post pics but tapatalk won't download to my machine. Been trying for a couple of days. Can you suggest an alternate way to get pics up here?
 
Messages
12,384
Location
Albany Oregon
This one was part of friday's haul, but not a Borsalino. Wouldn't know which Stetson thread to put this in, so here it is. Don't know why I bought this but it was unrecognizable when I found it. It looked like it had been run over by a truck, but I liked the colour. After brushing and steaming this came out. Royal Stetson made under license in Germany especially for Hut Zeumer. These licensed Stetson hats are not all that common. I have a few from England (different licensee) but this one is my first German one. Size 57 with an overwelt brim at 5,5cm and porkpie like crown at 10 cm. Backbow ribbon. The hat has Trachten influences like the back bow and the way it's shaped. Interesting piece, but not my style. Don't really know what to do with it.

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Wow! What an interesting piece of Stetson history. Perfect back bow, late 1950s? Not my style (yet), but I love everything about this hat.
 

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