Pre 1940s Stetson Westerns

[Just Daniel]

I agree the white tag stuck on the original in hat two seems to indicate a renovation or resize.

The white to duplicate and inventory tag combination on your Stetson Eagle Crest USA hat seems like a follow on to the original 1800s single tags and a precursor to to later orange and red tags from the 1920s on.

I think you're right Alan, it appears someone started to renovate the hat a long time ago and didn't finish, I think the original tag says 7 1/2 but it's not anywhere near that size now. ---and nice to meet you guys, amazing stuff here and I wish I would've known sooner, there should be some Fedora lounge meet up somewhere in the middle USA where we wear a hat and carry a hat, like a giant show and tell.

 

[carouselvic]

Oh. The ultra rare white size tag. A real treasure in my book. Alan has a couple, I have one.

Late 1800s to 1920s, according to the interesting WTH guy.

Who or what is this acronym?

 

[carouselvic]

Who or what is this acronym?

never mind I have figured it out.....but why you would ever quote him is beyond me.....

 

[Frunobulax]

never mind I have figured it out.....but why you would ever quote him is beyond me.....

He's not well-liked around here, is he, LOL?

I've seen some criticism of his dating guides, but just general criticisms. I've never seen somebody actually point out what's wrong, however.

 

[alanfgag]

He's not well-liked around here, is he, LOL?

I've seen some criticism of his dating guides, but just general criticisms. I've never seen somebody actually point out what's wrong, however.

He was a member here in several aliases that were banned at some point. Like any of us who has owned and handled many hats, he has amassed knowledge and put forward information from experience - also theories, some of which were half-cocked at best. I haven't visited his website in many years. Perhaps he has gotten wiser as he's gotten older...

 

[alanfgag]

I agree the white tag stuck on the original in hat two seems to indicate a renovation or resize.
The white to duplicate and inventory tag combination on your Stetson Eagle Crest USA hat seems like a follow on to the original 1800s single tags and a precursor to to later orange and red tags from the 1920s on.

I'm not sure which hat that is... I have a couple of Stetsons that I believe date from 1900-1920 that have the red manufacturing tag. I haven't seen enough white labels or Stetsons from the first 50 years of the company to suggest that the white tag occupies a particular notch in the chronological timeline.

More likely an outlier signifying another purpose... renovations or perhaps something else?

 

[Frunobulax]

He was a member here in several aliases that were banned at some point. Like any of us who has owned and handled many hats, he has amassed knowledge and put forward information from experience - also theories, some of which were half-cocked at best. I haven't visited his website in many years. Perhaps he has gotten wiser as he's gotten older...

Well, given that his website hasn't changed in several years, it's doubtful he has, either !

 

[Just Daniel]

Thanks Alan, I tread lightly rather than disagree with your great knowledge bank. To me the white and black tag looks like a precursor to the red tags.

The white tag has both the inventory and reorder info combined, the later tags separate the two. It seems strange to me that a refurb tag would be made with both data points together. If we assume that the original reorder tags were also white, in my book these combo tags look like transition pieces between the originals and the later red/brown combination.

I’ll be as thrilled as anyone else if we get more data points and more info!

I'm not sure which hat that is... I have a couple of Stetsons that I believe date from 1900-1920 that have the red manufacturing tag. I haven't seen enough white labels or Stetsons from the first 50 years of the company to suggest that the white tag occupies a particular notch in the chronological timeline.

View attachment 219536

View attachment 219538

More likely an outlier signifying another purpose... renovations or perhaps something else?

View attachment 219539

 

[Just Daniel]

He is a bit of a character for sure (to be kind), but he does have a lot of good information.

If we had a wiki format here on the Lounge we would quickly make his convenient and easy to read web pages irrelevant

never mind I have figured it out.....but why you would ever quote him is beyond me.....

 

[WDurableGoods]

A lot of the research I have done on some of my hats has been based on the stores they were bought from and the kind of branding they used, (since a lot of them have the store branding inside) combining that with the knowledge I have received here helps me to narrow it down, I would like to do more research on the hat shop and maybe get an idea whether it was pre-or post 1920s

 

[Frunobulax]

A lot of the research I have done on some of my hats has been based on the stores they were bought from and the kind of branding they used, (since a lot of them have the store branding inside) combining that with the knowledge I have received here helps me to narrow it down, I would like to do more research on the hat shop and maybe get an idea whether it was pre-or post 1920s

c. 1920. Maybe your hat's in there.

 

[Just Daniel]

Well. Reviewing all the characteristics, most likely:

Unsewn sweatband: Pre 1930s
Unique Stetson sweatband crest: Pre 30s
(We have some examples of unique crests from the 20s)
White combined reorder/inventory tag: Pre 30s
No size tag, probably originally a sticker: Pre 30s

||| stitching on the sweatband: (often) 20s +
Reeded sweatband: (often) 20s +

Other opinions?

A lot of the research I have done on some of my hats has been based on the stores they were bought from and the kind of branding they used, (since a lot of them have the store branding inside) combining that with the knowledge I have received here helps me to narrow it down, I would like to do more research on the hat shop and maybe get an idea whether it was pre-or post 1920s

 

[alanfgag]

Thanks Alan, I tread lightly rather than disagree with your great knowledge bank. To me the white and black tag looks like a precursor to the red tags.

The white tag has both the inventory and reorder info combined, the later tags separate the two. It seems strange to me that a refurb tag would be made with both data points together. If we assume that the original reorder tags were also white, in my book these combo tags look like transition pieces between the originals and the later red/brown combination.

I’ll be as thrilled as anyone else if we get more data points and more info!

No worries treading on my knowledge bank... I've lost a lot of those assets in the aging process. Yes, additional information/sampling would be needed to have it be more than a hunch. I am a big fan of trying to articulate a timeline for Stetson hats, but I just don't have the photos to support the theory that these occasional white tags come from an era before the red and orange tags, which seem to be present in the oldest Stetson hats I've seen. Is there an example of a very early (pre-1900) Stetson with this white tag? In terms of having both pieces of information combined in one tag, perhaps it might have been for efficiency in marking the info from a hat returned for cleaning and blocking... but I'm only hunching. ;^)

 

[WDurableGoods]

Here’s the other hat I can post on this thread but that’s all I got. Picked this one up last year. 7 1/2” crown and 5” brim, have only wore it a few times, Wore it to the rodeo. my wife is wearing a Dobbs twenty, probably 40s or early 50s not sure.

 

[Just Daniel]

Another wonderful hat!

Here’s the other hat I can post on this thread but that’s all I got. Picked this one up last year. 7 1/2” crown and 5” brim, have only wore it a few times, Wore it to the rodeo. my wife is wearing a Dobbs twenty, probably 40s or early 50s not sure.

 

[J Williams]

Here's my Stetson guessing mid to early 30s, no liner, large eagle USA crest
sold at Tom Campbells Smile hat shop, Calgary, Ontario. have no idea why the pic is sideways,
anyways, it feels like #1 quality, View attachment 219169

First off welcome to the lounge. Your collection has me drooling a bit as they are all my size and beautiful pre-40’s westerns which are my absolute favourites. I too was watching the Nutria.

I have collected a few Canadian made Stetsons and would love to see the sweatband and size tag on this one especially. I predict it may predate the Brockville Canadian manufacturing plant but it would still be great to see. If it was in fact a Brockville hat it puts it no earlier than 1935.

At any rate beautiful examples and if you ever want to move one along I would listen.

 

[BobHufford]

Here’s the other hat I can post on this thread but that’s all I got. Picked this one up last year. 7 1/2” crown and 5” brim, have only wore it a few times, Wore it to the rodeo. my wife is wearing a Dobbs twenty, probably 40s or early 50s not sure.

Fantastic hat and even better photo of the family. You guys rock those Westerns!

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Here’s the other hat I can post on this thread but that’s all I got. Picked this one up last year. 7 1/2” crown and 5” brim, have only wore it a few times, Wore it to the rodeo. my wife is wearing a Dobbs twenty, probably 40s or early 50s not sure.

It's believed that it was Newton Porter's son Earl who moved the business from Phoenix to Tucson shortly after Newton died in 1906. Newton Porter had originally established the business in Taylor, TX in 1875, moving to Phoenix after a fire in 1881. I have a couple of leather pieces from N. Porter Saddlery, Phoenix with the steer logo.

 

[BobHufford]

As of 1940:

 

[alanfgag]

Here’s the other hat I can post on this thread but that’s all I got. Picked this one up last year. 7 1/2” crown and 5” brim, have only wore it a few times, Wore it to the rodeo. my wife is wearing a Dobbs twenty, probably 40s or early 50s not sure.

Lovely hat and great photos. Here is the Porter's imprint from a 5X clear beaver western, 5-10 years later than yours.