Resistol questions

[Farace]

I finally did hear back from my email to Resistol regarding my query about whether they could supply me with a sweat band. They said their outlet center can replace sweat bands and gave me the phone number. Can't call now, but it's something for the near future to see what the cost would be and whether it's worth it just to keep the Resistol Self-Conforming imprint on the band.

 

[milandro]

Interesting but it shows how very little they value their PR ( despite having a whole section of the site dedicated to if you are a rodeo participant and seek sponsorship, which I guess the majority of the owners won’t be). Again I have sent them several emails with and without pictures (because pictures may trigger an anti-spam reaction) and they have bounced back!

 

[Bella_Finn]

Hello, I was doing some research to learn something about Grandpa's Resistol 880 Fedora and found this great lounge! I have poked around a little but I haven't found much about this hat. I do realize that it's a bit newer than this crowd likes to focus on. Says it is a Resistol 880 Melorol. Stamped "Floyd's" in the sweatband and labled a "Bryer-Rolnick Product". Looks like he hardly wore it. He was a carpenter, so he didn't dress up much.

Can anyone give me some details about this hat? I'm very interested in how you tell what it is made out of. I see that many here are described as "beaver" hats. I've also seen "kitten finish?" What is this one?

Thank you for any details!

 

[Frunobulax]

Hello, I was doing some research to learn something about Grandpa's Resistol 880 Fedora and found this great lounge! I have poked around a little but I haven't found much about this hat. I do realize that it's a bit newer than this crowd likes to focus on. Says it is a Resistol 880 Melorol. Stamped "Floyd's" in the sweatband and labled a "Bryer-Rolnick Product". Looks like he hardly wore it. He was a carpenter, so he didn't dress up much.

Can anyone give me some details about this hat? I'm very interested in how you tell what it is made out of. I see that many here are described as "beaver" hats. I've also seen "kitten finish?" What is this one?

Thank you for any details!

Hi, and welcome to the Lounge. Your grandfather's hat is from the 1960s, but was manufactured prior to 1965, as Resistol dropped the "Byer-Rolnick" designation then. I think there was a Jet 660 prior to this model, but I'm not certain. Somewhere around here are a thread or two on newspaper ads that might bracket the dates better. Search Google For "Resistol 880" and add "site:fedoralonge.com" to your search and you should get some decent results.

No, this style isn't the most popular around here, but we have some folks that really rock it. It was a pretty popular look in the 60s, and Resistol made some nice dress hats when they were still making dress hats.

Your hat is undoubtedly fur felt, but unless you worked there at the time and were privy to the proprietary fur blends, you'll never know if it's beaver or rabbit/hare. "Kitten Finish" was just a marketing thing.

If it fits you, wear it in good health!

 

[Bella_Finn]

Thanks I will try all that! I think my head is bigger than Grandpa's though!!

 

[belfastboy]

Hi, and welcome to the Lounge. Your grandfather's hat is from the 1960s, but was manufactured prior to 1965, as Resistol dropped the "Byer-Rolnick" designation then. I think there was a Jet 660 prior to this model, but I'm not certain. Somewhere around here are a thread or two on newspaper ads that might bracket the dates better. Search Google For "Resistol 880" and add "site:fedoralonge.com" to your search and you should get some decent results.

No, this style isn't the most popular around here, but we have some folks that really rock it. It was a pretty popular look in the 60s, and Resistol made some nice dress hats when they were still making dress hats.

Your hat is undoubtedly fur felt, but unless you worked there at the time and were privy to the proprietary fur blends, you'll never know if it's beaver or rabbit/hare. "Kitten Finish" was just a marketing thing.

If it fits you, wear it in good health!

I have a "Kitten Finish" Resistol.. I find myself often petting it and expecting it to purr. Nice soft feel to it.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Hi, and welcome to the Lounge. Your grandfather's hat is from the 1960s, but was manufactured prior to 1965, as Resistol dropped the "Byer-Rolnick" designation then. I think there was a Jet 660 prior to this model, but I'm not certain. Somewhere around here are a thread or two on newspaper ads that might bracket the dates better. Search Google For "Resistol 880" and add "site:fedoralonge.com" to your search and you should get some decent results.

No, this style isn't the most popular around here, but we have some folks that really rock it. It was a pretty popular look in the 60s, and Resistol made some nice dress hats when they were still making dress hats.

Your hat is undoubtedly fur felt, but unless you worked there at the time and were privy to the proprietary fur blends, you'll never know if it's beaver or rabbit/hare. "Kitten Finish" was just a marketing thing.

If it fits you, wear it in good health!

I thought Byer-Rolnick lasted until 1967-68.

 

[Frunobulax]

I thought Byer-Rolnick lasted until 1967-68.

Thought it was '65. Didn't double-check.

 

[Vintage Sunburst]

I just picked up this hat from an antique mall in Indiana for $69.35 including tax (no hat box). Size is 7 1/4 long oval. It fits me great, although I never knew I was a long oval. From my research on the internet, it seems that this is a Resistol Plains, but I could be wrong. The tag behind the sweatband says the color is canyon. Does anyone have any idea approximately when this particular example was manufactured? Some of the information I found on the web indicates these were made as far back as the 1960s, but something tells me this one is newer than that.

 

[chivaceae]

The headliner in your hat is the newer style, so I figure it dates from the 80's onwards. I have a Resistol Plains with the red older liner, and the chestnut brown Melorol sweatband, which places it in the 50s-60's. Others might chime in with more information.
Raul

PD. I resized my hat from a 7 1/4 to a 7 1/2, and instead of using a new sweatband, I recycled the beautiful Melorol original by just adding a small piece of Cordovan Shell leather. I have done this in other re-sized hats.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I just picked up this hat from an antique mall in Indiana for $69.35 including tax (no hat box). Size is 7 1/4 long oval. It fits me great, although I never knew I was a long oval. From my research on the internet, it seems that this is a Resistol Plains, but I could be wrong. The tag behind the sweatband says the color is canyon. Does anyone have any idea approximately when this particular example was manufactured? Some of the information I found on the web indicates these were made as far back as the 1960s, but something tells me this one is newer than that.

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Like Raul, I have a Plains with the red liner & plastic crest protector which I think dates it to the 1950’s. It also has the melorol sweat which predates the self-conforming one. The sweats were embossed with the Plains model name also. The blocking is that of a Western fedora & they are a skinny ribbon.

What I think you have is a later version of the more common Fort Worth. The Fort Worth is a larger profile with a 2-cord ribbon. I have a 1950’s version with a burgundy wine liner & plastic crest protector.

 

[gilligan]

Does anyone know what logo sticker Resistol used on their hat boxes in the 1940s? I've seen the rectangular stickers with the Resistol logo and I've seen the oval sticker with the fancy scroll border with Resistol on it. Both types are being sold as 1940s hat boxes? I want to get a correct hat box for a 1940s Resistol fedora? The hat I have, has the diamond shaped letter O on the liner. So I want to stay with a box that would be correct for this hat/ Any advice would be appreciated, thanks so much.