Stack Hats

[rlk]

 

[rlk]

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Where's the Hat!!! Come on open the box.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Thanks for the articles, Robert. I've been talking with Frank Stack's last surviving son, and he'll love to see these articles. Stack Hats are pretty rare, as the company wasn't very successful, apparently closing within a few years. After that, Stack went to work for a plumbing company and never got back into the hat business. He didn't get hats out of his system, though. When he died, he was still tinkering with making improvements to sweatbands, I guess hoping to patent them. He held a few other hat patents over the years. John Cavanagh was an honorary pallbearer at Frank Stack's funeral, just a three months before he passed away at the age of 93.

Can't wait to see more photos of the hat.

Brad

 

[rlk]

 

[Jedwbpm]

So what do you think about the quality of the hat?

Jeff

 

[rlk]

The construction and detailing are right up there with Cavanagh. The felt is very nicely finished but a bit lighter weight than a Cavanagh or the HCA "20"s. Very much like the 1940-ish Dobbs felt on the Leisure Light. Great sweatband! A rather progressive style for its time--could almost pass for a later period hat.

 

[rlk]

Patents

http://www.google.com/patents?id=8o...#v=onepage&q=frank stack hats norwalk&f=false

http://www.google.com/patents?id=Pp...#v=onepage&q=frank stack hats norwalk&f=false

http://www.google.com/patents?id=AU...#v=onepage&q=frank stack hats norwalk&f=false

 

[rlk]

Unlined Stack Heather

From Dinerman

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Nice hat is the feather orginal?

 

[rlk]

Nice hat is the feather orginal?

Doesn't look too fresh--may be.

 

[Dinerman]

 

[Brad Bowers]

Nice!

Brad

 

[carouselvic]

very

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

love the finish on this one very nice.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Just wanted to pass along that I found out today that Patrick F. Stack, last-surviving son of Frank T. Stack, of Stack Hats fame, passed away last September 18. We've talked back and forth a bit the last few years about his dad, and his job at C&K/HCA before venturing out on his own. I had last heard from Pat on September 4th. I'd been meaning to e-mail or call him for the past few months, and today when I went to post a Happy Birthday message on his Facebook page, learned the news. I wish I'd made that last call.

Thanks for all the information you shared about your dad. When I get the website entry for Stack Hats finished, I'll dedicate it to you, Pat.

Brad

 

[alanfgag]

Stack Hat Co. Silver Beaver Fifty

A high end end hat produced by the short-lived Frank T. Stack Hat Co. whose history is outlined in the newspaper articles posted by RLK at the beginning of this thread. A long time HCA employee and with patents for a method used in the fabrication of the Cavanagh edge, Stack was also a four term democratic mayor of Norwalk, CT (preceded earlier in this position by John Cavanagh).

The hat has an interesting provenance, having been owned by then Lt. Col. I.G. Brown of Hot Springs, Arkansas, who rose to the rank of Major General and became the first director of the Air National Guard and has a training center named in his honor.

The hat was manufactured by Machlachlan for Frank Stack and features its signature cushion vented sweatband. It is a high quality felt and construction is top notch (much in line with the top of the line HCA offerings of this era) with a relatively narrow felted edge (3/16"), 2 3/4" brim, 5 5/8" open crown and 2 1/8" ribbon. The 2" sweatband is soft and flexible and attached with an overcast stitch as was popular in the post-war 1940s. The liner is sewn in far down on the crown so I haven't poked too deeply, but the size tag used by Machlachlan and a union label are seen.

The hat has been creased previously but shows little or no evidence of having been worn.

 

[alanfgag]

 

[mikespens]

It's a Duesy Alan!

 

[buler]

Spec - Stack - ular.

B