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Stetson crest dating

rlk

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Evanston, IL
3846636859_b110e5a22b.jpg
3846636685_854d271da9_b.jpg

The liner is very faded and has probably been cleaned over its life span. The lining is glued in currently in a somewhat gloppy fashion, probably not the original factory job(no sign of thread or holes from stitching however). Factory production stamps are no longer present. Its an ultra-thin ribbon that could have been a full western brim, and came in a badly battered Stetson 100 box. The liner logo appears to be the same as dinerman's upper right example
 

Barrelhouse

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110
Location
Soulsville, USA
I have all these Stetson dating threads bookmarked: liners, bands, and now crests. It all makes my head ache; I am SO thankful you experts are around because I'd never make head or tails of it by myself. Thank you all for your hard work and scholarship. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
 

ScottF

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2,754
jimmy the lid said:
I think that the change on the crest from stars to a leaf in the upper left-hand field is probablyl the most telling feature. I honestly don't think the "hunched beaver" factor is a reliable factor as far as dating goes. As you note, Scott, you can see that the "hunched beaver" is present with the "stars" crest in 1948. Similarly, the features of the bird on the right side of the crest are all over the map over time.

Cheers,
JtL

Actually, I think the beaver's back might be telling evidence, at least in regards to the sweatband logos. Yours is dated 1948 and I just received two that belonged to a man who died in 1951. Both of mine have the same logo design as yours (hunchback beaver and stars), in a 3X circle. This is slightly different from other circled sweatband logos posted in this thread. It could be a transition logo that began around 1948 and was gone sometime prior to 1952.

Boxes, tags, liners, could all be kept around as old stock and used on slightly more modern hats after the logo had been 'officially' changed, but I doubt that would be true for sweatbands.

StetsMESweatLogo.jpg
 

Lefty

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O-HI-O
rlk said:
Unfortunately I can't copy the ebay photos and the auction ended july 14th.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280368617036#ht_870wt_1167

For the standard ebay layout, they've bundled the photos with all sorts of other stuff. If you really want the photo, you've got to do a bit more work now. When you're on the auction page, enlarge the photo, then right click and save as usual. Instead of just saving the image to your computer, it will save a folder with all sorts of junk + the photo. Just delete all the junk and upload to photobucket.
 

jimmy the lid

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USA
ScottF said:
Actually, I think the beaver's back might be telling evidence, at least in regards to the sweatband logos.

I'm definitely keeping an open mind. ;) Let's see where the evidence leads...

Cheers,
JtL
 

rlk

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Evanston, IL
Lefty said:
For the standard ebay layout, they've bundled the photos with all sorts of other stuff. If you really want the photo, you've got to do a bit more work now. When you're on the auction page, enlarge the photo, then right click and save as usual. Instead of just saving the image to your computer, it will save a folder will all sorts of junk + the photo. Just delete all the junk and upload to photobucket.
Thanks, A little different for Macs but I worked it out,here they are.(I can explain how if there is interest)
3849842446_5e9e40682b_o.jpg

3849046859_f7c689a203_o.jpg
3849046769_a9c33a9ea1.jpg
 

ScottF

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2,754
rlk said:
Thanks, A little different for Macs but I worked it out,here they are.

Also a Mac user, I do 'view source', find 'jpg', then go to the 2nd-to-last group of 'jpg' files and pic the one in correct order. Not too painful.
 

rlk

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6,100
Location
Evanston, IL
ScottF said:
Also a Mac user, I do 'view source', find 'jpg', then go to the 2nd-to-last group of 'jpg' files and pic the one in correct order. Not too painful.
Similarly 'view source' then highlight the first "http.........JPG." starting from the top and it will be the enlarged photo choice.
 

rlk

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6,100
Location
Evanston, IL
Monkeywrench 7X

3855891947_18c362de5e.jpg
3856682282_53e001a442.jpg
3856700680_392b3ef2fe.jpg
3855892423_8f68a63cd5.jpg

This apparently transitional hat has a sweatband with the stars but the later liner crest. The hat has a very soft sweatband with onionskin beneath but has no factory markings stickers or stamps. Definitely high beaver content crown is reasonably soft and shapeable but very stiff western brim. Perhaps at the point of the switch to the Missouri Factory with mixed components(1971?).
 

ScottF

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rlk[/IMG said:
This apparently transitional hat has a sweatband with the stars but the later liner crest. The hat has a very soft sweatband with onionskin beneath but has no factory markings stickers or stamps. Definitely high beaver content crown is reasonably soft and shapeable but very stiff western brim. Perhaps at the point of the switch to the Missouri Factory with mixed components(1971?).

If it occured in 1971, seems strange that they would use a pre-1952 sweatband (as stars would indicate) - that's a long time to save sweatbands.

Very interesting hat.
 

rlk

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Location
Evanston, IL
ScottF said:
If it occured in 1971, seems strange that they would use a pre-1952 sweatband (as stars would indicate) - that's a long time to save sweatbands.

Very interesting hat.

I'm wildly speculating. The sweatband crest looks very much like your 3X.
 

ScottF

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2,754
3 Stetson Open Roads

Here are the details from three Open Roads I have. The first one is a Royal Deluxe (with no liner) that can be dated to 1950-53 by its OPS tag. The second one can be dated to pre-1951 because the owner died that year - also, it has the stars in the background. The third one has the leaf in the background, and plastic over the liner logo.

StetsORDtls.jpg


StetsOR3X1Dtl.jpg


StetsOR3X2Dtl.jpg
 

ScottF

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2,754
rlk said:
This apparently transitional hat has a sweatband with the stars but the later liner crest. The hat has a very soft sweatband with onionskin beneath but has no factory markings stickers or stamps. Definitely high beaver content crown is reasonably soft and shapeable but very stiff western brim. Perhaps at the point of the switch to the Missouri Factory with mixed components(1971?).

Here's another with stars in the sweat logo, but a leaf in the liner logo:

ebay Stetson 3x

295404153_o.jpg
 

High Pockets

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569
Location
Central Oklahoma
ScottF said:
Here are the details from three Open Roads I have. The first one is a Royal Deluxe (with no liner) that can be dated to 1950-53 by its OPS tag. The second one can be dated to pre-1951 because the owner died that year - also, it has the stars in the background. The third one has the leaf in the background, and plastic over the liner logo.

StetsORDtls.jpg


I found this thread while trying to date my Royal Stetson today,...ScottF you posted a few beautiful photos in particular that are helping.

You indicated that the OPS tag and emblem are probably circa 1950-1953, the tag and emblem on my hat are almost identical. Also, the price of your Royal Deluxe at $12.50 and my Royal at $10 is leading me to believe my Stetson would also be from 1950-1953.


100_2537.jpg


100_2536.jpg



Here are a few more photos of the various tags inside my sweat-band:

If you or anyone could help me learn and identify the age of these tags I would sure appreciate it. I'm attempting to date the hat to find out whether a particular person might have owned it or not.

This man: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/cbhines.htm

100_2538-1.jpg


100_2539-1.jpg


100_2542-1.jpg


Thanks. :)
 

jimmy the lid

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USA
ScottF said:
Here's another with stars in the sweat logo, but a leaf in the liner logo:

ebay Stetson 3x

295404153_o.jpg

Scott -- the liner on that one (in addition to other factors) says mid-60's to me. The crest design on the liner may be a factor in helping to date lids, but it is just one thing to consider, I think. It is one piece of the puzzle. ;)

Cheers,
JtL
 

ScottF

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jimmy the lid said:
Scott -- the liner on that one (in addition to other factors) says mid-60's to me. The crest design on the liner may be a factor in helping to date lids, but it is just one thing to consider, I think. It is one piece of the puzzle. ;)

Cheers,
JtL

I understand that there are no hard and fast rules, but it seems really strange to see a circular sweat logo with stars in a mid-60s Stetson, given what you've shown us regarding 'stars vs leaf'.

I don't know Rilico, but is it possible he added a more modern liner to an older hat?
 

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