Stetson Medalist History?

[feltfan]

Well, there ya go. Yet another variation. At this point, I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone were to post a picture of one with a ribbon-bound edge.

Your wish, my command, a Vita-Felt with a bound edge:

I'm sure a bound edge was something you could get on any hat
in the day.

Note the unreeded sweatband.

Pure speculation here, but I gotta suspect that back in the day, when hat factories in Danbury and Philadelphia and other locales were producing hats by the tens of thousands every single workday, occasionally liners and/or sweatbands got used with bodies and/or ribbons they normally didn't. Kept the line moving, you know.

And old hats may have vintage parts substituted from other old hats.

 

[feltfan]

Here's the old Whippet I mentioned in my PM to HarpPlayerGene:

 

[GWD]

Found this ad in the Stratoliner Thread, I don't know about you but I'm more confused than before as to the ranks of quality for Stetson.

I thought that the Royal was the bottom of the line. But in this add it's more expensive than the Medalist.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Jeez, FeltFan, great hats!! I'm glad I started somethin' here.

GWD, I'm with you. I took a handful of Ibuprofen and gave up trying to understand the quality designations a while ago. Satisfied now if I can just figure out the general age of a hat. Cool ad though. Thanks for bringing it over to this thread.

G

 

[tonyb]

Groovy stuff, feltfan. But as to the bound edge ... what I meant is that I wouldn't be surprised if someone were to show us a picture of a Stetson FLAGSHIP with a bound edge, to join those with the underwelts and the triple-stitched overwelts. (Use NOUNS, Tony, not pronouns. Much less ambiguity that way.)

And yeah, GWD, that newspaper ad does nothing to clarify things. Cool ad, though. I suspect that because it's a retail store's ad, the store, and not Stetson, chose the wording, which may or may not agree with the language Stetson would use to describe its products. I'm confident that "Royal" was most commonly used as a grade designation, seeing how so many vintage Stetson models are so marked. Still, I have seen old Stetsons marked "Royal" but without any model-name on either the sweatband or the liner. (But sometimes a paper tag glued to the inside of the crown, under the liner, has the model name, in an abbreviated form, printed thereon.)

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Yeah, I've got multiple Stetsons that are only marked as "Royal Stetson" with no further designation as a Whippet or a Stratoliner, etc.

Drives me batty.

 

[jimmy the lid]

Eagle appears to be the model and Medalist is the line/quality designation.

I've been away for a couple of weeks and am just now catching up on my Lounge reading. Great thread, Gene -- and great lids! :eusa_clap

I agree with Brad's assessment -- and I think the ad posted by thunderw21 is particularly helpful. The Dating Vintage Stetsons by Price thread reflects ads in 1942 and 1943 for Stetson Vita-Felt Eagles. I think that's exactly what you've got Gene.

To address a point made by tonyb -- I think that it's fair to say that during the relevant time period, as a general matter, model names appeared on the sweat, while quality designations appeared on the liner. The Flagship was an exception, as was the Whippet -- although, in both cases, the earliest models had the model names on the sweat. I also believe that, where the model names appeared on the liner in any particular lid, they did not also appear on the sweat (as with the Whippet, for example).

Cheers,
JtL

 

[jimmy the lid]

Here's the old Whippet I mentioned in my PM to HarpPlayerGene:

Great lid, feltfan. :eusa_clap

Cheers,
JtL

 

[jimmy the lid]

These hats were made and purchased while the sting of Pearl Harbor was still fairly fresh. Their name and styling details are a salute to patriotism and they were likely chosen and worn for that reason. They probably adorned the head of the owner while listening to many radio reports and reading headlines at newsstands in Baltimore. One of 'em may well have been tossed in the air when the news came over that the Japanese had surrendered and the war was officially over.

These are special to me.

I love those sentiments, Gene. For me, part of what makes vintage hats so special is the sense of time and place that they evoke.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[John Galt]

Hello all. I am new, but spend a lot of time researching a Stetson Royal with "Gold Medal" stamped on the sweat like the Whippet above, but with a triple-welted brim. I found this, which I don't think addresses the "medalist," but is interesting reading regarding one of Stetson's gold medal award winning bowler hats. There is also a really neat vintage *rattlesnake banded* Whippet at this page.

http://www.purecowboy.us/The John B. Stetson Bowler, Designed by Maurice L. Rothschild.htm

 

[40Cal]

I'm adding my Medalist "Eagle" to this old thread that Pandora mentioned in a post. Thank you Pandora!
It's a Vita -Felt . Early 1940's.

 

[moontheloon]

I'm adding my Medalist "Eagle" to this old thread that Pandora mentioned in a post. Thank you Pandora!
It's a Vita -Felt . Early 1940's.
View attachment 55123 View attachment 55124 View attachment 55125 View attachment 55126

holy $#!t dude !!!

you are making it rain lately ... you must know that I am living vicariously through you while on my vintage hat buying hiatus

this is dimepiece bro ... congrats to the highest degree

 

[40Cal]

holy $#!t dude !!!

you are making it rain lately ... you must know that I am living vicariously through you while on my vintage hat buying hiatus

this is dimepiece bro ... congrats to the highest degree

Thanks Moon! I've had this one for a few months. Afraid to wear it 'cause the stitching on the unreeded sweat is fragile. I need to go on a vintage hat purchasing hiatus too! I don't have the will power.... haha

 

[moontheloon]

Sent from my space aged handheld communication device and universal translator

 

[KarlCrow]

Sent from my space aged handheld communication device and universal translator

sweet, nicest new old hat I've seen here in a while.

 

[FedOregon]

Sent from my space aged handheld communication device and universal translator

Extraordinary! What a fabulous hat, and an incredible piece of history. I saw the Eagle ad on the first page here, and thought maybe this other WWII ad might fit as well. Stetson had quite a few "Loose Lips Sink Ships" types of ads with their actual wording as "Idle Words Make Busy Subs." While searching for Stetson Eagle ads I saw several other Stetson hats listed on the lower right hand corner of the ad. In addition to The Eagle, I saw similar ads that listed the Whippet, Stratoliner, etc., as well.

 

[Just Daniel]

Early 40s Medalist Three Way. I found it in an antiques market in Mexico City. The felt is soft and malleable, probably the exact opposite of the clay-like properties of the later 7XCB. Also even less stiff than the Vita Felts I have. No complaints - just my observation. It’s a wonderful hat.

The last pic is me and the good doctor, he gave me a quick tour of his great collection! Now the GF doesn’t think I’m so crazy!

[She’s wearing a 50s 7XCB manufactured here in Mexico under agreement with Tardan. A hat for another thread]

Daniel

 

[Frunobulax]

Early 40s Medalist Three Way. I found it in an antiques market in Mexico City. The felt is soft and malleable, probably the exact opposite of the clay-like properties of the later 7XCB. Also even less stiff than the Vita Felts I have. No complaints - just my observation. It’s a wonderful hat.

The last pic is me and the good doctor, he gave me a quick tour of his great collection! Now the GF doesn’t think I’m so crazy!

[She’s wearing a 50s 7XCB manufactured here in Mexico under agreement with Tardan. A hat for another thread]

Daniel




View attachment 149689 View attachment 149690 View attachment 149691 View attachment 149692 View attachment 149693 View attachment 149694 View attachment 149695

Very interesting and different, Daniel. A Medalist and a Three Way. Not certain that combo has shown up before.

Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Rmccamey]

I've been away for a couple of weeks and am just now catching up on my Lounge reading. Great thread, Gene -- and great lids! :eusa_clap

I agree with Brad's assessment -- and I think the ad posted by thunderw21 is particularly helpful. The Dating Vintage Stetsons by Price thread reflects ads in 1942 and 1943 for Stetson Vita-Felt Eagles. I think that's exactly what you've got Gene.

To address a point made by tonyb -- I think that it's fair to say that during the relevant time period, as a general matter, model names appeared on the sweat, while quality designations appeared on the liner. The Flagship was an exception, as was the Whippet -- although, in both cases, the earliest models had the model names on the sweat. I also believe that, where the model names appeared on the liner in any particular lid, they did not also appear on the sweat (as with the Whippet, for example).

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Rmccamey]

(Sorry, not sure what was happening with the previous message.)

Wanted to jump in on this older thread. I picked up a straw Medalist from Deadlyhandsome. Seems to be a 60's model perhaps. An Eagle posted previously in the thread had no liner so I was wondering if the Medalist designation might have been more of an economy hat? Any Medalist history updates would be appreciated.