Stetson Sovereign...

[DanielJones]

I just bought this one about 5 minutes agon on Emerald-Bay. I had bee eyeballing this one for a few days now and it just kept calling my name. So here it is.

Looks to be in good condition and I couldn't resist it. It may need a bit of a stretching, but I don't think too much though.

It looks a lot like the one Bing Crosby wore in Riding High. Good movie BTW, if you haven't seen it yet.

Hope y'all like it.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Cruiser]

Wow, very nice, Dan. I will look forward to seeing you in it soon, I hope. I particularly like the color.

 

[Rick Blaine]

Muy Bien!

... very, very nice. I dunno if you'll need to stretch it that much tho', it is marked a 7 1/4, but late last month when it failed to make reserve, a potential buyer asked for a circumfrence and the seller responded w/ measurement of 24"
Woderful dove gray color & it looks quite minty! >Sigh< ... so many hats, and me with only ONE measely head!

 

[Pilgrim]

I've had my hands on one Sovereign, and it had some of the nicest felt I've seen. I'm sure you'll like that. Let us know if it's a bit on the narrow-brim, low crown side. The one I had was just a bit smaller scale hat in general than the 40's hats are.

 

[jamespowers]

Not only is it a Stetson The Sovereign but a Twenty on top of it. :eusa_clap Looks like a nice hat to have around. Congratulations on gettign it.

Regards,

J

 

[DanielJones]

Please forgive my ignorance gentlemen, but what is the difference between a standard Sovereign and a Sovereign 20 or 25 lets say? Does it have to do with the so called 'X' factor of the felt or just a designation they added? Also, what is a 'Mode Edge'? Is it something like a Cavanaugh Edge? Please enlighten me with your knowledge.
If it's like the seller said, it's in near mint condition. Can't go wrong with that. This one looks to have a very Bing quality to it.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[jamespowers]

Please forgive my ignorance gentlemen, but what is the difference between a standard Sovereign and a Sovereign 20 or 25 lets say? Does it have to do with the so called 'X' factor of the felt or just a designation they added? Also, what is a 'Mode Edge'? Is it something like a Cavanaugh Edge? Please enlighten me with your knowledge.
If it's like the seller said, it's in near mint condition. Can't go wrong with that. This one looks to have a very Bing quality to it.

Cheers!

Dan

You are quite right on both accounts. The Twenty designation just says the original purchaser spent $20 on it. My sales brochure from Stetson dated 1951 lists the price as $20 so you are probably right around there in dating the hat.
The Mode Edge is indeed a Cavanagh Edge but I am sure Stetson didn't want to call it that and add insult to injury because they were already paying Cavanagh to use his patented process.
It definitely is a style that Bing would have worn. They kind of fit him in a style sense.
As an aside, I have found a majority of The Sovereigns to be homburgs in style. When you have one as a fedora that just makes it a better find. Enjoy it and post pictures when you get it.

Regards,

J

 

[Honest Abe]

how did I miss that one!

Great Buy!

 

[DanielJones]

Thanks James, that is most helpful. So, basically they advertised the "MSRP" right inside the hat. Very shrewd.
So the one that Bing is wearing in 'Riding High' could very well be a Stetson 20. The movie was around 1951, so he could be wearing a 1950 Stetson. There was another one he was wearing twords the beginning of the film that had a rougher more wolley look to it that was much darker, I wonder what type it was.
I will post pics for sure. I'm just wondering if I should go for the 'Tony grin' or the 'Douglas happy face' when I take the pictures. Who knows?

Well Abe, I ask the same thing when I see some of the lids that these guys come up with from Elmo-Bay. How did I miss that?! I must have blinked. And they pick them up for such a bargain as well, so others missed it as well. I'm supprised someone hadn't snatched this one up earlier since it had a buy it now feature. I guess I got lucky this time. Only a guess though.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[jamespowers]

So the one that Bing is wearing in 'Riding High' could very well be a Stetson 20. The movie was around 1951, so he could be wearing a 1950 Stetson. There was another one he was wearing twords the beginning of the film that had a rougher more wolley look to it that was much darker, I wonder what type it was.
I will post pics for sure. I'm just wondering if I should go for the 'Tony grin' or the 'Douglas happy face' when I take the pictures. Who knows?

Stetson was a very shrewd company. They literally gave away tons of hats to Hollywood productions so that they could say that their hats were worn by the stars and it surely increased hat sales for them as well as market share.
Bing Crosby used to advertise the Whippet by Stetson like in this 1949 ad:

Regards,

J

 

[DanielJones]

Well, it's almost here. I think UPS is using the Pony Express from New York to California.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[jamespowers]

Well, it's almost here. I think UPS is using the Pony Express from New York to California.

Cheers!

Dan

Where in California? I might be able to steal er, ah, I mean check on it for you.

Regards,

J

 

[DanielJones]

Thanks for the try James, most appreciated.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[gekisai29]

that is one nice hat. Wear it well,

 

[newspapercowboy]

crosby

the Crosby ad is excellent

 

[tonyb]

Geez, DJ, it kinda resembles this one

which is itself another eBay acquisition. An interior shot, for comparison purposes

Now to the closet, just to be certain my wife didn't sell that hat.

 

[tonyb]

And, DJ, you said it might need a stretch to fit. Mine is marked as a 7 1/8. It stretched up to my tight 7 1/4 or loose 7 3/8 size without complaint. Hope that's encouraging.

 

[DanielJones]

That is encouraging. I have a couple of 7 1/8's that neede very little stretching to fit, and one 7 1/4 that needed to stay in the stretcher for a while to fit right. You can never tell from one batch to the next.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[DanielJones]

Well, I looks like it will show up tomorrow, God willing.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[DanielJones]

Here's a couple of shots of the new arival.

Here's my best Douglas "Happy Face"

It goes really well with my Woolrich huinting jacket.

Or with a bit of the Bing touch.

Cheers!

Dan