The Dobbs Diner...

[alanfgag]

At Alan's request, I am posting detailed pics of my new-to-me Dobbs Fifty.
I hope you can post pics of the Knox One hundred you used to have, Alan. The links for the pics in the lounge are broken.

Thanks for posting these. I hope you find Yogi's hat down the road. I wonder if Mickey got one in his rookie year? Certainly a hat of parallel quality to the Knox 100 and from the same factory. The Knox 100 had the earlier manufacturing label.

The classified ad for the Knox is still up and available for enjoyment. It remains the most ambitious piece of post war hat making that I have handled.

 

[drmaxtejeda]

Thanks for posting these. I hope you find Yogi's hat down the road. I wonder if Mickey got one in his rookie year? Certainly a hat of parallel quality to the Knox 100 and from the same factory. The Knox 100 had the earlier manufacturing label.

The classified ad for the Knox is still up and available for enjoyment. It remains the most ambitious piece of post war hat making that I have handled.

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Thank you, Alan!

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[deadlyhandsome]

At Alan's request, I am posting detailed pics of my new-to-me Dobbs Fifty.
I hope you can post pics of the Knox One hundred you used to have, Alan. The links for the pics in the lounge are broken.

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One of the Crown Jewels of hats. Simply perfect. I like how some of the ballplayers have it styled in the photos. Lots of brim to work with there. Thanks for allowing us to tag along, Max.


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[Bill Hughes]

Thanks for posting these. I hope you find Yogi's hat down the road. I wonder if Mickey got one in his rookie year? Certainly a hat of parallel quality to the Knox 100 and from the same factory. The Knox 100 had the earlier manufacturing label.

The classified ad for the Knox is still up and available for enjoyment. It remains the most ambitious piece of post war hat making that I have handled.

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View attachment 139720

That’s breathtaking!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Thanks for posting these. I hope you find Yogi's hat down the road. I wonder if Mickey got one in his rookie year? Certainly a hat of parallel quality to the Knox 100 and from the same factory. The Knox 100 had the earlier manufacturing label.

The classified ad for the Knox is still up and available for enjoyment. It remains the most ambitious piece of post war hat making that I have handled.

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View attachment 139720

A standout even among one of the nicest collections extant. I’ll probably go the rest of my life without seeing another. It must have been rough to see it go even if it wasn’t your size.


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[Tukwila]

At Alan's request, I am posting detailed pics of my new-to-me Dobbs Fifty.
I hope you can post pics of the Knox One hundred you used to have, Alan. The links for the pics in the lounge are broken.

Sent from my LG-H870 using Tapatalk

Museum piece!

 

[Tukwila]

Thanks for posting these. I hope you find Yogi's hat down the road. I wonder if Mickey got one in his rookie year? Certainly a hat of parallel quality to the Knox 100 and from the same factory. The Knox 100 had the earlier manufacturing label.

The classified ad for the Knox is still up and available for enjoyment. It remains the most ambitious piece of post war hat making that I have handled.

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View attachment 139720

Holy mackerel! Earth shattering beauty. Just stunning. Thank you for posting this, Alan.

If you have a moment, can you post the measurement for both the brim and ribbon width?

Wow.

 

[drmaxtejeda]

Thanks for posting these. I hope you find Yogi's hat down the road. I wonder if Mickey got one in his rookie year? Certainly a hat of parallel quality to the Knox 100 and from the same factory. The Knox 100 had the earlier manufacturing label.

The classified ad for the Knox is still up and available for enjoyment. It remains the most ambitious piece of post war hat making that I have handled.

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View attachment 139720

I have recently acquired a Dobbs One Hundred, Alan. I will be posting pictures of that one in this thread once I have it.

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[alanfgag]

Holy mackerel! Earth shattering beauty. Just stunning. Thank you for posting this, Alan.

If you have a moment, can you post the measurement for both the brim and ribbon width?

Wow.

Glad you enjoyed seeing it. This Knox 100 shares much in common stylewise with the Knox 20, and 40, which are more commonly available. I sold it five years ago, but the dimensions remain available in the copy from the classified ad that I linked above. As the label above shows, the blocked depth was 5 5/8".

 

[alanfgag]

I have recently acquired a Dobbs One Hundred, Alan. I will be posting pictures of that one in this thread once I have it.

Great. Our member RLK was wearing a western style Dobbs 100 when I met him for coffee in Evanston some years back. I remember it as a beauty. The one hundred dollar hats were an inflation of the fifty dollar hat, sometimes throwing a suitcase into the equation, but in most cases, no more hat. You got your money's worth with that fifty at half price.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Great. Our member RLK was wearing a western style Dobbs 100 when I met him for coffee in Evanston some years back. I remember it as a beauty. The one hundred dollar hats were an inflation of the fifty dollar hat, sometimes throwing a suitcase into the occasion, but in most cases, no more hat. You got your money's worth with that fifty at half price.

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Just to clarify, the same company didn’t make 50s and 100s at the same time? 100s were just 50s adjusted for inflation?

How did the Dobbs 100 compared with the Churchill 100?

Thanks for the education,

Brent


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[alanfgag]

Just to clarify, the same company didn’t make 50s and 100s at the same time? 100s were just 50s adjusted for inflation? How did the Dobbs 100 compared with the Churchill 100? Thanks for the education, Brent

These are guesses and observations from hats that have crossed my path. I have owned quite a few Stetson 7X hats ($50) and a handful of Stetson 100 hats. The 7X hats I have kept were all more delicious (used here to describe a number of qualities mashed together that make a hat more desirable to me) than the 100s, which were later (1960s), stiffer and all of which I have sold. I have never been able to discern a difference in felt quality between the two price points and the trimmings are equally high in quality, with variances in marks and branding being the main difference. The 1960s saw higher inflation along with a continual decline in hat sales which might have also entered into these observations. But overall, I don't find much of a difference beyond a fairly substantial suitcase that became included with the Stetson 100. Others might have a different observation.

The HCA brands appear to have released a one hundred dollar hat earlier than Stetson. I've never had one in hand alongside a fifty dollar hat of the same period to compare. I can say that the Knox 100 I owned was exceptional. The Frank Stack silver beaver Fifty is a very fine hat as well, similar in period to the Knox 100 (perhaps earlier) and a close second, but a second in my estimation. I never had them both in hand at the same time.

The Churchill Beaver 100 is also exceptional, with a certain je ne sais pas added from an unknown quantity of vicuna in the felt mix. This hat is of the same era as the Stetson 100, so stiffer construction, but pounced more finely than any hat I have handled. There are some comparison pictures posted.

It would be great to have a comparison shared on the thread of that name - perhaps Max will tackle it. My impression is that for the most part, fifty dollar hats became one hundred dollar hats as the market became able to handle the price - there was not much if anything more in refinement to add (hence the Neiman Marcus addition of vicuna via Churchill). There is more difference to note and write about between the twenty dollar hats and forty dollar hats offered by Hat Corporation of America. In my opinion.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

These are guesses and observations from hats that have crossed my path. I have owned quite a few Stetson 7X hats ($50) and a handful of Stetson 100 hats. The 7X hats I have kept were all more delicious (used here to describe a number of qualities mashed together that make a hat more desirable to me) than the 100s, which were later (1960s), stiffer and all of which I have sold. I have never been able to discern a difference in felt quality between the two price points and the trimmings are equally high in quality, with variances in marks and branding being the main difference. The 1960s saw higher inflation along with a continual decline in hat sales which might have also entered into these observations. But overall, I don't find much of a difference beyond a fairly substantial suitcase that became included with the Stetson 100. Others might have a different observation.

The HCA brands appear to have released a one hundred dollar hat earlier than Stetson. I've never had one in hand alongside a fifty dollar hat of the same period to compare. I can say that the Knox 100 I owned was exceptional. The Frank Stack silver beaver Fifty is a very fine hat as well, similar in period to the Knox 100 (perhaps earlier) and a close second, but a second in my estimation. I never had them both in hand at the same time.

The Churchill Beaver 100 is also exceptional, with a certain je ne sais pas added from an unknown quantity of vicuna in the felt mix. This hat is of the same era as the Stetson 100, so stiffer construction, but pounced more finely than any hat I have handled. There are some comparison pictures posted.

It would be great to have a comparison shared on that thread - perhaps Max will tackle it. My impression is that for the most part, fifty dollar hats became one hundred dollar hats as the market became able to handle the price - there was not much if anything more in refinement to add (hence the Neiman Marcus addition of vicuna via Churchill). There is more difference to note and write about between the twenty dollar hats and forty dollar hats offered by Hat Corporation of America. In my opinion.

Allen, thank you for taking the time to write such a compelling analysis. Your exposure to so many fine hats puts you in a small group uniquely qualified for this and your willingness to share is much appreciated.

I remember your Churchill 100 from years ago and I’ve never forgotten it. It’s one of my grail hats for sure.

Thanks again,

Brent


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[alanfgag]

Allen, thank you for taking the time to write such a compelling analysis. Your exposure to so many fine hats puts you in a small group uniquely qualified for this and your willingness to share is much appreciated. I remember your Churchill 100 from years ago and I’ve never forgotten it. It’s one of my grail hats for sure. Thanks again, Brent

Sure thing. It would be interesting to hear from others who might have a different opinion. Perhaps the Side by Side Hat Comparisons thread would be the best place. A good project for a quiet weekend!

 

[steur]

1940s Dobbs Rainbow, with an embroidered liner, a snazzy ribbon, and very bizarre brim stitching. See for yourself. View attachment 139621 View attachment 139619 View attachment 139618 View attachment 139622 View attachment 139623 View attachment 139626 View attachment 139624 View attachment 139625

Seems like Rainbow models this early are difficult to come by. This one's a bells n' whistles hat, definitely. Hope you guys like it.

Nice find! It's not understated, but not all hats have to be.

 

[Redfokker]

Allen, thank you for taking the time to write such a compelling analysis. Your exposure to so many fine hats puts you in a small group uniquely qualified for this and your willingness to share is much appreciated.

I remember your Churchill 100 from years ago and I’ve never forgotten it. It’s one of my grail hats for sure.

Thanks again,

Brent


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Definitely +1 !

 

[40Cal]

Dobbs with the O.P.A. tag still in place. WWII era.
Has a 2 7/8ths brim! I gave it a diamond crease...... of course.

 

[steur]

Dobbs with the O.P.A. tag still in place. WWII era.
Has a 2 7/8ths brim! I gave it a diamond crease...... of course.
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Aaah, so you got that one. Good to see it go to a fellow lounger. Lovely colour, good proportions and killer ribbon. Nice catch.

 

[Steve1857]

Dobbs with the O.P.A. tag still in place. WWII era.
Has a 2 7/8ths brim! I gave it a diamond crease...... of course.
View attachment 140660 View attachment 140661

Super "autumn leaves are brown" colour and wonderful 3 tiered ribbon, 40Cal. Nice catch.

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[40Cal]

Super "autumn leaves are brown" colour and wonderful 3 tiered ribbon, 40Cal. Nice catch.
Thanks, Steve...it is a very nice shade of brown.

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Aaah, so you got that one. Good to see it go to a fellow lounger. Lovely colour, good proportions and killer ribbon. Nice catch.

I was watching it all week hoping the price would stay low due to terrible pictures and poor description. Happy it turned out to be a nice hat and a 7 1/8th! Whew!