The Resistol Roundup

[wsmontana]

Super find, Bill. Great looking box, too.

Family members don't always remember dates correctly, but looking at the liner label, I believe they're right.

Thanks Steve! Is it the stylized “O” that helps date it to possibly being pre-war? I found a reference to that ”O” being as early as 1934 but nothing definitive.

I haven’t been able to find anything about the box. It has no labels so not much to go on.

 

[Steve1857]

Thanks Steve! Is it the stylized “O” that helps date it to possibly being pre-war? I found a reference to that ”O” being as early as 1934 but nothing definitive.

I haven’t been able to find anything about the box. It has no labels so not much to go on.

The stylized 0 makes it definitely pre 60s, Bill. It was used I believe up into the 50s. Resistol experts will know better.

It's the font on the label and overall look that makes me believe ca. 40s.

I don't think you'll find any info about the box. It's cool though. Never seen a cork hatbox before.

 

[wsmontana]

The stylized 0 makes it definitely pre 60s, Bill. It was used I believe up into the 50s. Resistol experts will know better.

It's the font on the label and overall look that makes me believe ca. 40s.

I don't think you'll find any info about the box. It's cool though. Never seen a cork hatbox before.

Thanks for sharing your expertise, Steve — much appreciated!

 

[Mighty44]

I picked up this Panama at a garage sale two blocks from my house. The Mercantile is an old retailer in Missoula and according to my neighbor the hat was purchased there before WWII by a family member who was deployed and didn’t make it back. The hat has been stored in the cork hat box for all these years. Of course there is no way to verify the story or the age but the hat fits me and is in great condition.

I’m now officially ready for summer despite it only hitting 70 degrees today!

https://fortmissoulamuseum.org/exhibit/missoula-mercantile/


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Wow—amazing story and a beautiful hat! Looks great on you.

 

[wsmontana]

Wow—amazing story and a beautiful hat! Looks great on you.

Thanks David!

 

[MikeinRome]

Resistol needing some love. Has 3 3/4 inch brim and 5 inch open crown. The mfg tag is so faint or washed-out that the last pic shows a tag of the same type that's legible and is from my Resistol Ten, which is a hat from the era of the weird shaped "O". The felt on this hat is extremely soft, the brim almost floppy. I'm guessing it's from the early 50's or late 40's. I have yet to see or find anywhere on the Lounge where someone has attempted to make a chronological list of Resistol and Byer Rolnick mfg tags.

 

[M Hatman]

Here is a cheap buy of a Resistol 4X Beaver made during the early 80's (I think) when crap was coming out swift and plentiful for the "Urban Cowboys". Color and proportions are great, felt is well......made from rabbit and shaved rats (perhaps even a chipmunk ?). Lets just say it is rather course....

And, well, to coincide with the "leather shortage" I suppose, (remember that) the "trim" was made of some VINYL Cord.

Now the sweat is actually a nice roan if a bit thin (split?).

Here was what I got, (the cording was kind of cool and would have been kept if actually leather (or even a nice twisted cotton/wool). The cord even looked much worse in person......

Pinches, crown, and brim were actually shaped very nice....but.....well you know....I had to re-block the crown (full re-block on a 5 3/4 51 block) and re-shape the brim. First though I removed the liner and "cord). Cleaned and replaced the liner and the rest is history. I think I like this "thin" horsehair band.....

Hard to describe the felt color and impossible to photograph.


Here is the liner...it is a rich deep reddish brown with a tan/cream tip.

Probably will take it for a spin tonight.....I hope it doesn't rain.....

EDIT: It may seem I am unusually harsh on this hat, but I DO really love the color and proportions. I just am always in shock when hats of this era have "Plastic" attached (and of course the nylon thread) and the felt seemed rushed through with little pouncing. I have corrected much of the problems, and this hat will fill a nice spot in my collection and get needed head time!

 

[georgie girl]

Resistol needing some love. Has 3 3/4 inch brim and 5 inch open crown. The mfg tag is so faint or washed-out that the last pic shows a tag of the same type that's legible and is from my Resistol Ten, which is a hat from the era of the weird shaped "O". The felt on this hat is extremely soft, the brim almost floppy. I'm guessing it's from the early 50's or late 40's. I have yet to see or find anywhere on the Lounge where someone has attempted to make a chronological list of Resistol and Byer Rolnick mfg tags.

Ah, so you're the guy that snatched that one from my hands

 

[georgie girl]

So Mike actually touched upon what I came here to ask... I was curious of the grand scheme of Resistol tags. Did the large red tag precede the green one or did they exist at the same time??

Going by patent #'s that have been put sweats and show up in ads it seems like the green tag at least includes 1947/1948 (patent no. 2178495), however I also had another hat with an onion skin covering the liner that had a large red tag, and the pat no 2178495. After that there's patent no. 403324 that has the white tag with the Garland Texas and other writing underneath that (50's?), later there is the plain white tag where you don't see a patent no on the sweat (late 50's, early 60's?).

 

[Monte]

Two recent thrift acquisitions. I brushes the black '90s 4x and fitted a leather band on it. Old band was ugly red n black striped. The silver 5x is '80s I think and I totally reshaped it since the crown was so tall and looked a bit dated overall.

 

[VoodooSan]

Two recent thrift acquisitions. I brushes the black '90s 4x and fitted a leather band on it. Old band was ugly red n black striped. The silver 5x is '80s I think and I totally reshaped it since the crown was so tall and looked a bit dated overall.

Two VERY nice looking hats, Monte!

 

[VoodooSan]

Throwing this one up at Bill's @wsmontana suggestion. Birthday gift from my wife, just arrived yesterday, and I'm not at all certain about vintage. The only thing left of the paper tag is the "W220" marking, and the last two letters of the model which are "er". Hat, lining, size tag and model remnant shown. Any input from the experts?

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Throwing this one up at Bill's @wsmontana suggestion. Birthday gift from my wife, just arrived yesterday, and I'm not at all certain about vintage. The only thing left of the paper tag is the "W220" marking, and the last two letters of the model which are "er". Hat, lining, size tag and model remnant shown. Any input from the experts?

RANCHER

 

[VoodooSan]

You are astonishing, Jack. I searched PDFs from the Miller Stockman et all thread repeatedly and closely, and never turned up what you ID'd in seconds! Any input as to vintage?

 

[Hurricane Jack]

You are astonishing, Jack. I searched PDFs from the Miller Stockman et all thread repeatedly and closely, and never turned up what you ID'd in seconds! Any input as to vintage?

The W220 can date back to the late 1970’s & 1980’s. Being a 3X I would put it into the late 1970’s.

 

[VoodooSan]

Thank you, sir! You've increased my birthday-gift-happiness ten fold!!!

 

[Monte]

Thank you, sir! You've increased my birthday-gift-happiness ten fold!!!

I have a gray hat just like that in a friend's shop that's not selling. I should go grab it and take pics for academic reasons only. I was gonna say around '80 on mine.

 

[Mighty44]

Throwing this one up at Bill's @wsmontana suggestion. Birthday gift from my wife, just arrived yesterday, and I'm not at all certain about vintage. The only thing left of the paper tag is the "W220" marking, and the last two letters of the model which are "er". Hat, lining, size tag and model remnant shown. Any input from the experts?

Looks great—Happy Birthday, Mark!

 

[VoodooSan]

Looks great—Happy Birthday, Mark!

Thank you, David. The aging day is still a couple weeks away, but time and auctions wait for no man (or woman)!

 

[Crown Royal]

My Resistol Dart with Self-Conforming Melorol stamped sweatband along with brim binding. It was made for the Dayton's Men's Store. Given the plastic tip liner and lack of the stylized "o" in the company logo, my best guess is that this hat was made in the final years under the Byer-Rolnick ownership in the 1960s.