The Resistol Roundup

[Landman]

Atticus, sorry to hear about the hat being damaged in shipping. I had that happen to me recently on a pristine Open Road. It was shipped in a flat rate box that was about 14" x 16" and only about 4" tall. The hat was crushed flat. Maybe that is why it is called "flat rate". I was able to steam in back into shape but I can't believe somebody would do that to a pristine 60 year old hat. I wonder what was going through their mind as they were crushing the hat flat to fit in the box.

I would guess mid 1970's on the age of your San Antonio but that is purely a guess. Very nice hat. I have never seen an older Resistol in that large of a size. Congrats.

 

[g.durand]

I picked up a Resistol thin-ribbon OR clone recently. It may be a San Antonio although there aren't any identifiers inside the hat. It looks to be from the late '50s/early '60s. I posted a couple of shots of it in the 'What Hat Are You Wearing Today?' thread several days ago after I had steamed out the hand-creased C-crown it had when I received it and re-creased it with a center dent and front pinch.

Somehow the center dent didn't quite work for me, and since it's a Resistol, I decided it called for the full cattleman's treatment. I think LBJ would have wanted it that way.

Center dent version

Cattleman's version

Some details

 

[Landman]

Looks great, Michael. LBJ would be proud.

 

[dh66]

Michael you have a head made for hats, sir. The cattleman crease looks completely at home on you. Congrats on that super nice find.

A.F. based on the size tag alone I'd agree with Landman. I would think no newer than 70s.

 

[Atticus Finch]

Michael you have a head made for hats, sir. The cattleman crease looks completely at home on you. Congrats on that super nice find.

I agree, totally! A hat like yours is what comes to mind when I think San Antonio.

AF

 

[gtdean48]

Looks great, Michael. LBJ would be proud.

:arated: Harry Truman too....

 

[rclark]

Michael, that hat looks equally great in either crease. Again, that is a terrific hat! Its hard to beat a Resistol from that era.

 

[g.durand]

Thanks, guys. I forgot about old Harry S. Does anyone know if he wore a Resistol?

 

[Landman]

Thanks, guys. I forgot about old Harry S. Does anyone know if he wore a Resistol?

I don't think Truman was as committed to any one brand of hat like LBJ and his Resistols. Here are two Stetsons though that were made for him.

This one sold in an auction for $28,734.00 in December 2013!

http://natedsanders.com/harry-trumans-personally-owned-stetson-hat-lot24387.aspx

This one is a Clear Beaver Stetson. Looks like he never actually wore this one.

http://www.americanheritage1.com/presidents/harry-s-truman.htm

Here is LBJ giving Truman a hat. Probably a Resistol but I don't recognize the box and can't read the labels on it.

 

[Landman]

After looking closer at the pictures of the hat that sold at auction for $28,734.00 I think it is probably a Resistol and not a Stetson. The sweatband and the crease look more like a Resistol than a Stetson to me.

http://natedsanders.com/harry-trumans-personally-owned-stetson-hat-lot24387.aspx

 

[Atticus Finch]

After looking closer at the pictures of the hat that sold at auction for $28,734.00 I think it is probably a Resistol and not a Stetson. The sweatband and the crease look more like a Resistol than a Stetson to me.

http://natedsanders.com/harry-trumans-personally-owned-stetson-hat-lot24387.aspx

I agree. I've noticed that earlier Resistols...like Truman's hat above...have a "squareish" peak at the front of the crown. Of course, either hat had could be blocked that way so it isn't a fool proof way of telling the difference.

This is my Waco. A bit hard to tell in this photo, but it has the characteristic square-blocked crown.



And my old Texas Dept of Corrections Resistol Rancher. Different style hat, sure, but it still shows the square crown I'm trying to describe.



AF

 

[hatophile]

Great look Atticus. I like the shades too.

 

[rclark]

Great look Atticus. I like the shades too.

+1

 

[dh66]

+2

 

[fedoracentric]

Resistol fedora...


Overwlet edege with a Kitten Finish.

 

[Landman]

Very nice, fedoracentric. Looks like it has never been worn.

Great looking Waco, Atticus. You wear it well.

I have a Texas Dept. of Public Safety hat but it has a wider brim (3.5") than your Texas Dept. of Corrections hat. Mine is a fairly new production hat. Any idea when yours was made? Looks like it might have had a Fort Worth crease at one time.

 

[Landman]

Resistol TXDPS Hat

Here are a couple of pictures of one of my Texas Department of Public Safety hats. These hats are issued to the Texas Highway Patrol and the Texas Rangers. This one is a size 7 1/4 and now resides with a friend. I have another one in a size 7 1/2. I believe these were made in the 1990's.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Nice one. Looks new and unworn.
Nice liner.

 

[Atticus Finch]

Very nice, fedoracentric. Looks like it has never been worn.

Great looking Waco, Atticus. You wear it well.

I have a Texas Dept. of Public Safety hat but it has a wider brim (3.5") than your Texas Dept. of Corrections hat. Mine is a fairly new production hat. Any idea when yours was made? Looks like it might have had a Fort Worth crease at one time.

Thanks, Mike. The interior of my "Walking Boss" hat is very similar to the San Antonio I just purchased, so I would guess it’s from the seventies. Here's a blurry photo I took some time ago. Sadly, the hat isn't in very good condition. It has some visible mothing and some sweat stains...it is well used. But let me tell you, it’s got some serious mojo, too. I wear it to work every day that I know I'll be addressing a jury...and it seldom fails me. Just something about wearing that old hat vibes me in to a different, long-lost era in our American Justice System.

AF

 

[g.durand]

But let me tell you, it’s got some serious mojo, too. I wear it to work every day that I know I'll be addressing a jury...and it seldom fails me. Just something about wearing that old hat vibes me in to a different, long-lost era in our American Justice System.

AF

Yes, a man wearing a hat like that must be taken seriously.