The School of Hard Knox

[RJR]

I returned to the estate sale for a second round.

Luckily the wooden hat stretcher was still there. Better still, View attachment 129514 I got 25% off yesterday's price. I have to agree. This was the real treasure.

Nice!

 

[Bill Hughes]

I just now scored this black Knox Twenty. It does not have the plastic covered liner of the 50s. I have not received it so I haven’t seen behind the sweatband. The seller listed it as 70s but I don’t think so. Price was $33.00 so I figured it was worth the risk. Can anyone determine an age from these two pictures?

 

[Frunobulax]

I just now scored this black Knox Twenty. It does not have the plastic covered liner of the 50s. I have not received it so I haven’t seen behind the sweatband. The seller listed it as 70s but I don’t think so. Price was $33.00 so I figured it was worth the risk. Can anyone determine an age from these two pictures?

View attachment 129657 View attachment 129658

I'd say late 50s, early 60s. The $20 price point and that short brim are the main clues.

 

[Bill Hughes]

Here are pictures of the Knox Twenty. The size tag was hanging on by a sliver. So I taped it to the inside of the sweatband. The original price tag and labels are still present. Based on what I see I would think late 50s to 60s timeframe.
Brim 2 1/4" bound
Ribbon 2" reddish brown
Crown 5 1/2" open, 4 1/2" as bashed

 

[Tukwila]

Here are pictures of the Knox Twenty. The size tag was hanging on by a sliver. So I taped it to the inside of the sweatband. The original price tag and labels are still present. Based on what I see I would think late 50s to 60s timeframe.
Brim 2 1/4" bound
Ribbon 2" reddish brown
Crown 5 1/2" open, 4 1/2" as bashed

View attachment 131055 View attachment 131056 View attachment 131057 View attachment 131058 View attachment 131059 View attachment 131060 View attachment 131061 View attachment 131062 View attachment 131063 View attachment 131064

Very nice, Bill! Love the contrasting wide ribbon.

 

[MondoFW]

Might as well submit my Knox here. My very first vintage hat, a dated 1/18/46 Knox Premiere, sold at the Stix Baer & Fuller Shop. The Stix Baer & Fuller was a store chain that operated in St. Louis from 1892 to 1984.

With only a 2'' brim, this hat isn't really my type. Not as cool as I remember it being when I first got it, but I was still ecstatic because it was my first vintage ever, so different from the crap you'll find at hat shops today.

The felt is quite heavy, making a lasting bash would likely require steaming. I really like the back bow, apparently this style wasn't commonly found on late 40's hats.

Here's the kicker: This is the original receipt for the hat. Though most of the text is faded, when photographing outside I could make out some of it. Other than the price and date you'll clearly see here:
"STIX BAER & FULLER CO.

CALL CENTRAL 94-9 FOR CONNECTION TO OUR TELEPHONE .... SERVICE"

Fascinating. The receipt is protected in a tight ziplock, as this piece of the hat's history ought to be preserved. It's remarkable how the seller even still had it.

With its box, too!

 

[Frunobulax]

Here are pictures of the Knox Twenty. The size tag was hanging on by a sliver. So I taped it to the inside of the sweatband. The original price tag and labels are still present. Based on what I see I would think late 50s to 60s timeframe.
Brim 2 1/4" bound
Ribbon 2" reddish brown
Crown 5 1/2" open, 4 1/2" as bashed

View attachment 131055 View attachment 131056 View attachment 131057 View attachment 131058 View attachment 131059 View attachment 131060 View attachment 131061 View attachment 131062 View attachment 131063 View attachment 131064

That's nicer than I envisioned from the seller's shots.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Redfokker]

Might as well submit my Knox here. My very first vintage hat, a dated 1/18/46 Knox Premiere, sold at the Stix Baer & Fuller Shop. The Stix Baer & Fuller was a store chain that operated in St. Louis from 1892 to 1984.

View attachment 131087

With only a 2'' brim, this hat isn't really my type. Not as cool as I remember it being when I first got it, but I was still ecstatic because it was my first vintage ever, so different from the crap you'll find at hat shops today.
View attachment 131083
View attachment 131091

View attachment 131092
The felt is quite heavy, making a lasting bash would likely require steaming. I really like the back bow, apparently this style wasn't commonly found on late 40's hats.
View attachment 131089 View attachment 131088 View attachment 131084 View attachment 131085 View attachment 131086 Here's the kicker: This is the original receipt for the hat. Though most of the text is faded, when photographing outside I could make out some of it. Other than the price and date you'll clearly see here:
"STIX BAER & FULLER CO.

CALL CENTRAL 94-9 FOR CONNECTION TO OUR TELEPHONE .... SERVICE"

Fascinating. The receipt is protected in a tight ziplock, as this piece of the hat's history ought to be preserved. It's remarkable how the seller even still had it.
View attachment 131090
With its box, too!

Extremely nice hat Mondo. That style of bow made a resurgence in the mid to late 1950s, so this is indeed early. Have you checked under the sweat? Would love to see the manufacture tags. Impressive.

 

[MondoFW]

Extremely nice hat Mondo. That style of bow made a resurgence in the mid to late 1950s, so this is indeed early. Have you checked under the sweat? Would love to see the manufacture tags. Impressive.

Thanks a lot, Red. I was appalled to find this on the 'Bay, attracting seemingly no interest.

This is what I could find. Only the size and block type are visible on the manufacturer's tag, rest appears to be blocked by some strip of tape (?)

Caught a fat whiff of that vintage leather scent while doing this.

 

[Redfokker]

Thanks a lot, Red. I was appalled to find this on the 'Bay, attracting seemingly no interest.
View attachment 131130
This is what I could find. Only the size and block type are visible on the manufacturer's tag, rest appears to be blocked by some strip of tape (?)

Caught a fat whiff of that vintage leather scent while doing this.

Cool, the $10 price tag is a clue somewhat. A hat for this kind of money in the 1940s was of high quality. I notice that the Mfg tag (under the liner, which appears to be taped...) shows the Block Number, this disappeared in later hats. Still, I am bewildered by the back bow in 1945. It was probably available, but they were more popular in the mid to late 1950s. Still a very cool hat. I'm a sucker for any back bow hat. Pity about the moth bite by the bow. Oh well, it wears it's battle scars with honor. Very nice hat.

 

[Frunobulax]

Cool, the $10 price tag is a clue somewhat. A hat for this kind of money in the 1940s was of high quality. I notice that the Mfg tag (under the liner, which appears to be taped...) shows the Block Number, this disappeared in later hats. Still, I am bewildered by the back bow in 1945. It was probably available, but they were more popular in the mid to late 1950s. Still a very cool hat. I'm a sucker for any back bow hat. Pity about the moth bite by the bow. Oh well, it wears it's battle scars with honor. Very nice hat.

Yeah, I would have never guessed mid-40s w/o the provenance.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[splintercellsz]

^agreed

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

 

[Redfokker]

Yeah, I would have never guessed mid-40s w/o the provenance.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

Yes, but are we sure this receipt goes with the hat?

 

[Frunobulax]

Yes, but are we sure this receipt goes with the hat?

Well, $10.00 tag on hat, $10.20 total on the bill lends some credence to it, no?


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Redfokker]

Well, $10.00 tag on hat, $10.20 total on the bill lends some credence to it, no?


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

Oh, I don't doubt the receipts validity. It still does not explain the back bow.

 

[Tukwila]

I thought back bows were popular in the 30s-40s and then made a short come back in the mid-to-late 50s...

 

[MondoFW]

Oh, I don't doubt the receipts validity. It still does not explain the back bow.

While it is an uncommon style for the time, just because few people sported the ones with back bows, doesn't mean they were nonexistent. I don't think it's hard to believe the original owner just opted for a less usual style. The receipt and tag are smoking guns, the hat is assuredly from the given date.

 

[M Hatman]

While it is an uncommon style for the time, just because few people sported the ones with back bows, doesn't mean they were nonexistent. I don't think it's hard to believe the original owner just opted for a less usual style. The receipt and tag are smoking guns, the hat is assuredly from the given date.

Given the taped liner, I am thinking the ribbon could have been added at a later date (the 50's) to update the hat and give it the "new" look......A NICE HAT for sure!!!!!!
M
As an additional note: the tip seems to have the more plastic (rather than oilcloth) tip protector much more common in the 50's.

 

[Frunobulax]

Given the taped liner, I am thinking the ribbon could have been added at a later date (the 50's) to update the hat and give it the "new" look......A NICE HAT for sure!!!!!!
M
As an additional note: the tip seems to have the more plastic (rather than oilcloth) tip protector much more common in the 50's.

Do you have any ads for the Madison Avenue in your collection?


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[M Hatman]

Do you have any ads for the Madison Avenue in your collection?Sent directly from my mind to yours.

I will look about......
M