The Stetson One-Hundred "100"

[besdor]

The Stetson 100 was the best regular production hat made by Stetson . I think the hat was made from the early 1950's until the mid 1960's. The earlier ones have a more ornate lining. You can imagine that a hat costing 100.oo 40 years ago would easily be 500.00 or more today.
Most of the Stetson versions were made in Open Road styles. I have seen one or two as regular snap brim hats.
Lee Hats and Cavanagh made 100's as well. I would love to own a Cav 100.








Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[tinmanzzz]

Production Numbers ??

The Stetson 100 was the best regular production hat made by Stetson . I think the hat was made from the early 1950's until the mid 1960's. The earlier ones have a more ornate lining. You can imagine that a hat costing 100.oo 40 years ago would easily be 500.00 or more today.
Most of the Stetson versions were made in Open Road styles. I have seen one or two as regular snap brim hats.
Lee Hats and Cavanagh made 100's as well. I would love to own a Cav 100.

Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

Steven, Thanks for your input.
Do you have any idea of the production Numbers ?? ie: just how rare are they ??:

 

[RBH]

Nice hats guys and fantastic info!!!

 

[Justdog]

Sweat

Tinmanzzz, and all the other 100 owners here, how do you find the sweatband on your hat? Mine felt quite different from those on my other stetsons, slightly thicker (the leather used, not the width of the sweatband itself), more substantial than my regular stetson bands. Also, has anyone seen a 100 with a model name? I know I've seen 7Xs that are also labeled open road, as the 7x was a felt designation, not a model name, which seems to also be the case with the 100s. I remember seeing a short brim, high crown, wide black banded 100 and case on ebay about a year ago, but it looks like I didn't save photos from it. It seems, though, that the majority were western-styled, with the thin ribbons.
I know currently that there are more high-dollar production westerns than high-dollar production fedoras. Do you think this is the same thing going on, only 50 or 60 years ago?

Yes the leather is wider nicer quality and more substantial on the sweat on my 100.

 

[Rick Blaine]

$100

The Stetson 100 was the best regular production hat made by Stetson . I think the hat was made from the early 1950's until the mid 1960's. The earlier ones have a more ornate lining. You can imagine that a hat costing 100.oo 40 years ago would easily be 500.00 or more today.
Most of the Stetson versions were made in Open Road styles. I have seen one or two as regular snap brim hats.
Lee Hats and Cavanagh made 100's as well. I would love to own a Cav 100.
Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

The value of 100 smackers in '59:

from:http://www.measuringworth.com/uscompare/

 

[jimmy the lid]

Reading back through this thread, it looks like Besdor was right on the money with his observation that the Stetson 100 was produced from the early 50's through the mid-60's. As we have been discussing in the Open Road Guild thread, Stetson national advertising appears to reflect the introduction of the Stetson 100 Open Road in 1951, and a recent eBay auction shows a 100th Anniversary edition of this lid dating to 1965.

I thought I would add this Stetson 100 to this thread -- mostly because, in light of the recent dating information, I believe that this one is an example of one of the very earliest Stetson 100 ORs, likely dating to 1951 or 1952:

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Justdog]

JTL

That was very helpful. Your hat posted here, blocked as it is, certainly could be considered OR style. As Dinnerman has previously pointed out 100 was a marketed line where 7x was felt designation. Beautiful example. Mine is a cattleman , same liner, same sweat and 100 mark but the block is a firm cattleman with a superb flange unbound with a three cord ligne ribbon. The size tag in mine is a rounded 1/4 black with a cream border. Red and white paer label from Philadelphia inside the sweat and the number 102 written in pencil. Red faded ink stamp on the liner with 4 letters and numbers. What surprised me a bit was the absence of initials. I have initials stamped on the soveriegn and RD OR.s. JTL your style eludes me in both 7x and 100 but the search continues. Could not ever rebash my 100. The 7x are similarly blocked, cattleman. Would have been nice to walk into a store in the 50's with some coin and say I would like a 100 blocked like that open road displayed over there. Looks like yours fits that bill:eusa_clap

 

[besdor]

Dont forget to have the special hard box that went with the hat. i have seen a few of the boxes pop up on EBAY without the hat. I believe there were keys as well.


Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[Justdog]

Buler

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=41460

Knew I saw one with a price somewhere
Yes have the case and keys.

 

[jimmy the lid]

That was very helpful. Your hat posted here, blocked as it is, certainly could be considered OR style. As Dinnerman has previously pointed out 100 was a marketed line where 7x was felt designation. Beautiful example. Mine is a cattleman , same liner, same sweat and 100 mark but the block is a firm cattleman with a superb flange unbound with a three cord ligne ribbon.

Thanks, Justdog. "Stetson 100" denoted a particular quality of felt and finish, as did "7X Clear Beaver", so I'm not sure I agree with the distinction you have made as to "marketed line" vs. "felt quality." That being said -- is there any chance you could post photos of your "100"? It would be great to see another example of a "100" that is not an OR, per se.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Chinaski]

Thanks, Justdog. "Stetson 100" denoted a particular quality of felt and finish, as did "7X Clear Beaver", so I'm not sure I agree with the distinction you have made as to "marketed line" vs. "felt quality."

Cheers,
JtL

Which brings up another question. At one point in time the Stetson 100 cost $100. At some point in time, the Stetson 100 broke free of the $100 price and became more of a quality designation. I guess I'm still puzzled by that picture in the Open Road thread of the $672 price with (100) underneath that. What year did a Stetson 100 no longer cost $100?

 

[carouselvic]

Stetson 100 1952 Stockman

By carouselvic at 2010-03-27
The Century
A catalog hat offered in bound and raw edge.

 

[jimmy the lid]

Courtesy of buler -- a 1952 catalogue, with some interesting info:

1952

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Justdog]

Distinction

Thanks, Justdog. "Stetson 100" denoted a particular quality of felt and finish, as did "7X Clear Beaver", so I'm not sure I agree with the distinction you have made as to "marketed line" vs. "felt quality." That being said -- is there any chance you could post photos of your "100"? It would be great to see another example of a "100" that is not an OR, per se.

Cheers,
JtL

Actually I cannot take credit for the mention of the distinction as I read it here from an experienced lounger. I would therefore have assumed 100 was a felt designation namely 100 beaver. You know when they put 100xxxs in a hat and call it 100 beaver. There is some discussion as to whether the 7x was 100 percent beaver as well. I have lots of posts of the 100 on the lounge under stetson 100. Will link it up. That is a distinctive ad and helpful. Although both my 7x do not fit the ad models the brims are 2 1/2, one is bound the other is raw one has a reeded sweat and both have last drop liners. 7x have silver gray felt exactly the same and unbelievable quality. My hundred has the raw edge. The ad seems to lay to rest the quality of the felt, beaver. Interesting the Govenor was in the ad as buler will get a kick out of that, may be the very hat in her pictures.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=4666&page=2 My hundred and case.

 

[jimmy the lid]

Incidentally, justdog -- your liner is different from the one I posted. Given the presence of the leaf in the Stetson medallion, along with the size tag (which is consistent with mid-50's), I'd say your 100 dates from roughly the mid-50's.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Justdog]

Leaf

Incidentally, justdog -- your liner is different from the one I posted. Given the presence of the leaf in the Stetson medallion, along with the size tag (which is consistent with mid-50's), I'd say your 100 dates from roughly the mid-50's.

Cheers,
JtL

Thanks for the dating help, My three times beaver has the same logo and also has the leaf. 3X has the same size tag as well. Also the line design under the word Stetson is different on our hats, all four are the same on my hat but your s under the stetson is different than the other three. My feeling was that it was an old hat (3x) not mid sixties as a few mentioned it may have been. Is has an old font of Stetson Fifteen embossed on the sweat. Was from stock yard inn Chicago.

 

[CRH]

Which brings up another question. At one point in time the Stetson 100 cost $100. At some point in time, the Stetson 100 broke free of the $100 price and became more of a quality designation. I guess I'm still puzzled by that picture in the Open Road thread of the $672 price with (100) underneath that. What year did a Stetson 100 no longer cost $100?

:eusa_doh:

This question is a stinky egg by any nose.

We deserve an answer.

I'll settle for conjecture
evidence or
poetry

 

[gtdean48]

Just listed a 7 3/8 in Classifieds with the case...

 

[alanfgag]

A mid sixties example... condition pretty much as it looked in the store.

red liner with original plexiglas inserts inside.

embroidered last drop liner:

the felt is pounced to a very fine suede finish... a strong overhead light is needed to see texture:

 

[Brando11]

Just exquisite! I don't know where you find such fine examples-