Thoroughbred Hats?

[Joshbru3]

Hello Everyone,

I was in a restaurant this afternoon in Rockford, Illinois for my aunts 91st birthday when a certain picture on the wall immediately caught my eye. This restaurant has many vintage advertisements taken from old magazines and newspapers on the wall. I saw this advertisement for Thoroughbred Hats and realized that I have never seen them before or even heard of them. I thought I would give it a post and see if anybody else has.

 

[KY Gentleman]

I bought a western hat from River Junction Trade Co. that was a Thoroughbred Hat. It is stamped as a 10X hat and is very nice. I had never heard of them before either before that.

 

[FormerDATT]

I found one today in western Kansas. In an antique shop ($40). It appears to be an open road or a smaller brim rancher. It is beautifully lined and is marked "Registered" over "Thoroughbred" around a horse head logo; Hand Finished"; "A Hat with a Petigree a Hat with a Guarantee"."On the liner is "One Hundred per cent pure bever felt". Origional price tag marked $17.95. Inner leather band marked Plainsman Supply, Inc. Hays, Goodland, Salina, Great Bend.
I am in love. It is a size smaller but have a good stretcher. I didn't want to fool with a camera in the store. But, if my itchy hands can't keep still, it is mine tomorrow and I will post a picture. It looks to be 1940's and definately a local hat.

 

[danofarlington]

Hello Everyone,

I was in a restaurant this afternoon in Rockford, Illinois for my aunts 91st birthday when a certain picture on the wall immediately caught my eye. This restaurant has many vintage advertisements taken from old magazines and newspapers on the wall. I saw this advertisement for Thoroughbred Hats and realized that I have never seen them before or even heard of them. I thought I would give it a post and see if anybody else has.

Art deco style.

 

[Rodkins]

Here is my Thoroughbred. This hat came as a "bonus" when I bought my Stetson 100 and case.
This is the thickest felt I have ever handled.

The liner says "Pedigreed Registered Thoroughbred Hand Finished - A Hat With a Pedigree is a Hat With a Guarantee"

 

[danofarlington]

Here is my Thoroughbred. This hat came as a "bonus" when I bought my Stetson 100 and case.
This is the thickest felt I have ever handled.

It will be good for the rain then. I am starting to come around to buying Western hats for conversion into fedoras; bought a 3x Stetson cowboy hat for that purpose. Soon will send it out to Greeley's for conversion. Your hat though wouldn't have to be converted to use in the rain, it looks good as is. Down in Florida there, rain must be frequent.

 

[Rodkins]

It will be good for the rain then. I am starting to come around to buying Western hats for conversion into fedoras; bought a 3x Stetson cowboy hat for that purpose. Soon will send it out to Greeley's for conversion. Your hat though wouldn't have to be converted to use in the rain, it looks good as is. Down in Florida there, rain must be frequent.

Yes we get plenty of rain when it's rainy season. I might end up with a lake on the crown with this one, though

 

[danofarlington]

Yes we get plenty of rain when it's rainy season. I might end up with a lake on the crown with this one, though

True. But that happens with a fedora I use as a rain hat anyway, which basically has a C crown, so I am thinking it's hard to get away from that with fedoras in the rain. So then I tip my head to empty it out every once in a while in the downpour. Anyway, it looks like a very rugged hat.

 

[Sam Craig]

Thoroughbred western hats used to turn up fairly frequently and they tended to be, from my experience, a heavy sort of Open Road shape or the LBJ look, sort of an OR but with a slightly larger, unbound brim
Heavy made, tough felt, they were good work/dress western hats.
Should reblock into great heavy weight fedoras

Sam

 

[Rodkins]

Thoroughbred western hats used to turn up fairly frequently and they tended to be, from my experience, a heavy sort of Open Road shape or the LBJ look, sort of an OR but with a slightly larger, unbound brim
Heavy made, tough felt, they were good work/dress western hats.
Should reblock into great heavy weight fedoras

Sam

Thanks for the info, Sam

 

[Joshbru3]

Here is my Thoroughbred. This hat came as a "bonus" when I bought my Stetson 100 and case.
This is the thickest felt I have ever handled.

That does look like extremely thick felt! I wonder if most Thoroughbred hats were of the "western style" (open road, cowboy, etc...) verses the wide bound/wide brim fedora that the advertisement shows.

 

[ShrunkinCowboy]

Just to open up an older thread.

I scored a Thoroughbred Western hat a few months ago.
A 10X VERY heavy white felt with a 4" brim and a cattleman's crown, in a size 7 1/8.
At only 5 '5", wide-brimmed Western hats look HUGE on me.
So I cut the brim down to a more appropriate 2 3/4".
NOW, it looks great on me!
I'll try to post a pic, when I can get my camera back from my daughter?

Steve

 

[EggHead]

I didn't quite catch it, is it horse hair or horse fur?

 

[ShrunkinCowboy]

Ooooops, my mistake.............................

It has a......Centerfire crease......, NOT a cattleman's crease.

Steve

 

[countryclubjoe]

Pedigreed, thoroughbred Deluxe hat

I came across a hat that looks very old. The hat looks more like it was made for the average blue collar guy of the era not a gangster or entertainer, or person of high net wealth.

The Hat is name-- PEDIGREED

On the leather sweat ban is ' THoroughbred" Monte Carlo

Imported Coney Fur

Moleskin finish

What is moleskin finish?

THe hat feels like fur but also mohair. I steamed it but it will not hold a crease.
I will try to post some pics later or reference another link to see this unusal hat.
TIA for replys and opinions.
Best regards
CCJ

 

[WineGuy]

Was browsing ebay last week and came across a Thoroughbred Open Road styled hat that caught my eye. I had never heard of the brand and there doesn't appear to be much info on TFL and elsewhere on the web. It was a new listing with one bid and a buy it now price, normally I would have just thrown a bid in but something about this hat hooked me and I decided to bite the bullet and purchased it for a buck and a quarter...so it just arrived and I'm thrilled...much better than the ebay listing showed it. According to the owner, his uncle purchased it new in the early sixties and then gave it to him new, he never wore it because it was too small so it stayed in the original box till now. I can verify that the hat looks brand new. The color is unique...sort of a very dark olive drab, so dark it comes off as a warm dark charcoal at first glance. The lining is a beautiful gold/bronze and the sweat band is perfect and showing no signs of age...tonight it gets a wipedown with Lexol!
The sweat band is gold foiled stamped "One Hundred Percent Pure Beaver Fur" and I must admit the density of the felt confirms this, also stamped is "Wiseman's Johnson City Tenn". The hat has a 2.75" brim and 5" crown with an OR blocking...the block is very firm and can not be undone easily by hand(not that I want to change it). I would really appreciate any opinions and background on the hat that members can post.

 

[gtdean48]

Nice snag. More of a Corral style than an OR = 2 ply ribbon, unbound edge, cattleman crease.
Looks to say Cactus for the color on the label, right?

 

[WineGuy]

Nice snag. More of a Corral style than an OR = 2 ply ribbon, unbound edge, cattleman crease.
Looks to say Cactus for the color on the label, right?

Yes, the color is Cactus...but I never saw a cactus this color. I thought the cattleman crease was what an OR came with, I have one and it came with the cattleman plus I've seen ads for the OR with the same crease. Was there an evolution of style?

 

[gtdean48]

Yes, the color is Cactus...but I never saw a cactus this color. I thought the cattleman crease was what an OR came with, I have one and it came with the cattleman plus I've seen ads for the OR with the same crease. Was there an evolution of style?

Open Roads were initially open crown, like present day Akubra Campdrafts. They could be creased anyway the buyer or the hat shop desired. Later, they became factory creased in alpine/cattleman creases. The "style" I was referring to is more than the crease. OR's have a distinct ribbon treatment as well as a bound edge, ala Stratoliner. Corrals which are mostly the same felt bodies as the ORs came with the 2 ply thing ribbon & knot with a raw edge.

 

[suitedcboy]

Thorobred looks to be the same hat as a Lyon 100% beaver I have. I think they were a Biltmore made hat.