Western, anyone?

[Blare]

Sorry, it’s another long story!

Years ago, I went down an internet rabbit hole, chasing info on American-west-themed art. Somewhere along the way, I came across the works of an artist named William Herbert “Buck” Dunton. I also came across a 1932 photo of Mr. Dunton, wearing an awesome western hat. Neither the crease nor the curl were totally unique, but I had never seen them taken quite to the extreme as they were on his hat, and had NEVER seen them on a genuine period hat. I saved the photo, intending to someday engage a hatter to try to replicate it.

When I learned that Randall @Randall Renshaw had transitioned from being a collector, to doing refurbishing and re-creations, I immediately got in touch with him, and we quickly agreed that he should be the hatter to recreate the hat. I didn’t have one of sufficient size and color that I was willing to sacrifice to the project, but I was lucky enough to quickly score a Resistol Stagecoach Collection Timber Creek on eBay. It arrived about a week later, in as good a condition as I had hoped. In one of those odd quirks of life, the Timber Creek was originally sold from The Los Altos Western Store, a business I had actually patronized back in the 1980s, around the time the hat was being marketed for the first time. I asked Randall to cut that portion of the original sweatband, and attach it to his replacement, which he has done. It took Randall about three weeks to work his wizardry, including our discussing ribbon colors, binding colors, crown flourishes, and bow designs. When he was done, I paid him a ridiculously reasonable sum of money, and he shipped my re-creation back to me. I think he did a magnificent job of replicating Mr. Dunton’s hat, and it shall enter my EDW (Every Day Wear) stable, to be known as the “Buck.”

So here’s the photo of Mr. Dunton in his hat, a lithograph he did of a friend in a similar hat, the Buck on me, a closeup of the band adornment, the replacement headband, the custom lining, and the section of original headband.

This is EXACTLY what I had been envisioning, ever since I first saw that picture of Buck Dunton, lo, those many years ago. I am so freaking delighted, it's hard to put into words.

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Love the story and how it all came together for you. What a great job by @Randall Renshaw and it looks fantastic on you Mark! Enjoy!

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Thanks for the compliments, guys.
It was a fun build and Mark is of the best clients to work for. Any hatter is lucky to work with him.
Since the hat we were trying to copy was a well worn piece, I offered Mark the option for the hat to be lightly aged and patina’d, which is the reason for slight wear marks on the binding/hatband ribbon that I sewed on only here and there. Didn’t give the felt a good cleaning, so the soiling there is genuine.
Mark and his rough and ready, western persona gives the “Buck” true authenticity!

I hope it offers Mark a boost while out winning western style shooting competitions all around Idaho!

 

[VoodooSan]

Very cool, Mark! Randall is quite the craftsman.

Indeed he is!

 

[VoodooSan]

Love the story and how it all came together for you. What a great job by @Randall Renshaw and it looks fantastic on you Mark! Enjoy!

Thank you, Joe!

 

[Mm25]

Akubra territory. Perhaps the only black hat in my regular rotation.

 

[Who?]

Interesting that yours has three (smaller) vent holes, and mine has two (larger) ones.

 

[VoodooSan]

I found myself with an “extra” Resistol Stagecoach on hand, specifically a Dry Gulch in tanbark color. Feeling experimentally creative last week, I re-shaped it into a somewhat “period appropriate” homage to the halcyon days of Stetson. I was essentially going for a sort of “baby brother” to the huge Carlsbad-crease hats of the early 1920s, such as the Frontier, the Texas King, and the Buckeye. Not too much was needed to accomplish this; I creased its tall crown with a Carlsbad pinch, gave it two side dents, lowered the brim considerably, and threw on a wide ribbon hatband. Hardly the most creative work ever shown here, I admit, but for an amateur with a tea kettle, I’m pretty pleased with the results. Being a sucker for alliteration, I’m calling it the Baby Buckeye.

 

[Who?]

Looks good to me.

 

[VoodooSan]

Looks good to me.

Thank you, sir!

 

[VoodooSan]

I know this is a long shot, but you folks DO possess an unimaginably vast store of knowledge, so I figured it was worth a shot. One of my scores from OFAS in the last few months is a nice-outside, ragged-as-hell-inside Resistol, that I would like to identify, if I can. The ONLY printing left on the tattered sweatband tag is "V[SPACE]ST[SPACE]600" There might have been something between the V and the ST, but I don't believe so. I can't remember ever seeing a Resistol model with a number as part of the model name. Does this ring any bells with any of you? Thanks!

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Stetson 7X Fifty on a lightly rainy morning.

 

[VoodooSan]

Stetson 7X Fifty on a lightly rainy morning.

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That hat is a thing of sheer beauty, Jack.

 

[Steve1857]

I know this is a long shot, but you folks DO possess an unimaginably vast store of knowledge, so I figured it was worth a shot. One of my scores from OFAS in the last few months is a nice-outside, ragged-as-hell-inside Resistol, that I would like to identify, if I can. The ONLY printing left on the tattered sweatband tag is "V[SPACE]ST[SPACE]600" There might have been something between the V and the ST, but I don't believe so. I can't remember ever seeing a Resistol model with a number as part of the model name. Does this ring any bells with any of you? Thanks!

Post some photos of it Mark. A picture paints a thousand words

 

[VoodooSan]

Post some photos of it Mark. A picture paints a thousand words

Good point, Steve. I'll get one post ASAP.

 

[VoodooSan]

OK, here's what's left of the mystery Resistol tag....

 

[Rmccamey]

You have too many great hats, Jack. You need to have your own thread

Stetson 7X Fifty on a lightly rainy morning.

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[Hurricane Jack]

You have too many great hats, Jack. You need to have your own thread

Thank you Randy! Nice compliment for you to make. But my collection wouldn’t deserve nor would I want a thread of its own. I just try & buy the best surviving examples of what I like that I can find.

 

[T Jones]

A Bradford that I reblocked to a larger size and restyled sometime back. This one sports a Teardrop crown with a 3 1/4 curled brim.

A whole hour of Hank Sr.

 

[VoodooSan]

A Bradford that I reblocked to a larger size and restyled sometime back. This one sports a Teardrop crown with a 3 1/4 curled brim.

A whole hour of Hank Sr.

LOVE the proportions on this!!

 

[T Jones]

LOVE the proportions on this!!

Thank you buddy!