What Hat Are You Wearing Today ?

[Randall Renshaw]

Here’s a very interesting 40s hat that I finished refurbishing tonight.
After reading the little to be found on old threads about this brand I tend to agree with the guy that said this could be a pre-Resistol brand by Rolnick and Byer. Hence the two halves of this brand’s name: Rol-By.
Or at least a side brand they done while making Resistols.
What do y’all think—or know?
Only saw one other hat of this brand and it was the exact same color and Strat style. I’d say the color is a blue/purple.

This old beater was a size 7 that has been successfully stretched up to my size.
It’s a LOT of work, but for special hats like these it’s well worth it.

With this hat I’ve started using my own blend of shellac stiffener. Works SO much better than Bickmore’s Kahl brand. And it’s much cheaper and easy to make. $14 for an 8 ounce bottle. Doesn’t last long.
homemade stiffener cost much less and goes farther.
Also using a new RA composite hat block that has very little taper.
A cool thing to be able to report when doing a two size stretch is when reblocking you don’t lose any brim width.
Started and ended up with 2 3/4”.
It’s very tricky, but have been consistently pulling this off with the last 10 hats.

 

[Scooterz]

More head time for the Agnoulita this evening.

with flash below

without flash below

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Oh it's not a high end guitar. It's a fender-paramount, that I've been fiddling with for a few years. It came very very dried out from some warehouse without moisture me thinks, with ebony pins, I suppose it's as much the solid mahogany as anything, as well as my awful hearing but it lacked sweetness or something.

I use my fingers and not pics possibly adds to the dullness.

I tried various combinations of plastic, bone,etc on bridge saddle and pins until the combination of brass pins and TUSQ saddle brightened it up. Likes d'daddario nickle bronze and hates copper bronze.

Or it just got older like the player, always a possibility (-:

Bone seems to work fine on other guitars.

As you know, high end guitars aren’t always great and I’m sure we’ve all played some awesome sounding/looking Fenders and Yamahas, etc.

Yeah, the strings I now use are 80%
nickel and 20% bronze. Sure brightened up my muddy box!
100 year old Brazilian don’t do treble very well, but these strings sure help.

Can’t beat guitars and fedoras. You should post some pics of this box on the hats and guitars thread—if ya haven’t already.

 

[Blare]

View attachment 346618 Here’s a very interesting 40s hat that I finished refurbishing tonight.
After reading the little to be found on old threads about this brand I tend to agree with the guy that said this could be a pre-Resistol brand by Rolnick and Byer. Hence the two halves of this brand’s name: Rol-By.
Or at least a side brand they done while making Resistols.
What do y’all think—or know?
Only saw one other hat of this brand and it was the exact same color and OR style. I’d say the color is a blue/purple.

This old beater was a size 7 that has been successfully stretched up to my size.
It’s a LOT of work, but for special hats like these it’s well worth it.

With this hat I’ve started using my own blend of shellac stiffener. Works SO much better than Bickmore’s Kahl brand. And it’s much cheaper and easy to make. $14 for an 8 ounce bottle. Doesn’t last long.
homemade stiffener cost much less and goes farther.
Also using a new RA composite hat block that has very little taper.
View attachment 346619 View attachment 346621 View attachment 346614 View attachment 346617

That block looks great on you Randall.

 

[Randall Renshaw]

That block looks great on you Randall.

Thanks, Joe!
Means a lot coming from a fellow hatter!

 

[Rmccamey]

Another great recovery, Randall.

View attachment 346618 Here’s a very interesting 40s hat that I finished refurbishing tonight.
After reading the little to be found on old threads about this brand I tend to agree with the guy that said this could be a pre-Resistol brand by Rolnick and Byer. Hence the two halves of this brand’s name: Rol-By.
Or at least a side brand they done while making Resistols.
What do y’all think—or know?
Only saw one other hat of this brand and it was the exact same color and Strat style. I’d say the color is a blue/purple.

This old beater was a size 7 that has been successfully stretched up to my size.
It’s a LOT of work, but for special hats like these it’s well worth it.

With this hat I’ve started using my own blend of shellac stiffener. Works SO much better than Bickmore’s Kahl brand. And it’s much cheaper and easy to make. $14 for an 8 ounce bottle. Doesn’t last long.
homemade stiffener cost much less and goes farther.
Also using a new RA composite hat block that has very little taper.
A cool thing to be able to report when doing a two size stretch is when reblocking you don’t lose any brim width.
Started and ended up with 2 3/4”.
It’s very tricky, but have been consistently pulling this off with the last 10 hats.
View attachment 346619 View attachment 346621 View attachment 346614 View attachment 346617

 

[hatophile]

Borsa

 

[alanfgag]

I took fewer hats than usual on vacation, which wound up being a good choice as the weather was a little soggy for vintage straw. My 20 year old Tilley saw quite a bit of action and happy moments.

 

[TheGuitarFairy]

Last night's rehearsal .. c.'50 3X Stetson

 

[BobHufford]

this could be a pre-Resistol brand by Rolnick and Byer. Hence the two halves of this brand’s name: Rol-By.

Very cool and a great transformation to a hat that fits you!

I would agree on the Byer-Rolnick connection ... what with the "V" shaped "O"s and the "Self-Conforming" trademark.

 

[DaveProc]

Borsalino Quality Extra Superiore

 

[Blare]

Borsalino Quality Extra Superiore
View attachment 346727 View attachment 346728 View attachment 346729 View attachment 346730 View attachment 346731 View attachment 346732 View attachment 346733 View attachment 346734

Great hat Dave

 

[Qrowin]

Just got this Tula outback hat made from palm leaf today. It fits great and is excellent for blocking the sun. While it does allow air to flow, it's not as breathable as something like seagrass or straw. However it's very durable feeling and I can get it wet. Not a big fan of chin straps, but this one is nice feeling and can be tucked up behind easy enough. I guess I could also remove it if it gets too annoying. All in all, a great hat.

 

[KarlCrow]

I was playing guitar outside at 10pm before sunset wearing this akubra campdraft, afterwards I fixed the brim a bit with steam, it's been rained on recently and... Looks a tad better now.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Akubra Cattlemen I’d getting quite the workout this summer so far.

as is my fun silly yard hats

Stay safe everyone
Johnny

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Very cool and a great transformation to a hat that fits you!

I would agree on the Byer-Rolnick connection ... what with the "V" shaped "O"s and the "Self-Conforming" trademark.

Thanks, Bob and @Rmccamey for the compliments.

The name of this hat, or maybe more likely, it’s quality level term of, “Monarch” is also a compelling sign that this is an early brand of Byer-Rolnick, since Monarch was employed using the same font type early on when Resistol became a brand.

If it’s true, then it sure is exciting to own a precursor branded hat of the venerable, highly prized old vintage Resistols.
Either way, it’s a great hat that had an excellent quality level of soft, malleable felt...and still does.

 

[KarlCrow]

On my way for my second jab in a modern Stetson paper hat. I thought hey it's only 3 miles, I'll walk in the sun and two miles later had to phone Mrs Karlcrow as I'd forgotten my mask, thus the snood around my neck which she drove over to me (-:

 

[hatophile]

Wekony

 

[Redfokker]

This week in hats.
Panizza Lampo
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Borsalino Faunosca Averla
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Huber's panama

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The English hatter
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Penumbra panama
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Good to see your summer straw collection. Love the brim stitching on that Borsalino.

 

[Redfokker]

View attachment 346843 Wekony

Interesting! As ever, I love your brims.