Who's riding shotgun? The Resistol Stagecoach Line of Western Hats

[barrowjh]

Nice looking lid, TJ

 

[T Jones]

Nice looking lid, TJ

Thanks buddy. John G's done a good job on it so far.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Never considered a Resistol Stagecoach as all I have checked were all 3" brim or less. Didn't know they existed with wider brims

This cordova Stagecoach was a regular telescope and I 'redneck'd' it into a flare crown to mimic the iconic hat that Clint Eastwood's character wore in Pale Rider:

Now there's something I would like to do to my messed up Stetson 4x.

 

[barrowjh]

Joao - it was not worth doing again, in my case. I really learned something about playing with the felt, though, and just how hard it can be to stretch it tight over that flare crown. Mike Moore has talked with us about how the flare crown hat blocks (puzzle blocks) are a physical strain to work with, even when you have the right tools. The only way the crown will lay flat (instead of concave or convex) is if it has been pulled fairly tight and has a good dose of stiffener in it. I found that you could not do this by simply pulling the felt - it wants to tear somewhere along the edge of the flare. I had to get on top of the crown with my fingers and, with the felt damp with fresh steam, spread and push that felt outwards from the center and over the flare edge, and follow that quickly with pulling the felt at the brim, careful not to pull too hard. Several iterations. It was a great deal of work to 'redneck engineer' a way to have a hat turn out fairly well, and then such a disappointment to see that just because it looked good on some Hollywood actor doesn't cause it to look good on me. I guess the upside is finding this out without having to spend $200 - $250 on a new hat. The down side - that flare edge will leave a crease line around the crown and there is no way it will ever go away. Once you do this with a felt it is then forever more committed - no going back. You know, with the right tools (puzzle block for the flare crown in the desired size) and two people working on the felt at the same time it might not be such a strain to stretch the crown out like it should be.

 

[T Jones]

Joao - it was not worth doing again, in my case. I really learned something about playing with the felt, though, and just how hard it can be to stretch it tight over that flare crown. Mike Moore has talked with us about how the flare crown hat blocks (puzzle blocks) are a physical strain to work with, even when you have the right tools. The only way the crown will lay flat (instead of concave or convex) is if it has been pulled fairly tight and has a good dose of stiffener in it. I found that you could not do this by simply pulling the felt - it wants to tear somewhere along the edge of the flare. I had to get on top of the crown with my fingers and, with the felt damp with fresh steam, spread and push that felt outwards from the center and over the flare edge, and follow that quickly with pulling the felt at the brim, careful not to pull too hard. Several iterations. It was a great deal of work to 'redneck engineer' a way to have a hat turn out fairly well, and then such a disappointment to see that just because it looked good on some Hollywood actor doesn't cause it to look good on me. I guess the upside is finding this out without having to spend $200 - $250 on a new hat. The down side - that flare edge will leave a crease line around the crown and there is no way it will ever go away. Once you do this with a felt it is then forever more committed - no going back. You know, with the right tools (puzzle block for the flare crown in the desired size) and two people working on the felt at the same time it might not be such a strain to stretch the crown out like it should be.

You definitely did a heck of a job on it though. It looks like Eastwood's Pale Rider hat.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

You definitely did a heck of a job on it though. It looks like Eastwood's Pale Rider hat.

Yes it does.

Joao - it was not worth doing again, in my case. I really learned something about playing with the felt, though, and just how hard it can be to stretch it tight over that flare crown. Mike Moore has talked with us about how the flare crown hat blocks (puzzle blocks) are a physical strain to work with, even when you have the right tools. The only way the crown will lay flat (instead of concave or convex) is if it has been pulled fairly tight and has a good dose of stiffener in it. I found that you could not do this by simply pulling the felt - it wants to tear somewhere along the edge of the flare. I had to get on top of the crown with my fingers and, with the felt damp with fresh steam, spread and push that felt outwards from the center and over the flare edge, and follow that quickly with pulling the felt at the brim, careful not to pull too hard. Several iterations. It was a great deal of work to 'redneck engineer' a way to have a hat turn out fairly well, and then such a disappointment to see that just because it looked good on some Hollywood actor doesn't cause it to look good on me. I guess the upside is finding this out without having to spend $200 - $250 on a new hat. The down side - that flare edge will leave a crease line around the crown and there is no way it will ever go away. Once you do this with a felt it is then forever more committed - no going back. You know, with the right tools (puzzle block for the flare crown in the desired size) and two people working on the felt at the same time it might not be such a strain to stretch the crown out like it should be.

Thank you for the warning. Have you sold those you made?

 

[barrowjh]

Yes, they are gone now - not sure now whether it was on here, ebay, or via antique store, but the two that I messed with are gone.

 

[DOGMAN]

Here is a stagecoach that I converted.

 

[barrowjh]

Another nice ribbon treatment!

 

[RBH]

Yep, I agree with John, thats a wide ribbon I could go for.
Great job!

 

[T Jones]

Here is a stagecoach that I converted.

Very unique ribbon work! That stands out really nice. I like everything about that hat, the crease and the way the profile slopes from the tall front pinch to lower in the back! Very well done! I'd love to have that hat!

 

[DOGMAN]

Thanks,guys.Wasn't sure if I was going to like this ribbon on a fedora.But it looks pretty good I think.

 

[barrowjh]

I think it is particular to the dimensions of that hat - really tall crown, relatively wide brim, dark color - the big ribbon fits in ok with this hat.

 

[RBH]

John... as a side note.
When you heading back towards the Bluff City?

 

[barrowjh]

I wish it were soon; way, way overdue. I'd love to see the new & refurb'd machinery in action, play with some felt, make a hat out of that light-weight western hood in natural. I had 3 or more projects ready to take there about this time last year when various things just went all wrong; Buckaroo's steam malfunction, the Holiday Inn Express stiffed me for the entire amount of two nights prepaid, eldercare issues flared up, and some serious job issues as well. Those projects may never get finished, marking time in the basement.

I thought about you today - was in an antique store here and there was a metal cracker can labeled "Crowley's" - but they wanted $45 for it. That $45 could buy a lot of beer! Quick end to that thought.

 

[RBH]

Its the thought that counts!

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Since I started my... Stagecoach collection, here are some.
As I wrote before, I never looked at them because they always looked to have small brims and never had that "X's beaver". Turned out they are really nice.
Resistol replied to me that they sold those hats from 1976 to 1981.

My latest Stagecoach is this one. It had a hatband like the one John Barrow flattened the top (probably the same color) and I asked John Galt to replace it.
Brim is almost 4".

This is a huge Stagecoach. Big crown and a 4.5" brim. Love the wide ribbon. It have a different shade of brown from the first.

This is the only Stagecoach I have with a bond edge brim. I saw on ebay another one with different colors on the ribbon (same design). 4" brim

A whiskey like color Stagecoach. Resistol calls it "Puma". 4" brim

My only black Stagecoach. It have a pencil roll brim. 4 1/4" brim.

A dark grey (looks like silver) Stagecoach. 4" brim

A Dobbs West Stagecoach. Since it have the same Stagecoach logo on the sweatband and Resistol "owns" the Dobbs brand, I think it fits here too.

Now this one was sold to me as being a Stagecoach but it ended to be a XXX beaver Resistol. Same crown dimensions of those Stagecoaches.

And of course this cannot be completed without a Stagecoach Hat Collection box.

 

[barrowjh]

Yup, my stagecoach was called 'cordovan' color but it looked just like the one you have posted.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

This one doesn't have the ticket with the color/model/size/brim size, but because it had a hatband like yours (I know you don't have it anymore) and a Stagecoach pin (I have it), I assume the color would be the same.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Another Stagecoach added to my... "collection", offered to me by a lounger, it's almost a late birthday gift.
More pictures of it in the "new hats" thread.