WISH LIST

[jamespowers]

GEEZ, thats some list JP.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[deanglen]

Either one of these will do:

I
J

Hat on the guy with his back toward us has a rear of the crown ribbon bow. Not too common. Have seen them posted around the Lounge. I love either one of them, as well.

dean

 

[DOUGLAS]

You have a lot of Dobbs on that list JP. I would'nt mind a Palamino. I must admit I am on a quest for mallorys and Portis's. There are so many models that I rarely see. I wonder why there are so few of these and so many Whippets,ORs and Strats[huh]

Those Air-Lights sound great too.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

i suspect Stetson had by this time (early 1950s) pretty much cornered the market. Portis was on the way to pasture, and Mallory was just about to be bought by Stetson, right?

So any Portis you find D ) will necessarily be older and less frequently encountered.

bk

 

[DOUGLAS]

Yeah BK I hear ya but what about the types that are shown above? I don't think I have ever seen a Dobbs Palamino ,Hi-hite, Rainbow or a Field and Stream. It seems many of the lighter weight hats are more difficult to find. Did they just make fewer of them being that they are seasonal?

Looking at my hats I see that the ones from the Thirties are more varied as far as style and weight and the later hats from the Forties and onward the felt changes less and the treatment varies like the name,bow type edging and so on. Perhaps it is just my perception. For example Here is a Stetson Sovereign dated 1945 with a mode-edge

Here is a Royal Stetson it can't be any older than "45". It has an overwelt.

Aside from the treatments for me the felt is the same. Feel ,weight and finish.

I can't tell the difference in the felt between this whippet

or this Stetsonian

 

[Baron Kurtz]

that's interesting. I have a whippet and a playboy from the same estate (and i had a stratoliner from the same chap). They are all early-mid 50s. The felt is sooo different on them. The stratoliner was the softest hat i've ever touched - this seems to be a rare thing with stratoliners from what i've read here. And it was green. And i sold it.

The whippet is less soft than the stratoliner, and the playboy is least soft of all. The felt for each of these hats was very different to the touch compared to the rest, and the sizing is all over the place. All are size 7. Playboy is a perfect 7, the stratoliner was closer to 6 7/8 and the whippet is about a 7 1/8 - the guy had the sweat stuffed with a bugs bunny cartoon from a 1954 newspaper which i still utilise to "smallen" the inside circumference.

Funnily enough the Playboy is the Bermuda Green one posted by M. Powers above.

As for the Dobbs Palomino, Rainbow etc. i'm not sure. maybe the styles weren't very popular so not many were made. maybe there was so little demand that none were ever made. Maybe lightweight summer felts got worn out super fast. Whatever happens, it's clear that many of these hats just did't survive as wel as the Stetsons. I'd like to see some data re: the relative production numbers of Stetso vs the competitors in the 40s/50s. As i say, i suspect that everyone else's market share was being squeezed so much by stetson that less other hats were made. Especially in new and novel designs/colours. When times get tough, stick with the tried and tested.

bk


bk

 

[Baron Kurtz]

On a related point, just how many of the "sporting" tweed, wool felt etc. hats that were constantly marketed in Esquire and Apparel Arts of the day do you see for sale?

not many, but they surely sold quite a few, no?

bk

 

[DOUGLAS]

I too have similar issues with sizing,which is why I can usually get away with wearing a7-1/8 or even a 7-3/8. Mallorys seem to run large so I can easily wear one size smaller. You are probobly correct about smaller companies being squeezed out and thinner hats not lasting but man the ones I have are fantastic.

 

[jamespowers]

i suspect Stetson had by this time (early 1950s) pretty much cornered the market. Portis was on the way to pasture, and Mallory was just about to be bought by Stetson, right?

So any Portis you find D ) will necessarily be older and less frequently encountered.

bk

Actually many of the ads above are from the 40s and older. However, Stetson made more hats than anyone else---lets face is. Portis had a small market as did others like Schnoble and Elis.
Dobbs became part of the Cavanagh conglomerate early on in the thirties---I think. Then there was Knox and Dunlap that joined together earlier on. Eventually these four came under one masthead with John Cavanagh at the head.
I think Mallory went to Stetson in the late fifties early sixties. [huh] Sometimes you see hats with Mallory made by Stetson in them. To me that's like seeing a Tiffany made by Sears label. :eusa_doh: [huh]
The Portis by itself will likely be older. I forget how Resistol with Byer Rolnick got intot he picture but they had quite a few names under their hats.

Regards,

J

 

[jamespowers]

Yeah BK I hear ya but what about the types that are shown above? I don't think I have ever seen a Dobbs Palamino ,Hi-lite, Rainbow or a Field and Stream. It seems many of the lighter weight hats are more difficult to find. Did they just make fewer of them being that they are seasonal?

I can help you with one. Let me introduce you to Mr. Dobbs Rainbow :

He says: "Nice to meet you."
I thought I posted this one before somewhere. [huh]

Regards,

J

 

[Duck]

My List

Statoliner
Flagship
Dobbs Rainbow - because I fly fish lol
Federation - to go with my new Indy jacket
Dobbs West
All in 7 1/8 - 7 1/4
And any others I might find that I can't live without!

 

[DOUGLAS]

Damn, that Rainbow is beautiful! Thanks

 

[jimmy the lid]

Agreed. That Dobbs Rainbow is very cool. Did the hat actually come with the fly on the ribbon?

Cheers,
JtL

 

[jamespowers]

Agreed. That Dobbs Rainbow is very cool. Did the hat actually come with the fly on the ribbon?

Cheers,
JtL

Yep, that was part of the theme of the hat. That's one of the features of the hat that sells the hat to me. I wish they made theme hats today. Now they just name it something that isn't remotely related to the look of the hat. :eusa_doh: Custom mades exempted of course.
As an aside, I met the son of one of the guys who made those hat feathers for Dobbs. The guy had some left but wanted way too much for them. [huh]

Regards,

J

 

[Jerekson]

Stratoliner
Playboy
Another Whippet, I could have 100 Whippets and be happy
Sqautter
Bushman
Open Road

*Am I the only one that doesn't have an OR?*

 

[Duck]

*Am I the only one that doesn't have an OR?*

Yes

 

[Rooster]

It isn't a matter of something I can't find, it's finding the money.....
Akubra Federation , can't decide what color
Panama, I'll know it when I see it.
Old hats are great, I have several. But for everyday wear and general knocking around I'd just as soon have something new made so I don't have to worry about the hat being an antique and screwing it up. I need to get my old stetson soveriegn replaced or redone. after 8 years it's looking pretty tired.

 

[riflegunbuilder]

I want a 7 1/8- 7 1/4 Stetson Whippet or any look alike. Anything 2 1/4- 2 1/2 with a bound edge. Prefer really light grey and/or tan sand colors.
Beaver Brand Majors would suit.
Stratoliners
Unlined felt with vents
Playboy

Any of these in look a likes. Not picky about the maker just the look of the hat.
C crowns, Diamonds, Teardrops would be my crease of choice.

 

[Jerekson]

Yes

Drat!

 

[ideaguy]

Douglas- the Stetson Sovereign is wonderful-one of the few hats I truly lust
after, and it must be a 7 3/8, no more re-sizing for me; it's a lovely hat-your taste, again, is impeccable.