Worth-Walden Co., Dallas, TX

[Cornshucker77]

Picked this Worth Walden 10X Stetson from ebay a couple years ago. Paid $30 for it. It has some wear but still a nice hat.

 

[RJR]

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Picked this Worth Walden 10X Stetson from ebay a couple years ago. Paid $30 for it. It has some wear but still a nice hat.

It looks good to me.

 

[Desert dog]

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Picked this Worth Walden 10X Stetson from ebay a couple years ago. Paid $30 for it. It has some wear but still a nice hat.

I like everything about it, the color and ribbon are very nice. Good looking crease and brim also.

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[suitedcboy]

Anyone have any good history of Worth-Walden?
I have been around here 30+ years and I was in the store in 86 or 87 I think as it was not long before I started working in this area. It was a well stocked place as I recall but that was not a day I was buying a hat and long before I knew much about hats other than I wore one all the time. I took a hat there in 97 or 98 and they did hat repair service but I don't remember seeing anything except factory hats for sale and some rehabbed ones that had their liners and sweats. The locals at the time I moved NW of Ft Worth ('93) spoke of them only as the place that could re-block or repair hats. To see the Resistol label in that hat is not a surprise as I have seen several sweat and liner replaced Resistols around sporting W-W.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Anyone have any good history of Worth-Walden?
I have been around here 30+ years and I was in the store in 86 or 87 I think as it was not long before I started working in this area. It was a well stocked place as I recall but that was not a day I was buying a hat and long before I knew much about hats other than I wore one all the time. I took a hat there in 97 or 98 and they did hat repair service but I don't remember seeing anything except factory hats for sale and some rehabbed ones that had their liners and sweats. The locals at the time I moved NW of Ft Worth ('93) spoke of them only as the place that could re-block or repair hats. To see the Resistol label in that hat is not a surprise as I have seen several sweat and liner replaced Resistols around sporting W-W.

SC, I know little of the history. I do think there was a Resistol influence & wonder if Worth - Walden bought hoods from them? My two hats have handwritten info on tape behind the sweat instead of a normal reorder tag. My 15X sold from Barrett's Western Store is dated behind the sweat from 1991. The 15X Deluxe Westerner with the four pinches is dated either 1993 or 95; the marker is somewhat blurred. Pics posted above.

 

[Cornshucker77]

It looks good to me.

Thanks Bob.

 

[Cornshucker77]

I like everything about it, the color and ribbon are very nice. Good looking crease and brim also.

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Thanks DD.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Worth - Walden Deluxe Westerner dated 1992. I think the color is closest to Taupe Fawn. 3-1/8" RE brim x 4-3/4" crown @ dip, 5-1/2" on sides. 7/8" mid ribbon, tone on tone. Has a line around the ribbon from being stacked. 1-3/4" sweat & plastic liner protector. Felt is not Western weight but is thin & soft. Very fedora like.

Thanks again to Bamaboots for pointing me in its direction!

 

[Bamaboots]

Worth - Walden Deluxe Westerner dated 1992.

I like that hat a lot, HJ. The dimensions are right in my sweet spot and I especially like that it's not western weight felt.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I like that hat a lot, HJ. The dimensions are right in my sweet spot and I especially like that it's not western weight felt.

Thanks BB. Been studying thru this thread some. I have a 1991, 1992 & 1995. None are what I would call a heavier western weight felt but the 1995 is the stiffest probably because of the brim & crown style.

Not much info on Worth - Walden out there but there's definitely a Resistol influence to my three hats. Trying to establish a timeline. The liner crests of the 1992 & 1995 are identical to each other; the 1991 crest is unlike anything else in this thread. I'm wondering about Rick's Alamo OR & where it might fit in the timeline?

I looked at the address on Google Streetview & it's a standalone retail bldg that is a thrift store now.

The color could be Whiskey maybe, if Whiskey has some green undertones. I think I have a swatch to compare with but I haven't dug it out yet. In bright natural light the color is Fawn like, too light to be a medium or mid-brown. In lower natural light conditions the color darkens & the green undertones come out; under fluorescent lighting the color lightens & turns gray.

 

[Desert dog]

Thanks BB. Been studying thru this thread some. I have a 1991, 1992 & 1995. None are what I would call a heavier western weight felt but the 1995 is the stiffest probably because of the brim & crown style.

Not much info on Worth - Walden out there but there's definitely a Resistol influence to my three hats. Trying to establish a timeline. The liner crests of the 1992 & 1995 are identical to each other; the 1991 crest is unlike anything else in this thread. I'm wondering about Rick's Alamo OR & where it might fit in the timeline?

I looked at the address on Google Streetview & it's a standalone retail bldg that is a thrift store now.

The color could be Whiskey maybe, if Whiskey has some green undertones. I think I have a swatch to compare with but I haven't dug it out yet. In bright natural light the color is Fawn like, too light to be a medium or mid-brown. In lower natural light conditions the color darkens & the green undertones come out; under fluorescent lighting the color lightens & turns gray.

I agree with Bama, the dimensions are just right! The color and crease look good also. Interesting reading about them. How would you rate them compared to a Resistol as far as quality and finish. They appear to have a very nice finish.

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[Hurricane Jack]

I agree with Bama, the dimensions are just right! The color and crease look good also. Interesting reading about them. How would you rate them compared to a Resistol as far as quality and finish. They appear to have a very nice finish.

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Thanks DD. This hat came from a liquidation of a fine hat collection: 2 Stemwinders, 2 Durangos, 3 Montecristi Customs, & this Worth-Walden that I know of. All in hat cans. Except for the Montecristi's all were very similar in style except a couple had pencil rolls. I took a stab at a Stemwinder & was interested in one of the other Montecristi's.

I'm wondering if for a time W-W wasn't buying hoods thru Resistol, blocking & pouncing them on out & using their own sweats & liners? Or maybe they were former employees from Resistol? There is definitely a connection. Maybe Remi's hat in this thread is an indicator that W-W was doing the same thing with Dobbs? The hand & finish work on my hats is superior to what was coming out of Resistol in my opinion.

I'd like to hear more about Rick's Alamo OR if he reads this.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Does anyone know about the Walden Hat Co.? This is one of the “pre Worth” hats and I was hoping for some insight.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

The Walden arrived. The felt is absolutely wonderful: reasonably dense, thin, and a great hand. Some dust and surface dirt that should clean up nicely. The crown is very soft and easily accepts a dry crease, in fact, the crown is very much like a nice vintage dress hat. The brim is marginally stiffer, but still nowhere like the firm felt of today’s westerns. The crown measured 5 1/2 inches open with an 1 1/8 inch ribbon. The brim has narrow tone-on-tone binding that matches the crown ribbon. The brim is exactly five inches wide. Lots of brim! The seller didn’t know the size and gave their estimation. It turned out to be a 7 3/8. The liner and a subtle and very attractive, and it was sewn in to boot. The sweatband appears to be in good shape and it’s only taped on the inside with no stitching where the ends butt together.

This is a great hat that I’m pleased to have found. I’ve sold a few recently so I didn’t feel bad about adding another. I’m already considering various avenues to pursue with this one. Lots of great felt to work with.

I’m not sure what Comfort-Fit in the American Style means. Those Maddison Avenue boys were something.


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[Rmccamey]

Very interesting. Looks like a cross between your Stetson 100 and a sombrero! Very nice! If anything could be converted, that looks and sounds like it could be the one.

The Walden arrived. The felt is absolutely wonderful: reasonably dense, thin, and a great hand. Some dust and surface dirt that should clean up nicely. The crown is very soft and easily accepts a dry crease, in fact, the crown is very much like a nice vintage dress hat. The brim is marginally stiffer, but still nowhere like the firm felt of today’s westerns. The crown measured 5 1/2 inches open with an 1 1/8 inch ribbon. The brim has narrow tone-on-tone binding that matches the crown ribbon. The brim is exactly five inches wide. Lots of brim! The seller didn’t know the size and gave their estimation. It turned out to be a 7 3/8. The liner and a subtle and very attractive, and it was sewn in to boot. The sweatband appears to be in good shape and it’s only taped on the inside with no stitching where the ends butt together.

This is a great hat that I’m pleased to have found. I’ve sold a few recently so I didn’t feel bad about adding another. I’m already considering various avenues to pursue with this one. Lots of great felt to work with.

I’m not sure what Comfort-Fit in the American Style means. Those Maddison Avenue boys were something.


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[deadlyhandsome]

Very interesting. Looks like a cross between your Stetson 100 and a sombrero! Very nice! If anything could be converted, that looks and sounds like it could be the one.

I wish I had photos of someone wearing it back in the day. The modest crown height and huge brim make me curious. I’m considering a few different directions to take with it.


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[DaveProc]

Two Walden Hat Co ads from 1954

 

[DaveProc]

1947 Dallas City Directory Frank T. Walden, manager Walden Hat Co.

 

[DaveProc]

c. 1928-1931+ Reuben Banks is a hatter with Zenith Casino Inc, Hat Renovators
1934 Reuben Banks in Superintendent of the hat department of Zenith-Casino Inc
By 1938 Frank T. Walden and Reuban B. Banks are partners making and
cleaning hats as Banks and Frank Hat Co.
January 1942 Walden enlists in Army Army Air Corps
July 1942 Banks dies of Tuberculosis
1955 Walden Hat Company, Frank T Walden manager, is still in making hats in Dallas
mid 1960s Frank T Walden is a Distributor for the Automat Company in Dallas
by 1970s Frank T Walden is President of General Chemical and Plastic Co.

***See Revised History Below***

 

[deadlyhandsome]

c. 1928-1931+ Reuben Banks is a hatter with Zenith Casino Inc, Hat Renovators
1934 Reuben Banks in Superintendent of the hat department of Zenith-Casino Inc
By 1938 Frank T. Walden and Reuban B. Banks are partners making and
cleaning hats as Banks and Frank Hat Co.
January 1942 Walden enlists in Army Army Air Corps
July 1942 Banks dies of Tuberculosis
1955 Walden Hat Company, Frank T Walden manager, is still in making hats in Dallas
mid 1960s Frank T Walden is a Distributor for the Automat Company in Dallas
by 1970s Frank T Walden is President of General Chemical and Plastic Co.

Thanks for the background! When does “Worth-Walden” come about? Earlier in this thread it eludes to 1962. Might coincide with Frank becoming the distributor for Automat?


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