Dating Your Hat (A Place to Discuss the Age of Your Vintage Hat)

[jlee562]

Mercury was banned in felt making in 1941 in the US due to the war moreso than its health effects.

 

[Styleslover]

Good day
I have a dunlap fedora, I was wondering if someone would be willing to help me date this hat? Thanks
Here are the photos
https://ibb.co/album/pJDQbp

 

[Eli]

I've got this old Knox that I wear almost daily through the cooler months. Any idea as to its age? It seems well put together.

 

[Just Daniel]

I am not a Knox expert, but the black sweatband and Knox Custom usually indicate a 60s hat.

I've got this old Knox that I wear almost daily through the cooler months. Any idea as to its age? It seems well put together. View attachment 383637 View attachment 383636

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I've got this old Knox that I wear almost daily through the cooler months. Any idea as to its age? It seems well put together. View attachment 383637 View attachment 383636

I agree with Daniel: black sweatband and that style of size tag reads 1960s to me. You might add photos of the factory label behind the sweatband; those are useful in dating hats to those more educated than I am.

 

[April Goettle]

Trying to determine style of this Stetson, based on other posts I’m thinking it’s early 50s due to the lining and size tag. Seems like an open road that was maybe produced for the Riding Store?

 

[Frunobulax]

Trying to determine style of this Stetson, based on other posts I’m thinking it’s early 50s due to the lining and size tag. Seems like an open road that was maybe produced for the Riding Store?

April 19th, 1957. The hat was finished at 2:37 PM by Phil Bricker, who had been with Stetson for 4 years and five months at the time. Mr. Bricker had a pimento cheese sandwich for lunch that day, and if you look carefully at the brim edge, you can still see a pimento stain.

Seriously, though - not an OR, but a gorgeous hat. Dating hats can be a challenge,. We normally look at things like the liner and sweatband crest, re-order tag style, and other such things for clues. Dating the store its sold from is also a good technique. Looks kinda mid-50s to me. The roundel was replaced by the rectangular 3X logo sometime in the late 50s, so there's that.

 

[April Goettle]

April 19th, 1957. The hat was finished at 2:37 PM by Phil Bricker, who had been with Stetson for 4 years and five months at the time. Mr. Bricker had a pimento cheese sandwich for lunch that day, and if you look carefully at the brim edge, you can still see a pimento stain.

Seriously, though - not an OR, but a gorgeous hat. Dating hats can be a challenge,. We normally look at things like the liner and sweatband crest, re-order tag style, and other such things for clues. Dating the store its sold from is also a good technique. Looks kinda mid-50s to me. The roundel was replaced by the rectangular 3X logo sometime in the late 50s, so there's that.

Ha, love it. I just ordered a 50s edition of Miller Stockman and think I am going to buy one of the Stetson books. I grew up in a rodeo family so I find them all the time, time to get some edjumication!

 

[carouselvic]

Trying to determine style of this Stetson, based on other posts I’m thinking it’s early 50s due to the lining and size tag. Seems like an open road that was maybe produced for the Riding Store?

I would say a Stetson Longhorn or Longhorn Jr. 1950’s

 

[April Goettle]

Totally makes sense with the longhorn pin!

 

[Hurricane Jack]

April 19th, 1957. The hat was finished at 2:37 PM by Phil Bricker, who had been with Stetson for 4 years and five months at the time. Mr. Bricker had a pimento cheese sandwich for lunch that day, and if you look carefully at the brim edge, you can still see a pimento stain.

Lately when I buy a vintage hat I've been swabbing the sweat for DNA & sending it off. They were already dead but identified 3 bad guys so far.

 

[carouselvic]

The roundel was replaced by the rectangular 3X logo sometime in the late 50s, so there's that.

Can you provide anything that backs that up?

 

[Frunobulax]

Can you provide anything that backs that up?

Only my experience, Vic. To my eye, while the rectangular one was previously in use, the roundel took its place for a while, possibly in the 40s/50s, and the rectangular one came back in the 60s. If I see a roundel with the type of re-order tag shown on this hat, it evinces a mid-50s vibe.

I'm sure if I'm incorrect, you'll be eager to provide evidence of such.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Can you provide anything that backs that up?

I can imagine people 70 years from now discussing a hat and wondering if it was from 2010 closer to 2019. Even now we often can’t tell without additional documentation/provenance.

I always enjoy your posts…even if they often humble me.

 

[Just Daniel]

From a combination of my experience and the intellectual property data, the beaver/rectangle 3X was around from the 1800s; there were two: the regular rectangle and one with a “rainbow” in the bottom left hand corner. The non-rainbow lists an earliest use in commercial date of 1895. The “rainbow” rectangle was filed in 1920 but does not list an earliest use in commerce date. The roundel replaced them in 1930; I believe the beaver/rectangle began it’s regular return in the later 50s.

But there is always something… There were just recently a few beaver/rectangle 3Xs for sale with brown sweatbands. I think there were even one or two with red reorder tags (40s), but I did not save a pic and can’t find them to be sure. So really I would be hard pressed to give you a good return date for the beaver/rectangle.

Daniel

PS Here is the offending 40s 3X with the beaver rectangle. No liner photos were included on the GW site.

Here is a beaver/rectangle date 53 by the price tag:
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/thr...tson-3x-before-1970.94192/page-3#post-2557627

Only my experience, Vic. To my eye, while the rectangular one was previously in use, the roundel took its place for a while, possibly in the 40s/50s, and the rectangular one came back in the 60s. If I see a roundel with the type of re-order tag shown on this hat, it evinces a mid-50s vibe.

I'm sure if I'm incorrect, you'll be eager to provide evidence of such.

 

[Frunobulax]

^^^^^And this, friends, is how you discuss a possible difference of opinion as an adult. Not with drive-by, passive-aggressive, BS.

 

[carouselvic]

"I'm sure if I'm incorrect, you'll be eager to provide evidence of such."
pot meet kettle

 

[Frunobulax]

From a combination of my experience and the intellectual property data, the beaver/rectangle 3X was around from the 1800s; there were two: the regular rectangle and one with a “rainbow” in the bottom left hand corner. The non-rainbow lists an earliest use in commercial date of 1895. The “rainbow” rectangle was filed in 1920 but does not list an earliest use in commerce date. The roundel replaced them in 1930; I believe the beaver/rectangle began it’s regular return in the later 50s.

But there is always something… There were just recently a few beaver/rectangle 3Xs for sale with brown sweatbands. I think there were even one or two with red reorder tags (40s), but I did not save a pic and can’t find them to be sure. So really I would be hard pressed to give you a good return date for the beaver/rectangle.

Daniel

PS Here is the offending 40s 3X with the beaver rectangle. No liner photos were included on the GW site.

View attachment 386684 View attachment 386685 View attachment 386686

Here is a beaver/rectangle date 53 by the price tag:
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/thr...tson-3x-before-1970.94192/page-3#post-2557627

There seem to be exceptions to every "rule." However, it must be noted my mention of the 3X roundel, in conjunction with the re-order tag, is how the estimate was made, not on the 3X logo alone. Dwelling on the 3X logo alone is a red herring.

In my experience, the roundel coupled with that re-order tag is mid-to late 50s. I'm aware the rectangular has an older history, but it seems to be rarely seen during the 40s/50s. The Lounger asked for a date estimate and I gave it my best. If I'm wrong, I don't care, I'll adjust to the knowledge received. We're trying to help a fellow Member, that's the goal here.

 

[Frunobulax]

"I'm sure if I'm incorrect, you'll be eager to provide evidence of such."
pot meet kettle

If you're looking for a pissing contest, you're barking up the wrong tree.

Try 4chan.

 

[carouselvic]

Here are a couple variants on the 3X

and the liner



and the liner





retailers had their choice of stamping s on the hats that purchased for retail, there was no one size fits all...at one point an order form was posted on the lounge stating this very thing and showing the offerings at that time