Didn't you have another of these? Did it ever get finished?
Congratulations on your first vintage hat B1ggles. I believe it is more recent than 1950s but it looks very nice.
Alan, I do have another, and have blocked it. It came out well, but I still need to sew a sweatband in. These are truly incredible hat bodies, and I keep an eye out for them, especially now that I have some panama blocks. As you know, they are as light and tightly woven as the best Montecristis, but a little more forgiving as far as brittleness.
I also have a dark blue parabuntal body that I salvaged from a vintage ladies hat & was previously unable to finish, being without a proper block (plastic Halloween hat & expanding foam attempt having failed). Someday soon I'll give that a go.