First Stetson

[andrew_AU]

I want to add a Stetson to my collection. It will be my first one.

Vintage or modern?

Open Road or Stratoliner?

What quality fur?

Anything else I should look out for?

 

[belfastboy]

Here is a third choice to consider....I am a big fan of the Stetsonian. Great proportions, comes open crown, and the felt is great quality. I am not a vintage Stetson collector so cannot speak to that side of the choice.

 

[andrew_AU]

Here is a third choice to consider....I am a big fan of the Stetsonian. Great proportions, comes open crown, and the felt is great quality. I am not a vintage Stetson collector so cannot speak to that side of the choice.

Thanks. But you realise more options isn't really helping me narrow down my choice?

I'm getting the feeling that people here have no interest in helping me NARROW DOWN my options!

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Thanks. But you realise more options isn't really helping me narrow down my choice?

I'm getting the feeling that people here have no interest in helping me NARROW DOWN my options!

It's that... it wont be us to choose a hat for you, it's you that need to choose.
You already narrowed it down: 2 hat styles! Vintage is always better but moderns seems to be nice too. Fur quality depends on your own personal choice but the more beaver, the better.

Best choice of all: buy one each. We wont question why so many hats when you only have one head to wear them.

 

[Frunobulax]

I want to add a Stetson to my collection. It will be my first one.

Vintage or modern?

Open Road or Stratoliner?

What quality fur?

Anything else I should look out for?

It's all a matter of style and taste. And money. If new, there are several Stetson models that are very nice. If you go with a thin ribbon, like you've mentioned, and get a Strat, don't go below Royal Deluxe Quality. The Open Road, I don't believe, is offered above Royal Quality unless you go for a more Western weight 4X, 6X, etc. However, new ORs are stiff and not like their vintage counterparts.

If you're wanting a wide ribbon, you'll not do much better than the Stetsonian (Royal Deluxe), I sing it's praises regularly. The New Yorker is in Excellent quality but quite pricey - you're getting into custom hat territory with their Excellent Quality felts.

Vintage? How much $$ you got? I forget your size, but a vintage Strat in 7 1/8, 7 1/4, 7 3/8 will go for $250+ on the Bay. ORs are more affordable, depending on age and quality. You might pick one up for ~$100, but some can go for a pretty penny. Plus, there are no guarantees in the hunt.

Good luck, you're at the first steps of a long and fun journey that will test your patience, wallet and spouse! And after your first Stetson, you can get a first Knox, then a Dobbs, and a Mallory or two, a Disney, a Borsalino, then maybe a Resistol.

But as always, keep us posted and let us encourage you even more. We're good for that.

 

[andrew_AU]

It's all a matter of style and taste. And money. If new, there are several Stetson models that are very nice. If you go with a thin ribbon, like you've mentioned, and get a Strat, don't go below Royal Deluxe Quality. The Open Road, I don't believe, is offered above Royal Quality unless you go for a more Western weight 4X, 6X, etc. However, new ORs are stiff and not like their vintage counterparts.

If you're wanting a wide ribbon, you'll not do much better than the Stetsonian (Royal Deluxe), I sing it's praises regularly. The New Yorker is in Excellent quality but quite pricey - you're getting into custom hat territory with their Excellent Quality felts.

Vintage? How much $$ you got? I forget your size, but a vintage Strat in 7 1/8, 7 1/4, 7 3/8 will go for $250+ on the Bay. ORs are more affordable, depending on age and quality. You might pick one up for ~$100, but some can go for a pretty penny. Plus, there are no guarantees in the hunt.

Good luck, you're at the first steps of a long and fun journey that will test your patience, wallet and spouse! And after your first Stetson, you can get a first Knox, then a Dobbs, and a Mallory or two, a Disney, a Borsalino, then maybe a Resistol.

But as always, keep us posted and let us encourage you even more. We're good for that.

Thanks Frunobulax

I think I need Stetson 101.

What are the various felt qualities to look out for? You mentioned Royal Deluxe. What's above it? What's below it?

What does 4X, 6X actually mean?

I wear size 7 1/2. That seems fairly hard to come by in vintage. I know enough to know 'hard to come by' translates to more $$$ when it comes to vintage.

 

[Frunobulax]

Thanks Frunobulax

I think I need Stetson 101.

What are the various felt qualities to look out for? You mentioned Royal Deluxe. What's above it? What's below it?

What does 4X, 6X actually mean?

I wear size 7 1/2. That seems fairly hard to come by in vintage. I know enough to know 'hard to come by' translates to more $$$ when it comes to vintage.

Yeah, larger sizes run up the price in the more popular vintage models. But patience, perseverance and luck will get you a nice hat for a reasonable price.

Here is a link to Stetson, Resistol, and Dobbs catalogues. The newest Stetson will detail the quality levels. Excellent, Royal Deluxe, and Royal are the quality designations. The'ye added a "Medalist" category for fall 2016 - but I have no idea what that means? As for Xes, the more Xes, the better quality, ostensibly. But nobody knows what they mean or meant historically.

Read through the Stetson threads for Stetson 101 and beyond. There's lots of information here, but what you'll find out is you'll never know everything. So just keep reading - and learning.

And buying hats.

 

[Redfokker]

And then you will want a Derby, a Boater, and a stable of straws for after May 15th. Oh and a few Homburgs (one in each color). Like my father always said, "don't do as I do, do as I say!"

 

[moontheloon]

I wear size 7 1/2.

you're screwed

 

[DanO]

Best of luck, as Joao said by one of ea. I own two Stetson Strats (Modern) love both, two Stetson Back Bays (Knockabout wool everyday hat,wearing the sage one in my avatar), Just picked up an Akubra Stylemaster from a Lounger and love it. You didn't mention color which is going to add a whole dimension to the search.

 

[jlee562]

I'll make it simple: you want a vintage open road.

Silverbelly is probably the most all around versatile color. ORs are relatively easy to find because there's a lot of them out there (as well as clones), and they're not as coveted as other vintage models like the whippet or stratoliner.

They look good brim up or brim down. You can crease it like a fedora, or go for a western crease.

 

[DJH]

Agree with Jared. There are always a bunch of vintage ORs on eBay or other sites. Possibly the best hat design ever - copied by just about every other hatmaker.
It's a classic hat that looks great on just about everyone.

 

[Redfokker]

Seems like the majority of the OR hats I see are western crease. I'll have to do more research and see some bashed in a more fedora style. Not sure if I'm into the traditional OR look. Probably should have one anyway, as a rite of passage.

 

[moontheloon]

Seems like the majority of the OR hats I see are western crease. I'll have to do more research and see some bashed in a more fedora style. Not sure if I'm into the traditional OR look. Probably should have one anyway, as a rite of passage.

a few of mine fedora creased

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[Redfokker]

a few of mine fedora creased

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OK, I'm sold! Send them my way.

 

[Frunobulax]

Yeah, Jared cut to the chase. Can't go wrong with an OR.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[BobHufford]

A vintage OR was my first. This is the crease it came with.

I'd keep an eye out for one for you, but we are the same size ... so ... no.

 

[andrew_AU]

Yeah, larger sizes run up the price in the more popular vintage models. But patience, perseverance and luck will get you a nice hat for a reasonable price.

Here is a link to Stetson, Resistol, and Dobbs catalogues. The newest Stetson will detail the quality levels. Excellent, Royal Deluxe, and Royal are the quality designations. The'ye added a "Medalist" category for fall 2016 - but I have no idea what that means? As for Xes, the more Xes, the better quality, ostensibly. But nobody knows what they mean or meant historically.

Read through the Stetson threads for Stetson 101 and beyond. There's lots of information here, but what you'll find out is you'll never know everything. So just keep reading - and learning.

And buying hats.

Thanks. Great info to start me off

 

[andrew_AU]

a few of mine fedora creased

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Moon, did you buy those all vintage? Do you have modern OR too?

 

[moontheloon]

Moon, did you buy those all vintage? Do you have modern OR too?

I have no modern ORs because they are terrible

any OR post probably mid 50s is not worth owning in my opinion


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