ODD STETSON

[Rick Blaine]

Odd duck, eh?
Has anyone seen something similar?
This is either a Ranger's hat or the hat of the fella' who takes your ticket on the bus, maybe, or something...?
I had never seen one quite like this & had to have it as an oddity, if nothing else. And I should think that the leather band & stampede strap should work on any hat with the proper grommets.
I guess we'll see in 1 - 2 weeks, when it arrives. [huh]

 

[jimmy the lid]

Very interesting -- and odd. Is that leather tab at the front of the hat? Could it have been used as a place to have a badge, etc.?

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Dinerman]

It's canadian made, you can tell from the foil size tag.
Other than that, you've got me. Very odd looking hat.

 

[carouselvic]

I think the hat band would have to be a after market add-on. I just can't see a manufacturer putting a hole through the Stetson logo on the sweatband.

 

[AlanC]

Is that leather tab at the front of the hat? Could it have been used as a place to have a badge, etc.?

I figured it was to help you pull the hat off if it gets stuck on your head.

 

[RBH]

I also think it has to be some type of rangers or other 'police' style hat.

 

[ideaguy]

Whoever's wearing that thing, hope they're not "headed" in my direction...lol

 

[tinmanzzz]

just a couple of thoughs

1) it is NOT a Federal or State Park Rangers Hat as they use a different style
2) the chin strap appears to be a after thought
3) the hat band appears to be a normal Police Band with the standup piece added
It looks like a "Trooper/Rider Style" ????
What ever it turns out to be, Have Fun

 

[ideaguy]

now, if it had lights...
seriously- I wonder if there's been a thread with "unidentifiable hats- or highly unusual hats, work related"? should be more than interesting, could be quite educational in seeing the progression of different vocations-like the old Firemen's hats in Leather from Colonial days- I've had quite a few-they're basically leather top-hats, with the volunteer fire brigade's insignia & number
hand painted on the front. The hats were sewn tight, and sometimes treated to become waterproof, because they were used as fire buckets!! You never see the hats, always the fire buckets, also made of leather with the decorative painting and leather bail handles; these became a favorite of rats, mice, and one of our favorites, mold. The hats lasted even less time, quite a number were lost each fire-and they went to a shorter, non-water holding style.

If you have photos of hats that are unusual and can be tied to a vocation...

 

[Stoney]

I think you guys are on the right track with the badge idea. My guess is that this hat belonged to a hall monitor in a Canadian Jr High School. The strap was probably added after the 7th graders kept knocking it off of his head from behind him as they passed.

Whatever it was.. It is a neat find.:eusa_clap

 

[GWD]

I think you guys are on the right track with the badge idea. My guess is that this hat belonged to a hall monitor in a Canadian Jr High School. The strap was probably added after the 7th graders kept knocking it off of his head from behind him as they passed.

Whatever it was.. It is a neat find.:eusa_clap

LOL That 7th grader had a huge head!

 

[tinmanzzz]

HUGE HEAD ??????????

LOL That 7th grader had a huge head!

HUGE HEAD" ???????
I will have you know that a 7 & 5/8's is the IDEAL size head.lol lol
How you poor souls manage to get by with those little 1/4's & 3/8's is beyond me.
Plus, there is more FELT..

 

[GentlemanFarmer]

Very odd

I'll have to agree that the leather hat band and strap has to be an after-market modification. As to it's function?

As for the comment regarding sixe 7 1/4 headed folks, someone smarter than I will have to address that issue.

 

[carldelo]

Could be costume piece

That hat may have been modified for use in theater or film. Just a thought.
And Tinman is right, us big-headed types just get more felt for our money, er, except when it comes to vintage - then you mini-domes win out.

 

[jamespowers]

HUGE HEAD" ???????
I will have you know that a 7 & 5/8's is the IDEAL size head.lol lol
How you poor souls manage to get by with those little 1/4's & 3/8's is beyond me.
Plus, there is more FELT..

Exactly. Geez, my son is a year and a half old and already wears a 6 7/8. Imagine grown men wearing hats that size.

 

[Rick Blaine]

It's canadian made, you can tell from the foil size tag.
...

Most instructive. Thanks for that tidbit, Dinerman. I did not know that. Now that you mention it, that is the first of those I have ever seen as well.

 

[Desdinova721]

HUGE HEAD" ???????
I will have you know that a 7 & 5/8's is the IDEAL size head.lol lol
How you poor souls manage to get by with those little 1/4's & 3/8's is beyond me.
Plus, there is more FELT..

7 1/2 here. But, cut them some slack. Their tiny skulls restrict the size of their brains, impairing their cognitive function.

 

[Spatterdash]

I'm gonna wade in here and speculate that this hat is the vintage lid of a professional storm spotter, pre-doppler radar.
They tend to suffer hailstone impacts on the area protected by the leather tab and the chinstrap would be required when caught in the southeastern indraft of a thunderstorm with mesocyclonic characteristics.

Granted, I have no evidence to support this outlandish claim, but I like the notion and I'm stickin' with it.

 

[carldelo]

Looking closer at the fifth photo, it looks like someone removed the liner, cut out the Stetson logo and glued it to the crown of the hat, another clue that it's a hatchet job. That and the fact that the chin cord bulges under the sweat band in undignified fashion.

The leather tab could be for mounting an old-style carbide lantern - the perfect hat for "The Gentleman Spelunker" on a journey to the center of the earth (or just a little night fishing).