Post New Hats Here!

[Rogera]

I found a couple of early fifties Stetsons this morning.









This shot shows a little of what I think is some sort of silver paint on the sweatband and the liner. I have a feeling this hat was used as some sort of costume by someone. Almost brings tears to my eyes.




This one seems to have a newer sweatband. It has the modern size tag stitched to it but the embroidered liner and older reorder tags. I don't think I've ever seen a Stetson with that cream colored sweatband.
Pretty much all the stiffener is gone from this hat. It molds like clay and is very floppy. It looks a little better in person, not quite as dingy.

 

[Rogera]

This shot shows the one major flaw on the first gray hat. There is what looks like a felt tip pen mark right on the front. Does anyone know if a little naptha will take care of that?

 

[hatsRme]

Fantastic finds, Roger! Good living pays off again.

 

[Purplesage]

I'm partial to the imperial since I have a couple. Nice find.

 

[hatophile]

Great finds, Roger.

 

[dh66]

Lucky day Roger!! Great finds.

Retro Spectator your new Stetson is really nice. Did you put the crease in it or did it come to you like that? Looks perfect.

 

[GregNYC]

I agree about Retro Spectator's crease. It has the sharp creasing that I don't recall seeing in hats from retailers. But my 60s Cavanagh has those sharp creases too, and it's one of my favorite hats!

 

[1mach1]

Wow, Roger! They look great! :eusa_clap

 

[Retro Spectator]

Lucky day Roger!! Great finds.

Retro Spectator your new Stetson is really nice. Did you put the crease in it or did it come to you like that? Looks perfect.

I put the crease in. I don't believe that it is an actual crease though, since it is neither a diamond, nor a center dent. I sort of did a teardrop crease, but without the center going up, and the profile is more flat on top.

 

[mayserwegener]

This shot shows the one major flaw on the first gray hat. There is what looks like a felt tip pen mark right on the front. Does anyone know if a little naptha will take care of that?

Great pick ups!

I don't think naptha will remove the ink. Is it deep into the felt? Lighter color felts are especially problematic.

 

[buler]

Great pick ups!

I don't think naptha will remove the ink. Is it deep into the felt? Lighter color felts are especially problematic.

Spot cleaning felt, especially a dark tough stain, is going to clean/lighten that area. So even if you get some or all of the mark out, the surrounding area will probably lighten compared to the rest of the felt. A full hat cleaning after the spot cleaning may or may not even this out. Not an easy one to tackle.

B

 

[dh66]

I put the crease in. I don't believe that it is an actual crease though, since it is neither a diamond, nor a center dent. I sort of did a teardrop crease, but without the center going up, and the profile is more flat on top.

You did a good job.

 

[hatsRme]

You did a good job.

I disagree... sort of. You did an EXCELLENT job... :eusa_clap

 

[tonyb]

This shot shows the one major flaw on the first gray hat. There is what looks like a felt tip pen mark right on the front. Does anyone know if a little naptha will take care of that?

Really doubt naphtha will take it out. And, as buler noted, spot treating will likely leave a visible ring and/or discoloration.

That hat being a vintage Mode Edge Stetson, it may well be worth investing more than would be justified for a lesser lid. I know what I would do if it were mine, but I'm reluctant to say just what that is, lest you were to try it and not be happy with the results. But then, if it were mine, I'd be prepared to take the hat apart and reblock it and put it back together 180 degrees removed from where it was, to make the front the back, and vice-versa. That way, if the spot was still visible, it would be less conspicuous at the rear of the crown than at the front. At least I wouldn't see it every time I gazed upon my beautiful self in the mirror.

 

[tonyb]

If it's just a superficial mark, though, it may come out easier than we might have thought. But if it soaked deeply into the felt, well ...

 

[Rogera]

Thank you gentlemen for the positive remarks. Finds like these make this hobby so much fun. Luckily the silver hair paint came off of the sweatband and plastic liner tip with a little water and elbow grease. Some of it came off of the liner but that will take more work. Steve, Tony, buler, thanks for the info and opinions towards cleaning the ink mark but unfortunately I think the ink mark is permanent. Oh well, I feel I rescued a piece of history from no telling what fate.
These are my first Stetsons with the old style reorder tags. Everytime I start thinking "No more hats, I am running out of room!" I find something like this and get the fire started all over again. Oh well there are far worse afflictions than hat fever! Now I want something like Justin and Alan are always showing off from the earlier part of the 20th century

 

[seabass]

Rodger
its a very nice hat either way, imperial mode edge id wear it. a good find both of them

 

[Rogera]

Thank you Che I appreciate that!

 

[splintercellsz]

Great finds, Roger! Nothing like stumbling upon something that just catches you from the moment you see it. One of the best feelings out there!

 

[tonyb]

Yup, it's a good find regardless. As you say, at the very least you have the satisfaction of saving a historical artifact.

It's a safe bet we aren't the only ones around here to take such satisfaction in preserving stuff that somehow survived more or less intact long after most other examples had gone to the trash heap.