Stetson Sweat Stamps/ LOT XXXX

[alanfgag]

Lot numbers were stamped on the back of many Stetson sweatbands through about 1940.

Are they strictly sweatband lot numbers? I don't know, but they do appear to run chronologically. Here are a few of mine, from smallest number to largest. Let's see yours!

Stetson Star with Fray sweat/ Lot 155 (or 755?)

Black narrow brim fedora with Fray Sweat/ Lot 1781

1X Nutria with Fray Sweat/ Lot 3057

Nutria Fur Western/ Lot 4427

Stetson Standard Quality/ Lot 6740

Real Nutria Quality/ Lot 7033

No.1 Quality western/ Lot 7527

Standard Quality/ Lot 76XX (price label obscures last two digits)

Playboy/ circa 1940/ lot 7794

 

[Chepstow]

Alan, marvelous Stetson collection.

The lot numbers could indicate that the hats have been produced in times of WWII war.
In German military caps and helmets were also Lot numbers.

 

[alanfgag]

Thank you, Manfred. These hats are all produced prior to the U.S. entry into WWII. I haven't done an exhaustive hunt through later hats, but from those I have looked at, it appears the lot stamp was phased out in the early 1940s. A smaller, more precise serial number imprint (one letter followed by 6 digits) continued.

This Imperial Stetson, mid to late 1930s has Lot#7565

 

[Joshbru3]

Late 1930's Stetson Alpine LOT 463

1920's Stetson Flexible Conforming bowler

I can't make out the Lot number, but here it is.

Early 1900s Stetson Select Quality Bowler

LOT 5470?

 

[alanfgag]

Thanks Josh! These can be hard to read, and turning some of these sweats enough for a photo can be risky. The soft sweats are pretty flexible, but I used my hinged mirror to read most of them. I tried to decipher one of my early derbies without success.

 

[Joshbru3]

Thanks Josh! These can be hard to read, and turning some of these sweats enough for a photo can be risky. The soft sweats are pretty flexible, but I used my hinged mirror to read most of them. I tried to decipher one of my early derbies without success.

I always get SO nervous when I try and see whats under these old sweats. I feel around the sweatband first to see if there are any very dry spots or cracks. Then I look at the stitching and reeding to make sure its solid and intact. I turn the sweat out slowly and if I hear ANY noise, crack, snap, etc, I immediately stop. I have found that the sweatbands on the soft hats are much more flexible than the stiff hats. But then again I have had some old derbies with incredibly soft and flexible sweats. I guess it just depends on the climate the hat sat in for the last 90 of so years.

 

[bowlerman]

I've made that mistake way too many times. A frequent issue I've had is a soft and supple sweatband, clearly not dry in any way, tearing from its own stitching like wet paper. My OCD probably contributes as well, as I can't deal with a partially sewn in sweatband. It's all or nothing for me.

Thanks, Alan, for posting these. Fascinating.

 

[randooch]

Here's the only hat I own that qualifies, my 30's homburg. Nice clear stamp, though, with a price tag in excellent condition:

 

[carouselvic]

The Royal Stetson Bowlers


Sweat lot #?

I do not know what this stamp means

Southcomb hat lot 7432

 

[carouselvic]

Westerns

The Fray...The Boss Raw Edge...Lot #1246

Both Stamps done in red

BOP Style hat Lot#?148

Rancheros(San Fran) Lot#XXX8

shows the sweat resister

3X Lot #7698 W/sweat resister

 

[alanfgag]

Here's the only hat I own that qualifies, my 30's homburg. Nice clear stamp, though, with a price tag in excellent condition:

Thanks Randall... have a look around that one for the large LOT stamp. Many of these carried the smaller 1Letter+6digit stamp too. The Lot# stamp is much larger and fainter. I find most of them on the store imprint side or near the front of the sweat.

 

[alanfgag]

These are great, Victor - thank you for sharing. The Fray bands seem to be carry the lowest numbers... pre 1918 for some of them.

 

[randooch]

Thanks Randall... have a look around that one for the large LOT stamp. Many of these carried the smaller 1Letter+6digit stamp too. The Lot# stamp is much larger and fainter. I find most of them on the store imprint side or near the front of the sweat.

Well, the hat survived another inspection, but to no avail. Several swoopy bits of fuzzy black writing (they look like crayon marks) are present, but alas, no Lot #'s.

Next time, perhaps.

 

[alanfgag]

Thanks for looking.

 

[alanfgag]

Nutria Fur Western/ Lot 4205 (or 4705)

 

[alanfgag]

5X Clear Beaver Quality/ Lot 7698, 2 1/4 Soft

 

[alanfgag]

Select Quality Homburg

Lot 5667

 

[fluteplayer07]

You all have more guts than I do... nice idea with the mirror there Alan

 

[alanfgag]

The mirror is a good minimally invasive technique to mining the underside of the sweat.

I'd love to see other hats posted to this thread. We might have some hard dated hats that would help to provide a rosetta stone for early Stetsons. Even without that, it makes a nice timeline of styles as I am pretty sure these sweatband lot stamps are sequential.

 

[carouselvic]

C.N.Q. The Fray....Lot 1072