The Resistol Roundup

[barrowjh]

Randy's San Ant -
"I REALLY like this hat... could become my new favorite. In most lighting, it just looks like a darkish light grey, not silverbelly, but in sunlight it tends toward silverbelly.

Randy "

I think that a major difference between the Stetson reeded sweatbands and those used by Resistol might have been that Resistol did not put a wire in the reed, and the hat 'conformed' to your head better. I note that Stetsons often have a green spot at the rear of the hat at the brim (seam in the sweat) where sweat or moisture caused some oxidation of the metal wire; don't remember seeing the green spot problem with Resistols. I have only landed two San Antonios and love both for the fit, but I am tired of the silver belly color. So, I finally landed a sand color OR and love the felt - even though it is only a Royal DeLuxe quality, and it does not 'conform' like the Resistols. I have not seen many San Ants in any color other than Sil Bell.

 

[Dasmoeturhead]

[URL="http://[IMG]http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww100/ChiefMkc/PA250004.jpg[/IMG]"][URL="http://[IMG]http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww100/ChiefMkc/PA250002.jpg[/IMG]"][URL="http://[IMG]http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww100/ChiefMkc/PA250001-1.jpg[/IMG]"]http:// [/URL][/URL][/URL]My 28 year old Resistol. Can't remember model, it is a beaver/felt. The sweat band came apart about 5 years after I bought it, but I did wear it while I was riding bulls, so I forgave it.

 

[jlee562]

Picked up another Resistol from eBay.

Unknown western style, maybe a San Antonio? No tags on the sweat or anything, no mention of beaver. The sweatband does say "melorol" though. The crest on the liner does say Byer-Rolnick, so it predates Hatco.

Any ideas as to what this one is? Brim is 2.5", the center dent comes to about 4.5" and looks to be just about 5" open crown height.

 

[W4ASZ]

I think so ...

It looks just like my San Antonio, which has a 2 3/4 inch brim and is "Self Conforming, Hand Creased." It has the same Byer-Rolnick liner crest and is the same color. These are nice hats ! :eusa_clap

 

[barrowjh]

jlee562, that looks a lot like one of my San Antones also. I'm too lazy to go dig it out, just put away most of my thin-ribbons for the duration of winter - wearing my regular fedoras now. I absolutely love that Resistol crest; really a classic liner, similar to the Borsalino liners from the same time period. I edited this just to also point out that I like the sweatband - those are really nice sweatbands.

 

[jlee562]

Re-creased the above Resistol with a diamond bash, my first hat that's not a center dent:

 

[jimmy the lid]

I think that a major difference between the Stetson reeded sweatbands and those used by Resistol might have been that Resistol did not put a wire in the reed, and the hat 'conformed' to your head better. I note that Stetsons often have a green spot at the rear of the hat at the brim (seam in the sweat) where sweat or moisture caused some oxidation of the metal wire; don't remember seeing the green spot problem with Resistols.

Just to be clear -- on vintage Stetsons, there is a small metal component centered at the back of the sweat that essentially serves as a "coupler", if you will (the ends of the reed fit into either end of this "coupler"). But that doesn't mean that the reed consisted of wire. In some vintage lids (including those of other manufacturers) the "coupler" has oxidized over time, which causes the green phenomenon you are referring to.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[barrowjh]

I'm confused now. In one very old Stetson bowler that passed through my hands, the reed appeared to be a copper wire at several spots along where its covering had worn through, felt like a copper wire, and cut just like a copper wire, but I will admit that was the only reed 'innards' I have ever seen, other than at the junction at the back. Yes, after my post above I began watching for it and found some green discoloration in ebay pics for other hat brands as well (in the same spot at the back of the brim), but I have not yet noticed it on a vintage Byer-Rolnick Resistol. However, that may simply be a result of there being far fewer of them than Stetsons from that time frame. So, I appreciate the information JTL, maybe that copper wire was limited to use in the reed for stiffer hats such as the bowler.

Do we know why Byer-Rolnick thought that their hats were uniquely 'self-conforming'?

 

[Orvil Newton]

$11 on ebay, the original tags said "Hand creased" style:"Dalworth" color: "Canyon" price" $20 It came in the original box which was in pretty rough condition. After wearing it for a few months, I had it refurbished by Texas Hatters - mainly because the sweatband had disintegrated while I was wearing it.

This is the before pic -

 

[zetwal]

Just to be clear -- on vintage Stetsons, there is a small metal component centered at the back of the sweat that essentially serves as a "coupler", if you will (the ends of the reed fit into either end of this "coupler"). But that doesn't mean that the reed consisted of wire. In some vintage lids (including those of other manufacturers) the "coupler" has oxidized over time, which causes the green phenomenon you are referring to.

I have no experience with bowers. But in the several Stetson fedoras that I have examined that used the copper coupler mentioned here, the reed itself was a solid filament with the appearance of medium gauge fishing line.

 

[Jedwbpm]

Last week I won this Resistol Fedora http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...dzVt8II%3D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT . Well it came today. It had some dents in it that I soothed out and a center crease that I changed to a teardrop. I've owed many Resistols in my day but this is my first non Western one and my first Vintage Hat.

You can't really see the color in the pictures it is kinda of a mocha brown with a little red in it.

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

Fits your style! I also like the welt edge. I have yet to own a welt edge even though I really like them.

 

[hatophile]

Nice Stingy, Jed.

 

[danofarlington]

You can't really see the color in the pictures it is kinda of a mocha brown with a little red in it.

Nice hat for being out and about.

 

[Jedwbpm]

thank you for the complements folks. I know with only a 2inch brim it qualifies as a stingy but is just doesn't feel like one to me, I guess it is the shape of the crown.

Jeff

 

[rlk]

Monarch Resistol

 

[rlk]

Monarch Rolby

 

[DRB]

Jedwbpm , Jeff, that is a really nice gentleman's hat. That style looks fantastic on you. You pull off a shorter brim brilliantly. The crown height is very nice. I also like the color. Congratulations.

 

[alanfgag]

This is one of two hats that belonged to a prominent New Yorker who acquired, but never wore his dress westerns... a 5X Beaver Resistol. I'm unsure of the vintage - his Stetson Open Road was a late 1950s hat... this one perhaps a little more recent. The felt is very much like the 3X Stetson, light and moldable... the brim a little less stiff.

It's a size to big for me at 7 1/4... I will be hoping to find a good trade for it from a fellow lounger.

 

[fmw]

Jeff, I think it's a great hat but I don't think a stingy brim is for you. Your Temple and your OR, as examples, look great on you. I had the same problem with a nice vintage Borsalino. It had a 1 7/8" brim and a 5 1/4" crown. It looked a little like dunce cap on me. I put it back on the market. Yours doesn't have the high crown. I think the narrow brim is the culprit.