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The Resistol Roundup

TPD166

One Too Many
Messages
1,295
Location
Lone Star State
This hat has already been in the WHAYWT thread, but thought I would post here for Resistol fans. This is a 1960s (Byer-Rolnick) Resistol “El Lobo” 5X beaver western. It came to me unworn in the original B-R box. I really like the proportions and the silver ribbon on the silverbelly color felt.

In the 1971 Miller-Stockman Catalog (post # 73 - http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/miller-stockman-catalogs.52929/page-4), they were still selling the “famous” Resistol El Lobo, but it was then a 7X and the color described as “Silver Grey (Lighter Silver Belly)” – mine seems more tan than silver. The 1971 dimensions are the same – 4-3/4” crown and 3-1/2” brim (with 3-1/2" also offered). Unfortunately for me, mine was a little more than the 1971 price of $40. But, since $40 in 1971 adjusted for inflation is $240, I still did pretty well!


 

RJR

Messages
10,620
Location
Iowa
This hat has already been in the WHAYWT thread, but thought I would post here for Resistol fans. This is a 1960s (Byer-Rolnick) Resistol “El Lobo” 5X beaver western. It came to me unworn in the original B-R box. I really like the proportions and the silver ribbon on the silverbelly color felt.

In the 1971 Miller-Stockman Catalog (post # 73 - http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/miller-stockman-catalogs.52929/page-4), they were still selling the “famous” Resistol El Lobo, but it was then a 7X and the color described as “Silver Grey (Lighter Silver Belly)” – mine seems more tan than silver. The 1971 dimensions are the same – 4-3/4” crown and 3-1/2” brim (with 3-1/2" also offered). Unfortunately for me, mine was a little more than the 1971 price of $40. But, since $40 in 1971 adjusted for inflation is $240, I still did pretty well!


Great looking,congrats.
 

TPD166

One Too Many
Messages
1,295
Location
Lone Star State
I am sure most of us are very familiar with the story of how Resistol came to be - E.R. Byer and Harry Rolnick coming together in 1927 in Dallas to form the company (http://www.resistolhat.com/history.php), and that the Byer-Rolnick era continued into the 1960s, with the post-B-R transition eventually leading to HATCO. Recently the story of the end of the Byer-Rolnick era was shared with me by a family member was there and lived through it. I thought other Resistol fans might find it interesting as well.

By 1965, "Resistol" was a company under the Byer-Rolnick Corp., then-owned by Harry Rolnick. In 1966, Harry turned over the title of President of the B-R Corp. to his son, Maury, who had little interest in selling hats, and Harry remained Chairman of the Board. In 1967, Harry sold out to Koracorp, a California corporation, headed by Bill Dow, who was 32 years old and had never had manufactured or sold hats. The Resistol Co. President (a relative of Harry's) was unaware of the sale, before it occurred, but stayed on until 1969, when he accepted an offer from John B. Stetson to become its Executive Vice-President and COO. That was the end of any B-R influence at Resistol, which changed hands again (more than once) before coming under HATCO. Harry Rolnick died in 1977 at age 77 in France, ten years after selling out his company.
 
Messages
12,384
Location
Albany Oregon
I am sure most of us are very familiar with the story of how Resistol came to be - E.R. Byer and Harry Rolnick coming together in 1927 in Dallas to form the company (http://www.resistolhat.com/history.php), and that the Byer-Rolnick era continued into the 1960s, with the post-B-R transition eventually leading to HATCO. Recently the story of the end of the Byer-Rolnick era was shared with me by a family member was there and lived through it. I thought other Resistol fans might find it interesting as well.

By 1965, "Resistol" was a company under the Byer-Rolnick Corp., then-owned by Harry Rolnick. In 1966, Harry turned over the title of President of the B-R Corp. to his son, Maury, who had little interest in selling hats, and Harry remained Chairman of the Board. In 1967, Harry sold out to Koracorp, a California corporation, headed by Bill Dow, who was 32 years old and had never had manufactured or sold hats. The Resistol Co. President (a relative of Harry's) was unaware of the sale, before it occurred, but stayed on until 1969, when he accepted an offer from John B. Stetson to become its Executive Vice-President and COO. That was the end of any B-R influence at Resistol, which changed hands again (more than once) before coming under HATCO. Harry Rolnick died in 1977 at age 77 in France, ten years after selling out his company.
+1 Hat history, love it.
 
Messages
19,409
Location
Funkytown, USA
This hat has already been in the WHAYWT thread, but thought I would post here for Resistol fans. This is a 1960s (Byer-Rolnick) Resistol “El Lobo” 5X beaver western. It came to me unworn in the original B-R box. I really like the proportions and the silver ribbon on the silverbelly color felt.

In the 1971 Miller-Stockman Catalog (post # 73 - http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/miller-stockman-catalogs.52929/page-4), they were still selling the “famous” Resistol El Lobo, but it was then a 7X and the color described as “Silver Grey (Lighter Silver Belly)” – mine seems more tan than silver. The 1971 dimensions are the same – 4-3/4” crown and 3-1/2” brim (with 3-1/2" also offered). Unfortunately for me, mine was a little more than the 1971 price of $40. But, since $40 in 1971 adjusted for inflation is $240, I still did pretty well!

"El Lobo," Spanish for "The Lobo." :p
 

Benzadmiral

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,815
Location
The Swamp
You are such a linguist Jim! Perhaps even cunning!
"El Lobo," Spanish for "The Lobo." :p
This has actually been garbled over the years. The original title was "Lobo-el" or "Loboel," a name used by a Mexican manufacturer of cotton shirts and underwear: "Lo Boll," from cotton boll (or perhaps boll weevil; the exact derivation is unclear).

("Now what was that you put in my coffee . . .?")
 
This hat has already been in the WHAYWT thread, but thought I would post here for Resistol fans. This is a 1960s (Byer-Rolnick) Resistol “El Lobo” 5X beaver western.

Super nice hat and great story! I also noticed that we are the same size so I should probably pay more attention to anything you put up for sale (or do Loungers ever sell hats?).
 

Michael R.

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,889
Location
West Tennessee USA
This hat has already been in the WHAYWT thread, but thought I would post here for Resistol fans. This is a 1960s (Byer-Rolnick) Resistol “El Lobo” 5X beaver western. It came to me unworn in the original B-R box. I really like the proportions and the silver ribbon on the silverbelly color felt.

In the 1971 Miller-Stockman Catalog (post # 73 - http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/miller-stockman-catalogs.52929/page-4), they were still selling the “famous” Resistol El Lobo, but it was then a 7X and the color described as “Silver Grey (Lighter Silver Belly)” – mine seems more tan than silver. The 1971 dimensions are the same – 4-3/4” crown and 3-1/2” brim (with 3-1/2" also offered). Unfortunately for me, mine was a little more than the 1971 price of $40. But, since $40 in 1971 adjusted for inflation is $240, I still did pretty well!



SWEET !!! Looks like Bone with a Silver Gray Cord Ribbon .
 

Benzadmiral

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,815
Location
The Swamp
I brought my Resistol semi-stingy Kitten Finish with me today. For some reason it's the only hat on which I've kept a feather if the hat came with one:

RKF_01.jpg RKF_03.jpg

And the sweatband:

RKF_02.jpg RKF_04.jpg
As someone here said, "All soft hats are crushable. The question is, can you un-crush them?"
 

Michael A

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,287
Messages
12,384
Location
Albany Oregon

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