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Stetson block profile numbers

splintercellsz

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6,137
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Somewhere in Time
I was thinking the hat could possibly be from the 30s with the small brim. I don't know if Stetson was making smaller brim hats in the late 40s, plus the unreeded sweatband! I've lookedat old Stetson ads and can't find a hat that looks like this.

That Sizing sticker and liner keep this one in the late 40's time frame.
 

rlk

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6,100
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Evanston, IL
Brim has been reduced with an under-welt by local hatter probably--doesn't look like factory work with big visible stitching on top and not entirely even cut. Corded sweatband stitching is consistent with the dating suggested above.
 
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Purplesage

One Too Many
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1,995
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Boulder, CO
The brim is evenly cut since I have a direct overhead view of the top and underside of the brim. At first appearance the brim appears to have a Cavanagh Edge except you can see the stitching. I'm not so sure that the brim was reduced because I don't think a larger brim would work with this particular crown. I would like to see some more examples of hats with this particular hat block before I made too many conclusions, not to say that some things tossed out here aren't correct.
 

Joshbru3

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4,409
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Chicago, IL
It could have been cut with the proper tools used for cutting, not a pair of scissors.

[video=youtube_share;M3Fpgp4Ml1Q]http://youtu.be/M3Fpgp4Ml1Q[/video]

Trust me Justin, even when a rounding jack is used, the edge still needs to be smoothed with sandpaper to smooth any rough edges and give a nice professional finish. I have seen modern day factory hats that have horrible edge cuts. They use a machine trimmer and many hats from modern day factories do not have any edge finishing. I usually sand them myself when I receive a modern hat for a project.
 

Mystic

Practically Family
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882
Location
Northeast Florida
Stetson 3X beaver quality I've had for little while. Clean, block and ribbon project put on hold. 339 block on sticker. It's the only sticker on the hat. Not a regular or standard Stetson re-order sticker. Could it be a re-order sticker from a previous clean & re-block by a private hat shop? Foelquists Spokane is the store logo on the sweat. Everything seems to be original to me. 5 1/2 open crown 2 5/8 brim.
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fedoracentric

Banned
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1,362
Location
Streamwood, IL
I'm not so sure that the brim was reduced because I don't think a larger brim would work with this particular crown.
I think you can accept the thoughts of the others. It is a cut down brim. This happened quite a bit in the early 1960s as folks brought older hats into a hatter to have them cut down to the newer 1960s, shorter brim styles.
 

Mystic

Practically Family
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882
Location
Northeast Florida
That appears to be the normal late 1950s era Stetson inventory tag to me. Sometime in the mid/late 50s Stetson stopped using the old orange and read stickers.

Thanks, I've got 7 or 8 Stetsons but this is the only one with this type of tag. I had not seen it before or maybe had seen it on the lounge and didn't pay any attention to it. This thread was a good idea to make me more aware of another aspect of vintage hats. You would think Stetson would have wanted their name on everything. But, I suppose it made for a more generic tag to cut cost.
 

John Galt

Vendor
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2,080
Location
Chico
I think you can accept the thoughts of the others. It is a cut down brim. This happened quite a bit in the early 1960s as folks brought older hats into a hatter to have them cut down to the newer 1960s, shorter brim styles.

I collected and traded a fantastic 1930's (I believe) Whippet a while back that had a stars liner, wide sweat & impressed label, but also a 1960 tag in it from a Milwaukee hat shop that was famous for renovations. The tag was dated the day after an article ran in the local paper extolling the hat shop and its long history of renovating old hats. The Whippet was cut down to about a 2 inch brim. Crying shame, it was amazing felt. I would have kept it but it was too big. I traded it for a wide-brimmed Knox Vagabond.
 

Purplesage

One Too Many
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1,995
Location
Boulder, CO
Stetson Fifteen XXX Beaver Quality Mode Edge Block B684

I've been meaning to post this Stetson for a while. I'm sure the block profile number is listed else where on this thread. It has some of the softest felt I have ever seen on a hat. I don't know if it ever had a liner but I suspect it may have had one!. Can't find any thread remnants from a liner but that doesn't mean anything. The color is kind of a light aqua blue with a pewter colored ribbon. It has a 2 1/2" brim with Mode Edge and a 5 1/2" open crown which is wrapped in a 1 5/8" grosgrain ribbon. I was thinking early 50s or late 40s so if anyone can help pin down an age date that would be helpful. No other markings or tags on the hat. It's not in the best condition but one of my favorite hats.

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Joshbru3

I'll Lock Up
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4,409
Location
Chicago, IL
Could we please keep this thread only for the OLD Stetson tags that list Block Profile number AND Height? The reason I started this thread was to have documented proof of the block number used and how tall it was. Through pictures of the hat being open crown, the goal was to show what that specific profile number and height looked like. If anyone ever found a block with the same number and height, they could cross reference it with this thread. To be very honest, the newer WHITE tags that only list a profile number do not accomplish what this thread was set out to do.
 

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