The School of Hard Knox

[Dinerman]

7-1/16 Knox. NRA labeled.

 

[thunderw21]

Wow, 5 5/8" crown. Amazing hat.

Is that one yours, Dinerman?

 

[Dinerman]

Knox Tuxedo Hat

Silk covered leather sweatband

open crown

 

[Dinerman]

Wow, 5 5/8" crown. Amazing hat.

Is that one yours, Dinerman?

Not anymore. I have a whole bunch of hats I've owned saved to my photobucket which I've never posted to the Lounge. I think they're interesting and ought to be seen.

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

That NRA (National Recovery Administration) ticket would narrow it down to somewhere between 1933 -35 wouldn't it Diner?

 

[Dinerman]

yes.

 

[Brad Bowers]

It's interesting that the NRA Knox has a stitched sweatband seam. I've been trying to figure out rhyme and reason on HCA sweats, as I personally have or have seen several circa-1940-1943 Dobbs hats that still feature a taped sweat. Obviously, this wasn't a company-wide practice, so the question becomes, is it only for Dobbs and/or other brands, or only on certain models?

Brad

 

[Aureliano]

My Knox...

A Vagabond:

 

[Dinerman]

Knox 15

 

[marvelgoose]

Knox Challenger

What exactly was the dating on the challeger? Here is mine:

The brim is 2 1/8 -- a little small for me, thinking about trading it in

 

[ScottF]

Knox Twenty's - dating

I currently have three Knox Twenty's in my hand (for the moment), and still have pics from a fourth. I think characteristics of these four (all slightly different) can be used to help date them:

#1. Cream - The cream one shown previously, can be dated to 1950-53 by the OPS tag. Key characteristics are the vertical sweatband logo, reeded sweatband, oil-skin liner cover, position of 'custom edge' stamp on sweatband.

#2. Phil Rizzuto - I had assumed that the brown 'Phil Rizzuto' one was slightly newer, but because of another Twenty that arrived yesterday, I can now date it to late '40s with reasonable confidence. The Rizzuto one has no liner, same size tag as the cream one, horizontal sweatband logo, and 'custom edge' stamp is 'upside-down'. Sweatband is reeded and a little nicer quality than the cream one.

#3. Oldest - The third one looks exactly like the Rizzuto, except it has no size tag, has bow at sweat attachment rather than cloverleaf, and it has a whip-stitched sweatband. My thinking is that it is clearly the oldest of the three, and because of the Rizzuto is extremely similar, but without the whip-stetched sweatband, it falls between the two. Sweatband is similar quality to #2 above.

#4. The trickier one is a fourth Knox Twenty that I owned and later sold. It also had an oilskin liner cover, but the sweatband logo was horizontal and much larger than the other two with horizontal logos. The sweatband is similar in quality to the cream one, possibly a little thinner - it was so trashed when I received it that it's tough to tell. I would place it as the newest of the four, but not by much.

Thoughts? Before anyone tells me this post is 'useless without pics', I didn't want to jam things up by re-posting the same pics. However, if it's of real interest to anyone, I will gather pics for comparisons.

I know this is very esoteric, but what the heck.

 

[buler]

Knox Twenty - Chocolate

Here is the first of two Knox Twenty's I got from the same place. Both seem virtually unworn. This one is listed as color = chocolate on the reorder tag. Nice cav edge and thick but not too thick felt. Bowtie (not cloverleaf) on rear of sweat. Angled and upside down custom edge marking. Reeded sweat and clear plastic tip cover. No wind trolley. 7 1/8 brown paper size tag.

B

 

[buler]

Knox Twenty - Tan

Here is the second Twenty in tan w/brown ribbon. Very striking color combo in the right light. More clay-like felt on this hat versus the brown one. Another great cav edge and wind trolley on this one. Cloverleaf tie on sweat.
Angled custom edge logo (not upside down) on sweat. Ovalized sixteenths brown paper size tag.

B

 

[billysmom]

Here is the second Twenty in tan w/brown ribbon. Very striking color combo in the right light. More clay-like felt on this hat versus the brown one. Another great cav edge and wind trolley on this one. Cloverleaf tie on sweat.
Angled custom edge logo (not upside down) on sweat. Ovalized sixteenths brown paper size tag.

B

Absolutely lovely, Buler! (Neither of those has shrunk to a 55.5cm diameter has it?)

Sue

 

[jimmy the lid]

Man, that is a gorgeous lid. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Cheers,
JtL

 

[jimmy the lid]

Ditto, buler. Fantastic Knox 20's. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Cheers,
JtL

 

[ScottF]

Man, that is a gorgeous lid. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Cheers,
JtL

Yep. It was the most beautiful hat I ever never wore - a little too tight and tall, and I would have to go out and buy a suit or sports coat to wear it.

Still....very sad to let it go. But used the money to buy a couple more that fit

This is the hat that I think the photos of your Dobbs Twenty look more like, then my photos.

 

[jimmy the lid]

This is the hat that I think the photos of your Dobbs Twenty look more like, then my photos.

I wondered if that was the one. Yup, spittin' images, I think.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[colps]

Very nice BULER!

 

[ScottF]

Knox Hat Factory in 1893