Western, anyone?

BobHufford · Nov 3, 2016

H Weinstein said:
Does anybody know anything about a western hat brand called Lion Hats?

Pretty sure it is part of the Langenberg / Beaver Brands family. Is the liner original to the hat?

From the thread: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/classic-hat-makers-list.15652/page-3

Langenburg (Lion Hats)
Founded in 1860 as Gauss, Hunicke & Krause in St. Louis, the Langenburg Hat Co is the forerunner of Beaver Brand hats.

The company went through numerous mutations in its early years, as partners came and went. Gauss, Hunicke & Krause of 1860 became Gauss-Hunicke & Company in 1863 when Mr. Krause sold his interest. In 1881 the company was incorporated as Gauss-Hunicke Hat Company.

When Mr. Hunicke retired in 1885, Mr. Shelton joined the company, and it became Gauss-Shelton until 1901, when Mr. Shelton left to join White-Branch-McConkin, and Mr. Langenberg joined the firm. The company was renamed the Langenberg Hat Company in 1919.

In 1922 Langenberg absorbed the White-Branch Hat Company of St. Louis, and in 1926 they acquired Parrotte, McIntyre & Co. of Chicago.

The company moved its operations from St. Louis to New Haven Missouri in 1928, where it formed and shaped hats from stock materials manufactured at other locations. During peak production, the factory produced and shipped nearly 500,000 hats domestically and around the world each year. The facility closed in the late 1990s and the company was liquidated in 2000.

FedOregon · Nov 3, 2016

Does a Stetson Gun Club count as a western? It looks a little western to me. Not sure when this one came out, but I don't see this style for sale anymore. No date on the tag, but has the name Aspen.

I like the looks, although I wish it had a taller crown. The crown measures from 4-1/4" to 5" on the outside, but while I like the diamond crease it is only 3-1/2" on the inside and hits into my head before I can set the hat as low as I like. It's sized 7-1/2, which is usually fine for me in a Stetson, but this one is also LO (long oval), which makes it loose and I have to put too much foam and folded paper under the brim (lots of wrinkled sweatband!).

It's an attractive hat but I think it'll need reblocking to fit me better if I plan to keep it. The brim measures about 3-1/4" so it's not Joao approved...

hatophile · Nov 3, 2016

Looks Western to me, especially the way you're wearing it. Great looking hat. Love the bolo tie also!

Lefty W. · Nov 3, 2016

FedOregon said:
Does a Stetson Gun Club count as a western?

At one time I had a very similar hat from Stetson with an almost identical bash/crease. It was from the James Dean collection circa 1985, and was definitely sold as a western. I don't recall the exact model name; the liner had an image of James Dean wearing a definitively western hat.

FedOregon · Nov 3, 2016

Lefty W. said:
At one time I had a very similar hat from Stetson with an almost identical bash/crease. It was from the James Dean collection circa 1985, and was definitely sold as a western. I don't recall the exact model name; the liner had an image of James Dean wearing a definitively western hat.

Mine just has dark reddish-brown satin liner with lettering in gold that says The Gun Club by Stetson with 4 ducks flying over the top edge of the liner and the Stetson symbol across the bottom. The sweat is also embossed with Stetson Gun Club, the Stetson seal, and XXXX Stetson.

Hurricane Jack · Nov 3, 2016

FedOregon said:
Does a Stetson Gun Club count as a western?

The Gun Club has always been a part of the Outdoor line & built on a smaller hat body than a Western. The crown was usually what has been called the Gambler style or Drover style. They were quite popular in the 1960's - 1970's before the Urban Cowboy era took over & always endorsed by or named after people of an outdoor lifestyle such as Olympic snow skier Billy the Kid Johnson. The Outdoor line continues today more as a safari/outback type of hat.

jlw · Nov 3, 2016

I don't think of the Gun Club hats as "western" per se. I think of them as more safari/outdoor, and while I have never seen a citation that he is the inspiration, I think of Jeff Cooper (Gunsite) in relation to the Gun Club hats.

Obviously, you can give them a western flair, but they don't conjure up images of ropin' cattle.

FedOregon · Nov 3, 2016

Roping cattle? I often use the phrase, "All hat, no cattle" when referring to myself but I didn't realize a hat needed to conjure up working the range to qualify as a western... maybe a scene like pulling a pistol (revolver) on a poker cheat would qualify as well?

I have put down farm animals like steers, sheep and a dog with a broken neck starting at age 6 but I never roped no cattle. (well, me and my brothers tried, but it didn't work out so well)

I agree, this Gun Club hat has too stingy a brim and is too short in the crown to be called a true western or, especially, a cowboy hat.

jlw · Nov 3, 2016

FedOregon said:
Roping cattle? I often use the phrase, "All hat, no cattle" when referring to myself but I didn't realize a hat needed to conjure up working the range to qualify as a western... maybe a scene like pulling a pistol (revolver) on a poker cheat would qualify as well?

I have put down farm animals like steers, sheep and a dog with a broken neck starting at age 6 but I never roped no cattle. (well, me and my brothers tried, but it didn't work out so well)

I agree, this Gun Club hat has too stingy a brim and is too short in the crown to be called a true western or, especially, a cowboy hat.

I recently wore an old Resistol cowboy hat and when someone made a jesting remark (in good humor) about it, I showed them a picture of me actually cowboying in that hat 25+ years ago, and I said, "Just to show you that I'm not all hat and no cattle..."

In regard to my previous post, I was simply trying to make the distinction that when I think Gun Club, I think skeet/trap, safari, bird hunting, etc rather than western. I did include a sentence about a "western flair", but it certainly isn't "cowboy".

FedOregon · Nov 3, 2016

jlw said:
I recently wore an old Resistol cowboy hat and when someone made a jesting remark (in good humor) about it, I showed them a picture of me actually cowboying in that hat 25+ years ago, and I said, "Just to show you that I'm not all hat and no cattle..."

In regard to my previous post, I was simply trying to make the distinction that when I think Gun Club, I think skeet/trap, safari, bird hunting, etc rather than western. I did include a sentence about a "western flair", but it certainly isn't "cowboy".

Ha! Very cool happenings regarding the Resistol! Classic!

I can see myself shooting a sporting clays match with this Gun Club hat... I agree with your assessment.

Joao Encarnado · Nov 4, 2016

FedOregon said:
Does a Stetson Gun Club count as a western? It looks a little western to me.
It's an attractive hat but I think it'll need reblocking to fit me better if I plan to keep it. The brim measures about 3-1/4" so it's not Joao approved...

I don't think of them as an "all-western hat" but something in the middle of a western and a fedora.
Never owned one and those never appealed me as a Stagecoach appeals.
True, brim too stingy for me

I have the same bolo tie but with a long beard no one sees it

Joao Encarnado · Nov 4, 2016

jlw said:
I recently wore an old Resistol cowboy hat and when someone made a jesting remark (in good humor) about it, I showed them a picture of me actually cowboying in that hat 25+ years ago, and I said, "Just to show you that I'm not all hat and no cattle..."

No one here comments things like that and... well I have no cattle but have a lot of hat.

jlw · Nov 4, 2016

Joao Encarnado said:
No one here comments things like that and... well I have no cattle but have a lot of hat.

Of course, there is also evidence of me cowboying in a ball cap...

InsolentPuppy · Nov 4, 2016

A new hat from Staker Custom Hats. Color is whiskey. Brim is 3.5". 50/50 beaver/rabbit with a weathered leather hat band. Craig at Staker does good work.

Joao Encarnado · Nov 4, 2016

Nice color and liner.

RJR · Nov 4, 2016

InsolentPuppy said:
A new hat from Staker Custom Hats. Color is whiskey. Brim is 3.5". 50/50 beaver/rabbit with a weathered leather hat band. Craig at Staker does good work.
View attachment 59413 View attachment 59414 View attachment 59415

Good looking.

H Weinstein · Nov 5, 2016

FedOregon said:
I've heard of Lion Hats, but know nothing about them.

I did some extra digging and found what I needed.

Joao Encarnado · Nov 5, 2016

H Weinstein said:
I did some extra digging and found what I needed.

Could you share your findings with us?

TPD166 · Nov 25, 2016

Picked up this vintage (late ‘60s-early ‘70s) Resistol 5X cattleman hat last weekend in a Comfort, TX, antique shop - it has a small nick in the brim edge, otherwise it looks almost unworn. Very soft - unlike the usually "stiff-as-a-board" westerns of that era and later. I have a 7X Resistol from the same time frame, so I suspect 5X was close to their top felt at that point. I will get Paris Hatters to trim the brim for me a bit and I already have leather braided hatband on order from Outwest Saddlery.

RJR · Nov 25, 2016

TPD166 said:
Picked up this vintage (late ‘60s-early ‘70s) Resistol 5X cattleman hat last weekend in a Comfort, TX, antique shop - it has a small nick in the brim edge, otherwise it looks almost unworn. Very soft - unlike the usually "stiff-as-a-board" westerns of that era and later. I have a 7X Resistol from the same time frame, so I suspect 5X was close to their top felt at that point. I will get Paris Hatters to trim the brim for me a bit and I already have leather braided hatband on order from Outwest Saddlery.

Nice catch,sure can't quarrel with the price.

Western, anyone?

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