I couldn’t find a thread dedicated to Bandera Hats so I’m starting one now. I couldn’t find much on the brand. It appears to be defunct. I suspect it was a regional company who either made their own hats, or more likely, contracted with a larger hat company to make hats using the Bandera name. I hope the someone out there can fill in some details. Bandera 5X “Beaver 20” This is a hat that I’ve been watching on ebay for maybe two months. The price never went down and it never sold. I finally messaged the seller and made an offer that was accepted. I was curious about the felt quality more than anything else. The hat is a raw edge western with a 3” wide brim and approximately 5 3/4” crown (open). The sweatband is nice and seems to be of decent quality. The brim is stiff, but well-pounced and has a nice hand. The crown is very soft, but holds a crease well. I’d compare it favorably to a 1950s Stetson 3X. It’s much nicer than my Bradford Beaver 20. I’m adding Bandera to my “buy” list. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Here is a little info DH. And the article I screenshotted it from. http://digital.360westmagazine.com/...view":"articleBrowser","article_id":"288415"}
Thanks @RBH. The article states that Bandera was a subsidiary of Bailey. Bollman Hat Co., who now owns Bailey and other brands, doesn’t list Bandera amongst their brands. Bandera also isn’t mentioned in the brief company histories of either Bollman or Bailey as provided by them on their websites. Looks to have been a small blip in the hat world. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Some info... 1963: Note Bandera Hats address. Same as Hatters in 1954. 1963: 2013: http://hattershats.com/ABOUTUS.htm 995 Halbert Drive Newark, TX 76071 @Hagwood posted this recently: http://www.fortworthbusiness.com/ne...cle_58e94b16-0063-11e8-8758-73b6c4e969d3.html 1006 Jennings (across from the old high school) nowadays:
Thanks, Bob. I see the same address, but it’s odd that there isn’t a mention of Bandera (or did I miss it?). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Brent: Interesting observation maybe, but the size tag is reminiscent of Stetson. Not sure that means anything but interesting i think. B
Agreed, it has a keyhole shape that reminded me of Stetson too. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
As Hagwood posted, there is not much at 1006 Jennings, Fort Worth, today. It seems fairly obvious that the original building is gone or seriously remodeled. That address is now considered to be in the Medical District of Fort Worth, however, it is one of the "older" parts of town and not very far from the Justin Boot factory and also the Dickies factory. It is certainly reasonable to think that a hat manufacturer, however small, would choose that area for their business in the 1940's-60's time frame. I sent a note to Peters Brothers, also in downtown Fort Worth. We'll see if they have any insight into the old Bandera Hat Co.
A few photos of hats found on ebay. The “Sears by Bandera” is interesting: Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
I have a Bandera 100. The felt is nice, but not at the level of my other One Hundreds. The sweat says One Hundred, but I don't know if it means it cost $100, or it was 100% Beaver. Sent from my SM-A705FN using Tapatalk
I often generalize and associate these black leather sweatbands with more recent production hats. It’s interesting to see your 100, and you of all people are in a position to evaluate it compared to the other 100s. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
