Help Me Identify This Hat

[Slouch-Hat]

I bought this old hat at an antique shop years ago; well before I knew much about hats. I think I paid under 20 bucks for it. It's been a great knock-around hat for quite some time for me, but now I'd like to get a line on just what style and brand of hat it is. Any ideas? It came without any labels, hatband or liner. I appreciate anything useful you can tell me.

 

[RBH]

Hey friend all I can tell you is ...looks like it has been a goon one.

 

[Dinerman]

No way to tell the brand, really, with everything missing. It's a stingy brim fedora, but I'm not sure from when, exactly

 

[Slouch-Hat]

Thanks. I love this old friend, and it has served me well.

 

[Dinerman]

looks like it's got a cavanagh-type edge, so it was a pretty decent hat when it started life.

 

[Slouch-Hat]

I'd love to see something like it in new condition so I can get some idea of just how it started out. Thanks for all the info. Please keep it coming.

Diners rock!!!

 

[Stoney]

Tall Straight Crown, Teardrop bash Stingy maybe 1950s.
Give us a closeup of the brim edge. If it is a stitched welt then most likely 1950 to 1960 max. 1960s to 1970s hats usually had shorter crowns and some taper in the crown. If it has a felted in edge, Cav or Mode edge, chances are higher for it to be much older maybe even 1920s or 30s. they has some stingy hats back then too.

All of these clues may be meaningless if the hat has been re-blocked and shaped in an earlier style.

You may be able to clean, re-block and rebuild this hat if the felt is serviceable.
You can always send it out to get an estimate on a refurb as well.

 

[Dinerman]

I had a stetson with the same type of crown and brim width that was dated 1954. It just doesn't look '30s to me, and certainly not '20s. Too stingy for that. But then again, the crown is pretty straight sided. I'd say '55 to '65? Probably more towards the earlier end

 

[Brad Bowers]

Something to think about

The crown looks pretty tall, proportionally-speaking, which could indicate an earlier hat. Also, if that IS a Cavanagh Edge, it's quite wide, which is more prevalent on older hats than the more refined Cav Edges of later years. Could be an older Crofut & Knapp, in that case. An off-brand might have made one that wide in later years.

Have a hatter give it a good cleaning and rebuild, as it's probably worth keeping.

Brad

 

[Slouch-Hat]

Here's a look at the brim edge, close-up. I'd love to get the hat cleaned, but maybe it has more character in its current condition.

 

[Dinerman]

yep- it's a cav. edge. how wide's the brim?

 

[Slouch-Hat]

Just a hair under 2 inches.

 

[bolthead]

What's the felt feel like?

 

[Brad Bowers]

The edge, then, is around 5/16" to 3/8"? That's about what it looks.

If you punch out the crown, how tall is it?

Two-inch brims were quite common in the late 1920s/early 1930s. I'm holding on to my skepticism, but the jury's still out...

Brad

 

[Slouch-Hat]

Soft and pliable, kind of thick, and it has a smooth texture, not fuzzy at all.

 

[Slouch-Hat]

Punched out, the crown is 5 - 5 1/2 inches.

 

[Stoney]

I have some hats from the 1950s that have cav edges just about the same size.
However, that is a very tall crown and the bash, although beaten, sure looks like it was sold open crown and bashed by hand. I'm still leaning towards an earlier hat than 1950s. Stingy hats have been around a long while..It's hard to tell with just this much info.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Hmm, sure looks taller than that. I'll have to blame it on the lens.lol

General consensus would then say '50s or '60s, but maybe an off brand.

Brad

 

[jamespowers]

Well it would have looked like this if from the 1920s-30s:

likely like this from the early 1950s:

and like this from the late 1950s:

My guess would be earlier 50s.

 

[Brad Bowers]

I have some hats from the 1950s that have cav edges just about the same size.

Mallory, perhaps? Maybe some of the Stetson Mode Edges were that big, I can't remember for sure. I haven't studied them as much as the Hat Corp. brands. Hat Corp. was shackling them much smaller by then.

I'm with you Stoney, this hat just seems older. It sure looks like it has a 6-inch crown to me. If it was a 6-inch crown, I would say it's definitely older. I've got a '50s 5 1/2" Cavanagh, and it looks a lot shorter than this hat.

Brad