Ovalized Sixteenths

[Garrett]

What, specifically, does the term Ovalized Sixteenths entail?

 

[Dinerman]

an advertising gimmick, essentially, from what I've seen. Done by Knox, I think. Makes it sound like it's a more precise fit, but every one I've seen has been sized like regular hats, that is, by eighths.

 

[Dinerman]

Every other example I've seen has been a standard eighth size, but I got one in that's going to make me eat my words. It's the earliest I've seen with the Ovalized sixteenths markings, so it's still possible that they held it over as a gimmick afterwards.

 

[Viper Man]

Hmmm, very interesting...

 

[Fletch]

Funny, I thought sixteenths were always oval...

lol

 

[Brad Bowers]

Every other example I've seen has been a standard eighth size, but I got one in that's going to make me eat my words. It's the earliest I've seen with the Ovalized sixteenths markings, so it's still possible that they held it over as a gimmick afterwards.

That is a nice early one! Hat Corporation first started using the term in '33, so that's pretty close.

I've never quite figured out exactly how they utilized it. I wonder if it stems from activities at the Cavanagh shop. There, hats were usually sized down to 1/32 of an inch, but one clerk was reported to get accurate down to 1/128 of an inch, but I'm not sure I buy that. That would have to be a really accurate conformateur.

Brad