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 ****** 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 ****** 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