Question[s] about a Stetson[s]

[GWD]

Hi all, this is my first post so forgive my ignorance.

I'm a fedora newbie and would like to know what is the significance of the Numbers of Stetson Hat ie, a Stetson Twenty or Twenty Five? Thanks,

 

[carouselvic]

It was the cost of the hat.

 

[Fredthecat]

Welcome GWD,
Sit on down and enjoy the lounge.
No hat questions should go unasked or unanswered. These guys are very friendly, knowledgeable and willing to help.

The Fifteen, Twenty, etc seems to be tied to the cost of the hat in dollars at the time.

Here’s another simple question for them:
What’s do the number of Xs represent, as in what’s the difference between XXX and XXXX? Number of beavers used, finest/quality of felt?

Fredthecat

 

[Dinerman]

The x's represent the quality of the felt, as far as both content and finish go. A finer finished felt of the same content will get a higher X rating. Or at least that's the way it works in theory. As the rating system varies by manufacturer and time, it doesn't really mean much, that is, a vintage 3x stetson is much higher quality than a modern 5x, and a modern 10x stetson is absolute junk when compared to a vintage 7x.

A vintage 2x portis is very nice fur felt, while a modern 2x resistol is pure coarse wool.

To the question about numbers, the previous answer is correct. A stetson twenty cost $20 when new, and a stetson twenty five cost $25.

 

[GWD]

Thanks for your quick answers, how high did Stetson go "in the day" with the Fifteen, Twenty, Twenty Five pricing?

 

[Dinerman]

they went up to One Hundred.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

Because of inflation, there are also instances when a hat marked "ten" will be of the same or greater quality than a hat marked "twenty." Quality assumptions based on price, or X's, are valid only for the same manufacturer and the same time of manufacture. (One of my finest hats is an older Resistol "Ten." I also have a Resistol "One Hundred," from later years, which is not nearly as nice.)

 

[RBH]

Glad to have you with us GWD !

 

[GWD]

Glad to have you with us GWD !

Thank you! It's nice to be here.

 

[Highlander]

Yes, I'll agree with all written. I have an old GUS Crease 4x Cowboy hat from 20+ years ago. And it is a fine hat, has been rained on many a time, sweated through many a time and cleans up and looks sharp.

I have a new Silverbelly and a Black both in 4x, and they are at best moderate quality. I have a silverbelly 10X and a 30X. the 10x compares with my old 4x. The thirty is a nice hat.

I also have a Resistol 20X Black Gold, and it is a fine hat, with a luxurious suede like finish.

My favorite though is a Custom Made 10X Gus Crease made by Bronco Sue in Ruidoso, NM, .... The finest hat I own.

Steve

 

[mingoslim]

Ditto to everything said so far . . .

You will also find that Stetson used such grading monikers as:

Royal Stetson
Royal Deluxe Stetson
Imperial
Sovereign
and Premeire . . .

(I think I have those in the right order from lowest to highest)

A Royal Stratoliner is likely not going to have as nice a finish as a Royal Deluxe . . . But again, the year a hat was made makes a difference . . . an early 1940s will almost Royal most certainly will be finer quality than an early 60s Royal Deluxe . . .

To further compound the confusion, Stetson was not even very consistant as to which markings they used on any given model . . . Open Roads, for example, come listed by Xs . . . XXX, XXXX, XXXXXXX . . . as well as by "price" . . . I have two OR 25s . . . and in the late 40s and early 50s they were also designated as Royal, Royal Deluxe, etc. I have a Royal OR which is as nice or nicer than some later 25s . . .

So you really have to look at a lot of variables, and even then you can never be sure until you "feel the felt" (which was a slogan of Champ, by the way . . . not Stetson . . .)

Hope this doesn't confuse . . .
Mingo Slim

 

[tonyb]

As you've undoubtedly gathered by now, GWD, there is no quick answer to your quick question. Mingoslim's post lets you in on the unfortunate reality: those designations don't mean one whole heck of a lot, except for when the number designations equal in dollars the hats' suggested retail prices. But even that was relative. A 10 buck hat in, say, 1947 may well have been superior to a 20 dollar hat in 1956. And then again ...

 

[GWD]

You will also find that Stetson used such grading monikers as:

Royal Stetson
Royal Deluxe Stetson
Imperial
Sovereign
and Premeire . . .

(I think I have those in the right order from lowest to highest)

A Royal Stratoliner is likely not going to have as nice a finish as a Royal Deluxe . . . But again, the year a hat was made makes a difference . . . an early 1940s will almost Royal most certainly will be finer quality than an early 60s Royal Deluxe . . .

To further compound the confusion, Stetson was not even very consistant as to which markings they used on any given model . . . Open Roads, for example, come listed by Xs . . . XXX, XXXX, XXXXXXX . . . as well as by "price" . . . I have two OR 25s . . . and in the late 40s and early 50s they were also designated as Royal, Royal Deluxe, etc. I have a Royal OR which is as nice or nicer than some later 25s . . .

So you really have to look at a lot of variables, and even then you can never be sure until you "feel the felt" (which was a slogan of Champ, by the way . . . not Stetson . . .)

Hope this doesn't confuse . . .
Mingo Slim

I thought the Royal De Luxe was a better grade than the Royal, I'm glad you posted those ratings. I am reading that correctly, right?

Thanks again,

 

[mingoslim]

Royal Deluxe IS the Superior . . .

All things being equal.

Royal was the basic model . . .
Royal Deluxe was the next step up.
Then Imperial, etc. etc.

Sorry if I was nto clear on that.

Slim

 

[GWD]

All things being equal.

Royal was the basic model . . .
Royal Deluxe was the next step up.
Then Imperial, etc. etc.

Sorry if I was nto clear on that.

Slim

So the "Royal" Whippet was the "Cheap" Hat in the day?

 

[toobacat]

I have a Stetson that says Zenith Deluxe. Where would that fit into Stetson's ranking?

 

[DeVillain]

Hello everyone, I saw an older Stetson at a thrift mall a week ago and it's been bugging me ever since. I would have bought it (It fit perfectly amazingly and I believe it was felt) but the price on it was $50. The guy did have the original box for it though. I wish I had looked harder for a date, but I was too thrilled from it fitting and then disappointed at it being $50. I had just picked up a phenomenal deal earlier the same day - a pair of speakers at a Goodwill center for $18 that are worth $350 - so I couldn't bring myself to spend $50 on a hat (Seemed too much after spending the $18 on the speakers). The more I think of it though, I wonder if it was really such a bad price for it?

Here is a picture as best an approximation I can find of what it looked like (It didn't have a lip around the edge - but the colouring and style was similar elsewise):

Here is exactly what it looked like on the inside (And the lip around the edge on this is what it looked more like)

About all else I can say to help date it, the box had a fine checker pattern on it with an oversized Stetson crest on the side. The box was also square and flipped back (It was not a two-piece box with a removable lid).

So should I go back and get this hat at $50? I keep thinking about it, but I don't know if it's too much (I check Goodwills all the time and it is amazing what people just give to them, found a few nice overcoats there for $5! I think I could maybe luck into a fedora at some point and it'd be dirt cheap there, but condition may not be the best). The hat did not have any stains or flaws that I could note. I've just got to know so I can stop thinking about this hat! I don't have a proper fedora so I'm a bit antsy to find one!

 

[St.Ignatz]

Yes!

 

[danofarlington]

Hello everyone, I saw an older Stetson at a thrift mall a week ago and it's been bugging me ever since. I would have bought it (It fit perfectly amazingly and I believe it was felt) but the price on it was $50. The guy did have the original box for it though. I wish I had looked harder for a date, but I was too thrilled from it fitting and then disappointed at it being $50. !

Maybe a little high for it if it was a second-hand store, but you pass up something that fits you well and looks good at your peril. Clothing, especially vintage clothing, is often a series of one-of-a-kind items that will never roll around to you again. If you liked the hat I would try to spring for it. On the other hand, f you could take it or leave it, then leave it for the $50. E Bay has an infinite selection of hats. The problem with E Bay is that you can't try them on for fit, and you can't see how they look on you prior to the purchase.

 

[hatophile]

Dude,

Go get that hat!