Side By Side/ Hat Comparisons

[wsmontana]

Here is a side-by-side that compares a 3X Beaver and a 4X Beaver for a 60s/70s Stetson Revenger. All variables (e.g., model, vintage, color, size, and condition) are the same — the only apparent difference is the X designation.

See the attached photos for a visual comparison but in summary the 4X felt is a bit more supple and deeper/richer in color. The 4X liner has piping and the 3X does not. There is a $35 price tag inside the sweat on the 4X. Unfortunately there is no such tag on the 3X but it is a step down so I would guess a $25 hat.

 

[Blare]

Side by Side by Side

(Tres) Resistol Beaver 15 (I guess we can call them The “Beaver 45”)

Three of the same model Beaver 15 from Resistol. All three appear to be about 1950s vintage. They all share very similar dimensions with 5 3/4 crowns and approx 2 3/8 brims (I have 2 1/4 on my notes for the grey and black). All three also sport a Cavanagh edge.

The felts on these hats are fantastic… if I give and edge to one it would be the tan. But all three certainly mold with ease. Two of the hats, the tan and the grey/black have oil skin liner tips and wind trolley, while the grey/silver has a thin clear plastic tip and no wind trolley. This leads me to think the ones with the wind trolley would be slightly older in age…. the nixing of wind trolley a cost cutting measure. With my guess that the grey/black the older of the two with the wider liner tip. But just a guess on my part

Resistol was definitely doing a lot of things right with their dress hats in this era. In fact.. I’d put these fifteen dollar hats at or above the twenty dollar HCA offerings of this era that I have handled.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Side by Side by Side

View attachment 518023

(Tres) Resistol Beaver 15 (I guess we can call them The “Beaver 45”)

Three of the same model Beaver 15 from Resistol. All three appear to be about 1950s vintage. They all share very similar dimensions with 5 3/4 crowns and approx 2 3/8 brims (I have 2 1/4 on my notes for the grey and black). All three also sport a Cavanagh edge.

View attachment 518025

The felts on these hats are fantastic… if I give and edge to one it would be the tan. But all three certainly mold with ease. Two of the hats, the tan and the grey/black have oil skin liner tips and wind trolley, while the grey/silver has a thin clear plastic tip and no wind trolley. This leads me to think the ones with the wind trolley would be slightly older in age…. the nixing of wind trolley a cost cutting measure. With my guess that the grey/black the older of the two with the wider liner tip. But just a guess on my part

View attachment 518026

Resistol was definitely doing a lot of things right with their dress hats in this era. In fact.. I’d put these fifteen dollar hats at or above the twenty dollar HCA offerings of this era that I have handled.


View attachment 518027
View attachment 518024
View attachment 518022

Gorgeous presentation of these Resistol Beaver 15's. The stacked pic and the side, angles and ending in the ribbons are just grand. It is fun to see the small differences. I do want to reach out thru my laptop screen and crease the 15's.

Thank you for sharing your hats and doing it superbly. Dang I truly enjoy this thread!

Cheers, Eric -

 

[Blare]

Gorgeous presentation of these Resistol Beaver 15's. The stacked pic and the side, angles and ending in the ribbons are just grand. It is fun to see the small differences. I do want to reach out thru my laptop screen and crease the 15's.

Thank you for sharing your hats and doing it superbly. Dang I truly enjoy this thread!

Cheers, Eric -

Thank you for the kind words of encouragement, Eric.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Absolutely true - Air Light!

I would like to share some pics of two Air Light Stetson Playboys. On my hat rack I have a couple of Stetson Playboys that have Air Light on the sweats.

The felts of the light blue-gray and a darker gray Playboys are truly thin and light. They take a crease so very easy. I crease them carefully as they can get a thin paper crease. I fear the felts would eventually fail if pinched tightly. From the pics you can see finger marks from my creases. I can smooth them out, but I find it so telling and let them be when I wear them.

The gray Playboy does indeed have a puzzling brim edge treatment.

The hat does have an elusive vent feature.

Both have, to my experience, the expected Stetson Playboy ribbon treatment.

The unreeded sweats are very comfortable.

A snowflake vent is on the top of the crown on the gray fedora. A label is on the top of the blue-gray.

I feel very fortunate to have the two Stetson Air Light Playboy's. Thanks for letting me share my hat Side-By-Side pics.

Cheers, Eric. -

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Side by Side CAP Comparison is below. Hat only folks can disregard.

I took this afternoon off and when arriving home I have been under the brim of a straw cap. I would like to share my cap today and offer a visual comparison of three straw caps.

Today's 8 panel woven straw Codova Cap.

An eight point woven straw Cordova Cap.

A truly lightweight straw cap.

All three caps.

I shared this post with my wife before posting the comparison. She has a fav. While my wife is supportive of my cap selection, I can tell that she has some skeptisim about owning three straw caps.

Thanks for taking a gander at my three straw caps.

Cheers, Eric -

 

[Blare]

The TWO Musketeers

Thought it would be a fun idea to do a Side by Side of my two Stetson Musketeer

One in a light sky blue to almost a pale sea foam maybe we could call sea mist. The second is a champagne to light whiskey colored felt

The ribbon on the bluish hat is a silver/grey over maroon two tone. While the tan toned hat has champagne over maroon. Two striking combinations.

There is a color variant to the liners as well. The blue toned hat has a single tone light champagne silk liner while the tan colored hat as a two toned liner using the same light champagne liner body with a maroon liner tip.

These are the two color variants I am currently aware of for the Stetson Musketeer which was a Stetson model advertised for sale in 1950. I wonder if there are others.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

The TWO Musketeers

Thought it would be a fun idea to do a Side by Side of my two Stetson Musketeer

One in a light sky blue to almost a pale sea foam maybe we could call sea mist. The second is a champagne to light whiskey colored felt

View attachment 558300 View attachment 558301 View attachment 558302

The ribbon on the bluish hat is a silver/grey over maroon two tone. While the tan toned hat has champagne over maroon. Two striking combinations.

View attachment 558303

There is a color variant to the liners as well. The blue toned hat has a single tone light champagne silk liner while the tan colored hat as a two toned liner using the same light champagne liner body with a maroon liner tip.

View attachment 558304 View attachment 558305 View attachment 558306


These are the two color variants I am currently aware of for the Stetson Musketeer which was a Stetson model advertised for sale in 1950. I wonder if there are others.

View attachment 558307


View attachment 558308 View attachment 558309

Thanks for the posting of your gorgeous hats!

I have come back to this post a couple of times. Excellent pics that really showcase your unique hats. Bold ribbon treatments, but they really work to my eye.

Wear the Musketeers proudly. "Never fear quarrels, but seek hazardous adventures. All for one and one for all. All for one and one for all, united we stand divided we fall."

Thanks for sharing your hats. Cheers, Eric -

 

[Blare]

Thanks for the posting of your gorgeous hats!

I have come back to this post a couple of times. Excellent pics that really showcase your unique hats. Bold ribbon treatments, but they really work to my eye.

Wear the Musketeers proudly. "Never fear quarrels, but seek hazardous adventures. All for one and one for all. All for one and one for all, united we stand divided we fall."

Thanks for sharing your hats. Cheers, Eric -

Thank you Eric. Much appreciated. I really do enjoy this styling as well.

one other observation between these two hats… there is a difference to the felt itself. The blue one has this sort of zaftig soft fullness whereas the tan holds a bit sharper line. I suspect this may be due to the steamed brushing and shaping i gave it To get out old crinkles. The blue one I do not believe I have hit with steam at all and is very soft.

 

[Blare]

Stetson Playboys - Side by Side

We have here three Royal Stetson hats, two labeled Playboy on the sweat and one that is not but has all the Playboy styling cues. They are not quite the vintage of the two lovely examples Eric posted above. But it is a fun comparison none the less.

First a late 1950s early 1960s Playboy in steel blue grey with a 2 1/4 brim with a single row of stitching. The second earlier 1950s Playboy in the lesser common (for Playboy) black color. This one features a 2 1/8 brim with no stitching. The third has features most representative of an early 1950s Playboy, however it is not labeled as such. It has a 2 1/2 brim with a single row of brim stitching.

All three hats have an approximately 3/4 inch mid ribbon.

All three hats have similar boxy blocking to the crown.

While the black one has the shortest brim of the three… I noticed today.. some imperfections in the shape of the brim.. leading me to believe it may have had its brim trimmed at some point. Explaining both the shorter brim and lack of brim stitching. Although.. i believe there have been other examples of Playboys without the brim stitching.

In all… it is somewhat surprising that of the three… the hat that has the most “Playboy” features is the one that doesn’t have the name. What is not surprising is that all three are a pleasure to wear.

 

[steur]

Stetson Playboys - Side by Side

View attachment 588632

We have here three Royal Stetson hats, two labeled Playboy on the sweat and one that is not but has all the Playboy styling cues. They are not quite the vintage of the two lovely examples Eric posted above. But it is a fun comparison none the less.

View attachment 588633

First a late 1950s early 1960s Playboy in steel blue grey with a 2 1/4 brim with a single row of stitching. The second earlier 1950s Playboy in the lesser common (for Playboy) black color. This one features a 2 1/8 brim with no stitching. The third has features most representative of an early 1950s Playboy, however it is not labeled as such. It has a 2 1/2 brim with a single row of brim stitching.

View attachment 588635

All three hats have an approximately 3/4 inch mid ribbon.

View attachment 588634

All three hats have similar boxy blocking to the crown.

While the black one has the shortest brim of the three… I noticed today.. some imperfections in the shape of the brim.. leading me to believe it may have had its brim trimmed at some point. Explaining both the shorter brim and lack of brim stitching. Although.. i believe there have been other examples of Playboys without the brim stitching.

View attachment 588636

In all… it is somewhat surprising that of the three… the hat that has the most “Playboy” features is the one that doesn’t have the name. What is not surprising is that all three are a pleasure to wear.

View attachment 588638 View attachment 588637 View attachment 588639

Excellent comparison, Joe. Cool to see them side by side.

 

[Blare]

Excellent comparison, Joe. Cool to see them side by side.

Thank you Stefan.

 

[VoodooSan]

Stetson Playboys - Side by Side

View attachment 588632

We have here three Royal Stetson hats, two labeled Playboy on the sweat and one that is not but has all the Playboy styling cues. They are not quite the vintage of the two lovely examples Eric posted above. But it is a fun comparison none the less.

View attachment 588633

First a late 1950s early 1960s Playboy in steel blue grey with a 2 1/4 brim with a single row of stitching. The second earlier 1950s Playboy in the lesser common (for Playboy) black color. This one features a 2 1/8 brim with no stitching. The third has features most representative of an early 1950s Playboy, however it is not labeled as such. It has a 2 1/2 brim with a single row of brim stitching.

View attachment 588635

All three hats have an approximately 3/4 inch mid ribbon.

View attachment 588634

All three hats have similar boxy blocking to the crown.

While the black one has the shortest brim of the three… I noticed today.. some imperfections in the shape of the brim.. leading me to believe it may have had its brim trimmed at some point. Explaining both the shorter brim and lack of brim stitching. Although.. i believe there have been other examples of Playboys without the brim stitching.

View attachment 588636

In all… it is somewhat surprising that of the three… the hat that has the most “Playboy” features is the one that doesn’t have the name. What is not surprising is that all three are a pleasure to wear.

View attachment 588638 View attachment 588637 View attachment 588639

Triple awesomeness, Joe!

 

[Blare]

Triple awesomeness, Joe!

Thanks Mark!

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Stetson Playboys - Side by Side

View attachment 588632

We have here three Royal Stetson hats, two labeled Playboy on the sweat and one that is not but has all the Playboy styling cues. They are not quite the vintage of the two lovely examples Eric posted above. But it is a fun comparison none the less.

View attachment 588633

First a late 1950s early 1960s Playboy in steel blue grey with a 2 1/4 brim with a single row of stitching. The second earlier 1950s Playboy in the lesser common (for Playboy) black color. This one features a 2 1/8 brim with no stitching. The third has features most representative of an early 1950s Playboy, however it is not labeled as such. It has a 2 1/2 brim with a single row of brim stitching.

View attachment 588635

All three hats have an approximately 3/4 inch mid ribbon.

View attachment 588634

All three hats have similar boxy blocking to the crown.

While the black one has the shortest brim of the three… I noticed today.. some imperfections in the shape of the brim.. leading me to believe it may have had its brim trimmed at some point. Explaining both the shorter brim and lack of brim stitching. Although.. i believe there have been other examples of Playboys without the brim stitching.

View attachment 588636

In all… it is somewhat surprising that of the three… the hat that has the most “Playboy” features is the one that doesn’t have the name. What is not surprising is that all three are a pleasure to wear.

View attachment 588638 View attachment 588637 View attachment 588639

Thanks for sharing Joe. I really enjoy seeing the hat comparisons posted on this thread. Your hats are just grand.

The black hued Playboy is just so darn rare. Not many have survived the decades. Which leads the question how many of each hue did Stetson actually make? Do we have the correct number of hues of the Playboy ( I believe the list is somewhere in the vintage Stratoliner thread.) We will never know with certainty, but it is something to ponder about.

Anywhoo, your Playboys are grand! The collage with the hats in columns is just the bee's knees.

Cheers, Eric -

 

[Blare]

Thanks for sharing Joe. I really enjoy seeing the hat comparisons posted on this thread. Your hats are just grand.

The black hued Playboy is just so darn rare. Not many have survived the decades. Which leads the question how many of each hue did Stetson actually make? Do we have the correct number of hues of the Playboy ( I believe the list is somewhere in the vintage Stratoliner thread.) We will never know with certainty, but it is something to ponder about.

Anywhoo, your Playboys are grand! The collage with the hats in columns is just the bee's knees.

Cheers, Eric -

Thank you so much Eric. I enjoy putting them together when I have the time and inspiration. Certainly influenced by the great side by sides you have posted yourself.

The black Playboy is a very cool hat. Unfortunate though to think it probably once sported a wider brim. But I do really enjoy it in its current proportions