Vintage Stetson - The Sovereign?

[Donato]

Does anyone know anything about a fedora made by Stetson called "The Sovereign"? It is a vintage model and I just picked one up on OFAS for $36.00 shipped. When I get it, I'll post some pics. Since it was so cheap, I thought I'd give it a whirl.
Specs:
2 1/2" brim
5" crown
grey w/black ribbon band and feather.
Made for JJ's Hat Center in New York

 

[Lamont Cranston]

The Sovereign

I have a Stetson Temple hat, It is perhaps fifteen or twenty years old.
The inside of the hat band is stamped "The Sovereign Stetson."
I was told at the time of purchase that "Sovereign" was a quality of felt
Like Deluxe, Royal Deluxe, Imperial and Premier.
At one time these names indicated to the consumer the quality of the hat.

When I purchased my Temple they told me that "Sovereign" was the highest quality of felt available from the Stetson "Brand" for fedoras.

I think they still make Temples, It was an Indiana Jones Hat.
After Stetson ended the marketing agreement they renamed the hat Temple for "The Temple of Doom" Indiana Jones film.
If it is a modern Stetson, the Hatband will be black not tan and it will have the modern liner.
The Temple has a raw, unfinished edge. Most other Stetsons at that time had a bound edge.

Hope that helps.
LC

 

[Donato]

Yes, that helps. Thanks. I did a search and found a little more information. In any case, I think I did well with the price of that vintage Sovereign and look forward to receiving it.

 

[Donato]

Vintage Sovereign Stetson Pics

This vintage Stetson Sovereign appears to be in excellent condition and I nabbed it for just $36.25 shipped.

 

[carouselvic]

Stetson

I believe that Stetson to be of quit recent manufacture.

 

[Dinerman]

Sometime within the last 15 years or so, you think?

 

[Donato]

I believe that Stetson to be of quit recent manufacture.

A ha! In other words, it is not so "vintage" as described? It looks like the Stetson Temple, or Chatham, but it was described by the seller on OFAS as "vintage." Well, for less than $37.00, how can I really complain?

 

[carouselvic]

Vintage.....of a certain period

You did not get hurt on the price. I think it is well worth what you paid. It is not what I would call a vintage Stetson. The term vintage can be quite vague.

 

[DickWhitmanMM]

ya sure that's "The Sovereign?"

..because it looks very different than the Sovereign Stetson I'm about to buy:

That is, of course, if Stetson made variations (brim) on the model

 

[Lefty]

I believe that sovereign is a quality designation, not a model name.

 

[feltfan]

You'll find information about the Sovereign "Ambassador" here
if you look around. It was made in the mid-50s. Excellent hat.

Sovereign being the quality designation, as Lefty notes,
and "Ambassador" being the model. Oh, and they were "20s",
which is the price and also an indicator of quality.

 

[carter]

I believe that sovereign is a quality designation, not a model name.

Exactly. Soverign is a quality designation for the felt. It is not a model or style. Many Stetsons have Soverign Quality felt. Stetson's highest quality felt is used in the Pinnacle (100% Beaver).

 

[Lon Goval]

Quality and Finish - Modern Stetson

I've been stumbling around a few websites and find references to "Sovereign Quality Finish", "Imperial Quality Suede Deluxe Finish", and other catagories of finish such as "Royal" and "Deluxe". These are usually 100% FUR Felt hats. This makes me think the difference is in the amount of "pouncing" or sanding done to get the final product. Similar to when I painted bicycles (high end road & track) and more clear coats and more sanding meant a higher quality finish (and higher price tag).

The various Beaver hats (Pinnacle, Pelham, Baldwin, Pullman) don't seem to mention any of the "Sovereign, Imperial, etc" as part of the finish or marketing terms. Just things like "super luxurious" and such (at least the sites I visited).

Keep the information coming and maybe I finally understand some of this.

Ralph

 

[Lefty]

This is not something that's going to be sorted out anytime soon. Stetson has used many, many quality designations over its long history (the standard vs. select type, the royal vs. imperial type, the 7x vs. 10x type). Coupled with its "price point" names (Stetson 15, 20, 40, 50, and 100 - I think that's all of them), you've got a real mess. There have been a number of efforts to clarify all of this, but to no avail. Despite previous failures, the effort does continue to this day.

As to the modern Stetsons, I believe that the Pinnacle is the only 100% pure beaver felt. Beaver is considered by many to be the best felt, but others believe that nutria, or some blend of hare or rabbit with beaver is superior. Other Stetsons are 100% fur felt, but unless you're a company insider, you have no idea of the fur (type and % of each if more than one) used in the felt.

 

[GWD]

Sovereign is definately the "Quality" designation. It looks like a Homburg to me. By the looks of the liner, hat pin, and size tag your hat probably 1980's or newer.

 

[Dinerman]

When it comes to quality , pretty much anything vintage (pre '65 or so), regardless of price point or designation, won't disappoint.

 

[GWD]

LMAO, I just noticed the date of the original post on this one!

 

[Lefty]

lol

 

[Golden Earache]

These Sovereigns have been cropping up lately. I just snagged a Mode Edge with a black sweat, but the hat I got couldn't have been any later than 1969. The store it came from was the JL Hudson CO. in Detroit that was bought out and the name changed in 1969. It also had the Stetson Crest pin, not the lettered pin.

When did Stetson first start using the black sweat?
When did they stop producing a Mode Edge?

 

[Brad Bowers]

When did they stop producing a Mode Edge?

Most likely in 1971, with the closing of the factory and sale of their equipment.

Brad