Who wants to teach me all about the Stetson 100?

[MattJH]

After watching, bidding on, losing, really losing, and then exceptionally losing this auction for a Stetson 100 in 7 5/8, I became particularly interested in it. What's the story behind the Stetson 100 hat? When was it manufactured? Did they all come with the hard case w/key? Who has one and what do you have to say about the felt? Did it really cost $100.00 when sold? Are they exceptional enough to warrant the ending price in this auction?

Etc., etc., etc. Whatever you know, I'm listening. Thanks!

 

[Dinerman]

Yep- it cost 100 bucks back in the '40s or '50s or so. Think the average stetson cost between 10 and 15 bucks. Haven't actually handled one (I missed buying one a couple months ago for 5 bucks ) but I'd imagine the quality is proportional to the cost.

 

[fedoralover]

I had one and traded it off as I have a Cavanagh 100. The felt is undoubtedly 100% beaver and extremely dense and yet very soft to the touch. I've seen them go for over $400. so that one is actually went cheap considering a Stratoliner just sold for over $300 and it was a 10.00 hat originally and no where near the quality. Go figure.
My Cavanagh 100s felt is very similar to the Stetson 100, but finished off nicer. They came in different types of hat boxes, some in a suitcase with a Stetson 100 logo on it. Others came in a regular Stetson hat box. Here's a pic.

fedoralover

 

[tinmanzzz]

Me To

After watching, bidding on, losing, really losing, and then exceptionally losing this auction for a Stetson 100 in 7 5/8, I became particularly interested in it. What's the story behind the Stetson 100 hat? When was it manufactured? Did they all come with the hard case w/key? Who has one and what do you have to say about the felt? Did it really cost $100.00 when sold? Are they exceptional enough to warrant the ending price in this auction?

Etc., etc., etc. Whatever you know, I'm listening. Thanks!

Hey, I was ready to pay retail ($100)....... Oh well, Maybe next time..[huh] [huh] [huh] [huh] [huh]

 

[feltfan]

It seems to me there were at least two Stetson 100s.
The one in the auction referenced at the beginning of this
thread seems to have been a 40s-50s Stetson 100.
It appears to be a truly incredible soft felt hat.
Personally, I would have gladly paid $400-$500 for that
hat and almost did, but after scrutinizing the listing
and exchanging email with the seller, I realized it probably
was not a 7 5/8 as listed, but perhaps a 7 3/8 (she was
too dumb to find the reorder tag), the sweatband had come
loose, and there was no way to be sure she had accurately
described any defect. So I declined.

The Stetson 100 one sees around more often is a stiff felt
cowboy hat. I have one (sitting up at Art's place- hi Art!)
and frankly in spite of the fine workpersonship, it doesn't impress
me all that much as a hat. Just not my thing. It's the one that
comes with the matching suitcase, that we have discussed before.

Since fedoralover brings up the Cavanagh 100 I'll note that I
have one of those, too, and it seems to me there is a big
difference which decade's Cav 100 you get, too. Mine appears
to be a 60s hat and again, nice as it is, it's not exciting like the
one fedoralover has. Mine is stiff and the original block (now changed)
was not so wonderful. I much prefer my Cavanagh 55, though
it again is a cowboy hat and not often my style.

I say, before you shell out the megabucks, make sure it's the style
you want (vintage you want) and make sure the seller gives you all the
information you need.

 

[besdor]

Stetson 100

I think that the major difference between the Stetson 100 and the Cavanaugh 100 is that the Stetson was meant to be sold as an Open Road style which is more stiff. The Cavanaugh hat was meant to be sold as a dress hat which is softer as it is a snap brim . The earlier Stetson's were softer because they used a better quality felt but any 100 that a person has is still better than anything alse that Stetosn ever made with the exception of the Stetson Ermine hat .
A hat like that today would easily cost 500.00 retail if it could me made.



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[Snrbfshn]

While not a Stetson...

I've got a Knox 100 that's a true dress hat -- the pinnacle example of the craft of Knox's master hatters:
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/jtban1/album/576460762329105978

I speculate it's a late '50s lid, based on reorder label typography and the handwriting inside the sweat -- 8457 (date 8/4/57?). It was custom made for Teck & Marks, Inc. in Mount Clemens, MI. I searched the Mount Clemens public library's historical database and found out a Nester Teck was the first zone chairman of the Lion's Club, chartered April 5, 1935, but no reference to the haberdashery. I've asked a library researcher to see if there's any more information in non-database files.