IMO Smith & Wesson understood the commercial market from day one, whereas Colt's entire existence seems to be tied to government contracts as far back as the Walker Colt.

Having said that, if "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," then Colt cornered the market on it! Today, the 1873 pattern Colts are the most copied and reproduced SA style in the world, the 1911 (AFTER being put out to pasture by the military) is now being manufactured by none other than Smith & Wesson, Kimber, Sig Sauer, Taurus, Ruger, Springfield Armory, Rock Island...and a veritable host of other makers including Chinese made versions! And finally, the AR-15 "pattern" rifle is also being manufactured by S&W, Ruger, Sig-Sauer, and a litany of others!

I was gonna mention that, but it seemed a "drift" from the decidedly western leaning thread.

When I was a kid in NYC, most men I knew wore those types of dress hats. An Aunt's family prospered in the millinery trade.

My clearest early memory of my grandfather, was the beautiful Stetson hats he wore. When he visited our home, he placed his hat on the telephone table in the hall. When nobody was looking I would pick it up and admire it. In my mind I can still see the smooth curves, crisp edges, tight nap, the pure perfection of style.

I have an old 8mm film of my grandpa and his adult sons going fishing on a party boat. They arrived at the boat dressed beautifully in their street clothes, with coats, ties, and dress hats. Once they were on the water, they got comfortable, but they put all the dress attire back on before the boat docked. While they were of relatively modest means, pride dictated they not be seen in public any other way but formally.

Stetson may very well have made fedoras and business attire hats, but
out here in the west they are best known for the cowboy hat. When I
think of fedoras, I think of Borsalino hats. They have been made in Italy
for over 150 years. I think they were quite popular with gangsters. At
least gangsters successful enough to afford them. My one and only
Borsalino is shown below.

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In Omnia Paratus

Yes it was Les, they made all types of different styles of hats.
Many say that it was JFK who changed American styles to a "no hat culture" for men....don't know about that.

What I do know is that on that fateful morning in 1963 John Connolly gave JFK a Stetson Open Road upon his arrival in Dallas. JFK declined to even try on the hat and the rest is history.

Ya ever notice in the film noir that all the "characters" wore their hats tipped way back on the backs of their heads? Great hats but nobody in real life wore their hats like that. They do it in the movies for face shots, for the camera.

Everybody wore Brylcreem and Vitalis in their hair too. Slicked back elaborate hair styles....imagine what that did to the inside of a hat worn daily. It would have to get funky after a while.

Straw hats, even the expensive ones, only look nice one maybe two seasons because I sweat them out which stains the straw. Just another way of telling someone who works for a living.lol Someone with even an "inside job" is going to get caught out in the heat of the day sometime and that sweat is hell on a straw hat.

If you want to see something that will change the way you think of a Stetson.....Go on e-Bay and type "Stetson" into the search engine. You will get hits on everything from a fitted ball cap to a newsboy hat and all of them will have a Stetson label in them. Either they have diversified with off-shore production or they are the victims of Chinese knock-offs.

The "hand" or feel of the old Stetsons are much better than the new ones.

The picture below includes the Stetson that belonged to my paternal grandfather - his picture is also shown, together with some of his other belongings. The hat dates from very early in the last century.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Looks like he might have been a veteran of the Spanish-American War. .30 Krag-Jorgensen rifle? And some of his other gear looks
like it is from that era. Do you know his military history?

There is a painting by Frederick Remington of a US Infantryman of the Spanish-American War with the rifle and also the ammo
bandolier like in your picture. Pg. 75 The Story of the Gun by Ian V. Hogg.

The old Colt revolver looks like the model Theodore Roosevelt carried on San Juan Hill in 1898. From an old article in American
Rifleman Roosevelt said: "Two Spaniards leaped from the trenches and fired at us, not ten yards away. I closed in and fired
twice, missing the first and killing the second. He doubled up as neatly as a jack rabbit." Roosevelt received the Medal of
Honor for his actions that day.

I love history. Thank you Paladin for showing these great old artifacts.

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In Omnia Paratus

Have two Stetsons. 7X. One for everyday and one for dressing up. No cows anymore but got some nice horses and a living room full of saddles.

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Riding, Shooting, and Truth

I have a billed cap with the material that protects the neck from the sun. It has a Stetson label. It is very well made. It is my favorite for mowing the lawn. It even has a lanyard with clip so it can be easily retrieved in case it comes off the head.

To answer your questions:

My grandfather did not serve in the Spanish-American War. He was born in 1882, and would have been around 16 when that war began in 1898.

The revolver pictured is a .38 Special 5" Smith & Wesson Model 1902, which he evidently bought at a hardware store in Louisville KY sometime in 1904. At the time he owned a dry goods store in Crittenden, KY, and he carried it discreetly in the shoulder holster that is pictured. He wanted to be armed when carrying the day's cash intake to the bank located about a half a mile away. He kept it when he and his family moved to Arizona in 1924. It's seen hard service as evidenced by the fact that it has been re-nickled and bumped around a lot. I fired it only once using target loads. These early Hand Ejectors could fire if dropped on the hammer.

Teddy Roosevelt carried a .38 double action Colt which had been retrieved from the sunken battleship Maine. He used it going up Kettle Hill in the San Juan Heights in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Most of his men, if they had handguns, would have been issued Colt 1873 single action revolvers in .45 Colt caliber. Teddy gave his Krag to an officer who had arrived to join the unit too late to have one issued to him - for his own use, he had an 1895 Winchester in .30/40 Government caliber.

The Spanish-American War artifacts are from my collection. The Model 1896 Krag-Jorgensen carbine is identical to the weapons used by the Rough Riders. The canteen is authentic, and the ammo belt was used by an Ohio volunteer outfit in the war. The cartridges in the belt are of the period - one was "tinned" to prevent corrosion in humid climates such as Cuba.

I have inherited some of my grandfather's personal possessions, which are illustrated here. Interestingly, the wallet contains a small celluloid calendar from 1942, the year he died from kidney failure. The dollar bill is a 1925 issue silver certificate, which was also in the wallet at the time of his death. He never used the new-fangled safety razors, but instead preferred the old straight variety. The Stetson was his, as was the carpenter's ruler - he built a couple of houses for rental income in the 1930s using that ruler - both still stand in Phoenix today.

John

__________________
- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Thanks for all that Paladin. Very interesting.

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In Omnia Paratus

I like the functionality of the cowboy style hat. Lots of sun in Atlanta. Would I look like (more of) a fool wearing a cowboy hat in Atlanta not dressed in western wear?

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Just hanging with my dogs

If wearing a suit, and the cowboy style hat, I would add boots. Justin
Ropers are very comfortable. Round toe and walking heel.
Now if you were wearing Bermuda shorts and a T shirt, someone might
think you foolish.
However it's very liberating to not worry about what others think.

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In Omnia Paratus

I'm 73 years old and really don't care what anyone thinks of my choice in headwear. I have a small collection of vintage Stetsons, a couple from the 1940s. Usually wear the hats with boots and a bola tie. But this is Wyoming and I never get a second look.

I'll bet a dollar to a donut that he bought the revolver from Belknap. Belknap Hardware and Manufacturing Company - Wikipedia

You are quite correct. I lettered the gun, and it in fact was shipped from S&W to Belknap in Louisville in 1904.

John

__________________
- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

The time I started wearing a hat had nothing to do with cowboys. After a very enjoyable weekend of racing at Laguna Seca Raceway, I noticed two things; my hair was starting to thin on top, and I had a painful sunburn on my scalp. I have been wearing a hat ever since. Even Carroll Shelby wears a hat to the race track, and I'll bet it is a Stetson.

My everyday hat is with my jacket near the front door. I never leave home without it. My good black Stetson goes with my good suit and black boots. Those are my marryin', buryin', testifyin' clothes. That's what I wear at weddings, funerals, and in court. Although I'm happily retired, I still get called back to testify on my old cases.

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In Carrol Shelby's case, I'm afraid you should use the past tense. That bum ticker of his caught up with him in 2012 R.I.P.

This one has to be from the 1970's.
Has not been out of the box except for this pic.
4X from Sam's Western Store, Riverside Calf.
Wife bought it outta a yard sale for 3 dollars near
25 years ago...

Yes, that style is known as a Stagecoach.
High crown and wide band, very classy period hat.

I guess I’ll get in on the act. I have a couple of Stetson’s. The first is a “ white hunter” style hat that I’ve owned for over 30 years. Never been to Africa, but I love wearing it when I’m holding my .416 Rigby and dreaming about a charging Cape buffalo. The other Stetson is a recent purchase although the person I purchased it from said he’d owned it for over 20 years. I believe it’s called a Montana Twin Peaks. Both hats are 4X beaver. Bill

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Here's my work Stetson hat. I wish I could remember all the places I've been with it. Many memories for sure

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