Any Stetson Hat experts?

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I was rummaging through the burned out remains of my grandfather's ranchhouse and found a Stetson 3x hat in a closet that wasn't burned. I sent an inquiry to Stetson and was told that they couldn't really help me, but that there were some Stetson hat experts on various sites.

Any fellow members an expert on old Stetson hats? I have attached some photos. The only numbers inside are 322 238 557.

I would like to know the approximate date of manufacture.

Grandpa was a fabulous trap shooter and may have won this at a trap shoot.....I get to use his '97 Winchester mfg. in 1902 for SASS...kinda like having grandpa with me!

Any help is greatly appreciated!!

Bugler
 

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Sorry I can't help with the vintage of your grandpa's hat, but it sure is handsome.

I have a 20-year-old Stetson, and my logo on the band is different than your grandpa's. I know the company changed hands at least once.

Hope somebody can come along and offer some help for you.

Danged good lookin' hat.
 
Looks like 3.5 Brim and probably 4 or 4.5 inch crown. I'd bet money on the it being an Open Road that has been re-shaped. 3x depending on vintage would indicate a lower quality hat. Look inside the headband and see if there is a small white tag. It will give you additional information.

I have a couple 50x and 100x hats. Generally the greater X the greater quality and amount of actual beaver.
 
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3.5 is correct and the crown is almost 5" at it's highest. I do agree that it was re-blocked at some time.
No small white tag, there is a small red tag that has the numbers I mentioned in my first post.
Any idea as to what year or years it would be from?
I thought it resembled the current production Dune hat.....
Randy
 
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Fedora Lounge! That is the site I was trying to think of.
Very helpful. My late hubby had a lot of Stetson's and I really had to do a lot of research when I sold them and that was the place.
 
Yes, 3X is the lowest quality but in older hats
the amount of fur was more so a 3X from the
1940s might rate a much higher X factor today.

Truth is the X rate is rather arbitrary nowadays
among hatmakers.
 
The crown is what we used to call a Mule Skinner, but since Lonesome Dove came out it seems to now be called a Gus or Montana crown. Still one of my favorites. I like a little wider brim and a few more beaver x's. Beautiful hat you got there, if it fit me I'd wear it.
 
3.5" brim is much larger than the Open Road series, which generally featured a brim of 2.75" (more or less, depending on hat size and period of production). Open Road also featured a bound edge on the brim, which I don't see on your hat. The plain white satin lining indicates fairly recent production to my recollection, perhaps no more than 10 years or so. Overall style of blocking and brim indicates some custom work being done on it (nothing wrong with that, lots of us prefer to style our own Stetsons). 3X is pretty much the bottom of the felt quality scale in recent years, although (as others have pointed out) the older hats were of generally better quality than those of more recent production, given the same "X" rating for beaver fur content.

Nice hat. Try to enjoy it and remember where it came from.
 
Stetson invented the quality based on the "x" value. On vintage hats, the "x" meant something, in your case it could be 100% beaver depending on the age because in old Stetsons 3X was 100%. carefully look under the sweat band (could crack if rotten) for a tag and that can tell you a lot towards its age and style of hat. Now the "x" has lost all meaning and means nothing. If its bristly feeling its not 100% beaver, if it's extremely silky feeling could be 100% beaver. Tags tell the story, get some pictures.
 
Nice hat. In addition to the websites referenced (The Fedora Lounge will help you if you post better pictures including the inside top of the hat and the relevant numbers), the book Stetson Hats 1865-1970is a good source of information on early Stetsons.

Almost all Open Road Stetsons were so marked on the sweat band, and had a bound brim with a grosgrain hat band tacked to the crown on both ends. None that I have seen came with a leather band, although the OP's hat may have had that added when the other custom work was done.

Stetson hats were made in various grades, not always identifiable by "x" value. I am a fan of and own several Open Road Stetsons including an early xxx, a Stetson "25" and a seven x clear beaver.

I don't think a 3x was ever 100% beaver. I do agree that the early 3x Stetsons were much superior to versions made after about 1970 regardless of x rating. I know that my 3x Open Roads are much superior to a later 4x in a different style.

The 25, 50, and 100 series indicated the percentage of beaver fur in the hat.
 
Nice looking hat, wear it in good health and memory. My first thought was also an open road but it is a bit large for that. Congrats on finding it, enjoy.
 
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