Sublime Near Mint Authentic Vintage Late 1940s to Early 1950s Dove Grey Stetson Royal De Luxe St. Regis Fur Felt Homburg Hat Made for The Hecht Co. Baltimore with 2 ½” Pencil Curl Self Grosgrain Bound Brim, 5 ½” High Crown, 1 ¾” Black Grosgrain Outer Ribbon/Bow, Supple Gold Debossed Inner Leather Sweatband, Off-White Satin Lining, and Black Wind Trolley in Original Stetson Oval Box | Size US 7 EU 56 UK 6 7/8 | Luxurious Felt | Golden Age Style | Hollywood | Anthony Eden | Churchill | Godfather | Gangster | Semi-Formal Headwear | Lobbia | Spring/Summer 

Details: 

* Maker / brand: John B. Stetson Company, Philadelphia, PA (1865-1986) — Legendary hat manufacturer established by its namesake at the end of the Civil War period, and dissolved in the mid 1980s; today “Stetson” exists solely as a licensed brand controlled by Hatco, Inc. of Garland, Texas 

* Retailer: The Hecht Co. (a.k.a. Hecht Bros.), Baltimore, MD (1857-2006) — Venerable mid-Atlantic department store established in 1857 and operated by the German Jewish Hecht family until 1959 when it was acquired by the May Company and redubbed Hecht’s, which, like many other storied American department stores, met its ultimate demise in the early 2000s 

* Country of manufacture: United States of America

* Decade: 1940s, 40s, Forties, Nineteen-Forties; 1950s, 50s, Fifties, Nineteen-Fifties 

* Hat type: Fur felt Homburg 

* Style / look: Semi-formal, Golden Age of Menswear, Golden Age of Hollywood, Apparel Arts, Esquire, Gentry, Anthony Eden, Winston Churchill, Mobster, Gangster, Godfather, Al Pacino, Jazz, Swing, Bebop, Dapper

* Size (as labeled): US 7 | EU 56 | UK 6 7/8 | Medium (Original printed paper size label affixed above leather sweatband back seam; please see actual measurements below) 

* Colorway: Body: Dove grey; Outer band/ribbon and bow: Black; Grosgrain brim binding: Dove grey; Satin lining: Off-white; Inner leather sweatband: Russet brown; Wind trolley: Black   

* Materials: 

— Body (crown and brim): Highest quality fur felt

— Outer band/ribbon and bow: 1 3/8” millinery grosgrain (Petersham)

— Brim binding: 5/8” millinery grosgrain (Petersham)

— Inner sweatband: Leather

— Lining: Satin

— Inner back seam ribbon: Woven rayon/silk 

— Size label: Paper 

— Wind trolley button covering: Millinery grosgrain 

* Brim type: 2 ½-inch pencil curl brim with 5/8-inch grosgrain (Petersham) edge binding 

* Crown shape: Unpinched center dent 

* Branding: 

— On left side of inner leather sweatband: Gold-foil debossed John B. Stetson Company coat of arms to left of “Royal De Luxe” in script, followed by “STETSON” serif wordmark, and “St. Regis,” in same script typeface as above, at bottom 

— On right side of inner leather sweatband: Gold-foil debossed “THE HECHT CO.” retailer imprint in sans serif all caps 

— Printed seal on crown lining featuring elaborate royal coat of arms in red and olive above script “Royal De Luxe” in red and “STETSON” serif all caps wordmark in olive, all framed in fanciful baroque curlicues, also in olive

* Hat box: Original 14 ½ (L) x 13 1/8” (W) x 6 5/8” (H) branded oval cardboard hatbox in dove grey featuring repeat pattern in charcoal comprised of alternating coat of arms motif and STETSON wordmark and lid in contrast charcoal with faux gold rope trim decoration at top edge 

* Classic, sophisticated Homburg hat of impeccable craftsmanship and quality unrivaled by anything made today 

* Baltimore, MD / Washington, DC nostalgia piece 

* Desirable size 

* 100% authentic 1940s-1950s Stetson Royal De Luxe St. Regis fur felt Homburg hat manufactured to the highest standards for The Hecht Co. during the Golden Age of the needle trades in America 

Hat measurements (in inches):

* Inner sweatband circumference: 22

* Outer crown circumference: 23 ½ 

* Crown height: 5 ½ 

* Brim width: 2 ½  

* Outer grosgrain band width: 1 ¾ 

* Grosgrain brim binding width: 5/8 

* Crown length: 8 1/8 

* Crown width: 6 7/8 

* Inner front-to-back measurement: 7 5/8 

* Inner side-to-side measurement: 6 3/8

Note on fit: A true 7, this Homburg would suit best a human possessing a cranium of average size (7 is considered in the medium range). Please be guided by the measurements noted above, as well as all photos provided, to ensure a proper fit. No returns will be granted based on fit unless the measurements are shown to be vastly inaccurate — a highly unlikely eventuality. 

Box measurements (in inches): 

* Length: 14 ½ 

* Width: 13 1/8 

* Height: 6 5/8 

Hat condition: 

* Exquisite  

* Near mint

* Appears to have been worn very sparingly if at all 

* Felt immaculate, smooth, soft, sumptuous 

* Perhaps the slightest mustiness (curable with a little airing out and/or steaming) and faintest touch of yellowing along brim binding on account of age

* A few infinitesimal (and likely resolvable) specks, nips, fine lines detectable under close scrutiny, mainly ingrained imperfections in natural felt (please zoom in to Photos 1-6) 

* Outer grosgrain ribbon and bow outstanding (see Photo 5) 

* Inner leather sweatband pristine, supple; gold foil decoration superb; stitching flawless (see Photos 6-8) 

* Satin lining unsullied save a couple very faint, slender streaks 

* Crown and brim shape perfect 

* Wind trolley fully intact 

* No moth trails 

* No soiling, staining or sweat marks 

* No dents, bumps, or misshaping 

* Virtually no visible wear 

* Rare to find a septuagenarian Stetson so well-preserved and in original box 

* Hat has not been cleaned, steamed, reblocked or otherwise treated by seller; any care or intervention of this kind is to be carried out at buyer’s discretion with buyer assuming full responsibility for outcome of such work, whether performed by oneself or a third party (e.g., JJ Hat Center in NYC)  

Box condition: 

* In fine shape overall with visible deterioration to lower edge of lid (see Photo 10) 

* Body of box solid structurally and aesthetically, with a few minor creases, and slight wear to bottom edges 

* Printed graphic elements on exterior clear, bright, unspoiled 

* All inner cardboard elements, which hold hat safely in proper crown-down position, in splendid condition (see Photo 9) 

* Lid suffers from scattered water spots on top surface, creases along top edge, and considerable disintegration along lower edge, where chunks are missing in areas (see Photo 10) 

* Lid wear notwithstanding, box serves function of storing and protecting hat more than adequately

Please closely review all photos provided. 

Inquiries and offers welcome. 

Price: $500

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