Hat is in very good condition - no stains in the felt, no insect damage, no odors, leather sweatband stitching intact with no tears or cracks. The leather sweatband states \'Melorol\' and there is no clear definition today of what that really meant. The fur felt is exceptionally thin, lightweight, very smooth finish. The leather sweatband is thinner than typical; a very lightweight hat. I estimate the vintage manufacture at approximately 1955-1960. The pictures speak to the well-kept condition of the hat; previous owners and wearers have treated it with reasonable care.
This is a western-style thin-ribbon fedora with snap brim and bound brim edge. There is a wind string with button (some call this a wind trolley) around the base of the crown; the string could be unwound from the crown and buttoned to the lapel of a coat as \'insurance\' on a windy day. The snap brim is 2 1/2 in wide measured from the crown ribbon out to the edge. Hat is marked 7 1/8 (see pics), extra long oval. Hat has shrunk over the years and fits my 7 1/8 noggin snug. Resistol\'s classic Byer-Rolnick crest is shown in three colors (gold, crimson, brown) in the crown tip, under the clear plastic tip liner. The liner is tacked to the felt with thread. The crown, as shaped, is about 4\" tall at the notch in front and about3 7/8\" at the back, 4 1/4\" at the highest points to the sides.
The color is green, shading to a teal side of olive. I took pics in several lighting conditions, including one in sunlight, to show the color. Resistol\'s claim to \'self-conforming\' is a reference to how well the leather sweatband will conform to the shape of an individual\'s head. The leather sweatband bends out of the crown just slightly, a mark of quality construction, to ensure the sweatband stitching does not imprint on your forehead.
Hat comes with a vintage Resistol box (NOT the original box for this hat) that is also in very good condition.
Resistols are made in Texas near Dallas; this one was sold from Adam\'s Men\'s Store in Arcadia, Fla. as shown by the sweatband. Note the abbreviation Fla. instead of FL, dating from a time before the States\' abbreviations were standardized into two letters.
