This hat going to cut the mustard?

[Black River Smith]

Black Powder Sir,

The hat I am referring to is the one on the rock that the dyeing man is propped against.  No one in the posse has a deep crease.

They are more Calvary curves.

Thanks for taking on the task.

[Black Powder]

BRS -

You won't believe how relieved I am to hear that.  I wasn't sure of the connection and I'm not at all studied on the subject.  I didn't even consider looking closer at Mr. Sontag; it was clear he wasn't wearing a hat!

One thing is clear, at least to me: Of those pictures I submitted, that are purported to be from the 1880s, there are at least a dozen hats visible.  I'm a little hard pressed to see any two of them alike.

I tried to make a decent enlargement of the hat to which you were referring.  I have a less-cropped version that includes Mr. Sontag, but it's indecent.  The hat pictured is from June 10, 1893.  (http://www.mnriv.com/sontag.html)

BP

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

yEA BP , and look at the black hat just left of the white hat, that one looks like a roper hat, I've got one that looks pretty close to it ,there's a picture of my Great Granddad, back in the late 1880's to early, 1890's that looks like a hat they call a Montana Slope, the picture I believe is in Nebraska, or Colorado, I'll try in fine out who has these pictures and see if I can take a picture of it with mine.



                                         tEN wOLVES 

Look at the white hat in the center.  Captioned as "Colorado range in the 1880s."  From T/L Cowboys.

BP

[Ol Gabe]

B.P.,
The pic you posted with the enlargment of the gent on the right frame...it looks remarkedly like a young Ward Bond! Suppose Ward is/was any relation to him?
Best regards and good viewing!
'Ol Gabe

[Black River Smith]

BP,

That last photo was the one I was referring too.

I totally agree with you concerning the appearance of 'any two looking alike'.  They belonged to 'a person'.  They did not belong to a store or image.  That person used it all the time and it took on the shape and abuse of the person.  Yes, there were dress hat and Sunday hats but most photos indicate a plain no general pattern 'head covers'.

There were Boss of the plains and calvary and derby and Montana peaks and round tops and civil war slouch and other names.

But does one or two photo's make them acceptable or less acceptable when compared to all the other hundreds of heads with hats we see in photos or have to choose from.

Note hat John Sontag has on in the photo in the link.  Interesting

Have fun!!

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy!

If this is noticeable to ME, then the rest of ya prob'ly saw it ages ago.    Like mentioned, few of these hats look alike.  There are general similarities, but the only major similarities I've noticed is that our newer hats are generally taller and have wider brims.

Anyone else notice that?  Even the BOP with totally un-bent crown are about the height of our newer hats AFTER they're creased.  However, even THAT is more regional, 'cause I understand that hat brims of the Southwest had bigger brims, and were somewhat taller because of the hotter sunny conditions.  I read one account that the taller hats didn't heat up the head as badly, and a wider brim offered more neck and head shade.

I think the fact that few hats were styled alike - except generally - supports the idea that your hat is pretty personal and within reason, 'bout ANY style could be found and worn.  "In Common Use" may be a bit too specific in this case.  EVERY man wore a hat, and THAT is the common use: regions generally dictated the style, especially before the mid to late '80s.

Next in uniform ...

[River City John]

Why no one ever really goes for the truely authentic hat crease seen on countless of documented photos of actual working cowhands.

[Delmonico]

Some do John,



but it it too much work for most folks, see you get an open crown and wear it a lot, I mean a real lot, you sweat in it, you protect yerself from the rain in it, you fan yer fire with it, let it take on it's own shape from how you handle it.  But you only clean it enough to be sorta sanitary.

[Ol Gabe]

Hmmm...
That pic of the feller in the slicker looks a lot like Sgt. Squawker, the infamous Omaha Rail Ranger!
As I understand it, and from what I remember about his exploits as told around the High Lonesome campfires late at night, he trailed and finally brought in that infamous ne'er-do-well O. D. Poteet from down Texas way after Poteet slandered the wrong person, of course this has never been proven.
Yup, his image matches that from the stories, right down to the squint behind those spectacles. He has been known to change his outfit frequently by the use of a steam pot to reshape his hat and tarnish his clothes to fit into different gangs and work crews in order to garner information towards capturing criminals and other doers of bad deeds. His Detective work seems to be non-pareil!
They say he was last been seen running the rails West of Omaha in search of some Gun-runners and he was hot on the trail, er, rather rails!
We hope he has a good year and brings them all in, "God Speed, Sgt. Squawker!"
Best regards and never stop steaming your hat!
'Ol Gabe