The Stratoliner Society {VINTAGE}

[M Hatman]

A recent addition to the herd and another ticket to this society: Pre-1956 Royal Stetson Stratoliner (probably 1953 because it has an earlier sweat). A nice mid grey (much like the current "Caribou" but with some blue undertones). This one interestingly has a 2 3/4" brim! So I won the hat lottery twice in the same hat (finding one my size & with a wider brim)!
And YES, it is a pretty clean example.
https://static.**.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tcf/1/16/1f920.png
(Came in a Stetson box along with a awesome earlier OR clone from Lee, a blue label I will be showing later in that thread).

 

[Blare]

A recent addition to the herd and another ticket to this society: Pre-1956 Royal Stetson Stratoliner (probably 1953 because it has an earlier sweat). A nice mid grey (much like the current "Caribou" but with some blue undertones). This one interestingly has a 2 3/4" brim! So I won the hat lottery twice in the same hat (finding one my size & with a wider brim)!
And YES, it is a pretty clean example.
https://static.**.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tcf/1/16/1f920.png
(Came in a Stetson box along with a awesome earlier OR clone from Lee, a blue label I will be showing later in that thread).
View attachment 662447 View attachment 662448
View attachment 662449 View attachment 662495

Beautiful pickup, Mark!

 

[wsmontana]

I believe this to be a late 40s to early 50s Stratoliner. I found a box to go with it — a tight fit for sure.

 

[Men Without Hats]

This might be my first ever post
here, although I’ve been lurking here for over 10 years - yes shame on me!

Oh how I enjoyed reading through this thread! It’s been years that I was looking for a vintage Stratoliner - but due to both limited budget, my size (7 3/8) and geographic location (which limits me to the e bay mostly) I haven’t yet succeeded… HOWEVER:

I have this here on the way,
and it looks very much like a stratoliner clone or a borsalino clone - no conclusive branding unfortunately.. Has any of you an idea what this could
be?
The ribbon is more of a western type, but the felt is supposed to be extremely fine and soft …


Lynn (Sweden)

 

[StoryPNW]

My first Stratoliner, it's a little rough, but I'm happy to have it. A few moth chews and plenty of patina, but it's a vintage Strat and I can wear it.

 

[RickP]

My first Stratoliner, it's a little rough, but I'm happy to have it. A few moth chews and plenty of patina, but it's a vintage Strat and I can wear it.
View attachment 717888 View attachment 717889 View attachment 717890

Thats a great first Strat...... now go find more! lol

 

[The Lost kansan]

Have had this Strat (mid 50s I believe) for about a year now and it’s become about the only hat I can wear now. Keeps getting better and better. The feel of the felt is just incredible compared to my modern make westerns

 

[The Lost kansan]

New (to me) Royal Stratoliner

 

[mojoboy31]

New (to me) Royal Stratoliner
View attachment 772990 View attachment 772991 View attachment 772992

Wow! What a hat!

 

[alanfgag]

Pardon the interruption but If you find yourself in D.C. don't miss the chance to visit the Udvar Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Air & Space museum. There is so much to see here, including one of the ten Boeing Stratoliners that were built. You can feel why this handsome airplane captured the marketing imagination of Stetson. And it sits next to a retired Air France Concorde... one of the most beautiful industrial designs ever for the purpose of moving human beings. It sits near the top of my favorites list along with the Jaguar XKE of the same era.

 

[M Hatman]

Pardon the interruption but If you find yourself in D.C. don't miss the chance to visit the Udvar Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Air & Space museum. There is so much to see here, including one of the ten Boeing Stratoliners that were built. You can feel why this handsome airplane captured the marketing imagination of Stetson. And it sits next to a retired Air France Concorde... one of the most beautiful industrial designs ever for the purpose of moving human beings. It sits near the top of my favorites list along with the Jaguar XKE of the same era.

View attachment 774188

View attachment 774189

Seeing that must have been a great feeling (hope you were wearing the right hat). I don't know if I ever posted them here, But I have a brochure, two tickets and a limited edition silver coin for some of the very first passengers of these aircraft. I have a 1 in 10 chance the tickets may even be for that plane...I wonder if they would still honor them?

 

[RickP]

The vintage Stratoliner hats have long been my favorite lids. (there are more than a few on my walls) There was a plethora of advertising on them.

Stetson/ TWA/Boeing had a joint ad campaign from late 30s-early 1940s Featuring the 307 airplane, a Stratoliner Hat, and TWA paint Scheme... Lots of interesting Artwork in their ads back then

Your particular plane has been restored twice... it went through a complete restoration to airworthiness just before transfer to the Smithsonian. On its final test flight in Seattle, it ran out of fuel and had to ditch in the saltwater of Elliott Bay (preflight indicated the fuel gauges werent working so they took off for the short flight anyway... turned out the gauges were fine....someone forgot to add gas to the tanks Dooohh!). After ditching in saltwater they had to strip everything out , decontaminate, re-polish and restore again.... I was driving south on Interstate 5 that day and saw it overhead, and then saw it bobbing in the water about a half hour later as I drove by. Kinda dramatic to see a freshly polished aluminum plane in the water. So... Ive seen that exact aircraft flying AND floating lol

I also actually own one of the restoration crew caps for that plane... not a Stetson, but its still a true Stratoliner hat lol

 

[The Lost kansan]

The vintage Stratoliner hats have long been my favorite lids. (there are more than a few on my walls) There was a plethora of advertising on them.

Stetson/ TWA/Boeing had a joint ad campaign from late 30s-early 1940s Featuring the 307 airplane, a Stratoliner Hat, and TWA paint Scheme... Lots of interesting Artwork in their ads back then
View attachment 774376 View attachment 774377 View attachment 774378

Your particular plane has been restored twice... it went through a complete restoration to airworthiness just before transfer to the Smithsonian. On its final test flight in Seattle, it ran out of fuel and had to ditch in the saltwater of Elliott Bay (preflight indicated the fuel gauges werent working so they took off for the short flight anyway... turned out the gauges were fine....someone forgot to add gas to the tanks Dooohh!). After ditching in saltwater they had to strip everything out , decontaminate, re-polish and restore again.... I was driving south on Interstate 5 that day and saw it overhead, and then saw it bobbing in the water about a half hour later as I drove by. Kinda dramatic to see a freshly polished aluminum plane in the water. So... Ive seen that exact aircraft flying AND floating lol

I also actually own one of the restoration crew caps for that plane... not a Stetson, but its still a true Stratoliner hat lol
View attachment 774380 View attachment 774381

I LOVE your Stratoliner ad collection….. those are amazing

 

[mojoboy31]

Pardon the interruption but If you find yourself in D.C. don't miss the chance to visit the Udvar Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Air & Space museum. There is so much to see here, including one of the ten Boeing Stratoliners that were built. You can feel why this handsome airplane captured the marketing imagination of Stetson. And it sits next to a retired Air France Concorde... one of the most beautiful industrial designs ever for the purpose of moving human beings. It sits near the top of my favorites list along with the Jaguar XKE of the same era.

View attachment 774188

View attachment 774189

That's so cool!

The vintage Stratoliner hats have long been my favorite lids. (there are more than a few on my walls) There was a plethora of advertising on them.

Stetson/ TWA/Boeing had a joint ad campaign from late 30s-early 1940s Featuring the 307 airplane, a Stratoliner Hat, and TWA paint Scheme... Lots of interesting Artwork in their ads back then
View attachment 774376 View attachment 774377 View attachment 774378

Your particular plane has been restored twice... it went through a complete restoration to airworthiness just before transfer to the Smithsonian. On its final test flight in Seattle, it ran out of fuel and had to ditch in the saltwater of Elliott Bay (preflight indicated the fuel gauges werent working so they took off for the short flight anyway... turned out the gauges were fine....someone forgot to add gas to the tanks Dooohh!). After ditching in saltwater they had to strip everything out , decontaminate, re-polish and restore again.... I was driving south on Interstate 5 that day and saw it overhead, and then saw it bobbing in the water about a half hour later as I drove by. Kinda dramatic to see a freshly polished aluminum plane in the water. So... Ive seen that exact aircraft flying AND floating lol

I also actually own one of the restoration crew caps for that plane... not a Stetson, but its still a true Stratoliner hat lol
View attachment 774380 View attachment 774381

Where did you get those pictures!? That's epic!

 

[RickP]

That's so cool!

Where did you get those pictures!? That's epic!

Ive been collecting old Stetson ads for years ( theyre cheaper than the hats) Most are Saturday Evening Post ads. Basically a Full page Stetson ad in every issue, SEP ads are physically larger than Look or Esquire magazine ads. Life had large pages too but the Saturday evening post paper is a higher quality and doesnt yellow as badly. I concentrate on ads from 1935-1950. Some had some really decent artwork

 

[alanfgag]

The vintage Stratoliner hats have long been my favorite lids. (there are more than a few on my walls) There was a plethora of advertising on them.

Stetson/ TWA/Boeing had a joint ad campaign from late 30s-early 1940s Featuring the 307 airplane, a Stratoliner Hat, and TWA paint Scheme... Lots of interesting Artwork in their ads back then
View attachment 774376 View attachment 774377 View attachment 774378

Your particular plane has been restored twice... it went through a complete restoration to airworthiness just before transfer to the Smithsonian. On its final test flight in Seattle, it ran out of fuel and had to ditch in the saltwater of Elliott Bay (preflight indicated the fuel gauges werent working so they took off for the short flight anyway... turned out the gauges were fine....someone forgot to add gas to the tanks Dooohh!). After ditching in saltwater they had to strip everything out , decontaminate, re-polish and restore again.... I was driving south on Interstate 5 that day and saw it overhead, and then saw it bobbing in the water about a half hour later as I drove by. Kinda dramatic to see a freshly polished aluminum plane in the water. So... Ive seen that exact aircraft flying AND floating lol

I also actually own one of the restoration crew caps for that plane... not a Stetson, but its still a true Stratoliner hat lol
View attachment 774380 View attachment 774381

Great story... thanks for adding. The general story of the low fuel ditching and follow-up are included in the information on this plane at the Smithsonian but great to have your personal take on it. It's a beautiful plane.

 

[The Lost kansan]

Newest Stratoliner for me in a nice shade of brown (my other Strats are both grays). Pretty decent condition and no mothing. And a good, clean liner. Not sure the era but I would suspect early 50s.

 

[The Lost kansan]

I posted this hat a week or so ago as it looked when I received it.
Here it is again now that I’m back in England after a month in Kansas.
I’ve cleaned it up and put my preferred creasing and brim curl in.
Stratoliner, probably early 50s given the lack of plastic in the liner. Light brown felt.

 

[Rmccamey]

Sweet. Something different than the typical SB color.

I posted this hat a week or so ago as it looked when I received it.
Here it is again now that I’m back in England after a month in Kansas.
I’ve cleaned it up and put my preferred creasing and brim curl in.
Stratoliner, probably early 50s given the lack of plastic in the liner. Light brown felt.
View attachment 792050 View attachment 792051 View attachment 792052 View attachment 792053

 

[The Lost kansan]

Sweet. Something different than the typical SB color.

Thanks! I really like the color, not sure what the official color name was for this one but it’s almost got a bit of a green undertone to it’s light brown. Very like, woodsy.
I like the wind cord also, I don’t see that a whole lot on the strats.