Greetings,

Recently acquired 13 service station hats from a collection. The collection was a good one with 95 percent real items in it, and just a few re-pops I noticed snuck in. Trying to best figure out how to authenticate and see which have their original patches.

Is it really about eyeballing it or are there any obvious things to help authenticate. Heres what I have come up with so far and some seem to be original. (i think) others patches added later....

- First off all hats are certainly old, that is obvious by the wear of the hats, old companies makers marks with US locations, old fabric smell, and so on.

- some have a really tight stitch, maybe machine done?
then a few have a real loose spaced stitch. (looks hand done maybe even by an amateur but I am no seamstress)

-some have brighter patches some dull and more worn

- i noticed even a few have a glued on patch which seems to be a dead give away of a later added on patch, but then another had a glue that seemed very discolored and looked to be old glue


Were all of these hats made blank by private hat companies that were sent out to have patches put on separately? Or was the hat coming right out of the factory with the patch sewn on it?

I have everything from Texaco, to Sinclair, to DX in this mix

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Mike

One could order Attendant's Hats from most of the Oil Company's they worked for...

Depending on the Company; many allowed Employees to place a Company patch on a "Service Hat" that came close to what the Company was issuing/selling...

After WWII and later Korea; most Company's allowed Employees that served overseas. To use their "Garrison Caps" with the Company patch on it.

As to sewing vs gluing... I've seen patches attached to Hats and Caps both ways... By, the mid 1960s; a good number of Company's dropped full uniforms most notably Hats and Caps...

Not sure I have been any help.

Thanks Bob! I myself and a few others were wondering about this. You were a great help. Much appreciated.