Cheap Cowboy Hat

[Delmonico]

kflatch, palm leaf hats are shaped by wetting them good, they are one of the easiest to shape for newbies.  Both those I posted pictures of really don't need any shaping.

[Delmonico]

The best way to tell the quality of a felt hat is to rub it on your cheek, the better the hat, the smoother and softer the feel. 

A wool felt is rough feeling, a 100% beaver fur is very soft and smooth and tends to be thinner.  The exception to this is the bison hair ones which are very rough feeling but very waterproof and hold their shape very well.

There is no industry standard for the rating and one companies 5X may be better or worse than another companies 5X.

If buying a custom hat, always ask the hatter the quality of the fur and what kind it is made up of.  If they don't know or won't tell look elsewhere.

Old school that the good custom hatters use is 5X is 50X beaver, 10X is 100% beaver.  Anything beyond involves where on the beaver the fur comes from.  A 20X should be just belly hair and a 100X is the thin strip on the bottom of the belly.  A true 100X is the only true silverbelly and is never dyed.

[James Hunt]

Information above is good, generally ignore all modern terminology for hat shapes. Just because a sutler advertises a hat with a particular shape mixed within other hats that look correct does not mean it is in fact a 19th century clone, with all due respect to hat store owners - they are in business to make money. If you like the hat, chances are they will provide you with the appropriate history for its existence. Somewhere out there exists a picture that might be 19th century of somebody with a hat that by sheer chance is sorta close to something that you like. Doesn't mean it was common or associated with whoever it is you are portraying.

As a general rule that will cover you under all circumstances and for about any persona for the 19th century, get a hat with an uncreased crown that is low - not over 5 inches, and has a brim of around 4 inches give or take an inch. Think Amish style hat.

By the way if you want cheap and period correct to get you started and for under $40:

www.shop.com/Adult_Amish_Hat-36403959-48775313-p+.xhtml?sourceid=298

I would not wear that baby in a heavy down pour and not expect to see some immediate pc wear showing up. But this will get you through a season of shooting in a style that no one can fault.

Still to expensive? Try

www.realamishhats.com/

For $20 you take your chances, but that will get you started. For examples look below - Say who is that handsome fellow on the left in that stylish hat, must be one of those Amish NCOWS folks? And the fellow on the right who put that dandy crease in the left side of his hat when he accidentally sat on it? Sharp dressers both!!!!



photo credit to OCB

[Delmonico]

A while back in The Historical Society it was said by someone that men tended to take good care of their hats in the time period.  Well this grouping all pre-1900 shows different, some look like they were shaped on purpose at one time, some not, a lot of difference in size of brim and crown as well as shape:




Myself I don't think the label "common" goes on hat shape.

[Books OToole]

Del;

What do those two Sunbody hats run, price wise.

I am building a new "Originals" character.  Col. A. A. Leach, is a bombastic newspaper editor.  My intial plans call for him to be attired in a fustian frock coat and a wide brimmed staw hat.  However I am have difficulty with documentaion for the hat, circa 1874.

Books 

[Delmonico]

Del;

What do those two Sunbody hats run, price wise.

I am building a new "Originals" character.  Col. A. A. Leach, is a bombastic newspaper editor.  My intial plans call for him to be attired in a fustian frock coat and a wide brimmed staw hat.  However I am have difficulty with documentaion for the hat, circa 1874.

Books 

We sell both for under $30, not sure what full retail is.

[James Hunt]

Almost all of those hats, if not all of those hats illustrated by Del started life as -

"an uncreased crown that is low - not over 5 inches, and has a brim of around 4 inches give or take an inch"

Stick with that rule and you won't go wrong in NCOWS. Plus you can get one "CHEAP" which was your original question.

You gotta watch those Yankee folks from Nebraska - less they be a nefarious influence on a fine Texas lad!

[Pancho Peacemaker]

I'm planning on hitting some Goodwill stores like you mentioned. I'm trying to take it a bit slow though, because there's still so much to get. I figure the most obvious first thing is the hat. If I get that I should still be able to wear my jeans, a long sleeve shirt and my (not cowboy) boots this weekend. I'll look like exactly what I am - a first-time visitor - but I'll at least have the basics roughly covered. Over the next few weeks I can do more shopping.

It's all part of my Evil Master Plan: shop smart and keep the expenses 'low profile' so that I can afford to buy more guns (without causing my wife to leave a mess in her britches). Then buy the fancy clothing. Then buy more guns. Muhahahahaha!

And most importantly, have fun!

-----
Regarding palm leaf vs. Felt, it seems that here in Texas the palm would be better because of the heat. However, the felt would be a bit more customizable as far as the look (can you reshape palm?) and would last longer.

To give you some visuals on "old west" styles, take a look here:

http://www.goldengatewesternwear.com/

They make great custom hats.   They are not cheap by any means, but very well made.

[Delmonico]

James you forget, up yer way yer Yankees, out here we're Westerners and much different. Fact were in the same longitude as Texas for the most part.

Remeber almost is not all, the higher topped hats gained in popularity the later time crept toward 1900.  The Stetson Big 4 that came out in the late 1880's  was a 6 1/2 inch crown, and some of them in that photo stretch to 6 inches.  You see some telescope crowns in the period and any hat bender will tell you it's hard to do that shape and make it fit on someones head with less than 6 inches.

Don't know who you deal with but around here we find out what someone wants to do and advise them on if it's suitable for what they want to do.    Some folks still have values and try to uphold them, ain't seen any of our elected officials arrested down here lately, must say somethng for our values out here.

[Texas Lawdog]

Del, I've sorta adopted Nebraska as my second home. As far as I am concerned it is not as close to Yankee country as Michigan is. Nebraska reminds me of the Texas Panhandle where I was born.

[Delmonico]

Tex. a lot of those guys that drove cattle up to the Platte in the 1870's liked what they saw and stayed.  a lot of the cowboys out in The Sandhills are of some Texas stock.  got a good customer that his Great-Great Grandad was Fred Fisher that came up with the Olives in the 70's.

[Delmonico]

To give you some visuals on "old west" styles, take a look here:

http://www.goldengatewesternwear.com/

They make great custom hats.   They are not cheap by any means, but very well made.

If they are using the old school system or rating, the prices are dang good.  But I'm guessing they don't, 6X beaver really don't mean much, if they called it a 6X Beaver blend and stayed with the old system it would be better.  don't doubt they are good hats, but when I get a hat I want to know what it is really made out of.

My 10X Rand 100% beaver retailed for $398.98 in 2000.  A standard open crown black 4X6 with a couple extras.

[Delmonico]

I've cleaned and reshaped a lot of hats, some of them custom hats, ain't had my hands on every brand, but still think Rand is the best:

http://www.randhats.com/index.cfm

If you want prices you have to call and let them know what you want, because every hat is made to the buyers specs.  Even better if you can make it up there and have your head measured for size and shape and have the hat built around a block made for you.  Nothing fits like a had made around your own custom block.

[Delmonico]

Should add this for those who have run out and got a tea kettle and are planning on shaping hats.  Sooner or later you will need some hat stiffner, esp on cheaper hats.  It can be bought in any decent western store in an airy-sol can, but is a bit pricey.  Go to your local hardware store and buy a pint on natural while shellac and a pint of de-natured alchol.  Thin it down so it sprays through a spary bottle easily.  Never use hair spray or any of the other strange things I've heard of folks using.

[James Hunt]

Now don't get me involved in your local geographical and cultural disputes - my forebears apparently picked the wrong side in 1776, eventually packed up and high tailed it up the Erie canal. I'm Canadian.

Regarding hats: the original question referred to ubiquity and economy.

Still suggest sticking with the 5 inch uncreased crown, and the 4 inch brim (or there about) as it will satisfy all years during our time period with out question. Let time and use put a crease in the thing.  The wool Amish hat will satisfy all desired elements until a firm decision concerning a persona and time period is made.

[Delmonico]

Now don't get me involved in your local geographical and cultural disputes - my forebears apparently picked the wrong side in 1776, eventually packed up and high tailed it up the Erie canal. I'm Canadian.

Yer the one that started it as I recall.

BTW the 6 inch crown also works for all the NCOWS periods also, any other information offered was from somebody who part of their job is working on hats, not everyone in the coutry has someone such as I that they can go to to have their hats worked on so I offer my information to help those who want to do their own work.  And not every hat was allowed to take it's own shape, plenty can be spotted that were shaped by hand in all the years that NCOWS repersents, don't matter if that is not your preferance.  Folks who know hats and wear them more than once or twice a month know hats are very personal.

I'm guessing you don't wear them when going out on the town or visiting a sick friend in the hospital or really anytime you walk out the door.  No problem, but a lot of folks do in the west, including western Canada.

[James Hunt]

Del said: "I'm guessing you don't wear them when going out on the town or visiting a sick friend in the hospital or really anytime you walk out the door.  No problem, but a lot of folks do in the west, including western Canada."

Your right. I've also been seen regularly in white shirts and ties, known to embrace polysyllabic verbiage, once read a Greek classic and can recite at least one passage from the Book of Solomon. That is what makes NCOWS great. Diversity.

What does this have to do with cheap hats?



Establishing my modern Cowboy hat bona fides with headwear that has been stomped on more than once by a cold backed critter.

Is that Ian Tyson singing in the background?

[Cactus Rope]

Have no fear,  your answer is here:

Stetson/Resistol Hats Outlet Store
721 Marion Dr
Garland, TX 75042
972.494.0337

That place is a treasure trove of hat bargains.  They often have a plethora of great hats REAL cheap.  I've walked out of there with 4 felt hats under $100 total.   Some days they'll have a buy one, get one 1/2 price style of sale.

Plan on spending at least 2 hours there.  The hats are roughly sorted by size, so you have to do lots of searching and trying.  They have an in house hat shaper that will give you a custom crease if you like.  They usually have alot of 'old west' styles as these don't seem to sell well to the rodeo / urban cowboy crowd.

Regarding the "Gus" hat and "Gus" crease:  if you get into the particulars of hat history, you'll find this style of hat is a rather modern design.  It will not get you thrown out of a SASS or NCOWS shoot, but Ottawa Creek Bill may pull you aside for a good talkin-to.

Just a warning . . . I hauled my pard Mansfield Slim in there back about a year ago.  I don't believe he owned a cowboy hat prior.  Now he holds the #3 rank for the Smokeless Shootist category at the NCOWS Nationals.  Like a wise fella once said:  A real good cowboy hat can get you in some real good trouble.


Pancho

Pancho,
I was just going to suggest the very same thing. Made many a trip there, lived 3 miles from there, at S Plano Rd and Longleaf Dr. about a block or two north of S Plano and Forest Lane. I still have two hats from there that I bought about 25 years ago, still in great shape.

Like Del said the softer the feel the better the fur. I don't use a tea kettle to form my hats though, I do it the old fashioned way, just dunk it in a barrel of water or just wet it under the faucet, if it is good fur. Works great.

[Pancho Peacemaker]

I think visual references always help.  The recent NCOWS National was, in my humble opinion attended by many well-hatted shooters.  (Also, please note that "1800's hat" does not necessarily mean a "cowboy hat")

A few photo ops:

[Delmonico]

The point is James which you seem to miss is I was giving information on hats that is useful information on hats, for the most part about all I seen you give is that James Hunt thinks everyone should wear a 4X5 and no dealer of CAS hats knows poop about them.

Now on to look at some"interesting" items, the pictures Pancho posted.

As for diversity, as long as it fits your mould great, and it comes in a 4X6 hat.