A general consensus on the quality of Resistol's cowboy models

[Jerekson]

Generally speaking, are the vintage (1980's and earlier) Resistol cowboy hats considered desirable? We're talking the common models here, the everyday "X beaver" cattleman creases that pop up on eBay like blades of grass.

I'm on the market for a new work hat and I'm trying to avoid the Stetsons.

I keep coming across them and wondering if I should be bidding on any of them. I'm fairly convinced I could get one for super cheap.

 

[Rick Blaine]

Generally speaking, are the vintage (1980's and earlier) Resistol cowboy hats considered desirable? We're talking the common models here, the everyday "X beaver" cattleman creases that pop up on eBay like blades of grass.

I'm on the market for a new work hat and I'm trying to avoid the Stetsons.

I keep coming across them and wondering if I should be bidding on any of them. I'm fairly convinced I could get one for super cheap.

I have a few OR clones & I think they are every bit as good as their contemporary Stetsons.

 

[RBH]

Here is a thread that might shed a little info.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?40218-Resistol-Cowboy-Hat&

 

[jlee562]

Isn't Resistol under the HatCo umbrella anyway?

 

[Dinerman]

They don't seem to garner high prices, but I would say that they're every bit as good as Stetsons of the period. I've had one as my beater hat for the past year and a half, an it's come through a lot of weather and abuse pretty well.

 

[Jerekson]

Good to hear. Of course I'm not expecting a superfine quality dress hat or anything, but a good fur that will hold shape and dare I say not run dye in the rain is all I'm looking for.

I think I'll take a shot at one and see what happens.

 

[Dinerman]

Go light colored. I will say, I had a dark colored '80s one that bled quite a bit. My silverbelly ones are both '60s and they're both tough as nails and great in the rain.

 

[KC Capellor]

Ditto what Dinerman said, light color silverbelly or tan are coolest to work in and no bleed problems. If you get a San Antonio (Open Road style) you'll have a fine dress hat as well as a fine cowboy hat. In a full size western hat if you watch carefully you can find a 20X worth hundreds for fifty bucks or so and the upper line felts last really well through work and weather as well as look and feel great. Happy hunting, be sure to post your find on Resistol Roundup!

 

[Grizzly Adams]

I have a couple of old Resistol western hats. Very nice felt, although just a bit thicker than a fedora. Both are comfortable hats that stand up well to weather and rough use. I really like my Resistol San Antonio, open road style, as it is the best of both worlds.

 

[Jedwbpm]

I own 4 Resistol cowboy hats all of them from the eighties. I was a Resistol man back then too. I love them all. One San Antonio, One brown one that looks like an open road clone without the binding, and two Stagecoach style one brown felt and one straw. Resistol is part of RH Hatco. Hatco owns Resistol but only license Stetson. Stetsons are made in the old Resistol factory. In reality Stetson/Malory went out of the business and is now being made by it's competitors. That being said please do not start buying Resistols because I like getting them at a good price.

Jeff

 

[gtdean48]

I've got & had quite a few Resistol westerns. They are good wearing, long lasting lids. I've cut down a couple of westerns to fedora style. They are of comparable quality to what Stetson put out in the same time period. They do Resist All....weather, dirt, etc....

 

[WineGuy]

Don't know much about western felts...I became an expert on Resistol/stetson straws this summer while trying to choose a hat for line dancing. According to several people I spoke to at both the Stetson division and Resistol, the hats are absolutely the same quality when comparing equal models. The main difference pointed out to me is that Resitols(including felts) are blocked with a long oval bias whereas the Stetsons are blocked with a round oval bias(unless the hat is specifically labeled long oval). Also when it comes to western hats the "X" ratings are more or less useless, a 20X on one hat might be better than a 100X on another...the X's tend to reflect overall components rather than a specific quality so a 20X felt might have less beaver content than a 100X but might at the same time have a nicer headband, sweatband and liner.

 

[frussell]

Pre-merger Resistols are great. I've been wearing Resistol western hats since I was a small child, and put them through some pretty nasty abuse, including: rain, dust storms, cattle roundups, horse wrecks, drunks with brightly colored drinks, etc... They stand up very well. I still buy pre-90s Resistol westerns on eBay, mostly Silverbelly, and usually 5X or above. Rarely disappointed, can't say the same for Stetsons, hit or miss. I also have had good luck with American Hat Co. westerns, from about the same era. Also fairly common on eBay. Good luck. Frank

 

[DougC]

Local contractor I know has his dad's pure beaver resistol--lovely hat, great feel and still looks great after about 20 years.

 

[Jerekson]

I went ahead and picked up a model that really seemed to speak to me. Should be here next week.

Hard to say but I'm guessing it's from the late 70's or early 80's.

 

[TipTop]

My first western hat (early 90s) was a new "pecan" Resistol with a braided-leather string band. Very handsome. But the kicker of a quality indicator was that it was marketed by Lucchese with the name Lucchese all over it. The only giveaway was the Resistol box it came in. And believe me, they got a Lucchese price for it too. Very high grade hat that I hardly wore and eventually sold for about what I paid for it.

I should add though, that for the period you are searching, I think the Churchill (many westerns sold by Neiman Marcus) is a better hat, although their styles tend to be smaller frame and brim/western-business crossovers. Below is a "Red River" in whiskey ca 1980s. Very high grade.