Best Straw hat maker for Western/ Cowboy styles?

[WesternHatWearer]

How about custom? I got a Vs Milan straw last year, and it's my favorite, partly because it's styled after a hat I saw on Etsy that I really liked. Also, the golden color is really beautiful. The problem I have with most Panamas is that, in my opinion, so many of them look the same.

I am not opposed to custom. I would like to avoid shantung and toyo paper however.

 

[suitedcboy]

Atwood makes great western straws of the palm leaf type. The American, stetson, Resistol straws are almost always polyurethane coated which increases durability but the "hand" (if that can apply to straws) is worse for it. Atwood palm leaf straws are 4 inches and up. The poly coated variety from the others will be 4 inches and less.
Best Hats will definitely carry American hats as he owns that hat company now. I hope it does well for him. Their felts have come WAY up in quality.

 

[WesternHatWearer]

I do like some of the things I have seen on the Atwood website. I may be contacting them this week and posing a few questions I have to them. The major one being an inquiry about their X ratings system and what the designation means to their hats.

I am still doing my work to find the difference between palm leaf and ecuadorean straw, and why the cost of the two have such a large margin as well.

 

[RJR]

I strongly recommend you contact Major Mike Moore at Buckaroo Hatters to get his take on your wishes/questions.

 

[DougC]

Palm leaf can be corse or fine. Generally, palm leaf hats are pretty thick. My real straw, Ecuadorean palm is pretty thin and would have made a great dress straw hat. Prices vary depending on how symmetrical (probably not the right word), tight and fine the weave is. I think Panama Bob's website has a pretty good explanation of why straw hats vary based on the grade of the straw used.

 

[WesternHatWearer]

I strongly recommend you contact Major Mike Moore at Buckaroo Hatters to get his take on your wishes/questions.

I will look at Major Moore's site again. Or do you think it best to contact via the phone?

 

[WesternHatWearer]

Palm leaf can be corse or fine. Generally, palm leaf hats are pretty thick. My real straw, Ecuadorean palm is pretty thin and would have made a great dress straw hat. Prices vary depending on how symmetrical (probably not the right word), tight and fine the weave is. I think Panama Bob's website has a pretty good explanation of why straw hats vary based on the grade of the straw used.

Symmetrical could well be the word. I would not want a hat that does not possess even amounts of material on each side. It would be rather comical to have one side larger than the other.

Panama Bob, that is a new name, but I will gladly check it out. Thank you.

 

[WesternHatWearer]

I like the cattleman styled hat on this page http://www.montecristihats.com/panama_w.htm , however, I do not like the shorter the brim. I am looking for something similar with a 4 inch brim. I am still on the hunt. I find most custom hatters work almost exclusively with felt. I have looked at Mr. Atwood's collection but I have cannot find out what the hats are made of. I have emailed Atwood Hat company and I am currently waiting for a reply.
As I said, I want to avoid hats made of paper, that being shantung and toyo.

 

[WesternHatWearer]

Any ideas on how to increase the stiffness of a straw hat? Can these hats be treated with hat stiffener that is applied to a felt body hat. I have some M&F Hat stiffener. Actually, I have a gallon of the stuff. As always, any guidance is greatly appreciated!

 

[parispal]

here is my summer Longmire hat, sold as such by H-Bar Hatworks in Billings MT but made by Sunbody, hat band is by Knot-a-Tail. $80 + S&H, but my uncle brought it for me to Paris last March.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Nice. Wear it in good health.
Johnny

 

[parispal]

thanks Johnny, i'm doing my best

 

[WesternHatWearer]

Any ideas on how to increase the stiffness of a straw hat? Can these hats be treated with hat stiffener that is applied to a felt body hat. I have some M&F Hat stiffener. Actually, I have a gallon of the stuff. As always, any guidance is greatly appreciated!

I figured it out.