Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Western, anyone?

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
John Galt, Richard, Lotsahats, Joao, Thanks guys for your comments and advice. I think I'll do as you guys suggested and leave it Western. Thanks Lotsahats. Yes, I creased this myself. I'm not too fond of the Cattleman crease so I changed it over to a C-crown. It was not an easy task! This felt is so dense and stubborn! Someone could probably take this hat and drive nails with it!...and it doesn't have stiffener in it either! The crown is really tall and fairly straight sided. I have it creased 5 inches at the pinch and sloped to 4 1/2 inches at the back. The brim is 3 3/4 inches wide. Unfortunately, the hat is too big for me (7 1/4). As much as I really like this hat I'm giving thought to trading it for a fedora, in my size (7 1/8 LO). Not for black or silverbelly though! ;) This would definitely make someone a nice Western.
Joao, That is one nice looking Stetson my friend! Even if it is black, it's still nice!
Richard, you might surprise yourself. With the right blocking, the right height and the right crease in the crown you may pull off a wide brim Western better than you think!
 
Messages
10,524
Location
DnD Ranch, Cherokee County, GA
Nice one John G......Just got my new Western today. It's a "Sherwood Saddlery".....
Sounds like a store brand & looks good with the new crease. Nice work TJ.
I've re-creased & trimmed some vintage Resistols to give a more "outback" look to them.
The western weight makes for a good foul-weather lid for sure.

I have plenty of wide-brimmed/cattleman creased westerns.
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
Nice work TJ.
I've re-creased & trimmed some vintage Resistols to give a more "outback" look to them.
Thanks gt. Now that's not a bad idea. I'd like to see some of those.

Looks good! I still get such inconsistent results with my attempts.
Thanks Lotsahats. It took me a little while to get it that way on this hat. The felt is so dense on this one. I never had a hat fight me as much as this one did. Steam wasn't doing anything. I eventually had to spray it down and crease it wet....and it still fought me!
 
Last edited:

Joao Encarnado

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,776
Location
Portugal
Joao, love that wide brim!

Thanks. I think wide ribbons on westerns are growing on me.

Joao - you look great in that wide brim. I start feeling uneasy at 3", but you pull that off beautifully.

I can’t wait to get the other Stetson with 5” brim fixed. It will have to wait till next year :\

Yes, I creased this myself. I'm not too fond of the Cattleman crease so I changed it over to a C-crown. It was not an easy task! This felt is so dense and stubborn! Someone could probably take this hat and drive nails with it!...and it doesn't have stiffener in it either!
By your description it looks like my 20x beaver brand.


Joao, That is one nice looking Stetson my friend! Even if it is black, it's still nice!

Thank you ;)
 
Messages
15,083
Location
Buffalo, NY
Joao ... you pull that off beautifully.

+1

Here's 5:

123113.jpg
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
How it started out...


How it ended up...


With fancier band...
Nice gt! I really like that! I like the leather hat band you put on that too! What's the brim width on that after you trimmed it down? Is it a dimensional brim now? It looks really nice!

By your description it looks like my 20x beaver brand.

Joao, I wish I knew. There's nothing on the sweat or liner logo that indicates what it is except to say, "100% Genuine Fur". It's some very dense stuff whatever it is. I don't have anything to compare it with except for my 7X Bradford....and it makes my Bradford feel like a flop hat in comparison. Is there that huge of a difference in density from a 7X to a 20X?

alan, Wow! Now that is one big hat! It looks warm too!
 
Last edited:

Joao Encarnado

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,776
Location
Portugal
Joao, I wish I knew. There's nothing on the sweat or liner logo that indicates what it is except to say, "100% Genuine Fur". It's some very dense stuff whatever it is. I don't have anything to compare it with except for my 7X Bradford....and it makes my Bradford feel like a flop hat in comparison. Is there that huge of a difference in density from a 7X to a 20X?

It depends on manufacturer and year. By density do you mean the thickness?
The 20x Beaver Brand is stiffer than the 20x Resistol Black Gold but I think it is thinner. I have another 20x beaver, a Stetson, more floppier than the Black Golds or the BB but it have 10 or 20 years more. My 7XCB has not arrived yet, but my white 5x Resistol have the same thickness of the Black Golds. The portuguese bunny is thicker than the 20x Resistol Buckskin Diamond horseshoe (actually this buckskin is the thinner of my 20x hats).

alan, Wow! Now that is one big hat! It looks warm too!
Yes it does. I want one of those!
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
Thanks. That one is trimmed to 2 7/8"...
It definitely looks nice. I like that width, maybe even a 3" too, for an outback look. Did you do anything else with the brim or did you just leave it flattened out? I may try something like that with one of my Westerns.
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
Here's the new Western perched atop my smiling face. This is a really nice hat and the felt is denser than anything I've handled. Nice and tough, perfect for a "working" Cowboy hat! Unfortunately, as much as I like it, I'm considering trading this one off. It's 7 1/4 size is too big for me. In fact, I think it would actually be a bit loose for a 7 1/4. My 7X Bradford Western is a 7 1/4 and it almost fits me perfectly, just a tad loose, but not bad. This one though is really big on me. So I may trade it off for a fedora or another Western that fits me, 7 1/8 LO, (but not for one that's black, silverbelly, nor has a tapered crown, nor stingy brim) ;) ....Anyway, here's my smiling face wearing my new Western...

e1sy.jpg


Sherwood Saddlery B&W.jpg
 
Last edited:

John Galt

Vendor
Messages
2,080
Location
Chico
"New" 100% Beaver cowboy hat purchased for only $29, in a small size (6 7/8). Purportedly made by Out West Hatters, but I recognize the legend as being from Langenberg/Beaver hats.

Haven't reblocked this yet, and the sweat split when I stretched it & then reshaped it from the ranch crease it was in, but it is very dense, tough, and light felt. My only other 100% beaver hat is also a Langenberg, but is a fedora and has much less lacquer. This guy is pretty stiff, as appropriate for a working cowboy hat.

I'm dating it to the mid 50's because although it's got the oilskin sweat protector behind the sweatband (shades if early 1950's), it's also got a plastic tip protector & a reeded sweatband. I haven't researched this company but understand from a much older hat loving friend that its' been gone a long time.

9yjavepa.jpg


unabynyb.jpg


yzugudam.jpg


vada8ume.jpg


6ubabyhe.jpg



"Faint hat never won fair lady."
 
Last edited:

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
"New" 100% Beaver cowboy hat purchased for only $29, in a small size (6 7/8). Purportedly made by Out West Hatters, but I recognize the legend as being from Langenberg/Beaver hats.

Haven't reblocked this yet, and the sweat split when I stretched it & then reshaped it from the ranch crease it was in, but it is very dense, tough, and light felt. My only other 100% beaver hat is also a Langenberg, but is a fedora and has much less lacquer. This guy is pretty stiff, as appropriate for a working cowboy hat.

I'm dating it to the mid 50's because although it's got the oilskin sweat protector behind the sweatband (shades if early 1959's), it's also got a plastic tip protector & a reededsweatband. I haven't researched this company but understand from a much older hat loving friend that its' been gone a long time.

9yjavepa.jpg


unabynyb.jpg


yzugudam.jpg


vada8ume.jpg


6ubabyhe.jpg



"Faint hat never won fair lady."

Nice!
 

nigeloscar

One of the Regulars
Messages
141
Location
Sydney, Australia
I have just ordered my first custom hat from The last Best West Co. Anyone have any stories about these guys? I am loving their product range - and went for The Dodge in Whiskey...
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,304
Messages
3,078,375
Members
54,244
Latest member
seeldoger47
Top