Western, anyone?

[1961MJS]

Hi

Has anybody seen or purchased from the American Hat Company of Bowie Texas?

http://americanhat.net/index.php

http://www.westernhats.com/american_hat_company_hats.asp?pageid=0

The 5 inch open crown and 5 inch brim sounds interesting, but they're $409.xx and I can talk to Major Moore for that kind of money.

Later

 

[suitedcboy]

American Hats makes a decent hat.
Buying from a dealer is cheaper. Mnaufacturer sells at list so they don't PO their dealers.
If you look around you can probably buy that hat for $50 or more less than that.

 

[Neophyte]

All of the American Hat Co hats that I've owned, most won off Ebay, have leaked powder like nobody's business. They were all 5X, so that may not be the case with their higher quality models.

 

[frussell]

Old American Hat Co. hats are great, I've got one from the 60s that is still in excellent shape, after countless soakings and re-shapings. The more recent ones (different ownership, possibly?) are not at the same level, from what I've experienced. If you can find an older one in anything above a 4X, I recommend them highly. Look for the ones without "American Hat Company" stamped repeatedly around the sweat, as they seem to be more recent. Gary at The Hat Store in Houston used to have a family connection to American Hat Co. I seem to remember him saying he worked on the line there when he was young. He might be able to fill you in more on the quality, plus, he's a great guy and made me many a hat in the 1980s. Back in the day, American Hat Co. cowboy hats were almost as common in Houston as Stetson or Resistol, because the main western store, Stelzig's sold them. Good luck. Frank

 

[suitedcboy]

The 3,4,5 X hats from Hatco are that way too for current produced. You'd better not wear a Hatco produced dark hat in the rain with clothes you like. You will get dye run off on you......

 

[barrowjh]

Shady Oak Bankers Special One Hundred - w/ Denice Langley leather/Sterling Hat Band

Here are a couple of pics of what I did at Fedorafest IV - switched out a ribbon for a really nice hat band by artist Denice Langley that Mike Moore had two of. Leather and sterling silver and a little blue stone, really dresses up the Shady Oak well.

mo' pics, better camera:

 

[H Weinstein]

Here are a couple of pics of what I did at Fedorafest IV - switched out a ribbon for a really nice hat band by artist Denice Langley that Mike Moore had two of. Leather and sterling silver and a little blue stone, really dresses up the Shady Oak well.

mo' pics, better camera:

Nice band! Really does dress up the hat in a whole different way. And I like the double-teardrop, too.

 

[H Weinstein]

Here are a couple of pics of what I did at Fedorafest IV - switched out a ribbon for a really nice hat band by artist Denice Langley that Mike Moore had two of. Leather and sterling silver and a little blue stone, really dresses up the Shady Oak well.

Nice band! Really does dress up the hat in a whole different way. And I like the double-teardrop, too.

 

[Chepstow]

John, fantastic looking Hat with splendid Hat Band, a super combination!

 

[TipTop]

Like the band and the ripple-effect bashing; very handsome.

 

[barrowjh]

Thanks for the compliments! The double-tear-drop (DTD) or double C-crown, whichever you call it, is JTL's specialty. He taught me well.

 

[TipTop]

Cheap Hats, Even Cheaper

Serious discounting: ($15 minus 10%) I wear one of these for dog walking in the winter, and it has survived all kinds of NE upstate NY weather very well. For made in China, I haven't any complaints, and the fit is accurate. I just ordered a couple more (in straw as well as another felt)
http://www.outbackoutlet.com/shop/

 

[Joao Encarnado]

$15 only and new!?

 

[H Weinstein]

Any idea what they're made of? Bunny fur felt? The Outback Outlet website doesn't specify.

 

[barrowjh]

Generally, if its cheap, its wool. I think the hat is required to have some description in it, especially if it is wool. However, sometimes old dead-stock will be sold out at really cheap prices, so it could be fur felt (likely very stiff). I don't believe that $15 fur felt wide-brim western hats is economically sustainable, do not see how that could be sustainable.

 

[H Weinstein]

Outback Outlet/Outback Trading has a bunch of hats which are wool felt, but they have a few which are described as "fur felt" without being more specific. I think the $15 hat is one of the fur felt ones. Just wondered if the hat might have a label with more specific info. I've seen some less-expensive "fur felt" hats which say they're buffalo (of buffalo blend) felt.

 

[H Weinstein]

Thanks for the compliments! The double-tear-drop (DTD) or double C-crown, whichever you call it, is JTL's specialty. He taught me well.

I used JTL's tutorial to do a double-teardrop, too -- on this Stetson. It's challenging, but fun to do!

 

[TipTop]

100% Fur Felt, made in China, Outback Gold is what my inner tag and liner says; it has a leather sweat and white silkish liner. The retail price is $54, which seems to follow the usual 300% retail markup on clothing. It is NOT wool. It is stiff, but has a nice felted hand to it and has held up well after a winter of dog walking along the Hudson River. Indeed, I like the soft hand of this better than a less cheapo (~$85) Orvis (USA) rabbit fur I snagged on ePrey recently; that is truly crude.

I will offer one caveat: Though it came in its own cleverly designed box (with support/slots cut for the brim), the hat had obviously shifted during shipment and I had to steam one lop-eared brim back to symmetry with its partner. Also, though this description doesn't mention "gold", I'm guessing that it is the same grade as my "Bathurst" 1387.

This is one of two cheapo hats that I own, and I wouldn't recommend it here if I thought it was not worth at least twice as much as it is now being offered for--and that is said after a winter of rain and snow wear. And I'm about to wear it in the rain right now.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Can anyone tell me........?

This is one of my recent finds.
Question" This hat has Beaver Hats on both the lining and the sweat. Is it the same as a Beaver Brand, or is it a different maker?[huh] Any information on this the Beaver Hats brand would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[TipTop]

That's the Beaver Hats brand logo etc. I am impressed with their higher quality hats. Just got a Royal Beaver, and a 10X like yours (except in brown). Felt is very nice.