Western, anyone?

[Hurricane Jack]

All of these things I find positive about the hat.

And I would also, Doc. Your pics look great & it's a nice looking hat. I'm a big fan of the Old West styles. Great report!

 

[RJR]

Got out this past weekend for a cowboy shoot with the boys and wore the Grizz. For my purpose it's a good fit, literally and figuratively. Grizz uses old-time methods and it seems period to me because of that, at least externally. It doesn't have the finish you would get from most modern hat makers; for instance some scorching in spots on the pencil curl from the hot iron, and it has a hand formed crown, not a blocked shape. It's a beaver fur blend felt and per his site it's ~ 6X on the old 10X scale and the texture looks and feels beaver. It's what I would consider cowboy stiff, not a soft or easily reworkable crown or brim. It fits well from the measurements I sent him. All of these things I find positive about the hat.

The possible negatives are the lack of a liner, a cloth laminate sweat band instead of leather, and the sweat band is whip-stitched in a bit crudely, yet solidly. I think I mentioned in the previous post it doesn't come with a hat band and I'm using the one I pulled off my my Snowy River Akubra.

Wearing the hat yesterday was comfortable. The temp was mid-upper 70s (F) and the sweat band was comfortable, absorbed the sweat and did not bleed through at all. It's a tall crown so I don't think the lack af a liner will be a problem as I don't think my hair has much if any contact with the felt, but if it was an everyday hat that might be more of an issue.

The price is $110 for the hat, $20 for shipping and I paid an extra $20 for the 4" brim for a total of $150. I think it's a fair price for the hat and like it for what I purchased it for, a period appearing hat for CAS.

View attachment 82164 View attachment 82165

it looks good to me.

 

[Latigo]

@DocCasualty Looks good Doc! I think it would be better to have it hand creased if it's done right as opposed to a block. Just wondering about your CAS firearms. What do you use? I do remember from your post on the 10x Boone that you had a sidearm under your arm in addition to your others. Do you use reduced loads or lighter bullets when you shoot at the CAS events?

Latigo

 

[AlexTheApache]

Did some felt season preparation the other night. Redid my American hat co. Grizzly again, same tall crown 4" brim. Went back to a black inch and a half ribbon band and a modified West Texas punch on the crown. I added some cutter bumps to it just to make it my own. I've heard this shape been called a puncher, punch, cowpuncher, and WTP.

I also worked on this vintage "ranch craft" hat my girlfriend found herself. It's labeled as a XXX. Hat has a great body, stiff and thick and very subtle when steamed. She stitched a dark real ribbon to it. I'm glad she's getting good at hat bands, my fingers are too big and my patience too small.

Here are some before shots

And some after

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[Willebe]

Working on my Gandalf the Grey look as I muse over the next step of this hat transformation.

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[DocCasualty]

@DocCasualty Looks good Doc! I think it would be better to have it hand creased if it's done right as opposed to a block. Just wondering about your CAS firearms. What do you use? I do remember from your post on the 10x Boone that you had a sidearm under your arm in addition to your others. Do you use reduced loads or lighter bullets when you shoot at the CAS events?

Latigo

I shoot a Cimarron Thunderer, Ruger Vaquero and Winchester M94 Trapper, all in .44 Special. Shotgun is a Baikal Bounty Hunter in 12 Ga. I load my own .44Sp that duplicates the Winchester Cowboy load, which if memory serves me is 5.1 gr of Win231 with a 240 grain lead flat nose bullet. So yeah, they're pretty light loads and rather pleasant to shoot. I'm not currently shooting any SASS type sanctioned events but we follow their guidelines.

 

[Latigo]

@DocCasualty Very nice selection Doc! It's nice to have all of them in the same caliber/Load too I imagine. That Thunderer sure has a different look to it I would imagine it's a handful to shoot even with a light load? That's what you had under your arm that got my attention from that unique butt it has. SASS has their Founder's Ranch just a little ways east of Albuquerque. I haven't been there but some friends have been after me to go.

Thanks for the photos Doc....

Latigo

 

[DocCasualty]

@DocCasualty Very nice selection Doc! It's nice to have all of them in the same caliber/Load too I imagine.

Thanks! I couldn't imagine the hassle of dealing with multiple calibers.

That Thunderer sure has a different look to it I would imagine it's a handful to shoot even with a light load? That's what you had under your arm that got my attention from that unique butt it has.

Actually the bird's head grip is a pleasure to shoot and makes for an accurate shooter. Colt never used that grip in a single action pistol but did in their double action Rainmaker, Lightning and Thunderer M1877.

 

[Mustang Mike's Hats]

Really makes it a tough day when my computer decides NOT to display all those great photos you guys share.

 

[Mustang Mike's Hats]

Waa hoo! Those pix showed up today!! I should pull mine out and share as I was blessed to have an engraver, at the store I was working out of, do some work on my Vaqueros. I shoot a chromed Rossi s/s. Did some research way back and found that stagecoach "shotgun riders" used chromed barreled shotguns to discourage holdups. Apparently, the glint of sunlight off the barrels could be seen at quite a distance.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I'm getting close for now with my black Stagecoach Outlaw. With a 6-3/4" open crown I wanted a crease that could sink some crown so I settled on a horseshoe. It's pretty close now; just needs some smoothing up with steam. With a 4-1/2" brim I ate up some of that with a gentle swoop instead of taking it flat with an edge curl. I still haven't selected a hatband for it.

My two Akubra Woomeras have much better felt & are a much better hat than either of my Stagecoaches.

 

[Willebe]

Since school starts back this week, and I will be spending half my life in clinical and the other half working, I have done all I can do to this hat now. I found a grey leather belt that I will use as a hat band, and then I hope to wear it as an all round workhorse. It has been fun playing with the felt and trying to learn new things. It still has some rough areas, but it will do for rough wear until I can get that Cattleman I want.

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[Willebe]

I'm getting close for now with my black Stagecoach Outlaw. With a 6-3/4" open crown I wanted a crease that could sink some crown so I settled on a horseshoe. It's pretty close now; just needs some smoothing up with steam. With a 4-1/2" brim I ate up some of that with a gentle swoop instead of taking it flat with an edge curl. I still haven't selected a hatband for it.

My two Akubra Woomeras have much better felt & are a much better hat than either of my Stagecoaches.

I really like your style of hats, Jack. I find that my tastes in hats flow toward the hats that you show. I am impressed. Just remember that my hat size is 7 1/2. [emoji6]

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[Hurricane Jack]

I really like your style of hats, Jack. I find that my tastes in hats flow toward the hats that you show. I am impressed. Just remember that my hat size is 7 1/2. [emoji6]

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Thanks for the compliment, Willebe...it's much appreciated. You did a nice job with yours as well. I've been drawn to & worn Western hats since I was a young kid. Longing for the old times I guess, I'm really drawn to the Old West style for the most part (the horseshoe being the exception). I got into fedoras when I realized there were times when I wanted a hat with a smaller brim & less of a Western look.

I would have loved to have seen this country when it was wild & before it got all paved over with concrete & strange looking people.

What did you mean by "in clinical"?

 

[Willebe]

Thanks for the compliment, Willebe...it's much appreciated. You did a nice job with yours as well. I've been drawn to & worn Western hats since I was a young kid. Longing for the old times I guess, I'm really drawn to the Old West style for the most part (the horseshoe being the exception). I got into fedoras when I realized there were times when I wanted a hat with a smaller brim & less of a Western look.

I would have loved to have seen this country when it was wild & before it got all paved over with concrete & strange looking people.

What did you mean by "in clinical"?

I have clinical hours for my Nurse Practitioner certification/licensure. It is going to be a long year.

I too long for those old and wild west days. I know that it is an ideal in my.mind and the reality might not be all it's cracked up to be. I doubt I would have lived past my adolescent days. Who knows. I've always enjoyed hats of all types. I do find that I am drawn to the Western and more adventurous looking hats. Thanks again for the inspiration.

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[Hurricane Jack]

I have clinical hours for my Nurse Practitioner certification/licensure. It is going to be a long year.

I too long for those old and wild west days. I know that it is an ideal in my.mind and the reality might not be all it's cracked up to be. I doubt I would have lived past my adolescent days. Who knows. I've always enjoyed hats of all types. I do find that I am drawn to the Western and more adventurous looking hats. Thanks again for the inspiration.

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Congratulations on setting a goal of getting your certification & working towards that! Best of luck to you.

 

[Michael R.]

Boy Jack @Hurricane Jack I believe you do the Best Horseshoe Creases I've Ever Seen ! Things of Beauty ! One day you might get a Hat in the mail with a return trip ticket , and a note "Horseshoe" Please .

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Boy Jack @Hurricane Jack I believe you do the Best Horseshoe Creases I've Ever Seen ! Things of Beauty ! One day you might get a Hat in the mail with a return trip ticket , and a note "Horseshoe" Please .

I'm sure you could do it Michael, but I'd be glad to help in any way I can. Thank you for the nice compliment!

 

[Joao Encarnado]

I'm getting close for now with my black Stagecoach Outlaw. With a 6-3/4" open crown I wanted a crease that could sink some crown so I settled on a horseshoe. It's pretty close now; just needs some smoothing up with steam. With a 4-1/2" brim I ate up some of that with a gentle swoop instead of taking it flat with an edge curl. I still haven't selected a hatband for it.

I like they way they look.

My two Akubra Woomeras have much better felt & are a much better hat than either of my Stagecoaches.

Interesting. Maybe because the Stagecoach felt has felted a bit more? Those are +30 year old felts.
Or maybe because the Akubra felt is better. Who know.

 

[RJR]

F

I like they way they look.


Interesting. Maybe because the Stagecoach felt has felted a bit more? Those are +30 year old felts.
Or maybe because the Akubra felt is better. Who know.

Fair question about the felt.