Western hats

[Fatdutchman]

Is there an equivalent website for Western/19th century hats? Yes, I know, nothing is equal to the Fedora Lounge!

Anywhere where western hats are discussed?

I have begun getting into them. While I don't think I could ever see myself wearing some of the really huge sombreros, the ones that are more "fedoralike" would suit me fine. For me, the perfect western hat would be like the one worn by Thomas Haden Church in "Broken Trail". I shall have one!

 

[Prairie Shade]

GOOD QUESTION - CANT HELP BUT-

Strangely enough, of my many hats I currently own, I do not have a western hat. After reading the sticky of making a hat, I decided to let Jim W. make me a couple that I have been wanting. Why buy factory when you get him to make whatever you want and at a reasonable price that rivals factory hats. I may post pics when I get them, and really a hats just a hat. I wear what I feel like wearing.

 

[Fatdutchman]

I'm looking on Ebay to see if I can find a western hat that I can use to make what I want out of. Problem is, for me, it HAS to be some shade of brown. Now, we all know that of all modern made western hats 49% of them are "silver belly", another 49% are black, with the remaining two percent being made up of various shades of tan, brown, and gray, along with a few oddball colors like red and blue....

Seems on Ebay, a decent western hat like a Stetson or Resistol will go for an average of between $15-$30. Not too bad... I have a few that I'm "watching" now that are a tan-ish sort of color.

My everyday attire makes me look like an extra on a John Wayne movie from the '30's anyway...so, a "real" western hat is no big jump for me!

 

[feltfan]

We do discuss western/cowboy hats here quite a bit.
I know I have posted some and plan to post more,
should I get a moment.

I guess this is the hat you're talking about? Pretty
extreme cowboy hat if you ask me:

I have looked and have not found another forum that
discusses western hats.

 

[Erik]

I probably see hundreds of cowboy hats worn for every fedora, if not more. Then again, I've live out west. If I donned on a cowboy hat, nobody would comment. I'd be one of many. With a fedora, they might not comment, but I certainly wouldn't be one of many. One of one, more likely.

As to why there aren't forums, I chalk it up to popularity - cowboy hats and western wear are much more popular than fedoras and classic style, and enthusiasts don't have to venture online to to learn, share, affirm, whatever, their sense of style; they can do that going down the street.

 

[Erik]

Oh, and I don't see that as extreme at all, though I prefer Duval's.

 

[Havana]

http://tontorim.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/product5.html
Very similar to this hat from Tombstone. My greatgrandfather wore a hat like this well into the 1920's. I guess having the front brim pushed up to one side was a style of the day. Doesn't Johnny Depp do the same thing today with his fedoras? The biggest adjustment to be made from a fedora to a western hat is the size. 4 inch plus brims are quite common. You get used to it fast but at first it may feel like a circus tent on your head.

 

[Fatdutchman]

See, Church's (Tom Harte) hat crown is rather "fedora like", so it wouldn't be too odd to me. It's not nearly as severe a "slant" as the "Montana Slant/Gus" hat that Duvall wears. Some of the hats in the 1897 Sears catalog I have are creased this way. The brim turned up on the front on the right side would be a practical thing for me (besides just looking cool). When I'm shooting a rifle with a hat on, the brim blocks much of my view. With the brim turned up, clear skies.

I also like "Montana peak" hats, and another hat style that I don't know the name of (assuming it has a name), but it has a Montana peak-like pinch on the front, but not on the back (only two dents). It will also have a crease/dent in the back (a "mule kick").

 

[Nigel]

I must admit to being much like yourself with western hats. I now own quite a few all courtesy of eBay and all for good prices. My current favourite is a DbarJ custom made 5X beaver, see pic below. Lately I've been looking for a Resistol or Stetson in black 3X or better, but I'm wanting it to do a little conversion on to make a good hat for work. The plan is cut brim down to 31/2" and re-bash to classic c crown with hand rolls on the brim, to make the brim take a narrower appearance.

 

[007]

I'm a big fan of western hats. Ebay is a great place to pick them up at bargain prices, too. Even with shipping to Canada, they beat new store prices hands down.

 

[Colby Jack]

Have you tried Knudsens
And if you want to discuss cowboy hats...you might try sassnet.com...It's the cowboy action shooting site...they have forums also...not as elegant as those found here, but somewhat similar.
Good luck in your search....:eusa_clap

 

[Uncle Vern]

The reason there isn't a cowboy hat forum is that cowboys (we're talking West Texas here) don't talk much about their hats. You might as well be asking them about their underwear. There are a lot of members here who'd argue that point, and we surely do get going, but even in Austin, Texas, where I live, older, serious cowboy-hatted men don't look much like they'd like to chat about brim widths and ribbons. The hat is supposed to speak for itself. I find exceptions, but not many. Rich Rand has gotten a really good dialog going, but all the old cowboys I know and have met are short on hat chat.

The best way to get into the western hat groove is to buy a cheap "sacrificial" hat on eBay, preferably with a 4-inch brim and a six-inch crown, and full of moth holes, and therefore cheap. You can steam and reblock it to your heart's content and generally fiddle around with it by lowering the crown, "Gussing" it etc. until you find what you like. There are hat-blocking charts all over the internet. You can also trim the brim. Once you've blocked it to death and gotten an idea of what you want, then you can buy a nice hat. Go for vintage Stetson or Resistol. The current Stetsons look very nice, but I think that they use powered dies in the hats.

The biggest mistake you can make is to buy some, short-crowned, narrow brimmed confection because you're intimidated by the bigger hats. The one you need is always a little bit bigger and wider than you're comfortable with, but it's usually the one that will work once you've gotten into wearing it. it's all in how you block and shape it. And remember--Rich Rand said that "The proper place to store a cowboy hat is on top of your head!"

 

[GentlemanFarmer]

Gotta have one

Fatdutchman,

We're always mentioning western hats around here. We're either showing one off or converting one to a fedora. There are a few threads you can access. Everyone needs a nice western hat, but of course I'm kinda partial to 'em.

 

[indycop]

I also like westerns though I don't own any. I like some of the gus styles as well as the cavalry hats with the brims completely turned down in blue and gray, and the civil war kepis.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

The reason there isn't a cowboy hat forum is that cowboys (we're talking West Texas here) don't talk much about their hats. You might as well be asking them about their underwear. There are a lot of members here who'd argue that point, and we surely do get going, but even in Austin, Texas, where I live, older, serious cowboy-hatted men don't look much like they'd like to chat about brim widths and ribbons. The hat is supposed to speak for itself. I find exceptions, but not many. Rich Rand has gotten a really good dialog going, but all the old cowboys I know and have met are short on hat chat.

The best way to get into the western hat groove is to buy a cheap "sacrificial" hat on eBay, preferably with a 4-inch brim and a six-inch crown, and full of moth holes, and therefore cheap. You can steam and reblock it to your heart's content and generally fiddle around with it by lowering the crown, "Gussing" it etc. until you find what you like. There are hat-blocking charts all over the internet. You can also trim the brim. Once you've blocked it to death and gotten an idea of what you want, then you can buy a nice hat. Go for vintage Stetson or Resistol. The current Stetsons look very nice, but I think that they use powered dies in the hats.

The biggest mistake you can make is to buy some, short-crowned, narrow brimmed confection because you're intimidated by the bigger hats. The one you need is always a little bit bigger and wider than you're comfortable with, but it's usually the one that will work once you've gotten into wearing it. it's all in how you block and shape it. And remember--Rich Rand said that "The proper place to store a cowboy hat is on top of your head!"

Uncle Vern, That is one fine masterpiece of a post!!! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[tandmark]

Howdy,

Some great advice & info so far on this thread!

Another difference between western hat folks and dress hat folks is that there's no cultural support in the dress hat world for letting your hats go grungy.

David Stoecklein published a coffee-table book a few years back, full of photos of cowboys & cowgirls wearing their working hats. For the most part, the only hats that don't look like they done been run over by a stampedin' herd o' dogies are the ones being worn by the girls who are into barrel racing and such.

I've got a couple of suggestions for anyone who feels intimidated by the sheer size and unadulterated cowboyness of western-style hats. Well, maybe three suggestions, the first two of which involve buying cheap ones so you can ease yourself into the new style.

The first is that you can find inexpensive straw versions of the usual western styles. Two hatmakers to start with: Sunbody and Dallas Hats.

The second is that any given outlet of the venerable Burlington Coat Factory is fairly likely to have some ultracheap western-style wool felt hats on offer.

Finally, if you're looking for a better quality hat with a wide brim that doesn't scream 'Yee-haw' at all and sundry, take a look at the rabbinical or Hasidic-type black wide-brimmed Huckel fedora sold by MileChai in Denver. Despite its 3 3/4 inch brim, the hat reminds me a lot more of Lamont "The Shadow" Cranston than of a Wild West buckaroo.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Fatdutchman]

While I wouldn't consider it "common", it is not unusual to see someone around here wearing a western hat.

Just the other day, somebody in a black cattleman type Stetson stopped me in the Grocery store and said he liked my hat, and hadn't seen one like it (my favorite everyday Akubra Squatter).

 

[Uncle Vern]

J.T., thanks for the compliment. Now I'll have to have all my hats enlarged.

 

[Fatdutchman]

Hey, I just got one. A Stetson in a light tan color. Tall and very straight. It has a telescope crown...for the moment. It actually looks alright that way. If I knew how to post the picture, I would.

The same seller has another hat I'm going to try for later on.

 

[Rooster]

Here's my favorite western hat. "Tom Mix" styled. Probably a little more radical than what you're looking for.