What is the best felt for hats?

Wool makes the least expensive felt, but fur felt—usually rabbit, beaver or a blend—is more durable and more serviceable. “The better the fur, the more abuse it will take and the easier it is to do something with it year after year,” explains Ritch Rand, owner of Rand’s Custom Hats.

What are felt cowboy hats for?

Felt hats. Historically, felt hats served more purposes than straw, at least for the old-school cowboys. It protected them from the sun during the day, and warmed them in the night, when desert temperatures dropped. A felt hat could even hold water for their thirsty horse, or adequately fan a campfire flame.

What do the X’s mean on Stetson hats?

The percentage of beaver is determined by the X quality of the product. The higher the X’s the higher percentage of beaver fur is mixed in the hat.

Is Stetson better than Resistol?

Stetson is great, and Resistol is great. I worry less about the brand and more about the ability of the hat maker to get a great fit and a great initial shape. Most pards CANNOT get a great hat that is pre made (off the shelf).

Do bad cowboys wear black hats?

In American films of the Western genre between the 1920s and the 1940s, white hats were often worn by heroes and black hats by villains to symbolize the contrast in good versus evil. In the 2005 film Brokeback Mountain, one of the two starring cowboys wears black while the other wears white.

Can a Stetson hat get wet?

Felt cowboy hats can get wet, but they are not made to be wet for long periods. If you get caught in the rain in a wool or a cotton felt cowboy hat, pat the water off and let it dry. As with any hat, never put it away wet. If it stays wet it will be like any other material and it will mildew.

What is the most expensive Stetson hat?

Diamante
Stetson’s most expensive hat, the Diamante, retails for $5,000, and is made from high-grade beaver, plus chinchilla fur.

Why are Stetson hats so expensive?

Hat prices are mostly determined by the quality of the hats. Anything from Stetson over a 4X hat has a fur blend to in it and anything below is a wool felt. Recently it seems that many companies are trying to adhere to this “standard” but there are many out there that still deviate.