There is a lot to write about cowboy hats but here are a few interesting facts.
Historians say the the origins of the first cowboy hats were in Mongolia where horseback riding was a way of life. The idea moved to Europe and transitioned into the Spanish sombrero (sombrero translates as “shade”) which was then brought to Mexico. When Americans wearing the slouch hat of the Southern planters arrived in Texas they combined it with the sombrero and a wide brimmed high crowned cowboy hat was born.
John Stetson traveled west from Philadelphia after the Civil War and during the trip created a high crown small brim cowboy style hat out of rabbit and beaver fur. When he returned East he made more and shipped samples to western stores. They were called “The Boss of the Plains” and when he died in 1906 his factory was making 4,000,000 hats a year.
Basically today’s cowboy hats are made from straw or fur. Straw is cheaper, lighter and can take a fair amount of abuse. They are especially popular during the hot months. Straw hats are rated by the quality of the straw and the consistency of the weaving. Fur hats are rated by the number of Xs which relates to the quality and density of fur used. You want at least a five x hat and a leather sweatband that has been sown in.
You want the height of the crown to be equal to the distance from your chin to the middle of your forehead and the wider the brim the wider your shoulders should be. The flat uncurled part of the front brim should be as wide as your face.
There are many styles and it really is a matter of personal taste what you wear. It is common for cowboys working at a given ranch to wear similar style hats. Guess that’s just a matter of fitting in with the crowd. Cowboys in the west are more inclined to wear flat brimmed Vaquero style hats. And cowgirls like decoration or the crushed look. Many cowboys decorate their hats with a unique hatband and the possibilities are endless.
You can get a good hat at any western store for under $100. If you want a custom felt hat they can go from $300 to a large number depending on the quality and options. Custom hats fit better because they exactly fit the shape of your skull but standard off the shelf hats are just fine.
My friends Bill Reynolds and Ritch Rand have written a great book called The Cowboy Hat Book. You can get it HERE
If you want a custom hat here are four places that I can personally recommend:
O’Farrell Hat Company
Montecristi Custom Hat Works
Rand Custom Hats
North Valley Hat Company