About five years ago I started wearing a cowboy hat. The first one I really wore in public was a Stetson with a small brim and a not very western crown shape. I liked it and I received a fair amount of compliments. I had always wanted a larger brim hat with a more traditional western crown, like a cattleman or rancher. The problem was confidence. Wearing a ten gallon hat isn’t super easy to start.
We were headed to Florida for vacation. Our vacation was delayed two days due to a hurricane. While stuck in our hometown, I went to the local western wear shop and picked out a Resistol Tuff Anuf with a 4.25” brim and a tall cattleman crown. The first wearing in public were at the airport and in Florida. I received nothing but compliments, and a lot of them. When I returned home from vacation I had no problem wearing it around town and to work as I had just received a huge ego boost.
A while later I decided to get a new hat. I had it customer shaped, but the hat shaper was not very good. It ended up having an asymmetrical shape. I took it back and he tried, but it’s just a funky shaped hat. It’s now a work hat.
It was time to have another hat for wearing out, so I went to National Ropers Supply in Wickenburg. They have a great selection and their hat shaper does a fantastic job. He shaped a nice American Hat with a J brim and a cattleman crown. Yesterday we went to Phoenix. The return home would have been nightmarish as I-17 North was closed just outside of Phoenix, for the whole weekend. We detoured through Wickenburg to avoid the hellish traffic. Needless to say we stopped at NRS again. Their hat shaper had left for the day, but I found a beautiful American Hat that was factory blocked with a rancher crown and a Cool Hand Luke brim. Needless to say it came home with me.
I have replaced all the stock hat bands with something a little more fancy, leather with conchos and silver buckles. I also have added the American Hat “positive times” hat patch to the back of all my hats as a daily reminder to project positivity into everything I do.
So that’s my hat journey. Thanks for allowing me to share this witty y’all.

This was the first one, small brim Stetson.




My first Resistol






This was hand shaped by Clayton at NRS






My Asymmetrical work hat






This is the factory blocked and shaped hat I picked up yesterday.






This is the positive times “brand” and logo that I believe in.




This is the story behind “positive times”




This is just a pic of me in my first Resistol.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Beancooker,

Nice collection you have going. I have three hats myself including an acorn colored Stetson Pawnee.

Looking to add a wide brimmed Panama hat to my collection this year when I find one.

We have a good western hat store here in tucson.

I'd let by me a Root Beer.


Diy you wear those cowboy shirts with the snaps instead of buttons?

Looking good.

There was a western west store in my old town and they had a 1000x beaver Stetson under a glass case for sale $5k back then

I can live with my $20 cheapies. I only wear it once every year to the rodeo and maybe a concert

Thanks!

Bendable, no. I usually wear a T-Shirt, or a Hawaiian pattern shirt and shorts. If it’s cold I usually have a pair of 5.11 pants or hiking pants and a long sleeve Carhartt shirt. The only things western that I really wear are hats and boots.

Nhtag, if you ever make it out to Wickenburg, check out NRS. By far the best hat selection I have ever seen in person.
We stopped at Heritage Hats in Phoenix, yesterday. It is supposed to be Arizona’s largest hat shop with the biggest selection. They have about half the westerns hats that NRS has, but they do have a lot of Australian hats and fedora types as well. The problem I had with their western hats was their “large brim hats” were 3.5” and just more an a 1980’s to 1990’s style. Biggest one I saw might have been a five gallon hat.

Let me know what hat shop you have down in Tucson. I may make a trip down if time allows.

Sometime before winter I need to get a felt hat. Most likely it’ll be an American 40x in steel color, or I may save a bunch of money and just get the Resistol Logan in steel.

Even though I’m in NM, so they aren’t out of place, and they work well, I feel like I look like a complete tool. They don’t match me at all. Baseball caps and boonie hats for me.

I’ve worn a cowboy hat for 50 years +. I wore one pretty much every day of my adult life, until I retired. Now I wear one for various occasions and, of course, throughout Cheyenne Frontier Days; the show coming up will be my 9th year as a volunteer (exactly how long I’ve been retired).

I’ve got 4 hats now. I favor Resistols and have two of them. I also have a Serratelli and one straw, a Justin. They’re all good hats, none less than 10x, and my silverbelly Resistol is a 20. I wish all my felts were at least 20x, but you buy the best you can afford, then stretch and spend a bit more. I guess I could afford more now, and would love a new Black Gold Resistol, but it probably doesn’t make sense at this point.

As it happens, I’m very familiar with the store you describe as “NRS” in Wickenburg. It was built by Creed and Berva Botts and was called Double D Western. They were easy to get to know and it was a friendly store with a great inventory. Creed got cancer and NRS (National Ropers Supply) bought them out. Berva still lives in W’burg. Inventory is not as good, and the store (in the opinion of locals) is not as friendly. Of course now it caters to the winter team roping crowd, which is large, and they don’t rely on local business any longer.

There is a hat shop in Jackson Hole that has price tags that will take your breath away.

I am surprised that they don't charge you $20.00 just to try the hats on.
Or
Maybe they now, that was 25 years ago.

Bean

It was Arizona Hatters on Campbell

I will be passing through Wickenburg in a few weeks on my way to Vegas - I will build some time into my schedule to stop

thanks for the tip

I wear one from time to time. This one is an Atwood Rodeo Del Hart 100X.

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Well, one thing is for certain, no one, and I mean no one, wears a cowboy hat in Boston. I have had more compliments than I have ever had, and people definitely give me the “you’re not from around here look”.

I was walking to get my wife and I some dinner last night. Heading down pleasant drive to Mass Ave. There was a guy and his wife on their porch, really friendly, but the first thing he said was “howdy partner” with a chuckle, “you definitely aren’t from around here”.
They were really nice and told me that the small cemetery across the street is worth seeing as it is filled with revolutionary war graves.

I'd like a 20X hat.

But at six ft. four,
I already frighten a percentage of the population.

Another 2 or 3 inches might start out a few in cardiac arrest.

I got tired of ball hats and now often wear an "Outback" style hat. Even have a Yooper model with ear flaps for winter wear. I have not gone full cowboy style as I dont think the look works for me.
Whine: I hate that my hat doesnt work well with the headrests in my Jeep.
EDC hat is Baileys LiteFelt Wind River. Good bang for the buck.
Every man should own a Stetson.

I don't own a cowboy hat. You really don't see them around here, even on farmers. I guess the closest I get is a Tilley hat for sun protection out in the boat.

I have three Resistol straw hats. Would like a felt Stetson, but there's just not enough of the year in Florida when it's wearable.

I am a Texan, living in Texas. I have cowboy hats.

I wear an Open Road (like LBJ's hat) with a suit sometimes. I have more modern cowboy hats, too. It is hot here, and straw is more comfortable in the 8 months of the year it is hot. They provide good shade.

In days past when we had horses (too many ) I wore both straw and fur Cowboy hats (last a Resistol Quicksilver and Larry Mahan shantung).

But these days I favor Aussie style from Akubra especially the original Riverina with 4.5" crown, 3" brim, silk lining, leather sweatband, and bound edges (not the wider brim, raw edge, 3 hole vent model they reprised the name for in October 2011). Mine is fitted with a pleated kangaroo band matching stampede string. And a brand new unworn spare sits in my closet since 2009.

Shown here and worn in my avatar.


I think the closest in their current line is their Coober Pedy with 3¼ inch bound edge brim, tilted down in front and back for protection from sun or rain, is dinkum Aussie. The pre-creased crown is 4 inches high at the front, 4½ inches at the sides, eyeletted and fully lined, with a half inch ribbon band. The pure fur felt is Akubra's Imperial Quality. Reeded roan leather sweatband.



Then of course there is my ushenka, numerous ivy flat caps, and ball caps.

Not a hat guy at all. Never a cowboy hat. Only wear other hats if rain or sun requires wearing one. Agree with Peyton about "I'm not sure I like your hat"

Akubra makes a nice hat, indeed. I have one of theirs in an Aussie style, and they also make some that are more American West, if you needed an American style hat from an Australian maker for some reason.

quote:

Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:
Even though I’m in NM, so they aren’t out of place, and they work well, I feel like I look like a complete tool. They don’t match me at all. Baseball caps and boonie hats for me.

Pretty much this, but I'm in Ohio. Still feels foolish and the jokes about horse parking get old. Also, most wearing those style hats here are Amish. Not exactly a comparison I want drawn.