How to shape and cut a felt cowboy hat at the historic Emporium Western Store in Bakersfield, Ca.

You'd be surprised how many people make the trip to the home of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard to get their cowboy hats shaped. A lot of famous country singers have stopped in when they roll through town to get their hats shaped. Ronda has become quite popular since we started showing her skills shaping cowboy hats. We went in and had her show us how she cuts and shapes felt cowboy hats. You'll also find out what keeps a felt cowboy hat stiff. Hope you're ready for that one. Throw a sub and click the bell icon for more BTUFF content. Billy at BTUFF.

[@larrylarry739]

I live in Pennsylvania and shipped my hat to Ronda for shaping. I enclosed an 8x10 photo of one of George Strait's hats and asked her to make mine look just like his. She did a wonderful job and was so pleasant to deal with. I couldn't be happier! Thanks again, Ronda!

[@BenAndBarrett2023]

I spent a lot of hours in this store back when I was a young bull rider. Big Al use to shape all of my hats and had me try out a couple of new hats that he found and thought would be a good fit for me, he would always have some new pictures to share. I was a young man, just starting out in rodeo, but Big Al always treated me as if I’d already won the world. He would always walk up to the register with me to make sure that I got every store discount possible. Big Al, the big red boot and Western Emporium will always have a big piece of my heart.

[@Silver7481]

Keep it up. Sam Silver, grandson of the founder of the American Hat Company established in 1915, Houston, Texas.

[@Silver7481]

I creased hats for 20 years in both a retail and factory environment. When Urban Cowboy came out retailers demanded we crease hats for them. They were determined to take the magic out of the hat buying experience. We did what or accounts wanted. I did not make a lick of sense. They wanted to take a hat out of a box and ring it up. Go figure.

[@Cowboy3697]

Wow. Keep it coming sir. I love hats and I love American hat company so the stories are awesome so legit with no sarcasm keep the history lessons coming

[@Cowboy3697]

I swear I’m not being sarcastic I want that to be crystal clear.

[@Silver7481]

@@Cowboy3697 American Hat started in 1915 in steamy Houston, Texas. Sam Silver slept under wagons on then muddy Main Street.

[@AlbaDoggy]

@@Silver7481 that's amazing! Would there be a decumentery about that?

[@ericksonjustinAK]

She’s so beautifully humble. How can you not root for her.

[@jasminhrnjic8827]

HELO MISS MYAWBOJ FRENDS BEAUTI FUL DALAS SITI SUPER HAT AJM CAWBOJ SHERIFF DOC HOLLIDAY☆ )>* KOLIKO KOSTA HAT DALIJE 100.$ DOLARS 200 DOLARS 300. DOLARS. NEZNAM ARONO .CIJENE HAT. SUPER HAT BRAWO MY FREND. 10. HAT. AJM JASMIN JOHN HRNJIC HOLLIDAY☆ SHERIFF☆)>* DOC HOLLDAY☆ DOCU U DALAS .😊FRENDS.

[@johnwayneeverett6263]

Best there is ...Ronda has always been Popular n most of all caring smiling happy Soul...Love ya Darling. SO HAPPY TO SEE YA SMILING N WORKING WITH YOUR SKILL SET ...WELL DONE.PROUD OF YA. GOD IS GOOD....ALWAYS.. John.

[@davidhill2949]

This is fascinating, I never knew that a hat could be shaped again after it gets all floppy, thanks for showing how this is done!

[@NicGoldenEddie]

Yep hat’s are awesome. Love Stetson.

[@pickinscott]

I was in the process of shaping a new straw hat when I ran across this video. I like to shape my own. I use an old tea kettle with a whistle on it to make the steam. I've done a few beaver hats, as well. Once, I found and old beat up Resistol straw hat at a garage sale; it was in really bad shape, all beat up. I bought it for pennies, brought it home, steamed it up and it was a favorite for years.

[@patallen5095]

Poetry in motion! Beautiful job!!

[@christinepierce3989]

Thanks so much for your video!!! I need to reshape a hat I bought, now I know how to do it.. just need the confidence to do it. I like the Australian shaped hat, and that's what I'm gonna try. Once again, thanks so much!

[@DanMaker]

I think the beetle snot is also known as shellac. It's also used in time release medicine and as a wood finish among hundreds of other uses.

[@liquidmidnight1]

From the shell of the lac beetles. It takes many thousands of the little buggers.

[@rondarlemons6429]

Yes thank you for watching and thank you for your comment have a great day

[@allit.164]

​@@liquidmidnight1I know it's been 3 years according to the time stamp but in case anyone else is wandering these comments--it is from the words shell and lac because it's a secretion from female lac bugs but it's not their shells, it's just harvested and processed as little shards. Because it's gathered from the trees these bugs are living, traveling, and secreting on there are insects incidentally harvested with it but you might be thinking of their relatives in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, the three different cochineal scale insects (cochineal, Armenian cochineal, and Polish cochineal) who are directly processed for red dyes.

[@paulrhodes482]

Ronda is such a sweet lady and very helpful! I will be heading her way again soon for a new straw hat.

[@user-hb8be5wb4q]

Great info, great vlog, thanks for sharing with us. Very interesting hats and their molding techniques. Looks like a Kevin Costner hat.

[@marlena1jb]

Me and my wife went to Bakersfield to go see Rhonda I bought a hat and she shaped it for me. It came out perfect she’s the best. She’s very friendly and very outgoing and she’s willing to help you out and pick a hat for you. We are definitely going to go back to get another one from her. Go see her people her hat shaping skills are awesome.👊🏼🇲🇽🇺🇸💪🏼

[@tkinney80]

I know where I need to go now, grew up only 35 miles away. Can't wait to meet Rhonda.

[@rondarlemons6429]

Come see me🤠

[@jetcarddude]

Watching a master at work is awesome......Thanks for sharing.

[@Alexsmith-hp2mz]

I agree she needs her own signature hat just awesome personality nice interview you should travel the world just interviewing the best hat shapers

[@douglascox9996]

My dad wore a broad-brimmed campaign hat in the US Army back in the 20s and 30s before WW2 in the US, China, and Philippines. The expedient they used to restiffen and waterproof the wool felt was to “paint” it with sugar water. The “paint” was re-applied after every drenching from rain.

[@richardcostello360]

Jeez in Australia we just beeswax our slouch hats..... it waterproof better and doesn't suddenly become a wasp magnet

[@douglascox9996]

@@richardcostello360 US Army was/is too often more concerned with parade ground appearance than field expediency. Someone may have thought that sugar-painted campaign hats looked better on parade. I remember seeing sugar-painted tires on combat and field vehicles at Stateside military installations in the 1960s, with the vehicle bodies painted glossy OD because they looked better in the motor pool.

[@richardcostello360]

@@douglascox9996 Australia hasn't used the slouch hat in the field since the 60's......but because we've got bases in high heat/high humidity areas we tend to remember that putting "parade ground" effort into a hat that's got a high likelihood of being rained on is a bad idea 😂 Still wear 100% polyester parade uniforms though 😩

[@JTF37]

Ronda, you are incredibly talented! I need to come in and get a few hats.

[@charliejackson922]

I was a roughstock cowboy in my early 20's and I let the bulls shape my hats for me

[@shainbegay7899]

Hell yeah 🤙🏼😂

[@robgriz72]

Was your head still in it?

[@That_Guy_JL]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@matthewwinters1297]

What a sweetheart! Thanks for sharing.

[@coptertim]

You know you're watching a true artist when they make it look so easy. I know where I'm going for my next hat!

[@coptertim]

O well... Check them out when you get home. Did you get a good camp spot? That's a big park.

[@talkingrock7011]

I had the privilege of having one of these skilled people close to my home , he had shaped for some well known actors and movies , I never seen him without one of his custom formed hats it’s a skill that my soon become part of the past

[@sherrywyllie2163]

I worked at a western store in Stockton CA 30 years ago and learned this. The owner (Dorothy) was so good at it. She was a great lady.

[@LodiSanta]

I’m in Stockton too! Where you recommend I go for a nice straw? I teach for SUSD!

[@sherrywyllie2163]

@@LodiSanta the store I worked for was called Broken Arrow on Copperopolis Rd just east of Alpine Rd. When Dorothy died her daughter took it over but not sure if it's still open. If not then try Robinsons in Lodi out off of Hyw 12 east. Its same parking lot as Mexican restaurant on south side of the road.

[@phillipwilliams4966]

She just did a hat for me . Did a great job; I got just what I wanted.

[@joeyriddle]

This is so interesting! I would love to learn all the different names of the shapes and styles! What a lovely lady🤗

[@fishngolfnguns3689]

Loved this! Love hats!

[@djustilien]

So awesome. Im starting to learn to shape hats now. I'm enjoying it alot.

[@valcantu934]

Got my hat shaped by her! Love the Emporium and its staff.

[@kee7678]

That's cool. How much roughly? I"m headed there to get one.

[@fastglock45]

@@kee7678 just wondering if you ever got a reply on cost and if you made it there? Im heading there from NJ in march

[@kee7678]

@@fastglock45 Hey man...no I didn't actually get a price yet from anybody and haven't headed up there yet. If you find out, please let me know too!

[@nativetexan9776]

I always crease my own hats using a tea kettle for steam. That way, if I don't like it, I have only myself to blame.

[@roadmonkeytj]

I've done just that. I usually have to reshape my brim a couple times a year because the elements like to change it. Also do my own gapping

[@wendyaminzadeh7846]

Cool guys

[@Dstrbrdgrnd]

Absolutely! I have my tea kettle and have reshaped my hats myself👍🤠

[@BeverleyKane]

Thanks for the hint. My horse stepped on my vaquero style straw (palm leaf?) hat and the crown is dented in so it wobbles on my head. Can't just punch it out. Will try the teakettle trick.

[@lowes891646]

Boy howdy! That hat looks amazing!!! Great work, Ronda! I've been through Bakersfield/ Oildale many times. I sure miss old Buck. He was born in Sherman, TX, about 65 miles north of Big D, my home town. Great video! I had to Subscribe!

[@masterchief586]

Great artist she truly is.

[@waynecastleman1363]

She's a skilled hat lady , the best I've seen anywhere !

[@timallbritton3716]

Wow! Finally, a reason to actually go to California!

[@jayostrem6214]

Love the videos, keep up the good work!

[@btuff]

Glad you like them!

[@brunningwolf]

I always come back to this talented woman she is the best greetings from the Oglala Sioux nation

[@ginamarcaccio5088]

We had Nudies Western Wear on Lankershim in No Hollywood, CA. Best store ever for cowboy/girl clothes. Nudie would give us nurses “Nudie Bucks” who cared for him to use at his store. He catered to the Hollywood crowd.

[@simplemanduke7128]

Awesome video. I'm going there!!

[@anonimoboy]

respect for this lady

[@Bodeesafa]

Cool post. I’m gonna go get one from her shortly. I live close by and needed a new connection

[@tommartin1223]

I'm only 70 miles away. I need to take a drive

[@NicGoldenEddie]

You are awesome Ronda, since the first videos I saw I wanted to come over and get a hat. Greets from Germany. ❤️❤️👍

[@vaughanellis7866]

The hats are stiffened with shellac which comes from the Shellac Beetle.

[@haveaknifeday]

That was a pleasure to watch

[@megagatvol]

Just awesome to see how it’s done…watching from the U.K..

[@Akkordeondirigent]

James Stewart, "Winchester 73" in the background! That´s nice! And I love the color of that hat you are working on. Wanted that for my new stetson but did not find it in the shape I prefer (crown pinched front and wide low brim). Now I know I could reshape it. To late!

[@bryanb1111]

She has a great laugh😃

[@rondarlemons6429]

Thanks🤠

[@rubendevereaux6086]

She is absolutely awesome! If you want to go and see an awesome hat shaper, go to El Paso Texas the star western wear on I-10. The guy there is an absolute genius when it comes to hand shaping cleaning, anything that has to do with a cowboy hat, he is awesome at it.

[@Silver7481]

My grandfather started the American Hat Company in Houston, 1915. Still love hats. His name was Sam Silver. My name too.

[@Silver7481]

@MysteriousOklahoma Hi. I continued it and did not. My dad, Sam Silver's son, wanted to control everything. I mean everything. Micro-manager. My way or the highway. He cut me loose one Saturday morning. Things happen for the best. He was going to run the show and that means every inch of it. Great memories. I just did not meet his specifications.

[@Silver7481]

@MysteriousOklahoma Hey. The hat company was located in Houston. It’s hot, steamy and too busy for my tastes. I went to college in New Mexico which is high and dry and beautiful. I figured out how to retreat to my old stomping grounds of NM. I got myself fired and moved back to God’s country. Life is

[@Silver7481]

@MysteriousOklahoma I am living large in New Mexico. Houston sucks. It’s good I got fired. I would have missed life’s adventure. Houston is the arm pit of the universe. Glad things happened the way they did. I knew a lot about hats. Now I know a lot about enjoying life.🪕

[@Silver7481]

@MysteriousOklahoma Give me mountains. Think one would fit in my casket?

[@conorcooley9275]

Cool to see this comment considering I work at American Hat Company now!

[@titogonzalezpimping]

Just got a Stetson 100x diffently gonna make some time to have her shape it for me heard so much good things about her and this store

[@jeanmorin3247]

It would have been fun and useful if you had shown this page on the wall with the various classic shapes so that we can play with them. Also, are some kinds of faces or heads better served by some particular shapes? Thank you. Very interesting for someone who comes from quite far!

[@BlackBriar0204]

A true artist

[@OffGridFromTheGroundUp]

Felt for Labor Day until Memorial Day, straw for Memorial day until Labor Day.

[@thehoneybadger8089]

Unless you're in southern Arizona🙃🌵

[@vladimirlopez7840]

Or Florida

[@donrumsey3816]

or texas!

[@roadmonkeytj]

Black 10x all year long have a Sunday hat and a everyday hat

[@OffGridFromTheGroundUp]

@@roadmonkeytj you guys are responding to this like I made this rule up... this rule was in existence long before I was around... unless of course you live in the jungle or desert...why on earth would you be looking at felt hats if you live in the jungle or Deseret, in the first place?

[@cliffordmattern2454]

Lol. I got more hats than hair on my head. She did a perfect job. Excellent talent 👏. That color i have always been partial to. Great great job rhonda.

[@rondarlemons6429]

Thank you🤠

[@Silver7481]

Hey. Tell Andres Trevino hello for me. He was a great member of the old American Hat. I miss hats.

[@kurtinklern3262]

"Beetle Snot" is a cute term, I suppose, however it is really SHELLAC, and yes, indeed, it occurs in nature from beetles. There is even shellac on apples to make them shinier.

[@jenniferwhite7242]

Beautiful work

[@waltersickinger1499]

Beetle snot is actually shellac......

[@davidmoody7450]

@@hayden8491 well there goes the felt hat industry once peta finds out....lol

[@Max-dx7rd]

After watching your videos at Emporium I definitely want to get a hat shaped there!

[@btuff]

It's pretty cool to get a hat shaped at the same place Buck Owens and Merle Haggard did.

[@thesixshooter6506]

Very cool. You are so talented and the hat looks amazing! Very informative too... I'm new at wearing cowboy hats and this video really helped. Good stuff!

[@homesickandwestbound4321]

Rad! I was in here while she was shaping some hats this weekend!

[@frankthywissen8138]

COOL!!!.........And a nice Lady!!!

[@3814james]

I just reshaped a very wrinkeled Steven's cowboy hat I bought at a yard sale for $ 5.00 it now looks Great thanks to your video

[@bobhostetler8548]

I learned shaping my own at sixteen years old with a tea kettle.

[@nicolopez4963]

Me too.

[@mab0852]

Me also, but a wallpaper steamer is greatness if you have one.

[@nosjourneyman]

lovely lady who absolutely loves what she is doing

[@tonysilva1681]

She’s fix one of my hats after I got caught in the rain, one day awesome lady did a great job

[@tylerchapman1872]

thank you guys to help me understand

[@clint3287]

You are awesome!

[@ronp8899]

Thank you for the great information and demonstration. Do you know what type of hats the buffalo soldiers wore? I'm interested in purchasing one. Some of the photos I've seen had the front of the brim folded back. Thanks once again.

[@TalonID]

I was told by the late Tommy Corrigan (Crash Corrigan's son) that he added powdered sugar to the steamer water to make hats extra stiff. Tom's hats were always spot on for decades.

[@sledgehammer9739]

At the beginning that hat looks like the one the Undertaker wears.

[@richardmoll5618]

Or the amish

[@whitetrashandhellbound6905]

Lady, I NEED you to do me a hat. Amazing Talent 🤟🙏

[@michaelschulze6545]

local AND entertaining for the world

[@docbrown6550]

My favorite hat is the Black hat James Garner wore in Support your Local Sherriff.

[@maryblaylock6545]

Mine too!

[@kee7678]

yeah mine too

[@musicmatty67]

Brilliant 👍🇺🇸

[@toddcooper5781]

Love y’all’s Videos and plan on coming from Cleburne, Texas to see y’all some day… I’m wanting a Silverbelly 7 3/8 either Resistol or RodeoKing

[@kimcase9]

She's Great!! lovely girl!!

[@xrascal1]

Who is this woman… She’s great!

[@dhp4073]

Just got a beautiful white Larry mahan 6x. Regular cattleman crown with oval brim point.

[@liquidmidnight1]

You rock !!

[@rondarlemons6429]

Thank you very much appreciate it

[@lanceroark6386]

I can still hear the jingle from the 80’s.

[@daphnedevi]

Not much more charming than a very skilled *and* humble person.

[@user-bi5if1ip6t]

Nice nice nice 👍🏻

[@michaelrenaud8196]

AWESOME HAT 🤠👍🇺🇸 💯🦅 AMERICAN MAID

[@scotthamp384]

I'm not a fan of the cattlemen crease. I love the teardrop and like the wide brick By the way, last year, I was looking for a new felt hat, and the lady who owns my local western wear store had told me that she'd sold Rodeo King brand hats for a while, but then had to quit once she'd sold out because a customer had bought one in black. He wore it after he'd bought it and walked outside. It'd started to rain, and he went back in to the hat section and had the dye running down half of his face. So, the only two brands she primarily orders are Serratelli and Resistol

[@michaelgarrigan3706]

Rhonda, how do I go about getting the charcoal hat you shaped in this video...I love it...

[@mervjb809]

I believe it's more the moisture, rather than the heat that softens the felt, and allows you to shape it.

[@jordanedmonsond3241]

It’s the heat, you can shape a hat with even a hair dryer or heat gun

[@toddwaldo2147]

Hey I have a question I bought an old hat that has lots of little brands on it though over on the brim in the crown but it's kind of floppy and there's no liner in it anymore if how would I send it to you and and what would be approximate cost of doing it

[@radioman5688]

I'm wondering if we can ship hats to her to be restored I have a Stetson and a another type of a wool hat Texas state

[@Madmanmarque]

The beetle snot is shellac form the Lac bug.

[@hannahstreams3185]

Can you cut the brim size down after the hats been shaped?

[@henrycagle7827]

Old hands never die

[@dallastoto3189]

Man .. very kool

[@The_Cat_Authority]

yes the sealer shellac is actually a resin created by shellac beetles.

[@FabryRock]

Cool

[@jameswitt2981]

Grew up in K.V., live in Texas now... fun to watch these videos of businesses in Bakers-Patch... continue to grow and prosper . Old Dude..

[@BobbyAlcantara]

Are there any videos of showing how a hat band is added to felt hats

[@spwan10]

Is there a autobiography of Big Al and the history of Emporium Western Store and how many generations it's been pass down to?

[@btuff]

We have a video with him. Search Big Al BTUFF

[@guarddog318]

I have an old 4 fur Stetson that I've worn everyday for 22 years now. It's not as pretty as it once was, but it's still all in one piece and doing it's job. It started off being "Silverbelly", but is now more of a dirty tan. Btw, mine cost $250, all those years ago. I have no idea what it would cost to replace now.

[@ashtonfitzgerald1445]

Well, my good friend with some simple calculations, math, and inflation. A brand new one would run you 390 dollars as of 2021.

[@allenwilson9656]

@@ashtonfitzgerald1445 Well that would depend on the maker of the hat a 5 x Justin is $50 , a 5 x Stetson skyline is roughly $ 250 here in Texas. A Resistol is about $ 200 where a American hat company 5 x could be $ 500 or more .

[@ashtonfitzgerald1445]

@@allenwilson9656 yes but going off the same model he got, he said it was 250 22 years ago, now with inflation, the same hat would be 390$.

[@ashtonfitzgerald1445]

I have a gamblers Stetson, real nice really like the company.

[@guarddog318]

Okay, an update, 2 years later: I just ordered a Seneca directly from Stetson. It's 4X buffalo fur felt, ( my original one is beaver ) and cost $201 after taxes and shipping. We'll see if it holds up as well as the first one... though at my age (60), I may not have another 24 years to devote to hat-wearing in the great outdoors. lol

[@TieToter]

Great video. Really nice lady.

[@gibsondrummer]

She’s got the touch

[@ryanlemons7831]

I knew they must exist out there somewhere but after 36 years, I finally found someone outside my family with the name Lemons!

[@jacobrobbins3147]

My sister had a teacher with that name lol

[@ryanlemons7831]

Cool! 😎 do you happen to recall if it was Lemons with one M? I’ve seen a few Lemmons and a few Lemon (singular) but not ‘Lemons. (Until now). Hey thanks for commenting!

[@jacobrobbins3147]

@@ryanlemons7831 My sister said it was a single m. Thanks for responding to my response!

[@ryanlemons7831]

You got it bud! You are very welcome and thank you sir! It is very nice to bump into a nice and friendly fella Such as yourself on the internet. Rare occurrence these days huh? Do take care In these trying and uncertain times. Cheers!

[@jacobrobbins3147]

@@ryanlemons7831 I know, for real!