The TRUTH About What You Should be Paying for Your Cowboy Hat

I go over some generalized and subjective overviews of what you should be paying for felts, straws and palm leafs.

[@Sokolva]

Thanks for talking about the palm leaf hats as a separate category from the Shangung straw western hats, as they have different properties and looks, and are quite different. Love my palm leaf hat. Bought it from a small western store in the mountains of New Mexico, unbranded, made in Mexico, and it’s awesome. Such a unique shape to the brim and so sturdy. I’m excited to use it to stay cool in summer K9 search and rescue work.

[@russelshouse2224]

Around here, North East Oklahoma, restistol and stetson have their 6x hats right at 300. I bought a resistol City Limits in black back in December and love it, the resistol is a long oval shape which fits my head a little better. The 6x fur felt from either steston or resistol are great hats, right at the 300 range. I wear my daily and love it. I plan to get a new straw hat for the warmer weather and will probably get a resistol. Good video, thank you

[@markely7587]

X doesn’t mean much because there isn’t an industry standard. A Stetson/ Resistol / American in 7X is going to be European hare, in that $200/$300 range. The big hat makers don’t list the fur content of the felt. So to me, you start looking at $400 for a name brand hat I’d rather get a custom hat that is a 50% beaver/ 50% hare fur felt. Typically a Stetson 4X is going to be wool. They don’t hold their shape as well for as long as a fur felt and can get pretty warm. They run in the $100. $$150 range. If I made a living outdoors I’d spend the $ on a 100% beaver fur felt. Figure $600. - $1500. Beaver takes the weather and abuse. You can send your fur felt hat to a hat shop for a deep cleaning and re blocking when it gets starts to looking dirty. Straw hats I won’t spend more than $125 on. I sweat through them and after a few summers they have sweat stains. Key is get a hat that fits your head and like.

[@caseyhansen4567]

Atwood and sunbody are my favorite palm hats

[@charlescomly1]

Good and informative video. Hat brands do matter as far as quality is concerned, I bought a Wrangler 18x, got a great price on it, but in comparison to my 7x Resistall, the Resistall was a far better made hat, also in comparison to my Stetson. It can be a case of buyer ware.

[@hansen2230]

Good video. Easy to follow, explained simply and clearly. Much appreciated.

[@user-ew7nz3yw2i]

Thank you for the great information! I now have my first hat!

[@charlesludwig9173]

I find your thoughts on the subject entertaining. But most entertaining is your hat. It make me think of the Buster Scrubs movie. That hat is BIG. What is it that makes it popular with you? I like the Stetson 6X Skyline Silverbelly. I get a lot of compliments on it and stares too. Like they’re thinking who is that guy playing Cowboy.

[@StartupCowboy]

I once saw a guy with his hat shaped this way and I liked it. It’s a nice blend of a traditional look and the full on flat buckaroo style. Given that I shape a lot of hats I get to see many different styles and how well they last. This one seems to be very sustainable and stays looking nice for a long time. It works for me and my style so that’s why I go with it.

[@charlesludwig9173]

@@StartupCowboy buckaroo style, yeah what fun.

[@at_tro_sizematters]

Turn those hats upside-down brother. I know you know, bu5 some of these folks watching might not realize that it can hurt a brim.

[@StartupCowboy]

Thanks for the comment! You’re right! We explain in many of our videos that this is just to display the hats for the video or pictures and to never store them this way. We also have a whole video on how to properly store hats.

[@jimnicholas8824]

I like the gray hat a lot where can I buy a hat like that thank you Happy New Year God bless

[@StartupCowboy]

Jim, Are you referring to the hat that I am wearing, or the one on the far right in the video? S^C

[@jimnicholas8824]

The gray one

[@StartupCowboy]

Jim, The hat that I am wearing is a silver belly American 7X. The hat that I’m guessing you’re referring to is a dark belly American 20 X. The 7X is kind of a run-of-the-mill hat that you can buy anywhere online that deals American hats. The 20 X is a custom order hat that you would have to order directly from @American Hat Company, or a dealer that can do those types of customizations on a hat. S^C

[@gearup9503]

I'm looking into getting an 100x cow boy hat, I want a hat that would out last me but I've got to ask, is an 100x cowboy hat as strong and as durable as a straw hat?

[@StartupCowboy]

A 100x felt would be far more strong and durable than a straw. If you can afford that nice of a hat you will be set up for life. I hope you enjoy your new hat! S^C

[@gearup9503]

​@@StartupCowboy Thanks, I appreciate it.

[@thomasmoorman5328]

Question? what would be a comp in quality stetson today compared to my 1984 bought 4X stetson?

[@StartupCowboy]

Thomas, My assumption is that in order to assure that you get a hat of comparable quality, you would need to go up a couple X values. It’s seems to me that the old 4X hat is now like todays 6x hats. Some makers make a nicer hat another’s, and that’s totally based upon the amount of beaver in the hat body. It would be worth your time to go into a place and try on a bunch of hats and do some quality Checking to see that you are getting the same quality that you are used to. Hope this helps! S^C

[@thomasmoorman5328]

@@StartupCowboy thank you for the reply and solid information.

[@larryreigel2402]

No hat makers X’s are the same.

[@nytom4info]

35 year old stetson still in the box... upside down! Gray

[@fredm.7145]

Those hats are not cowboy hats. They're ladies Sun hats. You can't just take a hat of any shape and call a cowboy hat. I'm going start wearing my Top hat and call it a cowboy hat. We know what type of hat it is by its shape. Just because a cowboy is wearing a Top hat doesn't make it a cowboy hat. It's a cowboy's hat, but a Top hat is a Top hat.

[@keatmead1077]

You’re used to pre shaped boot barn hats huh? 😂