Felt Cowboy Hat

A felt cowboy hat, as you will see in the video below, comes with a crease in the brim known as a “roll”. This can be at either side or usually both. To adjust this the hat can be softened using a steamer then bent to shape with the hands. Another way is to hold the hat onto your stomach and fold it forwards. 

The position of the crease should be so that the mid section of the brim facing forward above your temples should be the same width as your head. This gives you the best appearance for you face. If you are a working man you might not be too worried about how you look but for dress hats on special occasions most folks want to look their best.

In the movies John Wayne might grab his hat by the crown and jam it onto his head but he was a star, and they make their own rules. If you want to look after the head-wear that cost you a fistful of dollars pick it up by the brim front and back and place it carefully on that neatly combed hair.

The original indentation of the crown should be retained by avoiding rough handling and gently massaging back into shape when necessary. Possibly with the help of a hat steamer. Kids should not use a kettle as steam burns.

How you set the angle of the hat on your head helps to project something of your personality. The most criticized position is bashed and stuck carelessly on the back of the skull like some kid out of “Tom Sawyer”. The most glamorous position is a tilted angle partly shading the eyes and creating a touch of mystery. Its fun to try out different angles to find the style you think best suits you. Ask reliable friends for a reaction. “Do I look like a movie star in this?” can be a good line if you are fishing for compliments.

A lot depends on whether you are a genuine outdoors guy or someone wearing a cowboy hat to a party. There  is a world of difference between a dude out for show and a practical cow-handling rancher or horse rider. But whatever your reason for wearing a felt cowboy hat find the style that suits you best and wear it with pride. It is an American icon symbolising the “knight of the plains”.

Technorati Tags: adjust cowboy hat, adjust roll cowboy hat, steam cowboy hat

Your felt cowboy hat will need cleaning from time to time. This is a chore but well worth getting into the habit of doing as it will prolong its life. All manner of folks wear this style of hat nowadays and in all kinds of situations.

A soiled, dusty hat is excusable on a hard-working rancher at the end of the day but not everyone has that excuse. It is advisable to learn good maintenance habits right from the start. When you take that brand new hat and place it proudly on your head that feeling of smartness will be prolonged if you look after it well.

If it worn at work and you experience dusty and wet conditions the grime will build up. If your hands are covered in paint or other staining stuff don’t handle your hat. It is important to remove dirt before it becomes ingrained. Sponges for cleaning felt hats come in packs of two – one for light hats and one for dark. Take care not to mix them up.

The felt material in a hat has what is known as a nap or pile from the method of manufacture where the surface is fuzzy and fur-like. Rub your hand over it and you will feel the fibres have resistance in one direction and smooth in the other. Felt is a strong material made from matted and pounded animal fibres such as beaver and rabbit fur and wool is also used.

You use the sponge with a circular cleaning motion against the nap. If the hat is very dirty you can use a foam cleaner to spray on to help dislodge the grime. It is important that you check for color fastness in a little-seen part of the hat as not all felt dyes are reliable. Rub briskly with circular motions being careful not to damage the shape of the hat.

Dress hats that cost you a lot of money obviously deserve more care. You can keep them stored in a hat can, especially if you are travelling and there is a possibility of crushing. A good quality Stetson is an American icon and you will want to wear it with pride so it is important that it looks its best, and so will you.

A felt cowboy hat can be come an old favorite and you take its condition for granted but you don’t want it to get so dirty that even the dogs will avoid you.

Technorati Tags: clean black felt cowboy hat, clean felt hat, clean white cowboy hat, dirty cowboy hat

The old meets the new. The splendid, feather headdresses of the Native Americans and the Stetson, felt, cowboy hats make a remarkable contrast.

Hats have a long history. The making of felt material is thousands of years old but the felt cowboy hat has a more recent, well-known story.

A young man out West in the 1860s seeking to improve his health and fortune found the weather conditions hard to put up with. Too much heat and strong sun in summer, too much cold and wet in winter with driving rain and snow. Most men just cursed and made do but not John B Stetson. His father had been a hat maker and young John knew the skills of the trade. He had noticed how beaver pelt was very water repellent and decided to make the felt he needed from the fur of this useful animal.

Some folks say John made the hat for a joke but I reckon he knew all along what he was doing. The joke was probably that he pretended it was for fun. There is always some jealous knocker who wants to put whatever you are doing down. Tell them it’s for a joke or a bet and they will go away happy.

Shaving the fur from the beaver underbelly gave the best quality fibres. These have microscopic hooks and scales that can be made to link together by repeated pounding and steaming to form an ideal type of cloth for hat making. Other types of animal fur were later used such as rabbit, wild hare, chinchilla, buffalo, and for cheapness, wool.

The felt was lightweight, strong and waterproof, and John fell to creating a design that would answer the problems he had found. A high crown meant an air pocket for warmth, and a broad brim would protect the face from rain and sunburn. A sweat band would keep the eyes clear and a head band hold the shape. The hats were left in their natural color.

The hat proved very effective and when a passing mule-train driver offered John a gold piece for the one he was wearing he knew his fortune was made.  He returned home and began to produce the “Stetson” hat in quantity. And so a great American hat was born and the brand is still going strong to this day. So much so that the term  “felt cowboy hat” and  the brand name “Stetson” are often interchangeable.

The first popular Stetson was called the “Boss of the Plains” and can be seen in the old photographs and drawings with its broad straight brim and high uncreased crown. It is more practical than stylish but did the job really well and probably saved lives. It kept off the sun and rain, could hold water for the horse, made a welcome fan in sultry weather and was useful for waving at cows to herd them in the right direction. It has been referred to as “the hat that won the West”.

John, who had his name of John B. Stetson embossed in every hat, later designed the Carlsbad with a frontal crease. This started the trend towards a more stylish cowboy hat. Nowadays, there are many variations of style, material and shape. Some people prefer a straw cowboy hat for summer wear as it is light and airy. Inexpensive party hats in the cowboy style are popular with folks wishing to recreate an Old West theme.

Put on a cowboy hat of any type and you are stepping back into history in the company of the pioneers and trail makers of early America.

Technorati Tags: felt cowboy hat, history Stetson, Stetson, Stetsons

The main difference between women’s cowboy hats and men’s is in the color and ornamentation. The girl’s like the head-turning shades and trims while the guys prefer the more sombre, strong silent look.

The original Stetson cowboy hat that started it all was made from beaver fur felt and this is still thought of as the ideal material. The process of making one is time-consuming and requires a lot of handling so the cost can be high. Less expensive materials like wool-based felt produce a serviceable hat at an affordable price.

The felt hat is ideal for winter wear as it is water repellent and warm and will help you avoid winter chills but for summer use many people prefer a straw cowboy hat. This is light and airy and looks good. The large brim protects your skin from the worst effect of strong sunshine and preserves the complexion.

For parties, straw, paper or foam cowboy hats are colorful and fun and cost relatively little. Bright shades and sequins or humor-based, all tastes are catered for.

Wearing a cowboy hat creates a party mood with folk memories of pioneers and ranchers dancing and singing along the trail or under a harvest moon. Put on your Stetson and a whole world of past associations flit through your mind. All the old cowboy movies you have watched with their derring-do and “good guy gets girl in the end” flash through the mind. That is the romantic power of this kind of head-wear.

The cowboy hat goes well with denim for a real working cowgirl look but buckskin outfits are what drive the men wild. Just look at this video by Rikki and Daz with Glen Campbell – Rhinestone Cowboy. It is brilliant and the girls are unbelievably sexy. 

The American cowboy hat is a symbol recognised and admired world wide. Whether you choose felt, straw, leather, paper or foam you will always feel special in a woman’s cowboy hat.

Technorati Tags: beaver fur, cowboy movies, felt, women's cowboy hats