Identifying sweatband leather

[suitedcboy]

I own 4 doz + hats, 80% western felts, but I have never been able to determine the types of leather used in the sweatbands of most.
I have seen the sweatband described as "roan leather" and "rabbit leather" but most are tanned or finished with a dark gray-black color and the texture doesn't strike me as cowhide.
A few of the westerns have a cowhide sweatband that is a natural, or at least natural after tanning color and feel for cowhide. These absorb oils and discolor and harden from sweat. The ones that are a mystery seem to be more durable and don't have these undesirable effects of long use.

I'm not referring to straw hats as I own two of them total and their sweatbands are not cause for my inquiry.

 

[suitedcboy]

a dozen are out on hat racks of various types, the rest are boxed two deep on closet shelves. Multiple closets.

I was looking at the sweatband of the hat I am wearing today ( 200x Stetson silver belly more or less cattleman creased) and the grain is so fine on it. I have never seen a kangaroo hide so maybe they have a skin that tans into fine grained, fine feeling durable leather.

 

[GWD]

Why would anyone need that many hats???? lol You only have one head!!











Smell that?............................................ That's Sarcasm!

 

[AlanC]

"Too many hats" = "more hats than I currently have"

 

[suitedcboy]

blk for dress, blk for showing horses, blk for rodeo competing(runs smaller, stays on but isn't comfortable for long wear), blk for rodeo (fits correctly and is older and you don't mind all the dust and dirt and stuff getting on it), blk for ranch use ( hasbeen sweated in a lot and it shows).

Now repeat that for brown, silver belly and natural.
Throw in some spares and ones you won, and of course the ones that were too good to pass up on OFAS (not lately, the word is out...) and you have too many (is there really too many if you open the door to your house and you can still get into house?).