Western, anyone?

[TipTop]

Quemado is the kind of place that defines New Mexico, both past and present. Truly cowboy country! I will make a point of looking into this outfit and taking some pics if possible. Good excuse to take a ride!

Tell him you are a reporter for Fedora Lounge!

 

[99benzman]

Nice looking lid. How about some spec's & inside photos? Welcome to the Lounge...

I have lurked here for a while but I never posted because I did not think "The Fedora Lounge" was western hat friendly. I am happy to see this thread. I did just buy a fedora though from the same guy.


OK here are the inside photos. I have been wearing this hat everyday for a little over a year. Its a 50x beaver hat with a 3 3/4 brim. I like a true pinch front because I like to grab a hat on the front of the crown and have it fit in my hand. I love this hat! It feels very soft to the touch but its darn rugged also. We own a horse and my hat stands up to Amber knocking it off my head and trees hitting it when I ride and this hat has stood up mighty fine.

 

[suitedcboy]

I have several 100% beaver westerns. O'Farrell, Shorty's Caboy Hattery, Dorer's, and the factory made Stetson, Resistol, Bailey, American, and Beaver Brand.
The behaviors of the felt is very equal but the finish, feel, and sweatbands vary.
My Dorer is a black and is 10 or more years old now. It has been very durable and has a cowhide leather sweatband that has worn well.
The Dorer seems to have been pounced carefully to a very nice finish.
My final comment is at odds with fedora standards but my best for hard use would be Bailey followed by Resistol and Stetson. The reason is these are the firmest and hold their shape. I HATE a loose felt while riding fast or on a windy day.
For western dress wear The Shorty's is very comfortable and lighter and also has a very velvetty feel.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

I bought some westerns. Pictures later as I need to fix my website.

 

[zetwal]

I bought some westerns. Pictures later as I need to fix my website.

Good luck with the repairs ...

 

[TipTop]

The New York Times today has a typically snotty-trying-to-be-fun piece piece on Go Texan Day in Houston and all the hat and boot-buying frenzy that accompanies it...but just for that one day.

 

[vintage68]

The New York Times today has a typically snotty-trying-to-be-fun piece piece on Go Texan Day in Houston and all the hat and boot-buying frenzy that accompanies it...but just for that one day.

I imagine with the ghastly Houston humidity it wouldn't be fun to wear a beaver felt hat in that neck of the woods. I wear my beaver felt western hats all the time, but not in the summer and not in humid parts of the country.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Well, FWIW, i live in the Southwest, and while we do not have humidity, we sure have heat! "It's a dry heat!" I never go out without a cover of some kind. I have straw hats as well at felt, and honestly I can't tell much difference in terms of comfort between the straws and the felts. Light weight felts actually seem cooler than the straw hat. I also notice that most of the working cowboys on the local ranches wear felt or wool hats year round.

Now, that said, all of my straw hats are palm leaf, not panama......[huh]

 

[T Rick]

Knew a guy from Arizona. When someone not from there stated "yeah, but it's a dry heat, he replied, "Yeah? So's your oven". I understsand the difference in humidity, but let's face it, hot is still hot!

 

[bowlerman]

When you're in triple digits, maybe...
I can personally swear that a Southern California 100 is very different than a South Dakota 100... I'm much more comfortable in the former.

 

[vintage68]

I lived in central Florida for a year and never wore my beaver felt hats there. It was just too humid, even in the "winter." Most days I wore shorts, a loose shirt, and flip flops, and sulked indoors under the air conditioner with a glass of bourbon. As a born and bred "westerner" I just cannot handle humidity.

 

[T Rick]

When you're in triple digits, maybe...
I can personally swear that a Southern California 100 is very different than a South Dakota 100... I'm much more comfortable in the former.

There definitely IS a difference. His point was, 110 degrees (typical Summer day for his area) is still really hot. And it's true.

When I got to FL in mid September, I was surprised to hear locals complaining about the heat. 2 weeks earlier, I'd been working in 100 degree heat in Michigan. Neither was that pleasant! Both dictated straws, and when it cooled slightly, lightweight unlined felts (the Playboy and the Champ Featherweight were the right choices for the Florida Fall).

 

[kokopelli]

Hola Amigos! Cheers.. Ron

 

[vintage68]

I was wearing one of my Jaxonbilt's today, the Cavalry hat, and was happy that I ordered it with a wind string since we have a new storm coming in and today the wind has really picked up. Does anyone else wear their western hats with a wind string?

 

[1961MJS]

Hi
I have a double loop braided leather stampede string on my Jaxonbilt Campaign hat, and a plain leather stampede string on my Sun Body Rough-rider hat and on my Resistol hat. It kind of helps in Kansas where 20 knots is a calm day. I really need to do pictures of them, but I don't have the strings for the last two on the hats yet. I also own a Horse hair braided stampede string that I don't use. Apparently, you need to sew those to the hat or they won't stay down.

Later

 

[vintage68]

A "Jaxonbilt Campaign hat"? Was that a custom request? I didn't know Jaxonbilt made one...

 

[1961MJS]

A "Jaxonbilt Campaign hat"? Was that a custom request? I didn't know Jaxonbilt made one...

See the following link:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?51684-JAXONBILT-Hats/page9

It is a custom request, which he did a very good job with.

Later

 

[vintage68]

Ah yes, ok, I remember that hat. Very nice work!

 

[TipTop]

See the following link:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?51684-JAXONBILT-Hats/page9

It is a custom request, which he did a very good job with.


Later

That's very handsome. I have a hankering for a similar-shaped Ritch Rand "Two Dot" just as pictured in navy blue, but I do like that sandstone or whatever color yours is called. Indeed, I think I just snagged a sandstone fedora, offered by a Lounger on ePrey just this afternoon. i say "think" because it was marked "ended" an hour ago, yet just now, going back in to copy the link, it was BACK, so I bought it....I think.

 

[1961MJS]

That's very handsome. I have a hankering for a similar-shaped Ritch Rand "Two Dot" just as pictured in navy blue, but I do like that sandstone or whatever color yours is called. Indeed, I think I just snagged a sandstone fedora, offered by a Lounger on ePrey just this afternoon. i say "think" because it was marked "ended" an hour ago, yet just now, going back in to copy the link, it was BACK, so I bought it....I think.

Hi, that color is undyed natural. Jaxonbilt, Tumwater hats, Art Fawcett, and Buckaroo hatters all carry it. I'm sure most other custom guys do too, it's one of the colors that Winchester (I think) makes there in Tennessee. Roy at Jaxonbilt, and Mike at Buckaroo hatters will both do what ever you want done to a hat (within the limitations of the felter (36 inch crown etc)), and they are less expensive than Rand's. I didn't mention Tumwater or Art Fawcett here because they are known more for Fedoras than Westerns.

Later