Western, anyone?

[deadlyhandsome]

I may have to talk Robert out of some of that ribbon. Great hat, Brent.

Thanks, Randy. This is one of those hats I like more every time I wear it.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Also, does Stetson make specific hats only for Duluth? Why isn't this hat on Stetson's website?

It's possible. I know Stetson make a line for Filson; (Wolf Canyon Hat) which is just a 'DUNE' & add another $125 for the Filson logo.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

It's possible. I know Stetson make a line for Filson; (Wolf Canyon Hat) which is just a 'DUNE' & add another $125 for the Filson logo.

Stetson made the Three Forks hat for Cabela’s too. Distributor exclusives are common.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Why is that?

I don’t understand your question.

If you place a large enough order, why wouldn’t a company (in this case Stetson) make a special product for you with its own model designation? It’s exclusively. It’s capitalism at work. Dealer exclusives often do not show up in catalogs of the makers.

 

[wsmontana]

Stetson made the Three Forks hat for Cabela’s too. Distributor exclusives are common.

Stetson makes the Moose River for LL Bean as well. I believe it is a $200 Royal Stetson quality hat.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I think it's the branding that is confusing.

It has two major name brands. Stetson and Duluth. I mean major suppliers aren't usually their own distributors and dominant brands by themselves.

I find it a bit confusing. But it's okay. I think the I like the Duluth version of the Open Road better.

The open road is nice but reviews I've seen online suggest it offers virtually no sun protection for face and neck.

The sun protection is a function of brim width…and to some extent the brim’s shape too. A 2 ¾” brim is a 2 ¾” brim no matter what the model is called. There’s a reason why those working outdoors often choose 4” and even 5” brims. You can even get larger brims, but there are always trade offs as well as aesthetics to consider.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Canadian Stetson 7X:

 

[deadlyhandsome]

True but coverage varies if the brim is turned up or down, and how low the hat sits. The Duluth version is straight brimmed, and a little over 3 inches wide. Well I'm still thinking. It's a lot of money. And as I said I'm also considering the Range 6x.

In my post I said “and to some extent the brim’s shape too” when talking about sun protection. I know the shape impacts coverage. However, brim shape is easily changed, but the brim width is not. The shallow flange on the Open Road brim hardly impacts the shade it provides at all. If you want more shade get a wider brim and shape it like a safari hat with the front and back pulled down. It’s all about trade off and priorities. Only you can determine what best fits your needs and wants.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Okay. Thing is I'm overseas as you know, and can't easily attain some cheap hats to practice on, before I try it out in a new hat that costs $300.

I get that. Personally, I wouldn’t buy any of the thats you’re looking at new. I find a lot of hats of the modern era on the used market at good prices. It’s always hit and miss, and there are no returns, but I love the used hat market.

 

[RossRYoung]

Cowboy corner got cleaned up a tad to make room for the cactus piece

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I've looked on eBay. I've not seen what I'm looking for. Are there other platforms for used hats?

eBay is the best place. With time and persistence we can often find real bargains. You have to put in the work though.

 

[Blare]

I've looked on eBay. I've not seen what I'm looking for. Are there other platforms for used hats?

I hate to open up a whole different can of worms…. As I’m not sure their limits on brim sizes.. but getting into that pricing range…. You may want to consider a custom from Peter Hornskov or Hufvud.… both in Europe. They may be able to make exactly what you want… made custom For you.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Cowboy corner got cleaned up a tad to make room for the cactus piece

View attachment 509824

Nice idea, Ross.

Late afternoon out under a Stetson 7X Fifty.

 

[Rmccamey]

This brim keeps Junior's nose from getting sunburned.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

That's a really cool shape, it works so well with the proportions of the hat.

Thanks. Robert @belfastboy makes a great hat.

 

[chivaceae]

Hi all,

While I have been in the Lounge for a couple of years, I had limited myself to mostly reading with interest a few threads while I was trying to figure out some basic hat shaping and cleaning techniques to apply on the couple of hats I had, and wore on a daily basis for the past 25+ years. The “bug” bit me, more so during the pandemic, and I have purchased a few beater inexpensive hats in online auctions, to “play” with them.

I have mostly stripped, cleaned (including naphta baths) and resized a few hats to 7 ½” (my size, using cheap plastic blocks called “Hat Shapers”), re-using the liners and sweatbands (which I expand by adding hand-sewn pieces of Cordovan shell leather), and making my own hatbands (leatherwork has been an on-off hobby for some 35 years).
I have “played” mostly with old(ish) western Resistol hats, as they tend to be cheaper than Stetsons (albeit I was able to get a couple of beat-up 1950s Stetsons, a 3X and a 7X).

In the attached photo, I show two of my re-sized & re-shaped Resistol hats: a 20X Black Gold and mist-color 15X Diamond Horseshoe (Cattle King) with a minimally-tooled leather band with a sterling silver buckleset. The other hats are a fawn-color Stetson Derrick 4X (James Dean Edition) and a white, wide brim 1920's-30's Davis Hat that I am trying to clean and re-size for my wife. You can tell that I like western hats with shorter brims (3" to 3 1/4" ), pinched fedora-like crowns and leather hatbands.

I enjoy reading you all’s posts, stories and pictures.

Raul

PD. I have been wearing daily a hat, along with western boots and properly buckled leather belts pretty much since my HS and college days, following in the tradition of my ancestors and Mex-Tex roots. I figure my dress code is also fitting to my training and profession as an “aggie” educator and researcher.

 

[Blare]

Hi all,

While I have been in the Lounge for a couple of years, I had limited myself to mostly reading with interest a few threads while I was trying to figure out some basic hat shaping and cleaning techniques to apply on the couple of hats I had, and wore on a daily basis for the past 25+ years. The “bug” bit me, more so during the pandemic, and I have purchased a few beater inexpensive hats in online auctions, to “play” with them.

I have mostly stripped, cleaned (including naphta baths) and resized a few hats to 7 ½” (my size, using cheap plastic blocks called “Hat Shapers”), re-using the liners and sweatbands (which I expand by adding hand-sewn pieces of Cordovan shell leather), and making my own hatbands (leatherwork has been an on-off hobby for some 35 years).
I have “played” mostly with old(ish) western Resistol hats, as they tend to be cheaper than Stetsons (albeit I was able to get a couple of beat-up 1950s Stetsons, a 3X and a 7X).

In the attached photo, I show two of my a re-sized & re-shaped Resistol hats: a 20X Black Gold and mist-color 15X Diamond Horseshoe (Cattle King) with a minimally-tooled leather band with a sterling silver buckleset. The other hats are a fawn-color Stetson Derrick 4X (James Dean Edition) and a white, wide brim 1920's-30's Davis Hat that I am trying to clean and re-size for my wife. You can tell that I like western hats with shorter brims (3" to 3 1/4" ), pinched fedora-like crowns and leather hatbands.

I enjoy reading you all’s posts, stories and pictures.

Raul

PD. I have been wearing daily a hat, along with western boots and properly buckled leather belts pretty much since my HS and college days, following in the tradition of my ancestors and Mex-Tex roots. I figure my dress code is also fitting to my training and profession as an “aggie” educator and researcher.

Nice stable…. You can tell they have received excellent care.

 

[chivaceae]

That Duluth hat is a looker! I wouldn't blame you a bit if you went for it! I found an Open Road second hand and it just didn't suit my head/face. But when I found a Range and reshaped it into a sort of OR approximation I loved it. Everyone (except hat enthusiasts with a keen eye) thinks it's an OR anyhow. The Range is a great hat too, I guess is my point.

I own a couple of Open Roads and one Range, and the extra 1/4" or so of the brim and crown in the Range make it my favorite, more so as my head does not touch the bottom of that classical Cattleman crease. I have ended up modifying the crease on the OR to fit me better.
Raul

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I own a couple of Open Roads and one Range, and the extra 1/4" or so of the brim and crown in the Range make it my favorite, more so as my head does not touch the bottom of that classical Cattleman crease. I have ended up modifying the crease on the OR to fit me better.
Raul

I too find the current Open Road crowns too low and I also prefer a bit more brim width. The Open Road proportions look great in the smaller sizes, but with my huge head I just need “more.”

I personally don’t usually care for the cattleman’s crease style. I prefer the more traditional / older crown shapes, but sometimes on some hats the cattleman’s crease just looks right. It also depends on who’s wearing it. Ed @desertdog comes to mind as someone who wore that style well.

 

[T Jones]

This is a Beaver Brand 15 that a generous Lounger gifted me. It was one of my easier hat projects. The hat was pretty rough and faded from age, a little dirty, and had a different crease when I got it. I reblocked it and reshaped the crown to this Montana Pinch with a Mule Kick and curled the brim. It's not a big Western with a high open crown and a big wide brim like some of my others. The brim on this one is 3 1/2 inches and the open crown is no taller than 5 3/4 inches. The Montana Pinch gives the illusion of a little more height to this 5 3/4 open crown and makes for a moderate profile that's not so overwhelming, although I do like the big Westerns.

Before: (seller's image)

After: