Felt Cowboy Hats

Series Summary

The cowboy is an icon of 19th century America. Cowboy hats, boots, jeans, and kerchiefs have fallen into mainstream fashion in many parts of the country. The cowboy hat (including fedoras, aussies, buckaroos, and others) can become a show piece in any man's wardrobe. Usually made of felt, cowboy hats contain hair from the belly of different animals; some hats are made of beaver, rabbit, buffalo, various rodents, or some combination of the above. The crown of the hat comes in many styles, like hoss, gus, teardrop, and cattlehand. The brim can be curled, rolled, or bent to give the hat a personality and a custom feel. A cared for and stylized cowboy hat might be just what your wardrobe needs!

In this free video series, expert rodeo rider and salesman Dustin Williams gives you tips on buying and taking care of a cowboy hat. He goes over all the styles, terms, and materials to help you make an informed choice in the store. He also teaches you etiquette, how to hold your hat, what styles work with what occasions, and which are popular today. You will learn how to clean your hat, how to shape the crown and brim, and what it takes to keep a hat lasting for years. It is all here.

Video Transcript

"I'm Dustin Williams on behalf of Expertvillage.com here at AA Callisters. And, today I'm going to give you a little crash course on western and dress hats. There's two major types of hats, where you have straw and felt. Right now, I'll show you the felts. Most felts you'll see such as these ones here, this is a ladies hat obviously. Most of the ones you'll see, they are made of beaver or rabbit blends. Also made in Nutria (which is a type of rodent), chinchilla, beaver hair and mohair or hair. A lot of different types. But, they are made from taking shaving off the hair. The best place is to take it straight from the belly of the animal. The most premium place is a two-inch strip straight in the middle, which Stetson used for their higher ex-qualities. But, this one here happens to be a beaver, rabbit blend hat. And, you'll find that in all the dress hats. They're all going to be made of felt. There are also some of the lower ends made of wool or buffalo. We hae a couple of buffalo. Buffalo like this here are generally water resistant, stain repellant naturally. Really great for everyday wear."