When you hear about a cowboy, what do you instantly think of? Long stretches of rugged terrains and mountainous regions. Other things that come to your mind include rodeos, cowboy boots, and horses. However, to wear a cowboy hat, it is not necessary that you must be a cowboy or know how to ride a horse.
The History of the Cowboy Hat
But cowboy hats have always been a classic way of making a style or a fashion statement. John B Stetson was the one to invent the cowboy hat of modern times, the American cowboy hat. His hat nickname is “Boss of the Plains”, and the first one to be manufacture was in the year 1865.
The crown was straight-side and the corners were round with the brim being a flat one. He designs the hat, which was an inspiration from the wide-brimming hats that were lightweight, adjustable, and waterproof.
These wide-brimmed hats were worn by the vaqueros also known as the working cowboys belonging to Northern parts of Mexico.
These days, you will find a wide range of styles and fashionable cowboy hats manufactured by popular brands.
It is said that Stetson made the hat that starting as a joke. It so happened that when he had set off for a hunting trip, he amazed his fellow travelers or the other hunters accompanying him by a piece of cloth that he made from the fur of the animals that he hunted.
Further, he dipped the fur into boiling water. He then kneads it with his hands and made a smooth soft felt, which is like the felt material that uses for making felt cowboy hats these days.
Once he was over with making the felt material out of it, he made it into a hat that he used for the rest of the trip. It was his realization after using this felt hat that had to protect him from the elements like rain and sun that it could be using for making hats that could serve the same purpose.
He pleases to make his new finding that could serve as an accessory. And he started thinking of marketing his newly invented product-a fashion accessory.
Modern cowboy hats have remained the same since then. However, you might also find few wearing them with modifications as well. You can modify the hat by applying hot steam that causes the shape of the crown and the brim to change.
As the hat starts to cool down and dries up. The felt with which it is made gets its new shape, the one you want. Interestingly, if you are using to seeing people from the ranches. The very design and style of the creases of these hats will help you to know which ranch a particular cowboy belongs to.
Why are the cowboy hats expensive?
The quality of the hats will decide the price of the cowboy hats. There is one way in which you can find out how expensive a hat is. There is Xs print on the inside liner of the hats. The higher the number of Xs on the inside liner of the hats, the better is the quality.
However, not everyone will consider this factor to determine the quality of the hats because this is not the benchmark or the industry standard. Moreover, it is relative. If one hat has 4Xs, the same hat might get a quality rating of 100X or more by another manufacturer.
You can try to find out the best quality cowboy hats from the American hat company. You can compare the price and the quality and then settle for the one that you think will be the best for the occasion.
Considering the X system of rating, Stetson Hats is perhaps the truest system. If you lay your hands on a hat. That according to Stetson is above 4X and has a fur blend on the hat. And the one that has wool felt will be lower than 4X.
Of late, you will come across many such manufacturers that consider Stetson’s standard or benchmark but there might be deviations as well.
To find out how good a hat is and of what quality, you must touch and feel it. Felt hats are of two types, the fur ones, and the wool ones. The woolen hats usually have a rough feel and they are the cheaper of the two. But again the quality of wool that is used for making the hats. Will also decide the price of the hats you are planning to buy.
In a nutshell, if you want to be the proud owner of an expensive cowboy hat. Compare prices and quality from reliable manufacturers that have been in this business for many years and have a list of satisfied clients.
