Felt is a mass of wool or fur that is not woven together but is pressed in a centuries-old process of hot water and steam to create the strongest, smoothest, lightest, most water-resistant natural fabric known. According to legend, Saint Clement discovered felt when, as a wandering monk, he filled his sandals with flax fibers to protect his feet. The moisture and pressure turned the fibers into a version of felt. There are also legends of Native Americans or ancient Egyptians discovering felt with fur lined moccasins or camel hair falling into sandals. The process has been perfected and each hat maker closely guards their individual process to make a finer felt. No one is really sure who really discovered felt, but everyone agrees that felt makes a very durable and comfortable hat.

Straw Hats

Straw hats really started to appear in the mid 1800s in Central and South America. The straw hat was picked up by people traveling to and from California from the gold rush. Clark Gable wore a classic Monte Carlo style panama straw hat in the 1939 movie, Gone with the Wind, depicting the Civil War years in the South. There are a wide variety of natural and synthetic materials used in the making of straw hats. Some styles of straw hats include Open-weave Panama, New braids, Hanoki, Hemp; just to name a few. Straws are seen more often in sunny or hot areas to protect people from the sun and heat.

X Quality

The number of X's in a hat tells you the quality of that hat. The more X's in the hat, the better the quality. Each manufacturer has their own scale, so each will vary by brand. For example, a 10X quality hat in one brand may actually be equal to a 15X quality of a different brand. The biggest thing you want to look at in a felt is the amount of beaver in the blend. The more beaver fur in the blend, the better the hat will hold its shape and will withstand moisture better. With a straw hat, the X will refer to how fine the straw is and how tight it is woven.

Hat Care

Always handle your hat with clean hands, if possible, washed hands, especially with lighter colors. This will help keep dirt and oils from staining the hat.

Whenever you take off your hat, be sure to rest it upside down on a clean surface. This will help keep the shape of the brim and help keep it clean.

Whenever you put your hat on, be sure to press it on your head close by the base of the crown near the brim as opposed to pulling it down by the brim. This will help the hat maintain its shape as well as keep it clean.

When your western felt hat gets dust on it, you can clean it with a hat brush or plastic sponge.

A good felt hat will not be diminished by rain or snow, but some hats, especially lighter colors, can get rain spots. It is not a bad idea to get a plastic hat cover to help protect your hat. $3.95 is a small price to pay to protect your investment.

If soft drink or something similar is spilled on your hat, run a small stream of cool water over the spot where the liquid was spilled. You can use the side of your finger, not your finger nails, to rub the spot while the water is running over the spot to help remove the stain. You must do this before the spot dries. Do not blow dry the hat, let dry naturally to avoid shrinkage.

Strong stains may require sanding with the finest sandpaper you can find. Rub the hat very gently in a counterclockwise motion. Be careful not to dig in or push up against the spot from the bottom as this could cause a week spot in the felt. Try to sand the smallest area and thinnest amount of the felt.

If you are not sure, it is always best to take the hat to a professional. Heavy sweat stains require that the hat be taken to a professional renovator.

The better you are at preventing your hat from becoming dusty, the longer life your hat will have. Dirt and dust in some parts of the hat will cause friction that will reduce the life of your hat. We recommend keeping a hat in a can when not in use to help prevent dust and dirt.

Your hat should fit snug on your head, but not give you a headache.

Most people wear their hats level to the ground and just above the ears, but feel free to wear your hat however is most comfortable to you.

Keep straw hats well brushed and they will be less damaged less if it gets wet.

Clean with a damp cloth dipped in warm suds of a gentle soap. Rinse with a cloth wrung out with clean water. Do not get too wet or shrinkage could occur.

Limp straws can be stiffened by applying a light coat of shellac, diluted with an equal amount of alcohol.

With proper handling and care, quality hats will last for several years.

Shaping Your Hat

Our skilled hat creasers will be happy to crease your hat crown and brim to your specifications. Below we have listed the three most popular styles, but feel free to make more specific requests.
	Cattleman' Crease: A more traditional crease with rolled front and sides rolled higher with the back dipped slightly. Quarter Horse Crease: Longer vents in the crown, squared front with sides rolled moderately, cupped back. Cutter Crease: Similar to the Quarter Horse Crease with a squared front brim, flatter sides, and dimples in the crown.

Hat Sizing:

Measure around the widest part of your head or where you intend to wear the hat.

Head in cm

Head in Inches

19 1/8

19 1/2

19 7/8

20 1/4

20 3/4

21 1/8

21 1/2

21 7/8

22 1/4

22 5/8

23 1/2

23 7/8

24 1/4

Hat Size

6 1/8

6 1/4

6 3/8

6 1/2

6 5/8

6 3/4

6 7/8

7 1/8

7 1/4

7 3/8

7 1/2

7 5/8

7 3/4

Hat Facts

Mad As a Hatter
Hatters did go mad. They inhaled fumes from the mercury that was part of the felting process. Many people did not recognize the violent twitching as a symptom of a brain disorder, so they were treated as drunks.

Wearing Many Hats
Metaphor for having many different duties or jobs. Historically, hats have often been an integral part of a working uniform. Wearing "many hats" or "many different hats" simply means that one has different duties or jobs.

Ten Gallon Hat
A ten gallon hat is often thought to hold ten gallons of water. This is not true. The ten gallon hat is derived from the Spanish galón meaning braid. Ten gallon hats are hats with braiding around the brim. A ten gallon hat can hold ¾ of a gallon or 3 quarts of water.

Information and pricing are subject to change due to errors, omissions or manufacturer price fluctuations.

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