OK, cowboys, I have a hat question. . .

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Sven

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I've always been a hat guy (as opposed to caps) and have had several fedora type hats. Yesterday I just got my first cowboy type hat -- a Resistol, but it is a bit different than my soft old fedoras. This is the one I bought: Resistol Roughstock Futurity Western Hat - 5X Beaver Felt (For Men) - Save 49% Seemed like a real good hat for the price.

It seems like the hat itself is a bit "rounder" then "oblong", so it fits real tight front to back and is loose on the sides. I've tried on other hats that have fit the same way. I am assuming the thought here is that the hat will more or less mold itself to the shape of your head. . . Am I on track here?

I'm thinking about getting a real good straw hat for the summer -- anything I should look for there?
 
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Good looking hat and great beaver material.
I don't have a answer to the fit question, but I know some hats are softer than others and will form to your head, while some are real firm in shape. There are sizing inserts available that adhere under the head band to help fit a hat.
You might run your question by these guys at the Fedora Lounge forum. Seem like great conservative folks.

The Fedora Lounge - Powered by vBulletin
 
Next time buy a long oval. It will be marked in sweatband. Or just ask for a long oval. there has been so many hat companies that have merged it is hard to tell what you are getting any more. A couple of the less known are pretty good...Serriteli,(sp??) and Millano. Millano used to be the top guy at Resistol. You need to find a hat blocker that has a steam hat blocker he can ease up the round to a pretty good long oval. I have been told that Resistol and Stetson are the same company now.
 
George already nailed it, sounds like you need a Long Oval.

If the shop doesn't stock enough merchandise you'll never find a hat that fits. Also, as Gearge said, a felt can be steamed to adjust the shape within limits, that'll be a bit harder to do with a straw. Eventually you will want a nice straw too, when you do get a Palm Leaf rather than a starw.
 
Yep, you need an oval. Most folks heads are more egg shaped (front to back) than round.

I don't know what facilities are near you in MN but if you are in a place that has rodeos, stock yards, and western wear stores (that would be Ft. Worth in my part of TX) you will find hatters with steam jets and forms to properly block your new hat. They can make it fit like an old shoe in just a few minutes.

Nice looking hat!

Bob
 
I had to reshape a Stetson the other day, it had set about for too long and kind of curled up. I just use the steam from a tea kettle on the stove, much akin to what a steam blocker would do. Try to find a good western store in your area. They generally have a steam blocker and will be able to reshape the round to oval shape in the band area for you.
 
It`s hard for me to buy a hat too. Yours would fit me though. Thats because I have no back to my head! I use a pencil sharpener to cut my hair. Now, this tom mix stetson probley would look better on you! My wife hates it, I gave it to my nephew, he died and I took it back. I still havent wore it in public yet.
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I just learned a few things. Guess I'm a 7 1/4, long oval! I'm not sure where I'd find a steamer. I've taken in hats to the local dry cleaners for cleaning, but I'm sure they don't re-shape hats. We'll see what I come up with.

Thanks!
 
For your further education in western hats...Listen to this. I went to Langdenberg Hat Company years ago in Washington Mo. to my surprise they made all kind of western hats for different private brands from all rabbit hair to almost all beaver. I found out that Langdeburg owned most of the blocking machine pattens used by Resistol and Stetson. I asked the factory foreman what it took to give it a beaver % logo. He opened this cone shaped spinning thing in a small screened cage and threw in a handful of beaver felt. He said due to the cost there are very few 100% beaver hats made anymore. One that came close was a Resistol Black Gold. Most hats have more rabbit in them than anything else. Don't buy wool, not even close to any fur.
 
In the summer, I like my Atwood palm leaf. Cool, and indestructible.

Winter, I am still wearing a Stetson Carson XXXX in black. Fits my bid 'ole punkin' head and looks like it belongs there.


Bullseye
 
There is no need to go to a store to get your hat shaped. The other posts that talked about using a tea kettle on your stove are right on. As a rancher I have hats for every occasion and always tune them up by the kettle. They will always curl from time to time. Once you get the brim shaped the way you like, steam the heck out of the sweat band area inside and out and wear it til it drys and it will fit a bunch better. Another tip, never lay your newly tuned hat flat! Always hang or lay it so the brim doesn't touch anything and it will hold it's shape alot longer. Most of my hats are custom made at JW Hats in Salt Lake City and the old boy that owns the place also claims you can shape a hat with a hair dryer. It does work but I don't like it as well as steam and I notice that he always uses steam when I am there. Don't worry about a little steam hurting a good fur felt hat because it won't. I've been doin' it for 40 years. Improper storage will hurt it the worst.
 
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Hatters

The last 'n I had made, Jim Mackey up in Shell Wyoming turn 'er out.
It's all beaver and will out last me barrin' fire or one hell of a wind coming off of that east slope...

Su Amigo,
Dave
 
Two easy ways to get it to fit.

1. Wear it out when it starts raining, turning to sleet, then snow. Wear it all day to keep the frozen stuf from going down your collar.

When you get back to the cabin, don't take the hat off till you get a good fire going in the fireplace and the bottle of BlackJack is at least 4 fingers down. Hang the hat from a padded hook, and it will be a perfect fit when the hangover is gone.

2. Wear the hat as you teach a greenbroke horse to cross a fast moving river. Catch the hat before it washes downstream, then go catch the horse. Return to cabin and do the fire/BlackJack routine. Hat will fit by dinnertime tomorrow.
 
Don't know much about cowboy hats specifically, but you can also get hats cleaned and blocked long distance, i.e., you can mail 'em in and get 'em mailed back to you. So, I bet you could call up a hatter and tell him you want the hat changed to a long oval and he'll do it for you.

There is a guy in Chicago or Cleveland, "Mike the Hatter," who has cleaned and blocked fedoras for me. Not sure I'd go to him with a cowboy hat, tho.

Hats also shrink over time. Ergo, hat stretchers. Took me about ten years to figger out that a hat stretcher is a handy thing. Cheap ones are pretty easy to find. I found a guy in Maine who was making a real nice hardwood one for $50 bucks or so. It's great.
 
How about if a hat is a touch too big? I bought a Resistol on clearance in the same size at my Stetson. It fits on the front and back, but the sides don't touch my noggin. Oops!

Appreciate the help,
Herk
 
As already mentioned, buy a long oval in the future. A hat stretcher may work with your current hat. The last hat that I had made was by Colorado Mountain Hat Company. He's actually got a 100 year old machine he calls a "Fiterator". He places it on your head and it makes a small pattern of pinholes in paper. The paper is used for a pattern for the machine that he blocks the hat with. Best fitting hat I've ever had.

Colorado Mountain Hat Company Custom Cowboy Hats
 
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