Talking to a cowboy one day I asked about his hat. He said that it keeps the sun out of his eyes, rain off his back and can carry water to the horses. I asked about his vest, which he said when closed it kept his chest warm, and when open it allowed air to circulate his body to keep him cool. Lastly, I asked why he wore tennis shoes. He said so that people wouldn't mistake him as being a truck driver.
At 69, I've "dressed like a cowboy" all my life. It's the way we grew up in the 50's and early 60's in OK. Even when moving out of 'cow country' throughout my life, I just wore what I've always worn. I've always adhered to etiquette, too: standing when a lady enters, removing hat when indoors, wipe boots on the boot brush, felt in winter and straw in summer. I don't ride anymore and I dang sure ain't gonna try and rope nothing more than a cheeseburger but I ain't about to trade my jeans, boots and hat for flip-flops and Bermuda shorts! Great vid and just stumbled on it. Gonna check out other vids.
@@r.f.pennington746 I love this comment thats exactly how it was for me here in Texas, thats all we knew. Okla.has a lot of cowboys,Jim Shoulders for one. I was never abig rodeo hand but growing up we always had a 100 or so head of cattle and a few horses. Thanks for the comment.
If I have my hands full, I leave my hat on my head. If I don't have a place to put it (such as if I'm sitting at the drug store lunch counter), I leave it on. Usually, though, I find an empty chair at restaurants to put it on since I don't like to eat with the hat on unless I'm eating outside.
Great comment. In the 80's I was working for a tile contractor. My Boss' Dad showed up one day. He had been a cowboy in Texas, in his younger days. It was 105 degrees and I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. He asked my why I was wearing my pajamas to work. LOL. He wore jeans and a long sleeve button-up shirt every day.
That person in the comments who said you were rude, is dead wrong. If I’m in a store buying something I’ve never bought before, whether it’s a western hat, a frying pan, or a chainsaw, and another customer who has actually used the thing I’m buying give me advice, I’m taking it. Even if I ultimately buy the opposite of what they recommend, I’m a better informed shopper. Thank you for helping that lady and thank you for the video. keep them coming.
Thank you very much. I would rather take advice from someone that used it, than someone selling it. And icould tell she could afford a upgrade. Thanks again.
Keep it up, I’m glad someone is talking traditional western not fashion. Form should follow function. Let’s respect and learn from our elders, I’m only 55, and love listening to the stories of the older cowboys, ranch hands and farms
@ yeap I remember the ranchers with the big Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles with mud tire on the rear end for pulling horse trailers down gravel and 2-track roads
@@Sandppy coming from descendants of the American west, looking at photos and catalogues from 1870s to 1890s, wearing my great grand dad's hat from the 1870s which is a traditional cow hands hat, I have a good grasp on the basics. than watching enough educational videos that all say the modern hats can only trace tier history to the early days of the movies.
I appreciate you. I grew up around Cowboys and cowgirls, but I was a suburb girl. They all gave me the same advice 30 years ago when I was buying my hats that you are giving. I went shopping with my 23-year-old son to buy his first felt hat. The stores today don’t sell quality. Although my son couldn’t afford much, I wanted to get him accustomed to wearing a cowboy hat again. I was happy to know I passed along the same advice to him as you are in this posting. Although he brought a lower end hat I told him to consider it his “trainer” hat and save his money for a nice hat next time. BTW, you look sharp with your black coat.🤠
I agree! You look great in that black jacket and hat. I kept waiting for the bolo tie, but maybe that's in another video. I also agree about the hats. When I see those goofy hats with the brims smashed up the sides and usually with open holes in the weave that let in the sun, I figure they must be from California, not Texas. I have a small head and my husband has a large head. Those one size fits all hats don't fit either of us! I bought my straw hat at a yard sale, stuck a blue bandana on it for a hatband and keep getting compliments on it, even though I've beaten it up at the crown and edges of the brim over time. 👍🤠
My grandfather was the Sherriff of Hampshire County (jail). He wore a cowboy hat, I still have that hat it and it fits. Although I am not the man he was, I endeavor to live up to his expectations, of me, every day!
My father bought a 7X Resistol years ago. The price on the box is about $50. He never did wear it all that much but I make up for him. I always liked the older style of having a light curve up on the sides of the brim like in Mr. Stephenson's hat. The younger people think it is a bit odd but the older ranchers and their families pretty much recognize the older style immediately. I've been complimented for my hat's style at various stores. Also, that's one of the first things I notice about others who wear hats with a slight curve up. When I was a kid, for example in third grade, I was stuck wearing whatever clothes my mother bought for me to wear. Now that I'm in my 70's, I dress like I wanted to dress in the third grade. Except for boots. Ever since my thyroid quit about ten years ago, my ankles stay swollen up and boots just don't want to fit any more.
My heel started hurting 2 years ago, I called my cousin an emergency room nurse, he said you need to get you some shoes like us nurses wear HOKA for any kind of foot pain. I did , 2 weeks later it was gone, they have a really thick coushion and sole on them, they really helped me.
Back in 1995 I went on a 10 day motorcycle ride with a few friends. On one leg of the trip we were going through Nevada on Hwy 50. In the middle of nowhere we came upon a heard of sheep crossing the highway. There were 5 dogs or so moving them. Don't remember how many riders. But this one cowboy near the back was history on a horse. His hat was so worn and beat up it was beautiful. I would have bought him a brand new hat of his choice in trade for that one.
It’s a Stetson, silver belly color cattleman’s crease, you can get one at any decent western wear store. When they have the rodeo finals at LosVegas the hat company’s set up shop there it’s a big deal.
The best video I have seen in a long time telling the first time hat buyer what to do. I will tell you up front that I am a city cowboy. The first hat I bought was at The Hat Store in Houston. The salesman understood. I explained that I am short 5’4”small build. He gout a gray American Hat, short crown and small 31/2 inch brim. I was nervous and thought I believe I paid $150 ( years ago). Well you k is what. After Mr daughter’s wedding I list my hat. 2 years later I found it where I had lowered my van seat to the floor. I took it back to the HT Store and The owner sent it to American Hats where it was restored.
@@jleestephensonAmerican Hat Company used to sell a "fake" felt hat called "DynaFelt"... Man, that was the best work hat money could buy back in the 70s and 80s! They were great for the Horse Show crowd and Musicians, too... You could get DynaFelt in about 40 different colors. And they were priced RIGHT back then... A hat sold for about $45 in the early 80s. I actually still have a couple of mine... A chocolate brown one and a "silver belly" one. They were shaped just like any Fur Felt hat would be... Steamed and rolled, etc. And would hold their shape beautifully. I remember them being "waterproof" ... They always had a display on the counter at all the stores that carried them. It was a DynaFelt hat that had actual water pouring over constantly... You were encouraged to take the hat off the display and feel the inside of the crown. I haven't looked at American Hat Company in years... But did grow up with them about four miles away... And that's what Dad, my brother and I all wore back then. Just a memory of mine that I thought I'd share with y'all.
Glad you posted. Being another short guy, small build, I now know what to look for. And if I had to spend any amount of time outside here in South Texas, I'd have to buy a hat just to stay comfortable.
We were taught hat and boots care very early. At my father's funeral we had a new saddle pad + his handmade saddle on the casket. His favorite chair with cowhide seat was there with his chaps and his favorite summer straw hat on one side and his favorite winter felt hat on the other side. He had a straight up cowboy funeral with a bunch of old cowboys showing up. They were all standing up in that old cowboy stance. None of them could believe that he had died because he had convinced everyone that he would live to at least 100. It was quite a funeral.
I live in a small western town that was settled by ranchers and farmers. One of my all time favorite people was an old cowboy, who ran cattle, and grew alfalfa. He was a wise old man, who I would occasionally go to for advice. When he died (in his 90s) the funeral was much like you described, with hats, saddles, and other day to day cowboy gear on display. RIP Don Whitney, Logandale NV.
Thanks Jerry! What you say is true. A good hat will last generations. I’m 54 and a relative recently found my Papa’s Resistol silver belly (short brim…think LBJ style). It was a little small for me and dirty, so I took it to Catalina Hatters in Bryan, TX for a fit and restoration. It’s as good as new now!! I wear it on special occasions, and I always get compliments. For reference, my Papa passed away in 1969, and the hat was well worn. So, the hat is probably about 20 years older than I am. I’m so proud to now own and wear Papa’s hat!!
I have a beaver felt hat my grandfather got at the Tennessee Walking Horse show in Shelbyville, TN. He and granny attended every year for 50 plus years. He probably bought it there in the 1980s. They have been gone for more than 20 years now and I wear his old LBJ hat proudly!
Ha! I know Catalena's shop (I live in the area). I have my uncle's Resistol silver belly, kind of an "LBJ" or old county sheriff hat that I wear often. It is at least 30 years old and in fine condition. 100X
"dress like a cowboy" dude I'm from Texas. We're born in Boots, bootcut jeans, pearl snap shirts and cowboy hats. Who cares what other people do or wear? 😂😂
Thank you. This lady will be happier because you spoke up. Obviously more of an expert than she is. My thought is, when someone with experience offers honest free advice it is always smart to remain quiet, listen and learn.
Bought a "Boss of the plains" by Stetson, that came pre-distressed and soiled for really cheap, under $100 (edit: I bought it at a garage sale it was new) . It was advertised as a 6x but who knows, really . I think they are Stetson seconds that they just add fake dirt to them to look well used. I cleaned it up, lightly sanded off the stains and it looks new and I like it cause it was cheap. Saving up to get a hat from Catalena in Bryan, TX. Made in house and they have a steaming bar like Jerry describes. Thanks for this video, I am a new subscriber and look forward to seeing and hearing more from you!
Enjoyed this. Very well done video. I have an old straw Resistol that I have for 40 yrs and newer felts-a Silver belly and a “smoke” both Stetson. I don’t have horses anymore, but still like wearing them. What kind of footwear do you wear when you have a hat on? I know it ain’t shower sandles! Ha ha
Yes sir ! Still kicking here in East TN and watching all your videos ! Love listening to your stories . You remind me when you’re telling stories of Red Stegall “ West of Wall Street “ segments he did telling cowboy stories .
I agree, great advice BUT Respectfully sir, to be fair even most great quality STRAW hats tend to have the wire around the inside stitching on the edge of the brim, American Hat co, Stetson and Resistol among many other quality brands all do this, and American Hat co is the better brand of the 3 IMO. I know this because I've seen them made, they all do it. Felt Hats however I agree should NEVER have the wire. I have a 100x American Hat co in Black felt and that thing holds up to any weather, rain, snow or shine. I love it. All Beaver fur.
@ ahh yeah, I see what you mean! This is true I can barely feel the wire in any of the hat brands I mentioned above despite it being there. Fair point 🤝
Not everyone is buying a “cowboy hat” for authenticity. Some ppl (inc every woman I’ve ever seen buying one) buy what in their opinion fits their style, budget and intended use. Telling someone their hat choice is hideous is impolite and definitely not cowboy-ish. You embarrassed her into buying an expensive “real” hat for a one-time use (the party) rather than the cheaper fake hat that would have served its one-time-use purpose. I get your point, but it is Not cool.
I have several cowboy hats, and one is a fedora, or 'slouch' hat. I don't wear it as much as I used to but it still goes for a ride with me sometimes, especially when it's really windy. It 'gives' more than my stiffer brimmed hats. Still need a stampede string here in Wyoming sometimes, though.
I like a nice felt but my day to day is just a wool crusher with a 3.5 " brim keeps my ears warmer doesn't get in the way when I'm under a horses or getting in and out of a pickup doesn't blow off my head as much as my regular wide brim hats do . Horse can stomp on it and it just pops back in shape too lol
I was born and raised in rural Texas, lived here my whole life. One of my grandfathers was a poor dairy farmer, the other grew cattle on his farm. My dad and uncle were chicken and cattle farmers, worked and split profits right down the middle. I grew up working cows. I was in the chutes before I was 10. I remember Christmases that I had to go pick up dead chickens before I could open presents. I say all that to say this. You earn the right to wear a real cowboy hat, it is really easy to spot the ones that have earned it as opposed to those that are just playing dress up.
@@jetorixjones I live in rural Texas my dad and uncle were partners in a charlois cattle ranch and we had 5 chicken houses ny daddy said cows and chenhouses
@@jetorixjones my dad and uncle were partners in a charlois cattle ranch ranch and had chicken houses. Dad always said cows and chicken houses went togeather, use the chicken litter to fertilize with.
In the 19th century cowboys bought open crown hats and shaped them themselves. That gave a more interesting look than the boring modern cattleman's crease with overcurled brim.
Honestly a lot of modern cowboy hats are for fashion and for rodeo. Not saying theyre not good, but most of the old western hats were not shaped like a taco and had flat brims.
As far as functional, there is no other reason to go anything other than flat. Tacos are completely useless. Now if one is a musical "cowboy" then sport whatever you want, cause it has nothing to do with the weather.
I was raised in south Texas, worked the yturria ranch and king ranch in my youth and been wearing a hat for 35 years. My son (12 years old) just bought his first hat with his own money he earned working he bought a blank straw (south Texas summer 10 months a year not much use for felt) had it shaped old fashioned Gus on the crown and wide deep swept in the front. Spent $300 and emptied his wallet on it. If he ain’t sleeping he’s wearing it. Only had it a few months ago but it’s already got a little blood in it (deer skinning) and shit on it (learning to palpate) and it’s soaked through with sweat. I’ll buy his next one because he’s earned wearing one.
When I was about 15 I went to Ai school, not artificial intelligence, rode my Honda 50 and insemenated cows for other ranchers around for 10$ each. And some commenters called me just a UA-cam cowboy.
When I was about 15 I went to Ai school, not artificial intelligence, rode my Honda 50 and insemenated cows for other ranchers around for 10$ each. And some commenters called me just a UA-cam cowboy.🎉
My oldest son has my father's Stetson which was purchased in Colorado on the same day dad bought me my Mallory(made by Stetson) in 1965. That Mallory is sitting about two feet away from me and still holds it's shape. Nice to see you have a real Martin as well.
Sir, for being over 70, you do look great. I hope I look so good when I reach that point in my life. But I won't bet on that dog still huntin'. Growing up on farm and ranch land I just considered myself to be a country boy and tended to wear ball caps and tennis shoes, wether I was on the tractor or riding horses. Thank you for keeping the tradition of true cowboy hats alive !
@@jammons3862 Thank you so much , one commenter said what does it matter what the hat looks like,all I could say was I’m just trying to help you look good. I started to say and maybe some day you can get a woman, but I didn’t. Thanks for the comment
Good common sense tips on hats. For a work hat I have a Stetson American Buffalo 4X hat. It is by far the best western hat for outside work even in bad weather. The nature of the buffalo felt turns away rain and snow and holds up tough to abuse. When they're new they look good enough for going nice places.
@Cubestone yup I've been thro a few of those, they're great for the price. I use a 6x Skyline for work hats now but those Buffalo are reasonably tough and quite cheap
@@dudleybaggerman9574 I believe there are fake hats out there on real cowboys, just like a hunter can be hunting with a toy or fake rifle. I was not talking about fake cowboys, I was talking about fake hats. Costume hats as some people call them. And I don’t mind fake cowboys dressing up as real ones, just do it right. I had rather see them dressed western than their drawers showing. Thank y’all for commenting, I have read all 1500 comments.
Here in Arizona a Hat like you showed all bent up, we call that a Goat Roper Hat! One of my favorite Hats Is a one I had since 1974 a 4X Beaver Stetson! Some of my other Hats are Bailey's and Resistol they're great Hats! I'm with you on cost, I don't have the money for 10X Beaver or more, I'll just save the money buy another Gun!
I have some nice traditional cowboy hats but I also own a Shady Brady that has the thick wire in the brim and is shaped kinda like what you were showing, with the curled up sides and steep drop front and back. It might not be authentic but it's a really practical hat and what I grab when I need to be outside all day in hot weather - the loose weave flows air like nothing I've ever worn, the elastic sweatband keeps it in place in a breeze, the shape means it doesn't hit the headrest in my truck or get in the way when I shoulder a rifle, and it doesn't make me look like I'm playing dress up when I'm in an environment where nobody else is wearing anything western.
I wouldn’t drop more than $125 for a straw hat, I sweat mine out after a couple summers. They start off as my “Nice hat” then eventually start to show sweat and become my outdoor activity hat.
@@joshuahernandez2867 you are right, I would not have gotten involved if she had not been wearing a big diamond ring and bracelet, and very well dressed. And the Houston rodeo will come back around everybody goes to those she will need it again. I’m hoping she will see this and comment and let us know the party went
I have that silver belly also have a couple of the Stetson gun club collection hats. Bought my first Stetson straw hat this year it is perfect for these smoking hot summers down here in southern Arizona. Can’t believe I waited until in my fifties before I took off baseball caps and started wearing western hats. Great video, thank you for sharing.
Well stated! I picked up a Black 20x Bailey Beaver Pelt in 2000 for $425! It still looks new. Same with a Brown 10x Resistol purchased in Houston in 1982. It stays stored in the original box. Those are dress hats. Thanks from Spicewood!
Thank you for bringing attention to tradition. I know, it’s only my thoughts and opinion, but the way these hats are getting wider and flatter in the front, look ridiculous. The shape of your hats, and the way they are blocked, is timeless. That’s class! I’ll take someone more serious in a hat like yours, then wearing one that looks like a cartoon.
God bless you, sir, for admitting to the tendency to stick your nose into others’ business as you get older when you see something you just can’t let go. I laughed out loud and felt an immediate kinship with you. I ain’t no cowboy, but I am 76! Enjoyed your tutorial on hats. I like hats and think it’s a shame they’re not worn more often.
I'm an Australian living in Queensland and I love the Akubra styles and quality, including: The Arena, Bobby, Rough Rider, Bronco, Golden Spur, Coober Pedy, Open Roader. I also have a Tony Lama which is very much like the Stetson style, with a slightly lower crown, and it is a very nice hat. The worst think anyone can do with a good hat is to leave it in the vehicle in the sun as this will shrink the leather band in no time, and no amount of stretching will restore to it's original size. A good Akubra is not too expensive at around $350 AUD. A good Akubra will last a lifetime if treated properly and respected. One last thing, never try to knock an Akubra off an Australians head!!
Love my Akubra hats. I’ve got a Territory for when I fish, so there is lots of shade and no sunburning! I have other Akubra city hats for everyday. Fantastic hats.
I have an Akubra Cattleman and an Akubra Territory. The Territory is identical to the Cattleman but has a wider brim. I’m at an age where I’m done following the crowd and I like to keep the drizzle out of my hair and off my glasses, and I want to keep the sun off my face and neck without the use of chemicals. Bonus: the ladies tend to like it.
I don't know if I enjoy your video or all the exchanges in the comments more. You know you put a good video out there when you get that many reactions!
I got lucky with this one , I needed 500 more subs and 3000 watch hours when I did the video and I looke a few days later and could not believe it. 70 years old never did you tube before and monitised just under 3 months. I am having a blast. Thanks for the comment, I have answered over a 1000 I’ll get caught up one day. Check out hat etiquette.
I've grown fond of those straw hats from Tractor Supply. Not too bad a quality, they keep the rain off and let the air through. My first Stetson, I gave to my grandson when my wife and I decided to hit the road in our RV. Just don't have the room to store more than one hat, so Tractor Supply works good enough for me. I'm not into fashion, I just need one that fits and works.
I finally broke down and bought a custom 100x in Stephenville,Tx at Capital Hatters, just last Saturday. I’m excited about it. I’d suggest it if funds and time allows. I’m looking at a 6mo waiting period. You know we spend more sometimes on a guitar these days. LOL
@@haj811She lives in Houston probably goes to Houston livestock show and rodeo, wears it to other party’s and in 30 years give it to her granddaughter and she is so happy to get it. Because they live in Texas. At least that’s the way I see it. Be positive don’t be negative.
@@jleestephenson Texas Paul needs to watch this 😂. You just made an old man laugh!!! I have every hat for winter since the 80s and 90s. Summer field hats, functional and air on my shaded head is what I have. About 50$ Good beaver, 150 in 90s Baily, now 400+. Mike Cavender lives around the way from me.
I don’t think I’d ever be able to pull off a cowboy hat, but I still watched this whole video. I was born in Texas and you remind me of being a kid listening to the grown ups talk. I loved your video!
I say "Give it a try!" Us native Texans have a duty to distinguish ourselves from all the refugees coming in from the west coast. I get you, though. I was self-consious when I started wearing one in suburban Houston years ago but now I love the comfort and protection I get from one. 'Specially since I refuse to wear sunscreen.
When I get a hat, I usually reshape it in order to avoid looking like a "real cowboy" because I am not one nor do I want to come off as one. P.S. good video.
I didn’t grow up on a ranch, but I love the outdoors and love and respect what cowboys and cowgirls do. I bought a serratelli silver belly today and I really like it and I plan on wearing it as much as I can. I’m not sure if it’s dumb or if I’m just young, but I feel as I dont deserve to wear the hat, maybe that’s just a respect thing. Nice video.
@@joshuawesterman6097 Joshua I think you are showing respect and honor by wearing the hat. Wear that thing every where you go. I sure you look good in it.
Please give a tutorial about hat etiquette. I get upset when I go to church on Sunday Morning and see the “drugstore cowboy” sitting up front with his hat on thru the entire service. There is a time to wear a hat and a time to take it off.
I agree a cowboy hat shouldn’t be worn indoors. Part of the etiquette my grandfather taught me. If he was with you andyou had your hat on indoors, he would knock it off your head.
There is really only one opinion that matters on how good your hat looks on you. If your horse likes your hat it will have respect for you and do what you want. If your horse thinks you look stupid in your hat......well you'll know that pretty quick.
My favorite is my Akubra Snowy River model I got in Australia many years ago. Akubra is about the equivalent to Aussies as Stetsons are to Texans. Runs about US$200.00 bucks now but has lasted a long time and still looks great. I paid about AU$80.00 for in in Perth.
I wear palm hats in the summer: I have an Atwood that I’ve just about worn out, it’s getting pretty shabby, and a Sunbody that I wear when I’m in the pasture all day (5” brim sure helps). I wear a Rodeo King chocolate colored felt hat in winter.
I love my atwood palm hat. I sometimes wear it when I'm outside in the rain in the winter because it's waterproof and keeps the rain off my head i work at a bootbarn part time and I've had several customers wanting to know where I got it from. It's a good looking hat
Me too, another commenter mentioned how cowboys in the early days would purchase unblocked/shaped hats and “shape” them through daily use. The “Gus” was/is the most natural, pinch the crown when removing or putting on. The brim is another reflection of personal choice.
Crown height is also the key. They started putting on the shelf the ones that sit directly on your head instead of a higher crown to keep you cool in heat. 100 years ago hats would have this clearance. Nowadays they sell hats for the bar on the weekend.
For my money, air space inside the crown is what makes you hot and sweaty. Better for insulation in the cold. Not good at all in the heat. I switched my work hat over from a cattleman style to a cheap Stetson Blackhawk crushable felt gambler about two years ago, and it's my new favorite hat. The telescope crown sits right against the scalp and provides no insulation other than just what the material does. The felt wicks away sweat and evaporates almost immediately. The Australians love the flat brim and telescope crown for a reason.
I have 2 really nice Rodeo King hats. My most expensive one is a 10X in brown and believe it or not, it is a beaver/wool blend. I left the crown open and had a pencil roll put on it. Its one of my dress hats. The other Rodeo King is a 5X with a Gus crease and i had a pencil roll put on that one as well with a bound edge. I also have a very dressy Stetson that is Buffalo wool with a Gus crease and a bound edge. Really enjoyed your video!! 👍 BTW.....I'm with ya on the newer bull rider styles. I do not like the shovel squad off front.
I appreciate you clarifying the hats. This NEW COUNTRY is not country! This might sound dumb to some but if I’m buying a cowboy hat, I know it’s going to cost me at least $250 and up! Quality made in America! Goes for all western wear. Thanks again!
I've worn Akubara hats from Australia. The reason is some of thier rabbit& hare fur hats have a couple air holes on either side. Here on the sonoran desert 🏜 ya need air holes. The main us makers of hat didn't add them till years later. Purchased them from David Morgan store.
@@jleestephenson Pretty dang good hat. 100 percent rabbit. I’ve been wearing it for years now. My daughter in law is from Australia is how I came to hear of them. I also have a nice black 5x resistal I’ll wear to weddings and whatnot, but yea the sombrero is my daily.
I have a series of felt hats, the newest one is about 30 years old. One of the spent all of that time as my hunting hat, especially in late fall and winter. I have worn it all day in the rain and never had it get wet on the inside. I have slept it untold numbers of times. I have wedged it down on my head over a thin balaclava to help keep the wind off. It is not so much of what I would call a Western Hat, it's more more like a general purpose sort of fedora with about three inch brim and I appreciate it even more now because I can see it taking on a bit of a classic wear look. It is still in real good shape but is showing honest wear and a bit of fade. I think I bought back around '92 and have used it ever since. I'm 82 years old now and I still wear it some except when I wear one of my Western style hats. All of my hats are wool felt. The brim is soft and will blow back in the wind. Unlike the Nashville drugstore cowboy hats that are mostly glue and wool and feel almost like plastic, these never seem to wear out or lose their shape or hurt my head. When I was a kid old timers all had a work hat with a hole worn out in the peak. Then they had their Sunday go to meeting good hat that they worn to town or church.
Sun Set That sun still sets in the west But that old trail is asphalt now Baked by the sun hot and dry The sounds of hoofs have passed Herds of buffalo graze no more Barbwire strung along The fence post passed like a picket fence As the truck tires whine on The sweetgrass has all but gone The mesquite is tall and thick Prickly Pear covers the prairie The Longhorns have gone A saddle all covered in dust The moth-riddled blanket flaps Riding quirt amiss Old spurs hung on a wall On a post hangs a leather belt With a holster cracked and rotting That old hogleg turned brown Brass all green The lassoing cowboy is no more That broad hat tipped back His shirt sleeves rolled high Jeans rolled double His hair thinned and gray High cheekbones darken Bull hide tough Hand scars a many With eyes squinting A straw chair leaned back Daydreaming No more round ups That last ride was long ago With a rolled cigarette on his lip His words in a low key That sun still sets in the west Barry 4/3/2023
Dang, you sound so down to earth and friendly... I wouldn't mind hanging out with you! Thanks for the video. I pretty much knew the things you said (except for "don't buy a hat with thick felt") but I subscribed so I can maybe learn more. Been making my own cowboy hats for 10 years now. Still wearing my first good one (yes, there were some earlier ones I goofed on) so I must have done a good job.
Cowboy hats are an invention just like clan tartans for the Scottish. Most clans just wore clothes in the uprising, much later every clan wanted their own tartans during peaceful times. Early cowboys wore English bowler hats as they were mostly English men (some were black freed slaves and some were Mexicans). Some soft brim hats were worn before "cowboy hat" became an invention much later just as much of what the non-cowboy public think is cowboy wear came from the singers on stage, the "Rhinestone cowboys". His own shirt and jacket are English clothes "Westernized up", Notched lapels and all. Sadly, much of country music today has become hip hop by a guy wearing a cowboy hat. Look at a working cowboy today and he will most likely be wearing a Carhartt jacket and not a notched lapel, two button suit jacket.
@@CanadaFree-ce9jn my jacket is for funerals ,weddings and when I go to the CMA,s or the induction ceremony at the TexasCountry Music Hall of Fame in Carthage Texas around August every year. You are right about the bowlers. Also the early western movies had a huge influence.
Well..most working folks weren't wearing bowler hats.. John stetson sold his first hat...the boss of the plains around 1870 A hundred years earlier in the 1770's folks wore felt hats of different styles.. Commons styles were the round low crown and flat brim.. that's a style that lasted In the American civil war and subsequent Indian wars,slouch hats were pretty common. That's the granddaddy to Stetsons boss of the plains.
Excellent vid thanks. …you mentioned the wired brim…I have a straw Stetson probably 40 + years that does have a wire in the brim…it’s still in excellent shape…could use some professional cleaning….but the wire and tight weave are still holding up perfectly…subbed.
I was thrown off my first horse when I was 3-4 years old. He was a Shetland stallion named Smokey and was mean as hell. My father raised paint and quarter horses off and on till I was an adult. I played country music for years and even got to record a record with James Burton. I know the difference between a country boy raised around horses and a real cowboy, and I don't claim to be a real rodeo cowboy or a real working cowboy. They're few and far between. The majority of people that wear cowboy hats are far from a real cowboy. Having said that, my heros have always been cowboys. My grandfather never walked out of the house without putting on a hat. In the Texas heat, it was required. Hats were once considered necessary and part of your gear on the frontier. A good quality hat is a statement, but a cowboy hat, does not mean the man wearing it is a cowboy. It's pretty easy to spot a real cowboy if you've ever spent any time around them. My advice is, always be courteous and never touch his hat 😉
I try to have a nice "Sunday go to Meeting" Hat" that eventually gets to be my daily work hat, and eventually my hat for sweaty work. Never thought about it, but my newest hat is 5-years old, and my oldest is 40+. Periodically, my sister gets me a nice hat. Wife has passed away 4 years ago: leukemia.
I bought my first cowboy hat about a month ago, and I was told 2 things to care for the hat. 1. Don't keep it in your vehicle, and 2. When storing it, make sure it's placed upside down. I figure the reason for keeping it upside down is to preserve the shape. I was hoping to keep my eventual collection on a hat rack, but if storing them in that manner is really important I suppose I'll have to make do.
Yes if left in a hot vehicle it can shrink the headband, and laying it on the brim will make the back of it curl and you will have what I call a ducktail. A hat rack will be fine. In the video the straw was laying on a rolled up towel and the one on the guitar case was not putting pressure on the brim. Thank you for your questions.
Great commentary. I'm not a cowboy and never claimed to be one. I often wear cowboy hats, felt in winter and straw in summer, cause the keep the sun, rain, and wind off me better than my baseball hats. I wear lace up leather boots with high traction soles cause they keep my feet dry and prevent me from slipping. I wear jeans or canvas/duck pants because they protect my legs and have pockets to put my knife, keys, wallet, maybe even a phone. I've ridden horses and motorcycles, driven atvs, suvs, and pickups, flown airplanes, hunted, hiked, fished, hauled hay, and cut wood for decades and it seems a good hat, boots, and jeans are as simple and good as it gets.
@@emigran7472 I think around 15 years ago. Mostly bull riders did it at first and want to be’s started. Some look like the flying nun you remember that tv show
@@jleestephenson Wellthank you sir. My sentiments exactly. looks like the flying nun... Im 77 wo I do remember. Im glad ranchers havent succumbed to that style stupicity...Thanks
You made a good point about buying a good hat. My grandfather loved Stetson‘s and we have several of his in the original cases. They still look great and wear really well. He was born in 1910 and likely bought the hats in the 30s through the 60s. No they’re not for sale nor the hard shell cases they came in.
My Dad was an old rancher. He rejected the cowboy label, said he was a stockman who raised cattle and horses. My brothers and I all wanted to be cowboys when we were kids. My Dad told us that a cowboy was just a sheepherder with half his brains knocked out. He had a nice Stetson cowboy hat that he wore when he dressed up and went to town, about twice a year. Around the ranch he wore an old Stetson fedora. I don't know how long he had it but some of my earliest memories of him he had that hat. It was way past what most would consider worn out, holes in the crown, so dirty and sweat stained that it was impossible to say what color it was originally. He liked it because he could head off a cow trying to break from the herd without it blowing off his head. I myself like smaller brims, I wear a Stetson Open road in silver belly which is kind of a cattleman style with a 3" brim. Like yours but with a smaller brim. I'm 72 and ugly as 20 miles of muddy road but I get compliments all the time on my hat. About a week ago a young lady in a store told me it gave me "swag." I wasn't sure what that was but a young friend, a fellow who's only about 50 and not quite grown up yet, told me it meant "cool" or classy.
@@proudwhitesettler7746 That’s pretty good I was grinning ear to ear, we called ourselves ranchers, we had cattle and raised chickens about 50,000 at a time, rancher sounds better than chicken farmer. Every body looks cooler in a hat. Thanks for watching.. Just did one on hat etiquette
I don’t know how it looks that clean on the video. I was thinking of making a video of cleaning it, it don’t have any sweat lines in it, I wear an old straw when it’s hot, it’s almost Christmas and it’s still hot you know that, I live in Gary about an hour from you. Actually I try not to sweat too much.LOL
Some good information, thank you. You told the woman that the buckle always goes on the left side. Do you remember when woman's western hats had the buckle on the right side? I do. Also, how do you keep the sweat stains off of a 30 year old work hat? Must ride and work in a cooler environment than I do. I notice all the hats you showed were cattleman brim. I've got a couple but prefer pinch front and brick because, for one thing, they are not so commonly seen, at least out here in Wyoming. I'm glad to hear I'm not the last one to remove my hat when I go into a restaurant or someone's home. It's getting harder and harder to find a hat rack in a restaurant anymore. I have to use another chair or back of a booth, or something. One of my prize hats is a cattleman brim worn by one of the original Marlboro Men, Darryl Winfield, on a commercial shoot. Bought a horse from him years ago and, after he passed, a relative gave it to me. What a gift.
That and their belts used to come from the right. 2 when it’s hot enough to sweat I am wearing an old straw that I didn’t show in the video 3 I think my next video will be etiquette. 4 that’s pretty cool , enjoyed your comments. Thanks
FYI, the BEST summer western style hat IMO is the Sunbody brand hats. Made with palm fronds, NOT straw. They shed water, you can dunk 'em in water and shape them and they'll hold that shape for quite a long time. In a rainstorm, they quickly swell up and shed the rain. If you get a chin strap with it, it'll stay on your head no matter the wind. Unless it's REALLY windy then it'll just end up on your back, and not the ground. When they get dirty from your head sweat, you can wet 'em with a garden hose, use some dishsoap and a scrub brush to clean, then hang it up to dry. They wear out after a few years if you wear them a LOT as I do. I'm currently on my 5th hat of theirs since 2005 or so when I got my first one. They're under $50 each if I recall correctly. BEST summer hat ever.
@@jleestephenson I just checked their website, wow have prices gone up. Still worth it IMO though, but when I bought my first one around 2005 it was $35. Last one i bought in '22 was $55. Now they're up to $75 +
My father's favorite was a Stetson. I remembered when he finally bought a new one, a dark chocolate 4X, in 1972. He wore it every day, through thick and thin, though on hotter summer days, he donned a straw skimmer, can't remember the brand, or even a ball cap. He wore that Stetson until he died in 1995; never lost it's shape. My father, in his youth, worked ranches in southern Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, and eastern Oregon back during the Depression (1930's, 40's). His term for who we call "cowboys", was cowmen, waddies, and stockmen. "Wrangling" was actually a collateral duty for those whose job was to greenbreak strings of horses, typically belonging to the older hands. My dad did penty of wrangling as a newcomer, and eventually developed his ability and became particularly skilled at it. His least favorable job was "riding fence", and then "riding drag" on large herds when moving them from one part of ranch to another, and, of course, branding. The busiest was riding flank, the most enjoyable was riding point. (Keep in ming that even up and through the 1940's, ranches in the southwest, especially in Texas and Oklahoma, could be 50,000 acres at least; not at all uncommon). He also had the priviledge of meeting a couple of celebrities in thise days, such as Gene Autrey, whose ranch as adjacent to one that he worked, and Tex Ritter. I miss my father greatly; took his hat off and held over his heart when the colors were passed by in parade; demonstrating what was once called "honor"; and even when he was beginning to get foggy and frail in his later years, he was always most comfortable in a saddle; in my opinion, a true cowman.
I agree with most of what you said but had to chuckle when you said the straw hat in your hand didn't have wire when in reality almost all (if not all) decent straw hats have a wire in including the hat you had in your hand.
Thanks for the lesson on hats. Even in my old age I learned something new. I have a "wire" hat I use strictly for ranch work only, a decent straw one and two felt hats. One of my felt hats is a Stetson that my dad wore for a very long time - I think about 50 years or so and it still looks good.
Mr. Stephenson, Thank you for all the information. When I was a Freshman in High School back in 1970, I became the bass player of a Country Band in Corpus Christi. We all had Stetson hats and I had a pair of sharkskin boots that wore like Tennis Shoes. Today, Sharkskin is illegal and finding a pair of boots that will last 8 years in all kinds of weather is unheard of. I know of a couple of boot-makers I will go to but to even consider going to a store for boots is out of the question for me. When we began wearing our western wear around school, we got ribbed and picked on that first year. I remember observing only about a dozen folks wore boots at the time By the time we were Seniors, 85-90% of the school wore the gear. By the way, those boots lasted 10 years until the sole was unable to be repaired. It was a sad day when I had to realize it was time to get a new pair. I could still shine them up to look brand new, but I couldn't wear them without getting stickers in my sox. Today, I'm 68 and still look forward to boots made as well. God bless you, and thank you again for your video.
@@MyTakeonliberty I am laughing my head off stickers in my socks, when I heard sea turtle was being banned I went to town and bought a pair , I forget how long ago that was I still wear them every once in a while
I still wear a black Stetson that I bought in 1970, at Wilson’s Western store in Woodsboro Texas. The store is long gone but my hat still looks like a million bucks, and it’s a 10X. I clean it and reshape it about every 5 or 6 years. I bought myself a hat steamer about 20 years ago so I wouldn’t have to have some kid in a store mess my hat up. I also like a Panama weave straw hat, they hold their shape better than a regular straw weave.
We have always worn western style hats on our farm in SC. Our brims are cut a little bit shorter but they still look good. Over the past few years I have branched out from the Stetson and tried Rodeo King. Thank you for a very well done video and I love the Martin guitar. Do a video on it.
The black one was a rodeo king. It has been very hard for me to learn to play, I am not very musically inclined. I told my wife I want to sing in the worst way she said congratulations that’s how you sing . No that’s a joke, but she was always saying wrong chord Jerry. Thanks for watching.
@ I couldn’t believe how many they were in that documentary blew my mind they were hard on cattle and horses just was wondering if they are still that bad ! We have em too in East TN just not as bad !
We don’t have many on the east side, but I did see one in the sand dunes down on the coast, when I was metal detecting on the beach. Didn’t find anything good.
When James Henry Marshal of the Salt Creek Gang was robbing a train he was asked by a little boy, “why do you wear that hat”? His response was, “God gave it to me and made sure it fits my head.” Classic!!!
I have that same Rodeo King black felt and a Beaver Brand 20X Silver belly that I bought 25 years ago and they both reside in plastic bags, in their boxes, at the top of the closet. I pull them out when the weather is cool and no chance of rain 'cause I don't like salt rings in felt. My daily wear is a bangora straw and I look for Hecho en Mexico. I can't see spending the money for those higher end straws to get beat up and sweaty. They eventually retire to lake swimming and beach lounging anyway. One day I may step up and splurge on a Larry Mahan. Great take on the hats.
Some say mine aint a real cowboy hat, because they ain’t dirty and sweaty ,well I don’t wear a felt hat when it’s hot enough to sweat. Thanks for the nice comment
Best advice I received - as you said, head to the back of the store and talk to the folks that shape hats. They'll help pick out one that looks good on you and fits your head. I have an "extra long oval' head, and finding a hat that fits is tough. I finally had one custom made. It fits perfectly and sits right every time. And for dress, it's about knowing what's appropriate. Jeans, a felt or straw and a good shirt cover most times but when it comes to the beach, it's time for flip-flops, a silk shirt and a Panama.
![Cowboy Hat Etiquette [when and where to wear your hat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/F0evEtDQ1qM/mqdefault.jpg)
Talking to a cowboy one day I asked about his hat. He said that it keeps the sun out of his eyes, rain off his back and can carry water to the horses. I asked about his vest, which he said when closed it kept his chest warm, and when open it allowed air to circulate his body to keep him cool. Lastly, I asked why he wore tennis shoes. He said so that people wouldn't mistake him as being a truck driver.
That’s funny thanks for sharing it
Or a UA-cam cowboy telling people what hat to wear.
@@rockylee6247. …. And he proceeds to show us a Baily 😂😂
I love that old joke. You told the condensed version, and I appreciate that.
😂being a truck driver. I find this hilarious 😂
At 69, I've "dressed like a cowboy" all my life. It's the way we grew up in the 50's and early 60's in OK. Even when moving out of 'cow country' throughout my life, I just wore what I've always worn. I've always adhered to etiquette, too: standing when a lady enters, removing hat when indoors, wipe boots on the boot brush, felt in winter and straw in summer. I don't ride anymore and I dang sure ain't gonna try and rope nothing more than a cheeseburger but I ain't about to trade my jeans, boots and hat for flip-flops and Bermuda shorts! Great vid and just stumbled on it. Gonna check out other vids.
@@r.f.pennington746 I love this comment thats exactly how it was for me here in Texas, thats all we knew. Okla.has a lot of cowboys,Jim Shoulders for one. I was never abig rodeo hand but growing up we always had a 100 or so head of cattle and a few horses. Thanks for the comment.
If I have my hands full, I leave my hat on my head. If I don't have a place to put it (such as if I'm sitting at the drug store lunch counter), I leave it on. Usually, though, I find an empty chair at restaurants to put it on since I don't like to eat with the hat on unless I'm eating outside.
Great comment. In the 80's I was working for a tile contractor. My Boss' Dad showed up one day. He had been a cowboy in Texas, in his younger days. It was 105 degrees and I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. He asked my why I was wearing my pajamas to work. LOL. He wore jeans and a long sleeve button-up shirt every day.
Myself as well… I’m 71 now,been wearing Resistol , Stetsons, and Baileys most of my adult life
@@ej2953 if you're sitting down with hands full you can hang your hat on your knee and you won't forget it.
That person in the comments who said you were rude, is dead wrong. If I’m in a store buying something I’ve never bought before, whether it’s a western hat, a frying pan, or a chainsaw, and another customer who has actually used the thing I’m buying give me advice, I’m taking it. Even if I ultimately buy the opposite of what they recommend, I’m a better informed shopper. Thank you for helping that lady and thank you for the video. keep them coming.
Thank you very much. I would rather take advice from someone that used it, than someone selling it. And icould tell she could afford a upgrade. Thanks again.
I used to be a sales person. I’ve always told the customer the “truth.” They’ll respect you more and will come back to buy more not make a return.
@ Thank you, a lot of commenters said I should have kept my mouth shut. But she might have went home crying if she wore that other thing.
I doubt he would care what city people say
I wouldn't know which one to buy. I do now.
Keep it up, I’m glad someone is talking traditional western not fashion. Form should follow function. Let’s respect and learn from our elders, I’m only 55, and love listening to the stories of the older cowboys, ranch hands and farms
Thanks did you listen to rodeoing in the 50 and 60’s
@ yeap I remember the ranchers with the big Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles with mud tire on the rear end for pulling horse trailers down gravel and 2-track roads
tradition western? since wen? they have only been around since the movies started
@ look, it’s obvious you have a very shallow knowledge of western history/cowboy history best keep learn to spell and keep your opinion to yourself
@@Sandppy coming from descendants of the American west, looking at photos and catalogues from 1870s to 1890s, wearing my great grand dad's hat from the 1870s which is a traditional cow hands hat, I have a good grasp on the basics. than watching enough educational videos that all say the modern hats can only trace tier history to the early days of the movies.
I appreciate you. I grew up around Cowboys and cowgirls, but I was a suburb girl. They all gave me the same advice 30 years ago when I was buying my hats that you are giving. I went shopping with my 23-year-old son to buy his first felt hat. The stores today don’t sell quality. Although my son couldn’t afford much, I wanted to get him accustomed to wearing a cowboy hat again. I was happy to know I passed along the same advice to him as you are in this posting. Although he brought a lower end hat I told him to consider it his “trainer” hat and save his money for a nice hat next time. BTW, you look sharp with your black coat.🤠
@@grace-kk8rh thank you so much you are raising him well
I agree! You look great in that black jacket and hat. I kept waiting for the bolo tie, but maybe that's in another video. I also agree about the hats. When I see those goofy hats with the brims smashed up the sides and usually with open holes in the weave that let in the sun, I figure they must be from California, not Texas. I have a small head and my husband has a large head. Those one size fits all hats don't fit either of us! I bought my straw hat at a yard sale, stuck a blue bandana on it for a hatband and keep getting compliments on it, even though I've beaten it up at the crown and edges of the brim over time. 👍🤠
My grandfather was the Sherriff of Hampshire County (jail). He wore a cowboy hat, I still have that hat it and it fits. Although I am not the man he was, I endeavor to live up to his expectations, of me, every day!
My father bought a 7X Resistol years ago. The price on the box is about $50. He never did wear it all that much but I make up for him.
I always liked the older style of having a light curve up on the sides of the brim like in Mr. Stephenson's hat. The younger people think it is a bit odd but the older ranchers and their families pretty much recognize the older style immediately. I've been complimented for my hat's style at various stores. Also, that's one of the first things I notice about others who wear hats with a slight curve up.
When I was a kid, for example in third grade, I was stuck wearing whatever clothes my mother bought for me to wear. Now that I'm in my 70's, I dress like I wanted to dress in the third grade. Except for boots. Ever since my thyroid quit about ten years ago, my ankles stay swollen up and boots just don't want to fit any more.
My heel started hurting 2 years ago, I called my cousin an emergency room nurse, he said you need to get you some shoes like us nurses wear HOKA for any kind of foot pain. I did , 2 weeks later it was gone, they have a really thick coushion and sole on them, they really helped me.
Wear that hat with pride.
It's a hat. Who cares. Only assholes give you a hard time about the hat you wear.
Back in 1995 I went on a 10 day motorcycle ride with a few friends. On one leg of the trip we were going through Nevada on Hwy 50. In the middle of nowhere we came upon a heard of sheep crossing the highway. There were 5 dogs or so moving them. Don't remember how many riders. But this one cowboy near the back was history on a horse. His hat was so worn and beat up it was beautiful. I would have bought him a brand new hat of his choice in trade for that one.
@@5ivestring plenty of character
Are you sure he was not a sheepboy?
He would have laughed in your face for even suggesting that he would be willing to part with his best hat now that it finally got broken in properly
Good advice, I ride the range wearing an authentic boonie hat issued to me when I deployed. It's Still wearing well after 20 years.
What you think about *Why Hats?* Any thoughts on his hats? *Why Hats* is his UA-cam name.
Where can I order the exact hat that Jerry Stephenson is wearing and how much is it to ship to Reno Nevada?
It’s a Stetson, silver belly color cattleman’s crease, you can get one at any decent western wear store. When they have the rodeo finals at LosVegas the hat company’s set up shop there it’s a big deal.
@@davidalkon9244 You can get that exact hat the same place I bought mine. Online direct from Stetson.
The best video I have seen in a long time telling the first time hat buyer what to do. I will tell you up front that I am a city cowboy. The first hat I bought was at The Hat Store in Houston. The salesman understood. I explained that I am short 5’4”small build. He gout a gray American Hat, short crown and small 31/2 inch brim. I was nervous and thought I
believe I paid $150 ( years ago). Well you k is what. After Mr daughter’s wedding I list my hat. 2 years later I found it where I had lowered my van seat to the floor. I took it back to the HT Store and The owner sent it to American Hats where it was restored.
@@lespronin3234 I have read a lot of good comments on American Hat Co. l might have to try one out. Thanks
@@jleestephensonAmerican Hat Company used to sell a "fake" felt hat called "DynaFelt"... Man, that was the best work hat money could buy back in the 70s and 80s!
They were great for the Horse Show crowd and Musicians, too... You could get DynaFelt in about 40 different colors.
And they were priced RIGHT back then... A hat sold for about $45 in the early 80s.
I actually still have a couple of mine... A chocolate brown one and a "silver belly" one.
They were shaped just like any Fur Felt hat would be... Steamed and rolled, etc.
And would hold their shape beautifully.
I remember them being "waterproof" ... They always had a display on the counter at all the stores that carried them. It was a DynaFelt hat that had actual water pouring over constantly... You were encouraged to take the hat off the display and feel the inside of the crown.
I haven't looked at American Hat Company in years... But did grow up with them about four miles away... And that's what Dad, my brother and I all wore back then.
Just a memory of mine that I thought I'd share with y'all.
Our Sheriff's Office issues American Hat Co., one summer straw and a winter felt one.
Glad you posted. Being another short guy, small build, I now know what to look for. And if I had to spend any amount of time outside here in South Texas, I'd have to buy a hat just to stay comfortable.
We were taught hat and boots care very early.
At my father's funeral we had a new saddle pad + his handmade saddle on the casket.
His favorite chair with cowhide seat was there with his chaps and his favorite summer straw hat on one side and his favorite winter felt hat on the other side.
He had a straight up cowboy funeral with a bunch of old cowboys showing up.
They were all standing up in that old cowboy stance.
None of them could believe that he had died because he had convinced everyone that he would live to at least 100.
It was quite a funeral.
@@IdaDuplechin we were taught never mess with someone’s hat.
How old was he when he passed my dad passed away at 62 I thought he was an old man at the time.
I live in a small western town that was settled by ranchers and farmers. One of my all time favorite people was an old cowboy, who ran cattle, and grew alfalfa. He was a wise old man, who I would occasionally go to for advice.
When he died (in his 90s) the funeral was much like you described, with hats, saddles, and other day to day cowboy gear on display.
RIP Don Whitney, Logandale NV.
@@jleestephenson He was between 90-100. No birth certificates were issued in those days. He married later in life and had children.
@ I just wondered
I don't sit still for 14 minutes for much, but for this I was riveted. Great fun. Thanks so much!
@@Bix06068 Hey, thank you, check out my horse poem.
Thanks Jerry! What you say is true. A good hat will last generations. I’m 54 and a relative recently found my Papa’s Resistol silver belly (short brim…think LBJ style). It was a little small for me and dirty, so I took it to Catalina Hatters in Bryan, TX for a fit and restoration. It’s as good as new now!! I wear it on special occasions, and I always get compliments. For reference, my Papa passed away in 1969, and the hat was well worn. So, the hat is probably about 20 years older than I am. I’m so proud to now own and wear Papa’s hat!!
@@cprobably2663 a good hat shop can do wonders with an old hat
@@cprobably2663 Thanks
@@cprobably2663 A good hat shop can do wonders. Yours is the oldest I have heard about.
I have a beaver felt hat my grandfather got at the Tennessee Walking Horse show in Shelbyville, TN. He and granny attended every year for 50 plus years. He probably bought it there in the 1980s. They have been gone for more than 20 years now and I wear his old LBJ hat proudly!
Ha! I know Catalena's shop (I live in the area). I have my uncle's Resistol silver belly, kind of an "LBJ" or old county sheriff hat that I wear often. It is at least 30 years old and in fine condition. 100X
"dress like a cowboy" dude I'm from Texas. We're born in Boots, bootcut jeans, pearl snap shirts and cowboy hats. Who cares what other people do or wear? 😂😂
I want them to look good like us,
Thank you. This lady will be happier because you spoke up. Obviously more of an expert than she is. My thought is, when someone with experience offers honest free advice it is always smart to remain quiet, listen and learn.
@@4reel244 Thank you , several said I should have kept quiet, they were probably young guys that didn’t understand women.
Bought a "Boss of the plains" by Stetson, that came pre-distressed and soiled for really cheap, under $100 (edit: I bought it at a garage sale it was new) . It was advertised as a 6x but who knows, really . I think they are Stetson seconds that they just add fake dirt to them to look well used. I cleaned it up, lightly sanded off the stains and it looks new and I like it cause it was cheap. Saving up to get a hat from Catalena in Bryan, TX. Made in house and they have a steaming bar like Jerry describes. Thanks for this video, I am a new subscriber and look forward to seeing and hearing more from you!
Resistal makes a Great hat without killing your wallet
Thanks for the sub and comment😊
Enjoyed this. Very well done video. I have an old straw Resistol that I have for 40 yrs and newer felts-a Silver belly and a “smoke” both Stetson. I don’t have horses anymore, but still like wearing them. What kind of footwear do you wear when you have a hat on? I know it ain’t shower sandles! Ha ha
@ mostly peanut brittle ostrich with the crepe soul they are very comfortable
Thanks for asking
As a city slicker now living in Montana I need all the advice I can get. I am glad I found you sir, thank you.
Glad to help. Lots of cowboys in Montana
Yes sir ! Still kicking here in East TN and watching all your videos ! Love listening to your stories . You remind me when you’re telling stories of Red Stegall “ West of Wall Street “ segments he did telling cowboy stories .
@@rickjohnson5154 I met him and told him my horse poem.
I agree, great advice BUT Respectfully sir, to be fair even most great quality STRAW hats tend to have the wire around the inside stitching on the edge of the brim, American Hat co, Stetson and Resistol among many other quality brands all do this, and American Hat co is the better brand of the 3 IMO. I know this because I've seen them made, they all do it. Felt Hats however I agree should NEVER have the wire. I have a 100x American Hat co in Black felt and that thing holds up to any weather, rain, snow or shine. I love it. All Beaver fur.
You are right there is a small wire in there,but that old crappy hat I showed has a wire as his as a piece of barbwire it even made it heavy.
@ ahh yeah, I see what you mean! This is true I can barely feel the wire in any of the hat brands I mentioned above despite it being there. Fair point 🤝
Fact!!
You are right I’m gonna be more careful of what I say from now own , I want to trusted when I say something. Thanks
Not everyone is buying a “cowboy hat” for authenticity. Some ppl (inc every woman I’ve ever seen buying one) buy what in their opinion fits their style, budget and intended use. Telling someone their hat choice is hideous is impolite and definitely not cowboy-ish. You embarrassed her into buying an expensive “real” hat for a one-time use (the party) rather than the cheaper fake hat that would have served its one-time-use purpose. I get your point, but it is Not cool.
I’m a fedora guy and people still call me cowboy, Tex, or some other derivative. Apparently any wide brim hat is a cowboy hat to the general public
I have several cowboy hats, and one is a fedora, or 'slouch' hat. I don't wear it as much as I used to but it still goes for a ride with me sometimes, especially when it's really windy. It 'gives' more than my stiffer brimmed hats. Still need a stampede string here in Wyoming sometimes, though.
I like a nice felt but my day to day is just a wool crusher with a 3.5 " brim keeps my ears warmer doesn't get in the way when I'm under a horses or getting in and out of a pickup doesn't blow off my head as much as my regular wide brim hats do .
Horse can stomp on it and it just pops back in shape too lol
I wore a hat like col. Sanders in Spain and they would say hello tex
On my horses, I wear Shoei. Thanks for the video. Appreciate the etiquette information.
You welcome
Love my Shoei's. Have had 5 of them... Only ones I'll wear.
I was born and raised in rural Texas, lived here my whole life. One of my grandfathers was a poor dairy farmer, the other grew cattle on his farm. My dad and uncle were chicken and cattle farmers, worked and split profits right down the middle. I grew up working cows. I was in the chutes before I was 10. I remember Christmases that I had to go pick up dead chickens before I could open presents. I say all that to say this. You earn the right to wear a real cowboy hat, it is really easy to spot the ones that have earned it as opposed to those that are just playing dress up.
@@jetorixjones I live in rural Texas my dad and uncle were partners in a charlois cattle ranch and we had 5 chicken houses ny daddy said cows and chenhouses
@@jetorixjones my dad and uncle were partners in a charlois cattle ranch ranch and had chicken houses. Dad always said cows and chicken houses went togeather, use the chicken litter to fertilize with.
In the 19th century cowboys bought open crown hats and shaped them themselves. That gave a more interesting look than the boring modern cattleman's crease with overcurled brim.
They could make it their own, or else they all looked alike on the hat rack
I am 76 years old and I have my Grandfather’s Dakota Stetson that he wore in 1952.
That’s awesome. I’ll bet it’s a real nice hat. 👍🏻🇺🇸
@@natwynn5593 I don’t even have one of my dads old hats
Thanks Jerry. Looking good!
@@deanh7190 thank you sir ,I try to clean up every once in a while Ha!
Honestly a lot of modern cowboy hats are for fashion and for rodeo. Not saying theyre not good, but most of the old western hats were not shaped like a taco and had flat brims.
@@morganblackheart9468 I just can’t go those flat brims
As far as functional, there is no other reason to go anything other than flat. Tacos are completely useless. Now if one is a musical "cowboy" then sport whatever you want, cause it has nothing to do with the weather.
@ the old ones had a flat brim just like they come from the factory.
@@morganblackheart9468 the movies started a lot of the styles
Western
Moved to Northern Nevada recently. Thank you. Very helpful.
@@carnakthemagnificent336 thanks for watching
I like your name, my favorite song to play is Oh lord it’s hard to de humble.
@@carnakthemagnificent336 like your name and you are welcome.
@@jleestephenson The other 335 Carnaks are imposters.
Great presentation sir! Loved your hats! 🤠
Thank you kindly!
I was raised in south Texas, worked the yturria ranch and king ranch in my youth and been wearing a hat for 35 years. My son (12 years old) just bought his first hat with his own money he earned working he bought a blank straw (south Texas summer 10 months a year not much use for felt) had it shaped old fashioned Gus on the crown and wide deep swept in the front. Spent $300 and emptied his wallet on it. If he ain’t sleeping he’s wearing it. Only had it a few months ago but it’s already got a little blood in it (deer skinning) and shit on it (learning to palpate) and it’s soaked through with sweat. I’ll buy his next one because he’s earned wearing one.
When I was about 15 I went to Ai school, not artificial intelligence, rode my Honda 50 and insemenated cows for other ranchers around for 10$ each. And some commenters called me just a UA-cam cowboy.
When I was about 15 I went to Ai school, not artificial intelligence, rode my Honda 50 and insemenated cows for other ranchers around for 10$ each. And some commenters called me just a UA-cam cowboy.🎉
My oldest son has my father's Stetson which was purchased in Colorado on the same day dad bought me my Mallory(made by Stetson) in 1965. That Mallory is sitting about two feet away from me and still holds it's shape. Nice to see you have a real Martin as well.
@@patricklundquist9869 A Stetson and a Martin will both last a long time,you get what you pay for thanks
Sir, for being over 70, you do look great. I hope I look so good when I reach that point in my life. But I won't bet on that dog still huntin'. Growing up on farm and ranch land I just considered myself to be a country boy and tended to wear ball caps and tennis shoes, wether I was on the tractor or riding horses. Thank you for keeping the tradition of true cowboy hats alive !
Wow, thank you
Nothing like a sharp dressed man with real cowboy hat that’s been shaped accordingly 😊
@@jammons3862 Thank you so much , one commenter said what does it matter what the hat looks like,all I could say was I’m just trying to help you look good. I started to say and maybe some day you can get a woman, but I didn’t. Thanks for the comment
Good common sense tips on hats. For a work hat I have a Stetson American Buffalo 4X hat. It is by far the best western hat for outside work even in bad weather. The nature of the buffalo felt turns away rain and snow and holds up tough to abuse. When they're new they look good enough for going nice places.
@@Cubestone you taught me something thanks
@Cubestone yup I've been thro a few of those, they're great for the price. I use a 6x Skyline for work hats now but those Buffalo are reasonably tough and quite cheap
Real or Fake Cowboy hat , Now that All Depends on the Man under that hat !
That was kinda my take.. My grandpa wore a "Redman" tobacco baseball hat.. He was as real as it got..
So true!!!
@@dudleybaggerman9574 that is very true
@@dudleybaggerman9574 I believe there are fake hats out there on real cowboys, just like a hunter can be hunting with a toy or fake rifle. I was not talking about fake cowboys, I was talking about fake hats. Costume hats as some people call them. And I don’t mind fake cowboys dressing up as real ones, just do it right. I had rather see them dressed western than their drawers showing. Thank y’all for commenting, I have read all 1500 comments.
@jleestephenson if ur a Real Cowboy , Then Any hat u put on is a Real Cowboy hat !
We need more people like you in this world. I know I would've been thankful
@@Slow-ke3gn thank you , some say I should have kept quite. I don’t think they understand women, and how they like to dress up especially for a party
@jleestephenson my wife would've appreciated it too
Here in Arizona a Hat like you showed all bent up, we call that a Goat Roper Hat! One of my favorite Hats Is a one I had since 1974 a 4X Beaver Stetson! Some of my other Hats are Bailey's and Resistol they're great Hats! I'm with you on cost, I don't have the money for 10X Beaver or more, I'll just save the money buy another Gun!
Them guns will last forever.
I have some nice traditional cowboy hats but I also own a Shady Brady that has the thick wire in the brim and is shaped kinda like what you were showing, with the curled up sides and steep drop front and back. It might not be authentic but it's a really practical hat and what I grab when I need to be outside all day in hot weather - the loose weave flows air like nothing I've ever worn, the elastic sweatband keeps it in place in a breeze, the shape means it doesn't hit the headrest in my truck or get in the way when I shoulder a rifle, and it doesn't make me look like I'm playing dress up when I'm in an environment where nobody else is wearing anything western.
If it works for you that’s what matters most.
Respectfully, most people dressing up for an occasional party don’t want to drop $300-500 on a quality hat.
I wouldn’t drop more than $125 for a straw hat, I sweat mine out after a couple summers. They start off as my “Nice hat” then eventually start to show sweat and become my outdoor activity hat.
@@joshuahernandez2867 you are right, I would not have gotten involved if she had not been wearing a big diamond ring and bracelet, and very well dressed. And the Houston rodeo will come back around everybody goes to those she will need it again. I’m hoping she will see this and comment and let us know the party went
I have that silver belly also have a couple of the Stetson gun club collection hats. Bought my first Stetson straw hat this year it is perfect for these smoking hot summers down here in southern Arizona. Can’t believe I waited until in my fifties before I took off baseball caps and started wearing western hats. Great video, thank you for sharing.
Thanks for ditching the baseball cap!
I still have a Stetson Big Country that I bought in the mid 1990's. I have not wore it for many years. It is still in the box.
Thx always helps keep its shape
Well stated! I picked up a Black 20x Bailey Beaver Pelt in 2000 for $425! It still looks new. Same with a Brown 10x Resistol purchased in Houston in 1982. It stays stored in the original box.
Those are dress hats.
Thanks from Spicewood!
You bet a 20x is a dress hat.
I aint a cowboy but i love my hat. Big in the hispanic community. All lines of work get together and put on the hat after work and grill and party
@@victorchozen4205 sounds like fun
I love your candor.................and learned a little something too!
Awesome! Thank you!
Thank you for bringing attention to tradition. I know, it’s only my thoughts and opinion, but the way these hats are getting wider and flatter in the front, look ridiculous. The shape of your hats, and the way they are blocked, is timeless. That’s class! I’ll take someone more serious in a hat like yours, then wearing one that looks like a cartoon.
Well thank you sir.
God bless you, sir, for admitting to the tendency to stick your nose into others’ business as you get older when you see something you just can’t let go. I laughed out loud and felt an immediate kinship with you. I ain’t no cowboy, but I am 76! Enjoyed your tutorial on hats. I like hats and think it’s a shame they’re not worn more often.
We can’t help it we just trying to help.
I'm an Australian living in Queensland and I love the Akubra styles and quality, including: The Arena, Bobby, Rough Rider, Bronco, Golden Spur, Coober Pedy, Open Roader. I also have a Tony Lama which is very much like the Stetson style, with a slightly lower crown, and it is a very nice hat. The worst think anyone can do with a good hat is to leave it in the vehicle in the sun as this will shrink the leather band in no time, and no amount of stretching will restore to it's original size. A good Akubra is not too expensive at around $350 AUD. A good Akubra will last a lifetime if treated properly and respected. One last thing, never try to knock an Akubra off an Australians head!!
Love my Akubra hats. I’ve got a Territory for when I fish, so there is lots of shade and no sunburning! I have other Akubra city hats for everyday. Fantastic hats.
@@lesblack413 Thanks we were taught to never mess with a man’s hat. Thanks for watching from Australia.
My Akubra Snowy River is my go to hat. Love it! Also have two straw Akubra’s made from hemp for warmer weather. Can’t beat ‘em.
I have an Akubra Cattleman and an Akubra Territory. The Territory is identical to the Cattleman but has a wider brim. I’m at an age where I’m done following the crowd and I like to keep the drizzle out of my hair and off my glasses, and I want to keep the sun off my face and neck without the use of chemicals. Bonus: the ladies tend to like it.
@@YakubibnEsau y’all like those I’m gonna have to check them out
I don't know if I enjoy your video or all the exchanges in the comments more. You know you put a good video out there when you get that many reactions!
I got lucky with this one , I needed 500 more subs and 3000 watch hours when I did the video and I looke a few days later and could not believe it. 70 years old never did you tube before and monitised just under 3 months. I am having a blast. Thanks for the comment, I have answered over a 1000 I’ll get caught up one day. Check out hat etiquette.
I've grown fond of those straw hats from Tractor Supply. Not too bad a quality, they keep the rain off and let the air through. My first Stetson, I gave to my grandson when my wife and I decided to hit the road in our RV. Just don't have the room to store more than one hat, so Tractor Supply works good enough for me. I'm not into fashion, I just need one that fits and works.
A good wide brimmed hat is under appreciated for the protection it provides.
@@picklesontheroad it keeps the sun off them ears, maybe we can keep them a little longer.
I finally broke down and bought a custom 100x in Stephenville,Tx at Capital Hatters, just last Saturday. I’m excited about it. I’d suggest it if funds and time allows. I’m looking at a 6mo waiting period. You know we spend more sometimes on a guitar these days. LOL
Rock on! You got that right, and you always need just one more.
I’m sure she appreciated your advice and she will have a great looking hat from now on.
that she wore 1 time at a party.
I hope so!
@@haj811She lives in Houston probably goes to Houston livestock show and rodeo, wears it to other party’s and in 30 years give it to her granddaughter and she is so happy to get it. Because they live in Texas. At least that’s the way I see it. Be positive don’t be negative.
I like your comment better than haj811 below you he has a negative attitude. Read what I wrote to him.
@@jleestephenson Texas Paul needs to watch this 😂.
You just made an old man laugh!!! I have every hat for winter since the 80s and 90s.
Summer field hats, functional and air on my shaded head is what I have. About 50$ Good beaver, 150 in 90s Baily, now 400+. Mike Cavender lives around the way from me.
I don’t think I’d ever be able to pull off a cowboy hat, but I still watched this whole video. I was born in Texas and you remind me of being a kid listening to the grown ups talk. I loved your video!
Visit a hat shop and let them match you up with one that fits your body and head style.
I say "Give it a try!" Us native Texans have a duty to distinguish ourselves from all the refugees coming in from the west coast. I get you, though. I was self-consious when I started wearing one in suburban Houston years ago but now I love the comfort and protection I get from one. 'Specially since I refuse to wear sunscreen.
When I get a hat, I usually reshape it in order to avoid looking like a "real cowboy" because I am not one nor do I want to come off as one. P.S. good video.
Thanks for watching.
I didn’t grow up on a ranch, but I love the outdoors and love and respect what cowboys and cowgirls do. I bought a serratelli silver belly today and I really like it and I plan on wearing it as much as I can. I’m not sure if it’s dumb or if I’m just young, but I feel as I dont deserve to wear the hat, maybe that’s just a respect thing. Nice video.
Joshua I think you are showing respect and honor by wearing the hat.
@@joshuawesterman6097 Joshua I think you are showing respect and honor by wearing the hat. Wear that thing every where you go. I sure you look good in it.
Please give a tutorial about hat etiquette. I get upset when I go to church on Sunday Morning and see the “drugstore cowboy” sitting up front with his hat on thru the entire service. There is a time to wear a hat and a time to take it off.
again referring to Roy Rogers...He always removed his hat when going indoors.
@@meemawstexasgarden some one told me their preacher kept his hat on while he was preaching and chewing tobacco and spitting
@@jimmytate7587 all the old timers did and tipped their hat to the ladies
Cowboy Churches allow wearing the hat during the service, but almost everyone takes it off to pray.
I agree a cowboy hat shouldn’t be worn indoors. Part of the etiquette my grandfather taught me. If he was with you andyou had your hat on indoors, he would knock it off your head.
There is really only one opinion that matters on how good your hat looks on you. If your horse likes your hat it will have respect for you and do what you want. If your horse thinks you look stupid in your hat......well you'll know that pretty quick.
@@robertkinson6527 That’s pretty good I like that.
How you broke down that first hat is how Toby Keith, Trace Adkins and Brad Paisley all shaped their hats.
and i still cant understand why? UGLY!!!
They are also show men. Don't know if that is really how they wear a hat off stage.
Jerry Reed was sporting that look LONG TIME ago, too.
@@anthonyrschmitz5182 Toby had one real nice white felt hat , they I saw a picture of
How do you keep form feeling
like a fool ?? I always felt silly
Wearing one.
My favorite is my Akubra Snowy River model I got in Australia many years ago. Akubra is about the equivalent to Aussies as Stetsons are to Texans. Runs about US$200.00 bucks now but has lasted a long time and still looks great. I paid about AU$80.00 for in in Perth.
I have has a lot of comments, Aussies love their Akubras. Thanks for the comment
I wear palm hats in the summer: I have an Atwood that I’ve just about worn out, it’s getting pretty shabby, and a Sunbody that I wear when I’m in the pasture all day (5” brim sure helps). I wear a Rodeo King chocolate colored felt hat in winter.
I love my atwood palm hat. I sometimes wear it when I'm outside in the rain in the winter because it's waterproof and keeps the rain off my head i work at a bootbarn part time and I've had several customers wanting to know where I got it from. It's a good looking hat
Your video showed up on my "Recommended" and I enjoyed it...thanks for the good info! Now on to see what other wisdom you have to impart! 😊
Welcome aboard! I got deep with self respect video.
"I wouldn't wear that to a dog fight" lol I'm using that 💗
@@FaithIsYourFriend Glad you liked that, I debated about wheather to take it out or not
Hi Jerry, I have two Stetsons, felt for winter and Mexican Palm for summer, both in Gus style.
Good choice! Thanks for sharing.
Me too, another commenter mentioned how cowboys in the early days would purchase unblocked/shaped hats and “shape” them through daily use. The “Gus” was/is the most natural, pinch the crown when removing or putting on. The brim is another reflection of personal choice.
@ they say that by the shape in the old days you could tell where the guy was from.
Ha, ha, ha. There are still real cowboys. Thank God!
Yes, they are all on UA-cam instead of horses today. lol
Yeah some do more than dress the part, they easy to spot HA!
Crown height is also the key. They started putting on the shelf the ones that sit directly on your head instead of a higher crown to keep you cool in heat. 100 years ago hats would have this clearance. Nowadays they sell hats for the bar on the weekend.
For my money, air space inside the crown is what makes you hot and sweaty. Better for insulation in the cold. Not good at all in the heat. I switched my work hat over from a cattleman style to a cheap Stetson Blackhawk crushable felt gambler about two years ago, and it's my new favorite hat. The telescope crown sits right against the scalp and provides no insulation other than just what the material does. The felt wicks away sweat and evaporates almost immediately. The Australians love the flat brim and telescope crown for a reason.
Good point
I have 2 really nice Rodeo King hats. My most expensive one is a 10X in brown and believe it or not, it is a beaver/wool blend. I left the crown open and had a pencil roll put on it. Its one of my dress hats. The other Rodeo King is a 5X with a Gus crease and i had a pencil roll put on that one as well with a bound edge. I also have a very dressy Stetson that is Buffalo wool with a Gus crease and a bound edge.
Really enjoyed your video!! 👍
BTW.....I'm with ya on the newer bull rider styles. I do not like the shovel squad off front.
That black one I had was a rodeo king. I’m glad you told me you like the one with wool blend I won’t talk bad about that any more.
I appreciate you clarifying the hats. This NEW COUNTRY is not country! This might sound dumb to some but if I’m buying a cowboy hat, I know it’s going to cost me at least $250 and up! Quality made in America! Goes for all western wear. Thanks again!
Thank you for your comment.
I've worn Akubara hats from Australia. The reason is some of thier rabbit& hare fur hats have a couple air holes on either side. Here on the sonoran desert 🏜 ya need air holes. The main us makers of hat didn't add them till years later. Purchased them from David Morgan store.
I wear an akubra sombrero! Fantastic quality. I had the brim trimmed to 5” and had a proper West Texas Punch crease on it. Looks and feels great
@@CORPORAL-dn7nn I wear the territories, 4 inch brim
@@jameshogan-ps2bz that is interesting I never saw a felt with holes
@@CORPORAL-dn7nn I never heard of those till now
@@jleestephenson Pretty dang good hat. 100 percent rabbit. I’ve been wearing it for years now. My daughter in law is from Australia is how I came to hear of them.
I also have a nice black 5x resistal I’ll wear to weddings and whatnot, but yea the sombrero is my daily.
I have a series of felt hats, the newest one is about 30 years old. One of the spent all of that time as my hunting hat, especially in late fall and winter. I have worn it all day in the rain and never had it get wet on the inside. I have slept it untold numbers of times. I have wedged it down on my head over a thin balaclava to help keep the wind off. It is not so much of what I would call a Western Hat, it's more more like a general purpose sort of fedora with about three inch brim and I appreciate it even more now because I can see it taking on a bit of a classic wear look. It is still in real good shape but is showing honest wear and a bit of fade. I think I bought back around '92 and have used it ever since. I'm 82 years old now and I still wear it some except when I wear one of my Western style hats. All of my hats are wool felt. The brim is soft and will blow back in the wind. Unlike the Nashville drugstore cowboy hats that are mostly glue and wool and feel almost like plastic, these never seem to wear out or lose their shape or hurt my head. When I was a kid old timers all had a work hat with a hole worn out in the peak. Then they had their Sunday go to meeting good hat that they worn to town or church.
Very true I remember some of them with a hole in the peak.
Sun Set
That sun still sets in the west
But that old trail is asphalt now
Baked by the sun hot and dry
The sounds of hoofs have passed
Herds of buffalo graze no more
Barbwire strung along
The fence post passed like a picket fence
As the truck tires whine on
The sweetgrass has all but gone
The mesquite is tall and thick
Prickly Pear covers the prairie
The Longhorns have gone
A saddle all covered in dust
The moth-riddled blanket flaps
Riding quirt amiss
Old spurs hung on a wall
On a post hangs a leather belt
With a holster cracked and rotting
That old hogleg turned brown
Brass all green
The lassoing cowboy is no more
That broad hat tipped back
His shirt sleeves rolled high
Jeans rolled double
His hair thinned and gray
High cheekbones darken
Bull hide tough
Hand scars a many
With eyes squinting
A straw chair leaned back
Daydreaming
No more round ups
That last ride was long ago
With a rolled cigarette on his lip
His words in a low key
That sun still sets in the west
Barry
4/3/2023
@@drsackbarry I enjoyed that very true Polaris instead of the horse
Dang, you sound so down to earth and friendly... I wouldn't mind hanging out with you! Thanks for the video. I pretty much knew the things you said (except for "don't buy a hat with thick felt") but I subscribed so I can maybe learn more. Been making my own cowboy hats for 10 years now. Still wearing my first good one (yes, there were some earlier ones I goofed on) so I must have done a good job.
Wow you make your own. That’s cool.
Cowboy hats are an invention just like clan tartans for the Scottish. Most clans just wore clothes in the uprising, much later every clan wanted their own tartans during peaceful times. Early cowboys wore English bowler hats as they were mostly English men (some were black freed slaves and some were Mexicans). Some soft brim hats were worn before "cowboy hat" became an invention much later just as much of what the non-cowboy public think is cowboy wear came from the singers on stage, the "Rhinestone cowboys". His own shirt and jacket are English clothes "Westernized up", Notched lapels and all. Sadly, much of country music today has become hip hop by a guy wearing a cowboy hat. Look at a working cowboy today and he will most likely be wearing a Carhartt jacket and not a notched lapel, two button suit jacket.
@@CanadaFree-ce9jn my jacket is for funerals ,weddings and when I go to the CMA,s or the induction ceremony at the TexasCountry Music Hall of Fame in Carthage Texas around August every year. You are right about the bowlers. Also the early western movies had a huge influence.
Well..most working folks weren't wearing bowler hats..
John stetson sold his first hat...the boss of the plains around 1870
A hundred years earlier in the 1770's folks wore felt hats of different styles..
Commons styles were the round low crown and flat brim.. that's a style that lasted
In the American civil war and subsequent Indian wars,slouch hats were pretty common. That's the granddaddy to Stetsons boss of the plains.
Excellent vid thanks. …you mentioned the wired brim…I have a straw Stetson probably 40 + years that does have a wire in the brim…it’s still in excellent shape…could use some professional cleaning….but the wire and tight weave are still holding up perfectly…subbed.
Thanks for the sub, hat etiquette vid should be out tonight Jan 3
I was thrown off my first horse when I was 3-4 years old. He was a Shetland stallion named Smokey and was mean as hell. My father raised paint and quarter horses off and on till I was an adult. I played country music for years and even got to record a record with James Burton. I know the difference between a country boy raised around horses and a real cowboy, and I don't claim to be a real rodeo cowboy or a real working cowboy. They're few and far between. The majority of people that wear cowboy hats are far from a real cowboy. Having said that, my heros have always been cowboys. My grandfather never walked out of the house without putting on a hat. In the Texas heat, it was required. Hats were once considered necessary and part of your gear on the frontier. A good quality hat is a statement, but a cowboy hat, does not mean the man wearing it is a cowboy. It's pretty easy to spot a real cowboy if you've ever spent any time around them. My advice is, always be courteous and never touch his hat 😉
They the meanest horse I ever sat.
Great video - very informative. Plus - Zach Top is fantastic!
Thanks thought I would give him a shout out to the older folks.
@@jleestephenson I'll look forward to hearing hiim at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this year.
I try to have a nice "Sunday go to Meeting" Hat" that eventually gets to be my daily work hat, and eventually my hat for sweaty work. Never thought about it, but my newest hat is 5-years old, and my oldest is 40+. Periodically, my sister gets me a nice hat. Wife has passed away 4 years ago: leukemia.
@@texhaines9957 condolences for your loss
With my wife 2 and a half years ago from intestinal cancer.
@jleestephenson Condolences.
@@IdaDuplechin t
Thank you Ms Duplechin.
I bought my first cowboy hat about a month ago, and I was told 2 things to care for the hat. 1. Don't keep it in your vehicle, and 2. When storing it, make sure it's placed upside down.
I figure the reason for keeping it upside down is to preserve the shape. I was hoping to keep my eventual collection on a hat rack, but if storing them in that manner is really important I suppose I'll have to make do.
Yes if left in a hot vehicle it can shrink the headband, and laying it on the brim will make the back of it curl and you will have what I call a ducktail. A hat rack will be fine. In the video the straw was laying on a rolled up towel and the one on the guitar case was not putting pressure on the brim. Thank you for your questions.
I'm with you that I lose my filters as I get older...brain waves turn into sound waves easier and easier...lol!
We think somebody needs to say something so we do. Like I tell young guys hey your pants are falling down.
Great commentary. I'm not a cowboy and never claimed to be one. I often wear cowboy hats, felt in winter and straw in summer, cause the keep the sun, rain, and wind off me better than my baseball hats. I wear lace up leather boots with high traction soles cause they keep my feet dry and prevent me from slipping. I wear jeans or canvas/duck pants because they protect my legs and have pockets to put my knife, keys, wallet, maybe even a phone. I've ridden horses and motorcycles, driven atvs, suvs, and pickups, flown airplanes, hunted, hiked, fished, hauled hay, and cut wood for decades and it seems a good hat, boots, and jeans are as simple and good as it gets.
@@Barrett_Fodder let’s protect them ears, we don’t want to have to cut the top off of them.
I have a question for you please sir. When and why did cowboy hats start having a square front Brim?? Who thought that was a good idea???
@@emigran7472 I think around 15 years ago. Mostly bull riders did it at first and want to be’s started. Some look like the flying nun you remember that tv show
@@jleestephenson Wellthank you sir. My sentiments exactly. looks like the flying nun... Im 77 wo I do remember. Im glad ranchers havent succumbed to that style stupicity...Thanks
Keep in mind that crown and brim shapes are a regional thing. Different shapes have different regions that they represent.
I've asked that question myself a few times... Finally got some answers on it... Figures... Bull riders...
@@jleestephenson You know one UA-camr: initials= D. B. (Claiming bull rider status)
You made a good point about buying a good hat. My grandfather loved Stetson‘s and we have several of his in the original cases. They still look great and wear really well. He was born in 1910 and likely bought the hats in the 30s through the 60s. No they’re not for sale nor the hard shell cases they came in.
That’s neat
Just for the record, the cattleman, refers to the crown crease, brim shapes have their own style appellation. 🤠
@@LowPlainsDrifter60 I tell them I want a cattlemen’s crease and that’s what I get back I guess at my age they know I’m not a bull rider
@@jleestephenson 👑👑👑
My Dad was an old rancher. He rejected the cowboy label, said he was a stockman who raised cattle and horses. My brothers and I all wanted to be cowboys when we were kids. My Dad told us that a cowboy was just a sheepherder with half his brains knocked out. He had a nice Stetson cowboy hat that he wore when he dressed up and went to town, about twice a year. Around the ranch he wore an old Stetson fedora. I don't know how long he had it but some of my earliest memories of him he had that hat. It was way past what most would consider worn out, holes in the crown, so dirty and sweat stained that it was impossible to say what color it was originally. He liked it because he could head off a cow trying to break from the herd without it blowing off his head.
I myself like smaller brims, I wear a Stetson Open road in silver belly which is kind of a cattleman style with a 3" brim. Like yours but with a smaller brim. I'm 72 and ugly as 20 miles of muddy road but I get compliments all the time on my hat. About a week ago a young lady in a store told me it gave me "swag." I wasn't sure what that was but a young friend, a fellow who's only about 50 and not quite grown up yet, told me it meant "cool" or classy.
@@proudwhitesettler7746 That’s pretty good I was grinning ear to ear, we called ourselves ranchers, we had cattle and raised chickens about 50,000 at a time, rancher sounds better than chicken farmer. Every body looks cooler in a hat. Thanks for watching.. Just did one on hat etiquette
That hat looks just fine… for Dallas! 😂 if you know, you know.
Howdy from Tyler area.
No idea how you keep your work hat so clean!
I don’t know how it looks that clean on the video. I was thinking of making a video of cleaning it, it don’t have any sweat lines in it, I wear an old straw when it’s hot, it’s almost Christmas and it’s still hot you know that, I live in Gary about an hour from you. Actually I try not to sweat too much.LOL
I appreciate that
Some good information, thank you. You told the woman that the buckle always goes on the left side. Do you remember when woman's western hats had the buckle on the right side? I do.
Also, how do you keep the sweat stains off of a 30 year old work hat? Must ride and work in a cooler environment than I do. I notice all the hats you showed were cattleman brim. I've got a couple but prefer pinch front and brick because, for one thing, they are not so commonly seen, at least out here in Wyoming.
I'm glad to hear I'm not the last one to remove my hat when I go into a restaurant or someone's home. It's getting harder and harder to find a hat rack in a restaurant anymore. I have to use another chair or back of a booth, or something.
One of my prize hats is a cattleman brim worn by one of the original Marlboro Men, Darryl Winfield, on a commercial shoot. Bought a horse from him years ago and, after he passed, a relative gave it to me. What a gift.
That and their belts used to come from the right. 2 when it’s hot enough to sweat I am wearing an old straw that I didn’t show in the video 3 I think my next video will be etiquette. 4 that’s pretty cool , enjoyed your comments. Thanks
How did you tube know I was looking for a cowboy hat this week? I went to couple stores in SW KS, but no internet searches.
@@deanmiller294 I think they read our mind sometimes. Thanks for watching.
Geofencing
@ thanks
FYI, the BEST summer western style hat IMO is the Sunbody brand hats. Made with palm fronds, NOT straw. They shed water, you can dunk 'em in water and shape them and they'll hold that shape for quite a long time. In a rainstorm, they quickly swell up and shed the rain. If you get a chin strap with it, it'll stay on your head no matter the wind. Unless it's REALLY windy then it'll just end up on your back, and not the ground. When they get dirty from your head sweat, you can wet 'em with a garden hose, use some dishsoap and a scrub brush to clean, then hang it up to dry. They wear out after a few years if you wear them a LOT as I do. I'm currently on my 5th hat of theirs since 2005 or so when I got my first one. They're under $50 each if I recall correctly. BEST summer hat ever.
@@dkeith45 Sounds like a good straw for work,even some off the big names don’t do to well in the rain.
@@dkeith45 Thanks
@@jleestephenson I just checked their website, wow have prices gone up. Still worth it IMO though, but when I bought my first one around 2005 it was $35. Last one i bought in '22 was $55. Now they're up to $75 +
Stetson, or Resistol are the only real cowboy hats IMO.
Catalena Hatters, Greeley Hatworks, Montecristi
Let’s put Bailers in there top3
My father's favorite was a Stetson. I remembered when he finally bought a new one, a dark chocolate 4X, in 1972. He wore it every day, through thick and thin, though on hotter summer days, he donned a straw skimmer, can't remember the brand, or even a ball cap. He wore that Stetson until he died in 1995; never lost it's shape.
My father, in his youth, worked ranches in southern Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, and eastern Oregon back during the Depression (1930's, 40's). His term for who we call "cowboys", was cowmen, waddies, and stockmen. "Wrangling" was actually a collateral duty for those whose job was to greenbreak strings of horses, typically belonging to the older hands. My dad did penty of wrangling as a newcomer, and eventually developed his ability and became particularly skilled at it. His least favorable job was "riding fence", and then "riding drag" on large herds when moving them from one part of ranch to another, and, of course, branding. The busiest was riding flank, the most enjoyable was riding point. (Keep in ming that even up and through the 1940's, ranches in the southwest, especially in Texas and Oklahoma, could be 50,000 acres at least; not at all uncommon).
He also had the priviledge of meeting a couple of celebrities in thise days, such as Gene Autrey, whose ranch as adjacent to one that he worked, and Tex Ritter.
I miss my father greatly; took his hat off and held over his heart when the colors were passed by in parade; demonstrating what was once called "honor"; and even when he was beginning to get foggy and frail in his later years, he was always most comfortable in a saddle; in my opinion, a true cowman.
Thank you for his story I really enjoyed it. Check out my video rodeoing in the 50 and 60’s
Thank you for the compliment, sir; I enjoyed your clip. The topic about hats put me in mind of my father, I reckon.
I agree with most of what you said but had to chuckle when you said the straw hat in your hand didn't have wire when in reality almost all (if not all) decent straw hats have a wire in including the hat you had in your hand.
@@TheBurtv you are right sir but it’s a little thin thing that hat was heavy the wire was so big
You are not Burt Hairgrove are you
Western apparel NEVER goes out of style and you can't beat quality. Thanks for keeping the tradition alive.
Thank you for watching.
I have a lot of hats, & also boots, & shoes, & clothes ,,,,, I wear whatever fits the occasion
didn't have any those things growing up, but now I do
Thanks for the comment
Thanks for the lesson on hats. Even in my old age I learned something new. I have a "wire" hat I use strictly for ranch work only, a decent straw one and two felt hats. One of my felt hats is a Stetson that my dad wore for a very long time - I think about 50 years or so and it still looks good.
That’s a good advertisement for Stetsons right there, the only one I have of my dads has a hole in the peak.
Wish I had one of my dads
I wonder if the ones they make now will still be around in 50 years
Mighty sharp. Not sure I could pull off a western hat up here in northern Ohio.
you might be mistaken about that. some really great rodeo cowboys came from Ohio. even Roy Rogers was from Ohio
@ That's very interesting. Thank you Jimmy.
Just be you. Dont worry about trying to fit in. I wear an Australian outback style hat. I live in the Detroit area.
@ you got it brother!
Also from Ohio , I would love to wear a western hat , but feel foolish when I put one on.
Mr. Stephenson,
Thank you for all the information. When I was a Freshman in High School back in 1970, I became the bass player of a Country Band in Corpus Christi. We all had Stetson hats and I had a pair of sharkskin boots that wore like Tennis Shoes. Today, Sharkskin is illegal and finding a pair of boots that will last 8 years in all kinds of weather is unheard of. I know of a couple of boot-makers I will go to but to even consider going to a store for boots is out of the question for me. When we began wearing our western wear around school, we got ribbed and picked on that first year. I remember observing only about a dozen folks wore boots at the time By the time we were Seniors, 85-90% of the school wore the gear. By the way, those boots lasted 10 years until the sole was unable to be repaired. It was a sad day when I had to realize it was time to get a new pair. I could still shine them up to look brand new, but I couldn't wear them without getting stickers in my sox. Today, I'm 68 and still look forward to boots made as well.
God bless you, and thank you again for your video.
@@MyTakeonliberty I am laughing my head off stickers in my socks, when I heard sea turtle was being banned I went to town and bought a pair , I forget how long ago that was I still wear them every once in a while
@@MyTakeonliberty iiii
I still wear a black Stetson that I bought in 1970, at Wilson’s Western store in Woodsboro Texas. The store is long gone but my hat still looks like a million bucks, and it’s a 10X. I clean it and reshape it about every 5 or 6 years. I bought myself a hat steamer about 20 years ago so I wouldn’t have to have some kid in a store mess my hat up. I also like a Panama weave straw hat, they hold their shape better than a regular straw weave.
@@thomasallen3818 that steamer is good for cleaning, you gave me an idea for another video, how to clean your hat. Thanks
We have always worn western style hats on our farm in SC. Our brims are cut a little bit shorter but they still look good. Over the past few years I have branched out from the Stetson and tried Rodeo King. Thank you for a very well done video and I love the Martin guitar. Do a video on it.
The black one was a rodeo king. It has been very hard for me to learn to play, I am not very musically inclined. I told my wife I want to sing in the worst way she said congratulations that’s how you sing . No that’s a joke, but she was always saying wrong chord Jerry. Thanks for watching.
Watched a documentary on Guthrie TX and all the rattlesnakes there back in the early 1900’s you got any stories like that in East TX ?
I live near Guthrie. Still loaded with those devils!
@ I couldn’t believe how many they were in that documentary blew my mind they were hard on cattle and horses just was wondering if they are still that bad ! We have em too in East TN just not as bad !
We don’t have many on the east side, but I did see one in the sand dunes down on the coast, when I was metal detecting on the beach. Didn’t find anything good.
When James Henry Marshal of the Salt Creek Gang was robbing a train he was asked by a little boy, “why do you wear that hat”? His response was, “God gave it to me and made sure it fits my head.” Classic!!!
I like that thanks for sharing,
God bless Mr. Stephenson his honesty is refreashering and sings true.
Thank you so much , and for watching.
Thank you so much.
I have that same Rodeo King black felt and a Beaver Brand 20X Silver belly that I bought 25 years ago and they both reside in plastic bags, in their boxes, at the top of the closet. I pull them out when the weather is cool and no chance of rain 'cause I don't like salt rings in felt. My daily wear is a bangora straw and I look for Hecho en Mexico. I can't see spending the money for those higher end straws to get beat up and sweaty. They eventually retire to lake swimming and beach lounging anyway. One day I may step up and splurge on a Larry Mahan. Great take on the hats.
Some say mine aint a real cowboy hat, because they ain’t dirty and sweaty ,well I don’t wear a felt hat when it’s hot enough to sweat. Thanks for the nice comment
Good for you saving that woman a world of criticism, and embarrassment. The cowboy way.😂😂
Best advice I received - as you said, head to the back of the store and talk to the folks that shape hats. They'll help pick out one that looks good on you and fits your head. I have an "extra long oval' head, and finding a hat that fits is tough. I finally had one custom made. It fits perfectly and sits right every time. And for dress, it's about knowing what's appropriate. Jeans, a felt or straw and a good shirt cover most times but when it comes to the beach, it's time for flip-flops, a silk shirt and a Panama.
@@mnswamp very true I am a long oval that’s what I buy. Thankfully they fit just right