COWBOY HATS

There's nothing that defines the cowboy and the western ranch lifestyle more than the wide-brimmed, high-crowned hat!

For a cowboy, his hat is an important piece of equipment for his job! It not only offers protection to his head, he can use it to shoo a cow, feed and water his horse or fan the embers into flames on the cook out fire.

They come in a few different materials such as straw and leather. The most popular remains the fur-based felt.

The most common colors are neutral shades of brown, beige and black. The hats are customized by changing the roll of the brim and the depth of the crease in the crown.

But the basic hat of today is the same as the original made by J.B. Stetson in 1865.

At one time you could tell where a cowboy's hat was from; either by who made the hat or even from which ranch the cowboy came from just because of how the crease in the crown was personalized!

The practical purpose of the cowboy hat was to provide shade from the sun with the wide brim and the hat's crown providing insulation.

The felt, although not completely waterproof, was extremely durable and gave protection to the cowboy from the rain. And it always dried in almost the exact same shape each time.

Straw versions are also popular because of their lower cost and light weight. If taken care of properly a straw hat is very durable. Just use a soft brush or sponge to remove the dirt and dust.

Remember to always store them in a hat box to help retain their shape or place the hat upside down with the brim up so that you don't ruin the shape.

You can see these hats on everyone from the Texas Ranger law enforcement officer, to country singers, to United States presidents. Even the Royal Canadian Mounted Police use a Stetson based hat as part of their ceremonial uniform.

Even if you are not a cowboy or have never been closer to a horse than your television, a cowboy hat looks great on everyone at any age!

And thanks to a price tag that can climb to over $4000 it can be an impressive fashion statement and status symbol too!

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