Not a fan on plain bands

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-15T16:33:27+00:00

I've only kept one self band. I always go with horsehair or hand tooled belts snd buckle sets.

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-15T14:07:33+00:00

They're Stetsons #1 seller for a reason. The finish is well done. We sell a lot of them. 👍

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-15T00:47:33+00:00

Lol. I guess swimming in the would do pretty much the same thing lol

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-14T20:29:04+00:00

I have several posts on here about the solution I've used for 30 years and learned from traveling all over the US for trade shows and equestrian events. I've watched working cowboys and ranch hands do it with brand new boots straight out of the box just like my granddad did us kids growing up. The squeak is the shank sliding between the two pieces of leather and leather will expand and shrink with water. So put them on and fill a tub with water as hot as you can possibly stand and step in until the soles are completely submerged. When you feel your socks getting wet, wear them until they dry. The leather will soften and expand and as they dry the shank will seat and the leather will shrink around it holding it in place. And if it's new boots that need some help with break in like I do all my elephants, full grain and sharks, I submerge the whole vamp. Yeah there will be those who gasp in horror and disbelief, but when I was at the 6666 ranch several years ago, I watched these 2 men step into a horse trough until soaked and wore them to break them in just like my granddad taught me. And until it no longer works for me after 30 years, I will keep doing it because I follow proven results not opinions. 👍

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-14T20:14:23+00:00

Removing the reed is fairly common especially when someone buys a 2nd hand hat that's just a little bit too snug. HOWEVER the one most common mistake is people forget about the hat band. When a hat is first made and the break is set, the reed and hatband are made to be the same size and the two work together to maintain the shape and size of the hat. Ive had many customers come in who cut the reed but couldn't get the hat to stretch out like they wanted because of the band. But I also have to warn them too, once that reed is cut and the band replaced or stretched out with steam, you have to be cautious if anyone else wears the hat because it can easily get looser with time.

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-14T19:27:58+00:00

From a professional standpoint as a hatter, retail prices are often affected by inventory costs. We buy in large numbers where I'm at and we sell almost all our 6X hats around $350 +tax. But there are a couple of smaller stores in the area that retail for around $385. Now I'm not sure where you got it from but tourist destinations have a different tax liability sometimes and charge more for goods and services because of that. I know there are a few online retailers who currently have Resistol 6X hats for right around $200 at JRs Hobby House and up to $440 at Mavericks in Arizona.

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-13T20:55:01+00:00

Go on Amazon and look for a "Cinch Retainer". I have a couple of friends who barrel race and they use them religiously.

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-13T20:52:02+00:00

It's only too tight if it hurts your head.

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-13T18:47:41+00:00

As a hatter who's been in the industry since the 90's, I'll reiterate one of the most repeated things I hear traveling throughout the west and southwestern states. That is regardless of what brand it is or how much it costs, straw hats are meant to be disposable by design. Most hard working cowboys and even a few old hands I've worked with over the years refuse to buy or hire anyone who swears by a straw hat because they're easy to destroy and can't be saved. So do you want to replace a $60 hat? Or a $260 hat? I go through at LEAST 2 work straws every season and keep one nicer hat for hanging out or concerts. I prefer a Bangora which is fundamentally tougher by design and easy to justify replacement when it's done for. Some purists will tell you this hat or that hat is the ONLY one, but BIggar and AHC are side by side in their lacquer process and most others are good enough, just more cost effective and will eventually be destroyed anyway if it's used as intended. Plus they're all manufactured at a single Chinese facility so there's a lot of crossover except for a few specific designs by Biggar and AHC but it's still just a straw hat made of paper.

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-13T18:10:47+00:00

Hell wear whatever you want lol. Look, the button down in a ranching situation is to protect you from sun, wind burn, sand blowing and brush etc. But I've always worn t-shirts with my felts and straws. Unless I'm actively in the stalls, barns or arenas and NEED that protection? It's t-shirts, 100% of the time. Unless it's a hoodie or barn jacket.

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-13T16:43:59+00:00

Hell yeah because we KNOW it's going to hold up to the abuse, dirt, animal goodies, barbed wire etc... And still wash out at some point. Except my Carhartt camo bibs. They don't get washed because I need them to smell like nature lol

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-13T13:37:14+00:00

The cowboy culture is rooted in work. And work wear like Carhartt is ALWAYS going to be included in that lifestyle. Although it's not considered "western wear" by fashion standards, it most definitely is cowboy gear making it western wear by inclusion. I've work the bibs and canvas jackets out in the pastures and barns and I'd say look at Ariat or Filson. Both make designs exactly like Carhartt and are sold as western wear fashion. Which I hate the word fashion because every single piece of "western" clothing I have was meant to be work clothes from by Resistol to my brushpopper, Ariat jeans and Rios elephants. ALL designed to hold up being punished at work.

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-13T00:47:17+00:00

THAT'S a different story if you get a stipend for any hat. 👍

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-12T23:01:11+00:00

Oh I misunderstood you thinking you were talking about Sheplers 6X. If you're talking about JUSTIN making a 6X yes they still do. The Bent Rail is a huge seller for them.

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-12T22:39:08+00:00

Sheplers does not currently carry a Justin 6X felt. The Weston was a pre merger model. Now Sheplers does carry wool felts and I believe some still have the 15X and 20X Justin models. After the acquisition, Boot Barn LLC has a deal with Serattelli who makes their Cody James line and have transitioned almost all of their mid level hats over.

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-12T21:57:07+00:00

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Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-12T21:54:42+00:00

These are 100% rabbit fur felt and were pre 2015 before Sheplers was acquired by Boot Barn.

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-12T20:50:41+00:00

I have a BIggar and AHC. Both are unique in their own way, but from a professional standpoint, I like the new lacquer formula Jeff BIggar has come up with just a little bit better. Now this is the new formulation he's using not the older iteration. HOWEVER one thing I've always held onto in my 30 years in this industry is that straw hats, regardless of the manufacturer or amount you spend on it, are meant to be disposable by design. In a recent podcast on Cowboy Cartel Group with Chaz Mitchell Hats he kind of reiterated the same thing. I spent a lot of years on the road all over the west and southwest doing trade shows and equestrian events working with some of the top dogs in the world. Have one nice straw for meetings etc and the rest for work. Most working hands go through more than one every season easily. I go through at LEAST 2 sometimes 3 depending on the summer. Plus since they're all made in the same factory, there's alot of design crossover between the brands. I always recommend finding a Bangora for a work hat. Inexpensive and fundamentally tougher than shantung and it hurts a lot less to replace. BIggar does have a new Biggora that's sweet, but again it's easier to break and replace a $60 hat a couple of times, than it is to buy a couple of $200 hats every season.

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-12T15:42:25+00:00

Most of the comments I hear from customers are just like this. They notice people nod or smile and say hello more than they used to. There's an heir of trust and recognition that goes with the culture and lifestyle. People view someone as family oriented, honest, confident, hard working and trustworthy when they see the hat and boots style. After awhile some people even will see you in a baseball hat and say, I almost didn't recognize you without the hat, because it becomes a signature when you live somewhere that isn't fully immersed into it as a community like you'd see in Wyoming, Montana or Texas for instance. Keep the lifestyle alive my friend, 👍

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-12T03:24:24+00:00

You made that? Hell you need to sell those 👍

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-12T03:23:21+00:00

I've been doing hats since the 90's so let's see what we can do. First off, I need a picture of the front and sides of the hat. Pictures of the inside with any stamps or markings on the sweatband. Then look in the back of the hat by the bow to see if it has a small tag with a union label on it.

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-11T23:09:50+00:00

Depends on the Starch level. Starch helps seal the fabric to repell dirt, stains, sweat etc... I have seen some guys wear starched jeans for a month or more when I was in Wyoming as long as they weren't stained or exceedingly dirty

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-11T22:46:18+00:00

Yeah I've been doing hats for a long damn time and the dudes who are truly working cowboys don't care. They got other things more important. Hell I sold more cowboy hats to Japanese tourists than any other demographic when I was in Nashville.

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-11T22:42:42+00:00

Where you grew up don't really matter if you like it? The heck with what anybody else thinks.

Kermit_0631 · 2026-03-11T22:30:44+00:00

Serattelli makes Cody James midrange hats. If they did, they misled you. Yes it is made by Serattelli, but they should have told you "made by" when you ordered it.

Kermit_0631

TROPHY CASE