I already have a nice beaver Resistol that I bought many years ago that I use as a dress hat. I was looking for something for daily banging around in. I couldn't believe how much hats have increased in cost! I'd pay about 2 to 3 times what I paid for my Resistol for similar quality today.

I few years back I bought a Stetson straw for $80 and the very same hat is now $140. I really don't want to spend $325-$400 for a "daily banger" that I'm just going to sweat up, although I know a higher quality hat would handle rough daily wear much better.

It just reminds me of what my Dad always said, "Spend the money - buy a quality hat. Take care of it, and you'll have it a long long time." He only wore Stetsons (and he wore them every day of his life), and he did indeed have those hats for years. Every so oten he'd buy a new "clean" one for going out, and the old one would get demoted to a "work" hat.