The Champie
Crown: Creased
Brim: 1/2" Kettle Curl Bound
Hatband: 1" Satin with Bow
Color as shown: Sand

Lawton Champie was a champion rodeo competitor in the 1920s and 1930s, as well as being a life-long working cowboy. This hat design was likely named for Mister Champie, although the brim working on the hat Lawton is wearing in the Levi Strauss ad at right is a little bit different, it's the same basic look. Hat makers started offering pre-creased crowns and shaped brims after they saw the most common way the working Cowboys had of creasing their hats.

Look Familiar?
Christopher Lloyd
in Back to the Future III. His character; Dr. Emmett Brown sports a brown beat up version of the Champie

This big grandiose cowboy hat would do Tom Mix proud; watch almost any "B" western movie from the 1930s and you'll see someone wearing a Champie in almost every scene. No kidding. And if you want the Tom Mix Look click here and have a look at our big B-Movie Hats.

5X Price: $310.00 Shipping:$35.00 TOTAL:$345.00 USD
Order Now | Checkout | Did you read our ordering procedures?

20X - 50% Beaver Fur-felt
Price: $440.00 | Shipping:$35.00 TOTAL: $475.00 USD Order Now | Checkout

Hat Retainer
FITS SIZES 6 3/4 - 7 3/8.
If you only wear your hat seldom; or have a number of hats you wear, you will find our hat retainer a valuable addition to maintaining the perfect shape of your custom cowboy hat. And for those hats that are a tad tight, this gadget will stretch them out for comfort.

Order any hat in PURE BEAVER {100X} fur-felt and we'll include a hat retainer at no extra cost. New hat purchases only.

Order with your hat
And keep the fit as perfect as when you first put your custom Last Best Cowboy Hat on! Pay just 19.50 and save 5 bucks from our standard pricing. You can easily add the hat retainer to your custom cowboy hat order during the checkout process.

1898 Bow
This was a common bow style of the 19th century. If you prefer this bow style for any of our hats, just request it when your hat details are confirmed via e-mail.

LADIES BOW
Back in the 19th century and the first 4 decades of the 20th century, when hats were a very common part of every day dress, women's hats had the bow on the right hand side. If you want the bow on the right - request it when your hat details are confirmed via e-mail.

The Rough Rider                        
1898 Spanish-American War 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry Hat
Crown: centre trench| Brim: hand rolled - Open
Hatband: 1" Satin with 1898 bow. Color as shown: Sahara in 20X Fur-felt

Teddy Roosevelt called these short 4 months in 1898 the most exciting of his life; culminating in leading his "Rough Riders" up San Juan Hill in that storied charge. If you look at any picture of the US Expeditionary Force, you'll see almost as many brim and crown treatments of the same basic hat as there are soldiers. Our hat is based on the originals we saw at the Cavalry Museum in Tucson, Arizona, and is shown in the centre picture below. To the left you'll see two versions of the crown.

Order with or without the cavalry cord. Easily choose your hat options during the checkout process. Please read our ordering procedures.

5X Price: $290.00 | Shipping: $35.00
Total: $325.00 USD | Order Now | Checkout

20X - 50% Beaver Fur-felt Price: $390.00 | Shipping: $35.00
Total: $445.00 Order Now | Checkout

100X - 100% Beaver Fur-felt Price: $540.00 | Shipping: $35.00
Total: $575.00 | Order Now | Checkout

Click pictures for larger image.

Our thanks to the Major and his Roughriders for the honor of making 4 custom 1898 Roughriders' Hats for the Commander and 3 Non-Coms of USF-1. Read their testimonials.

1898 Campaign Hat
Enlisted Man's Issue
Crown: 4 pinch peak | Brim: Flat - Open
Hatband: 1/2" Satin with bow.
Color as shown: Sand in 20X Fur-felt

The Spanish–American War was a conflict between Spain and the United States of America from April to August 1898. It heralded the emergence of America as a world power and climaxed with Teddy Roosevelt's' charge up San Juan Hill in Cuba. This is the enlisted man's hat.

Our hats off to world renowned cartoonist Everett Peck for ordering the first one, "Longfellow, Just got the hat and it's perfect! Really great job, like the hat-band too. It's so beautiful I kinda hate to give it the worn out sidekick treatment but I got a feeling I will. Do you suggest the same method you describe on the website ( taking a shower with it )?" Thanks! Everett. :: More Testimonials

Horse Hair Hat Bands
Add a quality horse hair hat band to any hat. Slide it over the satin ribbon and bow {as seen on the Wasey below} or wear it alone. Click picture for larger image.

1. 5/8" Double tail Black/Beige Price: $45.00
   See it on a hat click here.
2. 1/2" Padded Double Hitch 2 tail Black/Beige/Maroon Price: $75.00
   See it on a hat click here. Seen on the Wasey below.
3. 1/4" Single tail Black/Beige Price: $15.00
   See it on a hat click here.
4. 1/4" Single tail Beige/Black Price: $15.00
   See it on a hat click here.
5. 1/4" Two strand single tail Black/Beige As seen on the Yakima Price: $15.00

The Wasey
Crown: Three Dent Modified Sagebrush
Brim: Open Hatband: 1" Satin with Bow
Color as shown: Un dyed natural
Shown in 100% beaver fur-felt

Modified Sagebrush shaped crown was one of the most common of the first few decades of the 20th century. Crown shape was first seen in the 1890s. We've modified this look by starting with an oversized hat body, and sliding a horse-hair hat band over the satin ribbon and bow. The brim on our hat on the left would be almost twice as wide as seen in the painting and can be  shaped any way you like. Shown here in an Un dyed Natural color in 100% beaver fur-felt. The color is a wonderfully rich looking mid brown. Put your mouse over the hunter at right.

For the best in sun protection, the oversized hat body can give you up to a 50% wider brim.

20X - 50% Beaver Fur-felt
Price: $455.00 | Shipping: $35.00 ::
Total: $490.00 | Order Now | Checkout

100X - 100% Beaver Fur-felt
Price: $570.00 | Shipping: $35.00
Total: $605.00 | Order Now | Checkout

Sassy Ladies Cowboy Hats

Why should men have all the fun?
Over the years, many of the wives and girlfriends that have ordered hats for their cowboys, have asked when we were going to do some strictly ladies hats. - so here we go, and remember ladies; back in the day all women's hats had the bow on the right.

Exceptional Service from The Last Best West
Ladies, we will give you expert personal service designing your Traditional Old West, or Classic Western Movie Hat. If you don't see what you want - send us a picture - and we'll make our version of that hat.

Sassy Ladies Hats :: Testimonials :: Cowboy Hat Home

The Hickok
Crown: Texas Straight
Brim: Pencil Roll Bound
Hatband: 2" Satin with Bow
Color as shown: Black

Bill Hickok was larger than life and he liked his hats the same way - this is our best guess on what Wild Bill was wearing in the picture on the bottom left. We start with an oversized hat body to make this classic western hat.

Please read our ordering procedures

5X Price: $320.00 :: Shipping: $35.00
Total: $355.00  USD :: Order Now | Checkout

20X - 50% Beaver Fur-felt
Price: $455.00 | Shipping: $35.00
Total: $490.00 | Order Now | Checkout

100X - 100% Beaver Fur-felt
Price: $570.00 | Shipping: $35.00
Total: $605.00 | Order Now | Checkout

Sahara colored Hickok custom western hat. Taller crown was a client request.

Trail Dust
Many customers have been requesting that we dirty up their new hats to make them look trail worn. Pictured at right is a Dusty Augustus - our Augustus with about 2 years worth of trail dust - as if a working cowboy had been wearing it. Click image for larger picture.

We've got three different degrees of trail dust. Light (add $55.00) - medium (add $75.00), and heavy (add $95.00). Light would be what you see at the left on the Dusty Augustus; medium would be like the dusting on the Rossiter; and heavy trail dust looks like our Josey Wales.

This is a similar process that costume designers apply to hats in the movies and t. v. Looks authentic and yer friends will swear yer just got off a trail drive, or a hitch in the Horse Cavalry! You can add trail dust during the check out process - or request it when you call your order in. Orders call toll free: 1-866-207-1909.

Custom Cowboy Leather
Hand-made custom gun leather, Indian style rifle sheaths, chaps, and leather accessories that most every old west cowboy and wrangler would have needed to be a real Buckaroo.

All our Cowboy leather has been researched and designed; tried and tested by Longfellow in Old West Shows and at Cowboy Action Shoots. Our holsters; belts and chaps are based on pictures from museums, archival photos and mail order catalogues from the Old West Era: The late 1800s and early decades of the 20th century.

"All the cowboys I know are afraid of only two things. . . a decent woman and being set afoot. . ." Teddy Blue Abbott: Cowboy, 1882.

Indian Riffle Sheaths: Three different quality levels to choose from. Show your style and carry your prized long-arm in a classic Indian rifle scabbard.

We promise to make no two custom pieces exactly the same - and our originality and individuality bring clients back time and again to our order catalogue. Like all our custom leather, cowboy hats, and knives, our Indian style rifle sheaths or scabbards are made in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Click for our custom sheath page.

Dirty Champie
Crown: Creased and Pinched.
Brim: Hand worked Open
Hatband: 1/2" Leather Cavalry Tie
Color when new: Silver Belly

This hat is the working version of the champie - seen above. Open Brim - not bound, more creasing to the crown. This was one of the most popular designs of the late 19th and early twentieth centuries. These days this basic shape is called the "Gus" after Robert Duvall's character in Lonesome Dove. This hat has seen a lot of service and was in this condition when we made our character hat, The Ellsworth - below.

5X Price: $280.00  Shipping: $35.00 
Total: $315.00  USD  Order Now | Checkout | Did you read our ordering procedures?

Old Texas
Crown: Texas Straight
Brim: Kettle Curl Open
Hatband: 1"multi-colored burlap
Color as shown: Chocolate

Some variation of this design was seen on almost all the actors, in the remake of John Wayne's, "Alamo", starring Billy Bob Thornton, and others. This traditional Texas look for a Cowboy Hat was the precursor of the Boss of the Plains, and was well known in the Texas of the 1830s and onward. Order with a flat brim or kettle curled.

Like any of our hats you can substitute a different hat band from one of our other hats - in most cases for no extra money. We confirm all details of your hat within 1 business day of your purchase.

Big Monty
Crown: Modified Gus crease
Brim: Hand-Curl Bound - with contrasting edge in navy blue
Hatband: 2" Satin with Bow
Color as shown: Bluey-Grey Specialty Color

This is the Monty's hard riding brother; the Big Monty has a wider, range ready brim. Specialty color was requested by the client. If you don't see the color you want - please check with us - we may be able to do it for you. Bound brim edge can be contrasting or the same color as the felt - or not bound at all. Your choice.

5X Price: $290.00  Shipping: $35.00  Total: $325.00 USD
Order Now | Checkout | Did you read our ordering procedures?

20X - 50% Beaver Fur-felt
Price: $445.00 | Shipping: $35.00 Total: $480.00 | Order Now | Checkout

Traditional Cowboys and their Hats
Up until the turn of the 20th Century most cowboy hats were sold in Mail Order Catalogues. In those days if the local haberdasher didn't have the hat you wanted - he likely had a catalogue to order one from. The first cowboy hats were all made from 100% beaver fur-felt, natural and undyed, and worth their weight in gold to working cowboys and most all other Westerners.

The Montgomery Ward Catalogue of 1872 (at right) was the first to offer a "Western Sombrero" for sale to the public. Like our open crown cowboy hat, The Calgary - most hats were shipped with uncreased crowns, and little shape to the brim. Manufacturers knew the cowboys wanted to personalize the hat themselves - so they shipped unfinished. Remember Hoss from Bonanza and his big dang hat? That was the most authentic old west hat any of the Bonanza cast wore.

How to make an Old West Character Hat
Now that you've seen our great hats we're sure you'll want your own Custom Hat - so what are you going to do with your old one? It'd be a pity to relegate it to discard. Our solution is to rotate it out and make a great Character Hat.

Years ago I read a story about how Tom Mix used to crease and work all his custom hats himself in the shower. So I decided to take his advice and am more than pleased with the results. The amount of time it takes is up to you. I had the Ellsworth fashioned in less than 5 minutes - then a further half hour fine tuning the look. The steps I went through are pretty simple.

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