Determine
which hat you want or have a picture of what you want.
We strongly encourage all clients to send us a picture
of the western hat they prize - to assist in shaping
the crown and brim. If you don't see what you want -
or are unsure please e-mail us with your questions.
Or call Longfellow
at 1.866.207.1909
Determine
color. Color Swatches are below.
Color variances caused by individual computer monitors
are beyond our control. If you don't see the color you
want - contact us. It may be available.
Note
the size of the last hat you bought - or try one on
at the mall.
Determine
your head shape. Long Oval, Round Oval, or Regular Oval.
If unsure send us a head shot.
Place
your order either online or by calling 1.866.207.1909.
We can accept Visa or Mastercard over the phone. Questions
can be e-mailed to Sonja at
All clients are e-mailed within a business day of their
order being placed - to see if there's any special requests.
Once
we have payment and all necessary information - your
Custom Cowboy Hat will take about 10 weeks to
hand-make; and then shipping time to you. Rush orders
(if able to accommodate) are charged a premium of 20%.
Our standard sizing is 6 1/2 - 7 1/2 - but if we can
- we will make ANY size. Shipping anywhere in
North America is $35.00. Express shipping is available.
E-mail with questions.
A
street address must be supplied for courier delivery;
otherwise the hats ship parcel post.
IMPORTANT
PLEASE NOTE
We make great hats and due to the demands on our time we
can only offer advice and support to those folks that have
made the decision that The Last Best West will be their
Custom Hatter. Paying customers deserve all our care and
attention so make a committment to us, buy a hat, and we
will make sure you get what you want. Even if you don't
see exactly what you want, if you order the closest you
see online we'll make the adjustments within the first few
days of the order. If we can't we will refund your money
immediately. Or call your order in and talk it through with
Longfellow. But please have a Visa or MC ready because we
can not help you design your hat until it has been paid
for. If you have questions please read below before you
e-mail or call us because there are things we WILL and will
NOT do or answer.
If
it was made in the Past it can be made in the Present.
Any question regarding, "Can you make. . . ."
is yes. If you've seen it in a movie, or a picture of it
- we can make it. It is your responsibility to furnish us
with the picture however. Once we have the picture of the
hat you want we can give you a firm price, this is important
so we both know we are speaking about the same hat.
Send your pricing requests to Sonja at
HOWEVER
We constantly get asked if we can make an
EXACT replica of a particular hat. The answer is
no. And frankly anyone who claims they can, is from the
planet Star Trek or a fool. We've yet to meet a Master Hatter
who was a fool. We make our VERSION of that hat. And yes
there may be slight differences, but I'd hate to have to
make a living off those differences. Often the toughest
thing in replicating a hat is the hat band. That is because
they are so individual and as is mentioned in other places
on the website - back in the day traditional cowboys personalized
their hats with a unique hat band. Most working cowboys
today still do. The prices listed are for hats as they are
shown. If the hat you want requires a custom hat band not
shown here then there will be additional charges and will
be explained, and planned for during the design process
for your hat. Or simply take it upon yourself to find the
hat band.
Please
don't ask us for our Crown and Brim measurements unless
you're a client that's already made a purchase. Silly we
know but there you have it.
All
our hats are custom made one at a time. Our Master Hatter
handles every step of production, unlike large hat makers
who employ an assembly line to get the hats made. Even many
of those hat makers who purport to making custom hats do
this. One person to sew on the linings, sweat bands, another
to press the hat bodies out of the hat mould, another to
stitch on the bound brim and hat band. Finally the Master
Hatter to fine tune the brim and crown if required. This
is not the right or wrong way to make a hat - it's just
a reality of the marketplace. If you want to turn out a
lot of hats that's the only way - employing an assembly
line. But we don't turn out thousands of hats a year, and
by doing it all himself our Master Hatter maintains exceptional
quality to keep us making one of the best hat's on the market.
OUR
HAT EXPERTS
All
our hats are unique, one-of-a-kind, hand crafted fur-felt
art. Order yours today.
Thank
you for your understanding and we look forward to making
you a great looking hat! CLIENT
TESTIMONIALS
Refund
Policy We're
making a hand made Custom Old West, or Western Movie
Hat for you. You will keep it. 99% of orders everything
will go smooth. In the odd situation where it doesn't
- we will make you happy, and get it right 100% of the
time.
Head
Size In Inches
Head
Size In Centimeters
North
American
Hat Sizes
19 3/8”
49 cm
6-1/8
19
1/2”
49.5
cm
6-1/4
20 1/4”
51.5 cm
6-3/8
20
3/4”
52.7
cm
6-1/2
21”
53.5 cm
6-5/8
21 1/2”
54.5 cm
6-3/4
21 5/8”
55 cm
6-7/8
22 1/8”
56 cm
7
22 1/2”
57 cm
7-1/8
23”
58.5 cm
7-1/4
23 3/8”
59.5 cm
7-3/8
23 3/4”
60.5 cm
7-1/2
24 1/2”
62 cm
7-5/8
25
63.5 cm
7-3/4
25.5”
64.5 cm
8
Proper
Head Measurement
You'll
need a friend, and a soft tape measure. You know - the
type the fella uses to measure your trouser inseam.
Look
straight ahead and have your helper measure your head.
Using the soft tape - they should measure over your hair,
just above your ears, and a half inch above your eye brows.
Make sure the tape is tight - but not uncomfortable.
Measure twice - to be sure. Match your head measurement
to the corresponding hat size (at right) and make a note
of it.
Fur
Felt
Fur-Felt
is dense and virtually waterproof. It consists of beaver
and/or rabbit fur blended with felt to produce a material
that lasts 5-10 times longer than wool-felt. A fine fur-felt
hat can be re-blocked and shaped numerous times, and is
the best material from which to manufacture hats. Supposedly
the higher the beaver content the higher the X factor -
but unfortunately there is no standard within the hat making
fraternity - and a lot of confusion. On
the Internet few hat sellers tell you what their fur-felt
is comprised of - not to mention seen straw hats promoted
as 100X.
We
sell 3 quality blends of fine western hats - 5X, 20X and
100X. 5X is a blend of 5-10% beaver with rabbit and felt.
Our 20X is 50% beaver and our 100X is pure 100% beaver fur-felt.
For an all weather hat - you can't beat a pure beaver cowboy
hat. Light, stiff, and fabulous looking it'll shed what
ever comes it's way. From the materials, to the workmanship
- you won't find a better hat anywhere, at any price. We
don't make promises - like all real cowboys we believe that
just saying a thing is promise enough.
True
Old West Hats
Order your hat in 100X undyed, pure beaver fur-felt, and
be one of the first to hearken back to an era in hat making
a hundred and forty years ago. The first cowboy hats were
made from 100% beaver fur-felt, natural and undyed, and
unless the cowboy lost it or had it stolen - the hat lasted
a lifetime. Watch the hat fade and lighten, become streaked
from all weather wear, and become just as unique as the
wearer. For an all weather hat - nothing beats a traditional
western hat made from beaver fur - it's what old west cowboys
wore.
Questions?
Call: Toll: 1.866.207.1909 or e-mail
us:
A
Note about Color
These
are the most common colors readily available. There
are some original hats on these pages that have been
made with different colors. We have several more colors
(in small quantities) available. Please contact us
via e-mail at
if you don't see the color you want - it may be available.
Wearability:
Light
colors will reflect heat the best - while dark colors
will retain the heat the most - with black being the
worst for staying hot (black absorbs sunlight). However
black is the most formal color so bowlers and top
hats were generally black or dark gray. For the first
15-20 years cowboy hats were marketed - your choice
of color was about 3 shades of brown.
Custom
Hat Customers
Want to order one of our custom made
Last Best Cowboy Hats with a check or money order? Or
maybe you have a friend or relative that would like
to but doesn't have a computer. Now you can order one
of our quality custom western hats by printing out an
order form and mailing it in. Please
click on this link for a pdf file you can save to your
hard drive, and follow the instructions. If anything
is unclear please call 1.866.207.1909 or email us at:
Custom
Made For. . . .
All
our custom western hat's are personalized
with your name, initials, or moniker stamped
in gold foil on the sweat band, inside the
crown. No additional charge.
Custom
Wind String.
Long
and heavy leather thong includes this polished,
hand-made antler slider. Never lose your hat
again with this handsome stampede string.
Add
this custom wind string. to any of our custom
hats for 25 dollars during the check out process.
Custom
Cowboy Hat Box
Custom all wood design keeps your hat
nicely elevated off the brim for storage or travel.
Adds that final touch for a presentation piece. Yes
we know it's expensive. Yes we know you can buy plastic
hat cases for 50 bucks - but is that the look you
want for your Traditional Cowboy Hat?
Buy
for 235.00 | Shipping: 25.00 | Total 260.00 USD |
Buy
Now | Checkout
NOTE: CUSTOM HAT BOX SHIPS SEPERATELY FROM YOUR HAT
ORDER
Fabulous
Corporate Gift.
Ceo retiring or an important customer
need that special gift? We can have your company logo
burned (branded) into the lid and a custom poster
designed for the inside of the lid to go along with
your Custom Hat order. We wouldn't even need their
hat size. . .you could give them a gift certificate
and let them pick their own design. We'd place the
gift certificate for the hat inside the custom Hat
Box. How's that for a creative, thoughtful gift -
that'll be remembered for ever thanks to the branded
box. Want to talk about what we can do? Call Toll
Free: 1.866.207.1909 or e-mail us:
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of page
Open
Brim
An
Unfinished Brim is less expensive than bound and more
for an everyday-do-yer-work type Cowboy Hat. The Calgary
Cowboy Hat pictured at left was sold in the Sears-Roebuck,
and Hudson Bay Company Catalogues in the early decades
of the 20th century. Like the Calgary - most
hats were shipped with uncreased crowns, and little
or no shape to the brim. The manufacturers knew the
cowboys wanted to personalize the hat themselves - so
they shipped unfinished.
One
advantage to the unfinished brim is your ability to
shape and mold it to your taste - or change the look
in the future.
How to make a Character Cowboy Hat
Cowboy
Hat Traditions
In
the old west it was said the shape of the crown
of your hat indicated your political views.
If you wore a a flat top crown (Boss of the
Plains, Top Hats, and others) you favored conservative
(republican), law-and-order, or Monarchist views.
If
you wore a rounded crown (Bowlers, and most
cowboy hats) you favored democracy (Liberal/Democrat),
individual freedoms, and the such. Trust the
newspapers to make wearing a hat a political
statement. . . .
Bound
Brim
A Bound Brim is more expensive than
Open and more for a fancy dress or Town Hat. Finishes
the brim off nicely with rich looking detail the Butch
Cassidy Bowler to the left is an example of likely
the most common headware in the mid to late 1800s
in North America. A bowler was seen on everyone from
butchers in New York to politicians in Washington
and the western Outlaw; Butch Cassidy in Bolivia.
A
bound Brim CANNOT be re-worked or re-shaped.
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Cowboy
Hat Fact
Humans
have always used something to cover their head from
the elements - but it wasn't until the 15th century
that hats became a common part of people's dress.
Many types of materials were used: Silk, velvet,
taffeta, leather and wool felt.
None
of these materials was entirely satisfactory - because
they all tended to loose their shape with extended
exposure to rain and snow. When beaver fur was mixed
with rabbit and felt, hat makers had the perfect
material to make virtually weatherproof fine hats
that kept their shape. A new continent seemed populated
with an inexhaustible supply of beaver and so started
the exploration and colonization of North America.
Cowboy
Hat Care Traditional
Cowboys never cleaned their Cowboy Hat - other than a
simple slap with their hand, or against their leg as they
picked themselves up. A rinsing was something rain or
snow provided, or the hat got a bath when it's owner did.
Good Hats were for the wealthy, a Range Cowboy made do
with one - for every occasion. We subscribe to the traditionalist
way - let your custom fur-felt cowboy hat age gracefully
with you!
When
your hat gets wet let it dry naturally. Don't put it in
the furnace room or use a blow dryer on it!
Never
lay your hat brim down. This puts a lot of stress on the
brim and will cause it to lose its shape. Be sure that
you place the hat on its crown with the brim up.
Hang
the hat on a hat stand or some other such perch. The edge
of a shelf works good - then the curled part of the brim
is not taking any weight. Pant hangers (the clip
kind) work very well - then your hat can be hung in the
closet. Saddle horn works best!
KEEP
THE BOX YOUR CUSTOM HAT COMES IN FOR STORAGE OR TRAVEL.
You could also make a cardboard ring that will hold the
crown of the hat snugly. If you're storing your hat for
an extended period - put it in a bag as dust will damage
your hat over time - but be sure to leave the bag open
slightly to allow air to circulate. If you don't mildew
may occur. Our ingenious
wooden cowboy hat box is another alternative.
Always
try to leave your hat in a cool, dry environment. NEVER
in direct sunlight - or fading may occur. Probably not
the best idea to leave it in your vehicle.
Should
you spill whiskey, beer or some other beverage on your
hat rinse the spot immediately and brush with your finger.
Let the hat dry naturally.
If
you get chocolate or some other sticky substance on your
hat let it dry before attempting to clean. Grab a small
knife and gingerly scrap the crud off. If you want to
try returning it to like new - there are numerous commercial
cleaners available for your Cowboy Hat. Your local seamstress/cobbler
likely has a selection to choose from.
Disclaimer!
Supplied as information only - your own common sense should
always be followed.
Cowboy
Hat Etiquette - By
Longfellow No other piece of clothing
carries such a complicated set of rules involving it's
wear. Here's some traditional rules for wearing a cowboy
hat - and some we think are just good manners.
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of page
Any
hat should be removed when eating anywhere, that includes
baseball caps!
Any
hat should be removed when the national anthem of any
country is played. Hold your hat in your right hand, over
your heart. This applies to women, unless their hat is
held on with hat pins.
Cowboys
tip their hats to ladies when out doors, remove them when
being introduced, and remove them when entering a ladies
home.
Men
never tipped their hats to other men in the Old West.
It was akin to calling them a woman. A nod was a common
greeting when not shaking hands. The
Code of the West
In
commercial or public buildings it's not necessary to remove
your hat - but should be when entering a private office.
Generally considered polite to remove it in a private
home, unless other people are wearing their hat.
Wearing
a {cowboy} hat to a theatre or movie is fine but should
be removed if it blocks anyone's view of
the entertainment.
There's
many more hat rules then those listed - but if you can
remember these - you'll do fine partner!