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Our
Custom Last Best Cowboy Hats
are made from the finest fur-felt
available and will stand the test of time.
Testimonials
::
Our
Hat Experts

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Contact
Us :: Shipping
Policies :: HAT
CATALOGUE
Custom
Hat Ordering From The Last Best West
Questions
and quote requests should be e-mailed to
Sonja at
ORDERS CALL TOLL FREE:
1-866-207-1909.
Overseas
buyers please read this :: All
Our Contact Info
ORDER DESK HOURS: M-F: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM MOUNTAIN
TIME.
SHOULD YOU GET VOICE MAIL LEAVE A MESSAGE!
- Measure
your head. (Click for instructions)
An accurate head measurement is vital in getting the
best fit possible for each client.
- Determine
color. Click for our Color Swatches.
Color variances caused by individual computer monitors
are beyond our control.
- 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 with a Production Receipt to confirm their hat details.
This is when we include and confirm each clients special
requests.
- Once
we have payment and all necessary information - your
Custom Cowboy Hat will take 6-8 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.
- A
street address must be supplied for courier delivery;
otherwise the hats ship parcel post.
QUESTIONS
AND QUOTES
- 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.
ALL hat details are confirmed within 1 BUSINESS day
of your order being placed. So buy with confidence and
we will make you that custom western hat you have always
prized.
- Before
you e-mail us questions please check our 10
most common questions, and our hat
catalogue. If you request a quote you MUST
e-mail us a picture of the hat you want so we know what
you are talking about.
NO PIC NO QUOTE.
Hat
Home :: Western
Movie Hats ::
Traditional Cowboy
Hats :: Dress Hats
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We
are able to offer 6- 8 week delivery for our quality
hand made cowboy hats. For a complete listing of all
our hats - click
this link for our online catalogue. The Last
Best Cowboy Hat. One of a kind Fur-Felt Art.
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IMPORTANT
PLEASE NOTE
Our logo is only on the images NOT the hats.
Before you contact us with questions please read below
because there are things we WILL and will NOT do or answer.
OUR
MOST COMMON HAT QUESTIONS
Q: I'm looking for a ____ Hat. I checked your product
catalogue and didn't see it. Can you make it?
A: Yes. As I'm sure you can appreciate it's just
not possible to show all the different variations of crowns
and brims. If it's made from fur-felt and you can supply
us a good picture - yes we can make it. Generally we already
carry the same style of hat, we just shape it based on the
photo or if it's a movie hat we shape it from watching the
movie and seeing the hat from all possible angles to get
the look just so. For most hats we can do up to a 7"
(inch) high crown and a 6" wide brim.
Q:
Can I get the same style hatband that the original movie
hat had?
A: If it's a satin ribbon and bow, or plain leather; then
yes. Other than that the answer is probably no. This is
likely the hardest thing in replicating a movie hat because
the costume designers/actor/director/ or perhaps all three
came up with a very unique type of hat band to make the
hat stand out above the crowd. We make our version of the
hat, and you can choose any hatband that you may see on
any of the hats in our product
catalogue.
Q:
Do you have to put holes in the hat to put on a windstring?
A: Yes. They go right above your ears, to allow
the latigo lace thru. It's the original and best way to
put on a windstring. You can buy commercial stampede strings
that have clips that go up under the sweat liner and jam
into the crown. We hate them. They mess up the fit of the
hat and they don't hold tight in a real strong wind. We
know we've tried them.
Q:
Can you mail me a catalogue of all your hats?
A: No we have no print catalogue - trying to
be environmentally responsible.
ALL OUR HATS are listed here on our online catalogue.
Q:
Can we order a hat with a money order or check?
A: Yes. 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 email us at:
Q:
Why does the same color appear different in your hat pictures?
A: We try to take our pictures with natural light. The difference
in {indoors; outdoors; bright day or cloudy day} lighting
accounts for the variance in color. In addition every computer
will display colors slightly different. Please understand
that color variances caused by individual computer monitors
is beyond our control.
Q:
What is fur-felt/what quality do you carry?
A: Fur felt is beaver and or rabbit fur mixed with felt
to produce a material that lasts 5-10 times longer than
wool felt, and is the best material from which to manufacture
fine hats. Click
here for more information.
Q:
What's the correct way to measure my head?
A: The best is to have a helper, and click
here and follow the simple steps.
Q:
What colors do you carry?
A: Starting from the lightest: Bone; Silver Mist; Silver
Belly; Sand; Dyed Natural; Sahara; Undyed Natural; Pecan;
Chocolate; Granite; Charcoal; Black. Click
for more information.
Q:
Do you carry straw hats?
A: No. There's a number of reasons we don't. Straw hats
were not worn by old west cowboys, they considered them
peasant or farmer headware. Yes; in the deep south Plantation
Owners did but that was generally before the cowboy era.
Straw cowboy hats became popular starting in the 1920s with
the advent of modern rodeo's. Rodeo Cowboy's didn't want
to trash their good fur felt hats so they started wearing
straw cowboy hats, during the events, because they were
cheap. Nothings changed - they still are. We make hats
that last. And the last reason is we don't find straw
hats much cooler than a good beaver hat, and those popular
Guatemalan leaf hats are such a tight weave they are really
hot, and also heavy.
Most
other questions will be answered by reading below.
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To
the left is a picture of our hat liner. Our sweatband
is also black. From the fur-felt hat bodies to the
rest of the fixings you'd be hard pressed to find
a better made hat anywhere. For any price. If you
don't believe us - see what our clients say on our
testimonial
page :: CONTACT
US
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
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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
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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 |
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Proper
Head Measurement
- The
fit of your hat is only as good as the measurement you
supply us with - so take due care for accuracy.

- 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 beaver 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. And consider this:
Beavers live in the water, rabbits in the dirt. 'Nuff said.
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. For an all weather hat - nothing beats a traditional
western hat made from pure beaver fur - it's what old west
cowboys wore. Questions?
E-mail us:
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A
Note about Color
Color
variances caused by individual computer monitors are
beyond our control.
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 black and about 3 shades of brown. |
Custom
Cowboy Hat Box
Click image for larger picture - then expand.
Custom all wood design keeps
your hat nicely elevated off the brim for
storage and display. 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 255.00 | Shipping: 65.00 | Total 320.00
USD | Buy
Now | Checkout
NOTE: CUSTOM HAT BOX SHIPS SEPERATELY FROM
YOUR CUSTOM HAT
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. Have
Questions?
e-mail us:
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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 email us at:
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1898
Bow
This
was the most 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.
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Custom
Wind String.
Heavy
Latigo lace 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.
See
more custom leather
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Hats
shown left to right: Johnny
Ringo, The
Wyatt, The
Hickok, Old Texas,
Curly Bill.
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Questions?
E-mail
us:
top
of page
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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. . . . |
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Bound
Brim
Binding the brim edge with the same
satin ribbon as the hat band, strengthens the edge,
making it stiffer and allowing the brim shape to hold
better. A bound brim is generally seen more
on a fancy dress or Town Hat. Can also be done with
a contrasting color - put your mouse over the image
at left. A bound edge finishes the brim off nicely
with rich looking detail.
A
bound Brim is difficult to re-work or re-shape - but
can be removed easily.
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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, or open crowns, and
little or no shape to the brim. The manufacturers knew
the cowboys wanted to personalize the hat themselves
- so they shipped unfinished. An
unfinished brim allows you to shape and mold it to
your taste - or easily change the look in the future.
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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.
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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. Our
cowboy coffin hat stand is another solution. 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 with COLD WATER ONLY! If
you use warm water it can set the stain. Once the fur-felt
is dry, brush with your finger, or nylon brush, to bring
the nap back.
- 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. Most large western
wear chains have 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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Load
these oversized saddle bags with all
your business gear;
throw them over your shoulder and
walk a city block or two. You'll never
go back to carrying a briefcase. The
heavy leather bags can easily hold
most anything, including your lap
top, legal size folders, binders,
note books, and cables. Inside you
will find sleeves to hold your wallet,
pens, or even a memory stick. We've
even put a cell phone sleeve on the
outside neck, and a heavy duty handle
for easy carrying.
Cowboy
Action Shooters will
find these oversized saddle bags just
the thing to carry all your cowboy
action tools. You can easily store
a gunbelt; two holsters; spurs, wild
rags and ammo. And that's just in
one side. On the other side you can
carry a two pistol case and more ammo,
and in most cases when the flaps are
locked the bags are legal for firearm
transport. Further customization
of the bags is possible, and is only
limited by your imagination. Click
for our Executive Saddle Bag page.
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Custom
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