Which hat do you prefer? Stetson is the more recognized brand and offers a much wider selection of styles. For everyday wear, particularly for straw, Resistol is my choice. For dress or stage felt Stetson is preferred.
For some strange reason, any/every hat I try on looks nothing short of fantastic!
I have a fairly decent felt Biltmore.... that I haven't worn in about 45+ years. Now-a-days , knocking around it's a ball cap; I break out the straw hat for music festivals.... my brand is determined by whatever line the thrift store carries.
I just bought a new Stetson. I've had Resistol as well and both are well made. Resistol just doesn't have the style I like theses days. Along with that, I really only like to buy at a place where I can go in, try it for size and give it a look-over for flaws. That is something that's really important to me on a premium brand.....and priced hat.
My local stores just don't have much of selection lately.
Recently, I was in the "Doc Holiday" store in Glenwood Springs. It's on the spot the hotel he died in used to be. And lo, there on the shelf with a glowing light surrounding it, was the Stetson I've been wanting for a few years now.
Once I got it home, I put my rattlesnake skin band on along with the 1955 Half Dollar band clasp I made years ago on it.
It seems these days, they've moved away from Beaver felt. Now it's Bison felt. I reckon Bison is more of a "renewable" resource these days compared to beaver.
I always debated between an old Stetson Open Road style, or the old Resistol Stratoliner in felt hat, for mostly shows. Either way, I would want a good fur/felt, in styles similar to above. Alas, I am 100% driving cap styles nowadays. wools in the winter, linens in the summer. I rarely wear ball caps...for no particular reason. Brad
Akubra for looks with fine soft felt (rabbit?) in any weather. Outback Kodiak for rainy days. Everyday waxed canvas. Greg Norman mesh for sunny and hot. Discouraged to put it away. Peruvian chullo for our nasty really cold weather. Big one covers my ears and back of my neck.
I have one of each it depends on the occasion as to which I wear, most of the time I am in shorts so I no longer wear them as much neither look good when wearing shorts
Depends on the weather and activity. Cool (15f - 35f) means a Stormy Kromer. Cold (-10f - 15f) knit stocking cap with hooded coat. Rainy is a waxed cotton Filson Packer hat. Keeps my head dry and wide brim keeps rain off my neck. Below -15: No need for a hat, what the H*** are you doing out in that, are you Nuckin' Futz. Stay inside, toss another log on the fire, brew more coffee, break out the banjo.
You can always tell a Newbie in the North Country, they wear a cowboy hat and have frost bit ears.
My Stetsons outnumber my Resistols…but if I had to have one…I’d go with the latter. The Res’s just seem more comfortable on my head, and not as stiff…a little softer…but not too much so.
I used to collect “Open Road” cowboys hats…and still have several. LBJ wore both brands…so it’s a toss up…not that anything he ever did should be rule however.
It’s funny though…everybody in Texas wore the “Open Road” back in the day…lawmen, oilmen, mayors, governors, ranchers, preachers…you name it. Now you’d be laughed out of town caught in one, trust me, I know…
Last hat I bought I looked for the right brim width, the feel, the mold style and then I put it on my head and I bent over and tried to do all I could to make it fall off......it stayed firm ....so I bought it......fit, looks, quality color and then price.......
Why this talk about hats? I know a lot of Bluegrass musicians use Stetson or similar "cowboy hats", but it is just an outfit for the stage. Real cowboys didn't played banjo and absolutely not Bluegrass. Old-Time musicians usually prefer to have a cap. And the true Old-Time players long ago could have both cap and common hats, but never a Stetson. The true banjo outfit should be a cap or an ordinary man's hat.
Wore both Stetson and Resistol for years when I was cowboying--Dad was a Stetson Open Road man back in the day--but for 15 years or so, with some success as a scientist, I have moved on to custom hats: better materials, more interesting creases, and made to fit my head exactly using a century-old device to duplicate the shape of my old skull. Rand, out of Billings, Montana, is my current favorite. Pricey but well worth the cost.
Why this talk about hats? I know a lot of Bluegrass musicians use Stetson or similar "cowboy hats", but it is just an outfit for the stage. Real cowboys didn't played banjo and absolutely not Bluegrass. Old-Time musicians usually prefer to have a cap. And the true Old-Time players long ago could have both cap and common hats, but never a Stetson. The true banjo outfit should be a cap or an ordinary man's hat.
...the cowboys in Sweden may not play banjo and the Swedish hillbillies may not wear Stetsons, but they sure as hell do both in Tennessee...
for day to day barn work and ridin it was resistol my sunday hat was a stetson both i bought many many years ago before they got so expensive..... i just can;t do 400 or 500 for a 20x hat anymore...outa my league !
The engineering university I retired from had a tradition that all graduating seniors wore their Senior Stetsons. There were no Senior Resistols. The tradition dates back to either the 1880s or to 1905. I've seen photos of seniors in Stetsons from 1900.
I guess my bias for Stetsons comes from this tradition. I have hats from both Stetson and Resistol.
Why this talk about hats? I know a lot of Bluegrass musicians use Stetson or similar "cowboy hats", but it is just an outfit for the stage. Real cowboys didn't played banjo and absolutely not Bluegrass. Old-Time musicians usually prefer to have a cap. And the true Old-Time players long ago could have both cap and common hats, but never a Stetson. The true banjo outfit should be a cap or an ordinary man's hat.
I wore a cowboy hat (we called them western hats) they shaded your eyes and head from sun and summer heat. They kept rain and snow from going down the back of your neck........a lot of farm boys around here wore them....we had Saturday night square dances and outdoors country concerts sitting in the hot sun. As you know a lot of farm boys were BG fans and it just carried on from there I guess.....i.e.. belt, wallet, boots, and hat...... you never left home without them
" goin' to town tomorrow what you want me to bring you back....going to town tomorrow what you want me to bring you back.....a pint of booze and a brand new Stetson hat"....Jimmy Rogers
