My new Rand's hat is on the way...

[HankBuck]

It's a matter of style. A hat is a hat. Some models provide a few extra utility features beyond covering one's head. A wide brim may provide limited protection from the sun and shade the eyes, but at a cost: heavy, bulky in thick cover, a sail in the wind. As for protection from the elements, there are certainly many better options. For wind, cold, and rain, a ball cap under a hood can't be beat. The bill of the cap will keep the hood from wandering into line of sight. I prefer to hunt with ears open but I also prefer to not have them frost bit or laying in bed with pneumonia. In most situations a ball cap is all I need to keep my eyes shaded and glasses shielded from rain or debris. The closer my headgear fits to my head, the less likely it will get peeled off in the brush. If I need sun protection, I'll open a jug of sunscreen. I have a "flats cap" (French Foreign Legion style) for harsh situations (e.g. fishing on calm water where sun beats on me from two directions). But I rarely need it. Stocking caps have recently become the rage among waterfowl hunters for reasons that entirely escape me. No eyes/glasses protection from wind and rain (the ideal conditions for waterfowl hunting) and no shading for bright face (also a necessity for waterfowl hunting). But hey, the Duck Commanders wear camo stocking caps so it must be the proper thing to wear, right? Pffft.

I’m Learning a lot about “hats” on this thread - everyone has a preference. Was on vacation in Montana last September and got an education there too - Beaver felt hats are highly regarded and working Summer hats are often straw. If you ask a Rancher “why” you will always get an answer and some reasoning, seems it’s a combination of form, function, and appreciation of quality (regarding the Beaver)....and some respect the craftsmanship & tradition. I agree with that type of respect even though a beaver felt hat isn’t right for me. But if I owned a Ranch (or even a horse) maybe I’d feel that I “earned the right” to wear a good beaver felt hat ($800-$1500+) and wouldn’t feel self conscious - like I was playing Cowboy. I like “tradition and the reasons that certain hats became common for certain activities. My favorite Hat is the old style “Jones cap” that was used in the early 1900s by waterfowlers and many other types of hunting in the Northeast. It was still common on DuckHunters in the NJ marshes in the 1960s-70s. Duxbak was the quality brand then and it was highly functional, the brim was folded up along the sides and back - acted like a “rain gutter” and kept water from rolling off your hat and down the back of your neck. Baseball hats started to become more popular late 70s -early 80s but I never cared for them - No tradtion wearing a baseball hat except when swinging a bat.....WOW do I sound OLD or what?

 

[HankBuck]

Now

Sounds like it is going to be a bit of a hat party going on!

Now I understand why I saw so many bar fights (when I was in college) start over a comment about somebody’s HAT !! One Bar that I worked in on weekends had a policy “No Hats” - which I thought was stupid and also started fights just asking a customer to take-his-hat-Off.... No doubt about it - Hat’s are a touchy subject

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Now

Now I understand why I saw so many bar fights (when I was in college) start over a comment about somebody’s HAT !! One Bar that I worked in on weekends had a policy “No Hats” - which I thought was stupid and also started fights just asking a customer to take-his-hat-Off.... No doubt about it - Hat’s are a touchy subject

Shady subject too, brim full of nonsense...

 

[CoElkHunter]

I'm holding out for a 20X beaver pithy for cold weather hunting here.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I'm holding out for a 20X beaver pithy for cold weather hunting here.

Don't forget the Elton John glasses! That ensemble would make you quite the nonconversation piece in any Montana bar during hunting season. You'd be okay Halloween. I'm back there every fall and the stuff that walks in those bars on Halloween can be downright shocking.

 

[WAB]

I use a woven palm straw Stetson with a 4” brim for summer work on the farm. I find palm straw much more comfortable and durable. It is also relatively waterproof if you happen to get caught out.

 

[Scott CWO]

Now

Now I understand why I saw so many bar fights (when I was in college) start over a comment about somebody’s HAT !! One Bar that I worked in on weekends had a policy “No Hats” - which I thought was stupid and also started fights just asking a customer to take-his-hat-Off.... No doubt about it - Hat’s are a touchy subject

Yup, always be careful what you say about someone’s hat! Y’all need to listen to Chris LeDoux’s incredible song called “This Cowboy’s Hat.” Chris was an awesome country artist from Wyoming and was a legit rodeo cowboy. Tragically, he died too early from cancer. Here’s the lyrics below and I highly recommend y’all find the song and listen to it. It’s a classic and one of his best.


This Cowboy's Hat
/
Lyrics


Well, I was sittin' in a coffee shop, just havin' a cup to pass the time
Swappin' Rodeo stories, with this ol' cowboy friend of mine
When some motorcycle riders started snickerin' in the back
They started pokin' fun at my friends hat
And one ol' boy said, "Hey, Tex, where'd you park your horse?"
My friend just pulled his hat down low, but they couldn't be ignored
One husky fella said, "I think I'll just rip that hat right off your head"
That's when my friend turned around, and this is what he said
"You'll ride a black tornado 'cross the western sky
You'll rope an ol' blue northern, and milk it 'til it's dry
Bulldog the Mississippi and pin its ears down flat
Long before you take this cowboy's hat"
He said, "Partner, now this ol' hat it's better left alone
You see, it used to be my daddy's, but last year he passed on
My nephew skinned the rattler that makes up this ol' hat band
But back in '69, he died in Vietnam"
"Now the eagle feather was given to me by an Indian friend of mine
But someone ran him down somewhere around that Arizona line
And a real special lady gave me this hat pin
But I don't know if I'll ever see her again"
"You'll ride a black tornado 'cross the western sky
You'll rope an ol' blue northern, and milk it 'til it's dry
Bulldog the Mississippi, pin its ears down flat
Long before you take this cowboy's hat"
"Now if your leather jacket means to you what this ol' hat means to me
Then I guess we understand each other, and we'll just let it be
But if you still think it's funny, my back's against the wall
But if you touch my hat, you gotta fight us all"
Right then I caught a little sadness in that gang leader's eyes
He turned back to the others, and they all just shuffled on outside
But when my friend turned back towards me, I noticed his ol' hat brim
Well, it was turned up, in a big ol' Texas grin
You'll ride a black tornado 'cross the western sky
You'll rope an ol' blue northern, and milk it 'til it's dry
Bulldog the Mississippi, pin its ears down flat
Long before you take this cowboy's hat
You'll ride a black tornado 'cross the western sky
You'll rope an ol' blue northern, and milk it 'til it's dry
Bulldog the Mississippi, pin its ears down flat
Long before you take this cowboy's hat
You'll ride a black tornado 'cross the western sky
You'll rope an ol' blue northern, and milk it 'til it's dry
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Jake Brooks
This Cowboy's Hat lyrics © Universal Music - Careers, Brooks Brothers Publishing

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Yup, always be careful what you say about someone’s hat! Y’all need to listen to Chris Ledoux’s incredible song called “This Cowboy’s Hat.” Chris was an awesome country artist from Wyoming and was a legit rodeo cowboy. Tragically, he died too early from cancer. Here’s the lyrics below and I highly recommend y’all find the song and listen to it. It’s a classic and one of his best.


This Cowboy's Hat
/
Lyrics


Well, I was sittin' in a coffee shop, just havin' a cup to pass the time
Swappin' Rodeo stories, with this ol' cowboy friend of mine
When some motorcycle riders started snickerin' in the back
They started pokin' fun at my friends hat
And one ol' boy said, "Hey, Tex, where'd you park your horse?"
My friend just pulled his hat down low, but they couldn't be ignored
One husky fella said, "I think I'll just rip that hat right off your head"
That's when my friend turned around, and this is what he said
"You'll ride a black tornado 'cross the western sky
You'll rope an ol' blue northern, and milk it 'til it's dry
Bulldog the Mississippi and pin its ears down flat
Long before you take this cowboy's hat"
He said, "Partner, now this ol' hat it's better left alone
You see, it used to be my daddy's, but last year he passed on
My nephew skinned the rattler that makes up this ol' hat band
But back in '69, he died in Vietnam"
"Now the eagle feather was given to me by an Indian friend of mine
But someone ran him down somewhere around that Arizona line
And a real special lady gave me this hat pin
But I don't know if I'll ever see her again"
"You'll ride a black tornado 'cross the western sky
You'll rope an ol' blue northern, and milk it 'til it's dry
Bulldog the Mississippi, pin its ears down flat
Long before you take this cowboy's hat"
"Now if your leather jacket means to you what this ol' hat means to me
Then I guess we understand each other, and we'll just let it be
But if you still think it's funny, my back's against the wall
But if you touch my hat, you gotta fight us all"
Right then I caught a little sadness in that gang leader's eyes
He turned back to the others, and they all just shuffled on outside
But when my friend turned back towards me, I noticed his ol' hat brim
Well, it was turned up, in a big ol' Texas grin
You'll ride a black tornado 'cross the western sky
You'll rope an ol' blue northern, and milk it 'til it's dry
Bulldog the Mississippi, pin its ears down flat
Long before you take this cowboy's hat
You'll ride a black tornado 'cross the western sky
You'll rope an ol' blue northern, and milk it 'til it's dry
Bulldog the Mississippi, pin its ears down flat
Long before you take this cowboy's hat
You'll ride a black tornado 'cross the western sky
You'll rope an ol' blue northern, and milk it 'til it's dry
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Jake Brooks
This Cowboy's Hat lyrics © Universal Music - Careers, Brooks Brothers Publishing

 

[Scott CWO]

Thanks @Wishfulthinker580 and this one of his about being in the high country always makes me smile about elk hunting and being in the wild. It could be applied to African hunting.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Thanks @Wishfulthinker580 and this one of his about being in the high country always makes me smile about elk hunting and being in the wild. It could be applied to African hunting.

Yep he was a great one. Gone too soon

 

[PARA45]

Not a Rand's hat, but I figure I show off my South African Rogue Explorer hat

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Wait ... $1500 for a HAT! Really? I'm sorry but no felt hat could ever be THAT good. I am constantly being complimented on how nice my $20 grocery store crushable wool felt Indy hat looks on me. Can't ever remember anyone saying boo about any of the Stetson or Resistol hats I wore for dress-up in my horseman days ... when I had more hair and no wrinkles. Back in those days a $125 price tag for a cowboy hat was good for a gasp.

 

[Flipper Dude]

Not a Rand's hat, but I figure I show off my South African Rogue Explorer hat

View attachment 535314

Imma call bulls***. You just wanted to show off that sweet hartebeest that was obviously shot ( looking at the pic) from at least a quarter mile away.

 

[PARA45]

It's the angle, but in reality, it was stud. The Hartebeest, not the shooter.

 

[Pheroze]

am constantly being complimented on how nice my $20 grocery store crushable wool felt Indy hat looks on me.

maybe every little bit helps?

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Garth Brooks song "Much Too Young"

"Worn out tape of Chris Ledoux, lonely women and bad booze"

 

[CoElkHunter]

Garth Brooks song "Much Too Young"

"Worn out tape of Chris Ledoux, lonely women and bad booze"

Yep, one of his first songs and one of his best! I can relate to the lyrics every time I hear it. LOL

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

I don’t know how to attach videos but if you watch the video for Chris ledoux five dollar fine for whining Garth brooks makes a cameo in it and says “ man I thought I had friends in low places”

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

@Skinnersblade When you are watching a Youtube video, right click and select "Copy Video URL" and then paste it where you want to.

 

[HankBuck]

Wait ... $1500 for a HAT! Really? I'm sorry but no felt hat could ever be THAT good. I am constantly being complimented on how nice my $20 grocery store crushable wool felt Indy hat looks on me. Can't ever remember anyone saying boo about any of the Stetson or Resistol hats I wore for dress-up in my horseman days ... when I had more hair and no wrinkles. Back in those days a $125 price tag for a cowboy hat was good for a gasp.

I agree with Your priorities and wouldn’t spend $1500 on any hat - I also wear wool felt brimmed hat when hunting out West ($30?). But some people that appreciate the quality and craftsmanship - as well as tradition - of a hand crafted beaver felt hat may feel differently...and I respect that. Like a Rolex or Timex - both tell time, my friend has several Rolex’s but they just aren’t what I want to spend my $$ on...I wear a Timex and buy a New one every 2 years ($35.). BUT when it comes to adding “upgraded wood” to a stock - I’ll spend that extra $$ everytime. I admitt it’s not practical and the function is Not improved by spending the extra $$