Rodeo King

[warmentrout]

Does anyone have any experience with or knowledge of Rodeo King hats ? Are they a good quality hat ? If it says its beaver quality can I assume it is at least fur and not wool ? How do they compare to say..... a Resistol ? I have a Resistol 4x and 6x.

 

[avedwards]

If it says beaver quality and it turns out to be wool you would at least have the right to send it back on account of false advertising.

 

[Inusuit]

I have no personal experience with this company, although a web search says they have been in business since 1921. I assume you know when evaluating modern hats, the X rating doesn't mean much when comparing quality between makers. The rating may indicate quality within a brand. I have 5X Resistol that is better quality than my 4X Resistol. Neither have the quality of felt found in my vintage 3X Stetsons. And the term "beaver quality" may indicate fur felt, but doesn't mean there is any beaver fur in the hat.

If you are thinking of buying new from a retailer, ask some questions. I see that most of their hats are in the $75 to $175 price range, and all are westerns. In that price range, I'd much prefer a vintage Resistol or Stetson. Just my rambling 2 cents.

 

[redhawks2]

I have a brown Rodeo King that I converted to an Indy style. It is a 5x and is just about as bullet proof a hat as I have ever owned. The felt is very stiff and it was quite an effort to get the crown re-shaped. I have a black one that is still in the western shape and it is good quality also. My RK's have a heavy leather sweatband and excellent, quality red liner. These appear to be built with the working cowboy in mind. Just my experience.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Finally dug my Rodeo King out of the closet to post to this thread. I bought this one in '92, and it's been a good hat. Haven't worn it much in a decade or more, though. It came with a standard cattlemen crease, so I had to change it to suit me. Swapped out the thin ribbon for a horsehair band.

I looked long and hard for a hat in this particular color before I settled on a Rodeo King. The roughstock finish was rougher than I like, but I lived with it. Guess I could always re-pounce it, now that I know how, but I won't.

Brad

 

[1930_Italian]

I know several friends of mine own Rodeo King's, and I have never heard a bad thing about them....most of what I hear is that they are comparable to Bailey's.

 

[jwalls]

I have had a couple of Rodeo King hats. Last I heard they were out of business.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Looks like they might still be in business:

http://www.rodeoking.com/

And their parent company, making uniform hats:

http://www.walboumhatco.com

Brad