Western, anyone?

Very nice!!

All around.

 

Late 80's 100% beaver from D-J.
Things are looking good as we head towards winter





Mugged again by one of the locals.

 

Nothing to do with hats except the phrase “ the crowned ones” refers to the head wear worn by the invaders. Great song about a much darker time in history. A fact based history of the Nez Perce people and their horses.

 

Old Herd, Foundation Appys all. Cozmo here. JR Preston sombrero.



He is five and 16H today. A big boy with a good sized hay belly right now. But he'd have made a good buffalo hunting horse. That is him mugging me above wanting some attention.

 

Hi Yahoody
Can you put up a few pictures of the Sombrero. My Friend Rico needs to start shooting Cowboy Action. Not sure I could wear a Sugarloaf, but I might be persuaded.
Later

 

Sure Mike. I have a couple of felt sombreros from RJ. Compared to decent western felt they are cheap. I'd bet they will out last any 100% beaver hat by a fair margin.








Sugarloaf is an acquired taste I'd guess. Being a gringo it's not for me. RJ wears one well however. All of RJs get shipped as a Sugar loaf. But not that hard to re-shape the crown.



Takes me some serious effort to get RJ sombreros to get a fit I find acceptable. But admittedly it a Gringo fit not a sombrero fit. And it doesn't help that I have a size 7 1/5 head. All in though I think RJ makes the best sombreros I have ever seen. Truly a life time investment 'cuz your grand kids will be playing with long after we are dead

Some great photos here to see how a sombrero might be worn.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/RJPrestonSombreros

I've always liked Robert Mitchum's Gringo look , in "A Wondeful Country".

 

Yep, I saw your picture on his website.
Later

 

A really fine felt.

 

That looks to be putting it at the very least, BB... I really like that crease, dimensions, ribbon, liner... hell I like it all! Great 50

 

Thank you, Ross.

 

Bailey 50X 4x6 with a curl and a hitched horsehair hatband from the State Prison at Deer Lodge, MT. The hatband deserves better.

 

Bailey or not, it's a great looking hat, and the band definitely puts it on a higher shelf. The kicks don't hurt, either. Well done, Cuz!

 

The hat looks great with the band! The boots are killer!

 

Thank you both for the kind words. The hat’s not terrible, just not something I would ever buy again. It turned my hands black shaping it. I’ve never had dye come off of a hat like that. After putting the curl and crown shape in it we had rain for about 4 days. I put this hat on the deck in the downpour for two straight days and it never lost it’s shape. I didn’t even have to tune the curl up any. It doesn’t turn my hands black anymore either. The boots are Stallion in water buffalo.

 

Hi
Was is DYE or a dust? I remember reading here somewhere that Stetson hats (from memory) are dusted in the color of the felt or something. Didn't find anything online about this though.
Later

 

Mike, as best I could tell it was the dye. There was no reaction until I steamed or misted the hat while working on it and no evidence of a “dust”. I checked it occasionally when I left it out in the rain and I didn’t bring it in until it stopped dripping gray/black water on the second day.

I too have read somewhere around here about hats having a powder on them. Seems I remember it being used to even out a mottled finish or something.

 

At least you got it fixed. I have a similar hat, but with much more brim. The very last picture on the following page, I'm Middle Left. Mike Moore said it looks the best on me out of the more than 5 he's made for me.
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/thr...ats-that-major-mike-moore-makes.34367/page-52

Later

 

I remember that pic. That’s a great hat.

 

The least western looking OR I have, this late 40’s, earliest 50’s Royal that, when paired with some Ray Jones boots, becomes as western as one could want. Hard to believe these boots are at least pre 1983 as Mr. Jones died then, the same year he retired. They fit well, almost as if they had been made for me but in 1983 I couldn’t afford the gas to drive to Lamapasas, TX, much less have a custom pair of boots made.

 

Time to see how well these two clean up