What Does The X Mean In Felt Cowboy Hats

This simply means straw for summer and felt for winter.

What does the x mean in felt cowboy hats. There is no standardized system in place and hat makers vary significantly in their use of the Xswith higher X Factors sometimes describing the hatband quality instead of the hat material itself. It is determined by the percentage of furs used in making the felt western hat. The X markings in a felt cowboy hats indicates how much fur content is included in the fur blend used to make the cowboy hat.

Straw or felt sometimes they come in leather but not nearly as often. More beaver in the felt the better it lasts and stays in shape especially when wet. X Factor Hat Rating was originally determined by the density and shape of the material and ranged in grade from a low of 1X to a high of 10X.

It is determined by the percentage of furs used in making the felt western. After grazing on todays infographic I immediately googled the latest western Id seen True Grit to compare the hat styles usedIt seems like The Dude sports the old Montana Crease and his stubborn side-kick wears the un-touched Open Crown. Too big and its liable to blow off in a light breeze.

So whens the best time to wear felt vs. What do the Xs mean on Cowboy Hats. Hats made of material rated below 5X generally contained a poorer grade of fur and little or no beaver fur.

At that time the Xs indicated the amount of beaver felt content in a hat. The more Xs a hat had the more beaver felt was used in its making. Scraps of felt have survived since the Neolithic era 9000 years ago making it the oldest form of cloth.

Almost all cowboy hats come in one of two materials. My favorite of all my felt CB hats - is a Bailey. Straw cowboy hats are typically worn in the hot summer months as they are lighter and allow a breeze while felt hats are traditionally worn in cooler winter or fall months.