Finding Appropriate Attire

Does A Ten Gallon Hat Actually Hold Ten Gallons? And Other Cowboy Hat Facts

27 January 2016 by Bojana Graus

The cowboy hat is the iconic symbol of the American Wild West. Little boys and girls who grew up wanting to be cowboys and cowgirls all wanted to have one of their own. All those kids had their own ideas about those hats. There are actually a lot of interesting facts about cowboys hats that you might want to learn and pass along to your little cowboy or cowgirl. 

A Ten-Gallon Hat Doesn't Really Hold Ten Gallons

Sadly, if you were planning on pouring ten gallons of liquid into your ten-gallon hat, you would be very disappointed. They generally hold just a little under a gallon. The name probably comes from an Anglicized version on the Spanish word galon. The galon was a decorative band that the Mexican vaqueros would wrap around their sombreros. As the name moved north it turned into gallon. 

Cowboys Hats Vary From North to South

While the cowboy hat is used to protect the wearer while they are out riding a horse and taking care of the livestock, the style of the hats differs depending where the wearer is. For example, a hat that is used in place like Texas would tend to have a wider brim in order to shade the wearer from the sun and dust. A cowboy working someplace like Idaho or Montana would wear a hat that is made of heavier felt with a lower crown and a smaller brim. Those hats will also be used to help shield the wearer from the sun, but would also be worn in order to help keep the wearer warm in the cold winters and winds. 

The Crease Matters

The crease in a cowboy hat isn't a random thing. There are actually several different creases. They initially developed in different regions, and could help to identify where the wearer came from. The cowboy would get his hat without any creases and then start breaking it in and creasing it so that it would be just right. The most commonly seen crease style these days is the cattleman style, which was the style that most wealthy ranchers wore. Another commonly seen crease style is the Tom Mix style, named after the famous movie cowboy, Tom Mix. 

Cowboy hats (like those at Watsons Hat Shop) are very popular with a lot of people, whether or not they are going to be riding out on the range after a herd of cows. There is so much more to that cowboy hat than just something you put on your head. 

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