How Stetson Western Felt Hats Are Made

This video from the Science Channel shows the fascinating and complex process of making Stetson felt cowboy hats. Watching a manufacturing process that Stetson has been perfecting since 1865, you’ll gain a greater appreciation of how felt hats in general keep your head warm and repel the rain.

On a related note, Stetson bankrolled this film, “Birth of a Hat,” way back in 1920. The film is so notable, it has been saved by the National Film Preservation Foundation. You can click on the image to watch the video.

According to a summary of the film:

Birth of a Hat showcases the production-line methods that Stetson brought to the ancient craft of hatmaking. After a brief history of headgear through the ages, the film moves step by step through the modern process, showing how the felt is made, shaped, styled, and finished into a dress hat. The Stetson factory still relied at this time on a good deal of handwork but dramatically increased efficiency and delivered a consistently high-quality product.

A new Stetson hat we have in stock is the Seminole, a mink buffalo fur model with a Gus crown and a fancy hat band:

If you’re the type who favors lighter-colored hats, you’ll appreciate this Stetson buffalo felt hat in a silver sand color:

If you favor hats in a darker hue, you’ll love wearing this Stetson Manassas felt hat with a shovel front, a cattleman’s crease crown, and a fancy hat band:

For a different Old West look, you’ll appreciate this black buffalo fur Bat Masterson felt hat from Stetson, featuring a tall crown and pencil-rolled edges.

The manufacturing process you saw with the Stetson videos is similar to the brands of other western felt hats we carry, including Bailey, Serratelli, MHT, Resistol, Charlie 1 Horse, and others. So you can buy just about any felt hat from us with confidence.