Leather Cowboy Hat - There Is Nothing Like an Original Leather Cowboy Hat

The original leather cowboy hat was crafted in 1865 by John B. Stetson who gave his name to the style and formed perhaps the most well known hat company in the world. This rugged hat was designed to provide the wearer with superior protecting from the heat of the sun's rays as well as protect his eyes from the glare. While leather is no longer the only material these hats are made from it is still the material of choice for anyone looking for a durable hat that will last many years with a minimum of care.

The wide brim and deep body of leather cowboy hats were not only useful as a way to protect the wearer from the sun, but out on the trail the found several other uses for their hats. When a cowboy was out on a cattle drive it was not uncommon for water to be scarce and the deep body of his leather cowboy hat provide the perfect vessel to use as a bucket to give his horse water. At night the hat could be used to fan the flames of his campfire to get it started. In the morning getting the cattle on the move again took little more than several cowboys all way their hats and shouting to do the trick.

The image of the cowboy astride his horse wearing one of these leather cowboy men's hats is ingrained in our minds thank to photographs and daguerreotypes taken during the days of the old west. The leather used to make these hats came from the cattle they drove for days on end to reach the railhead and ship back east to feed the rest of the growing nation. Leather was chosen primarily for its abundance and durability as it could stand up to extreme heat and cold as well as shed the rain when the cowboy was caught in a storm.

The uniquely shaped brim of the leather cowboy hat served not only to keep the sun out the cowboys' eyes, but when they were caught out in a rain storm would actually channel the rain away from their face and allow it to run out the back of the hat. From here it would drip onto their rain slicker leaving the face and head relatively dry.

Today leather cowboy hats can be found in a wide range of shapes and colors as they have become just as much a fashion statement as a useful tool. No matter where you go in the world you are likely to find people who prefer to where a leather cowboy hat, but no matter what country you are in the wearer still identifies with the original cowboy culture and origins of his hat.

However in the 80s another hat took the American fashion industry by storm thanks to a Hollywood blockbuster movie called "Crocodile Dundee" where we met Mick Dundee and his leather Australian hat with it band of crocodile teeth around the brim. It did not take long before these hats were selling by the hundreds as people sought to imitate this larger than life character. Much like its American cousin the Australian hat was created to be a practical solution to both the extreme sunshine of an Australian summer and the monsoon like rains of the "Wet" season.