Cowboy Tutt - Stetson or Resistol???

[Old Savage]

Let's vote.

[Cast Bullet Hunter]

Resistol

[20cows]

I've got two or three OLD Stetsons (30 to 50 yrs old) That I just clean up, recrease and keep using.

I don't think I've ever had a Resistol. No reason, just hadn't come across one when the time was right.

[kimwcook]

Couldn't say. I've never had either. Mine are custom, or a cheapie.

[CowboyTutt]

I've been using the Mexican Palm straw hats for a bit now. They are the most indestructable hats out there and far more durable than the bleached white straw hats available. I was put on to them from a rancher in Hollister who's wife showed me his after years of hard use. My first one is from Atwood, and it is a 15X made in Mexico. Laugh all you want, but it has a tighter weave than my next hat, a "gunuine" Mexican Palm hat from Resistol. Lets face it, if you want genuine Mexican Palm, it would probably be made in Mexico. Go figure. They do eventually stain but any hat store will tell you they are more durable than the white straw hats that Stetson or anyone else makes.

If I were going for beaver felt, I would go for a Serratelli. They are a "furrier" company themselves and sell their pelts to Stetson and everyone else who surcharge you. I got a very nice Serratelli felt hat years ago, and would get another in an instant. More hat for the money.

-Tutt

[horsesoldier03]

RESISTOL

[RIHMFIRE]

I have not wore one since college...25 years...

[brucew44guns]

I've had a Resistol Silver Belly since about 1984, and a Stetson Rancher in Black since 2003. Both hats are like new, and I personally see little difference in quality. Both great hats.

[Rusty]

I wear a Resistol. Just too much for a Stetson. I might someday just so I can say I did, but for now I'm set.

[SmokeEater2]

Hats are something I've got too many of. Couple of Stetson's I've had for years,a Resistol,a Bailey,a Serritelli,a Beaver brand and a couple of Akubra's.
I was recently given a new Stetson and sadly it's not half the hat that older ones are. (and neither are the Resisol's I've looked at.) The best off the shelf new hats I've seen are.in order:

Serritelli

Akubra

Beaver brand

Stetson

Resistol

The Akubra's from Australia are probably the best deal going right now with the dollar exchange rate. I've gotten a couple from www.hatsdirect.com recently and they are hard to beat. Especially the Camp Draft model which Stetson licensed them to make and brand as a Stetson at one time iirc. It's the hat that the Stetson Open Road was in the 1950's and still made as well as they were then. My one favorite hat will always be my old Beaver brand but the Akubra's are the only non-custom that would be worthy of replacing it.

[Modoc ED]

The original topic "........ - Stetson or Resistol???" is kinda like the thread the other day asking "What is best - Winchester 94 or Marlin 336". Lots of room on either side for discussion.

[rangerider7]

They are both owned and operated by the same company for the last 10 years or so. Get the most beaver you can with the money you got. IMHO

[Old Savage]

Yup Ed, that's the idea. That's what we do here - discuss

[Don McDowell]

Stetsons been made by Resistol for 30 years now,and neither one is a good as they were then, so I suppose it's a mute point.
Buy the one your operatin loan has room for when you need a new hat, might end up bein a Bailey, but at least your wife will say it's ok to wear it to town.

[Modoc ED]

Yup Ed, that's the idea. That's what we do here - discuss

Ya got that right!!

I lean toward Stetson because that's the brand I've had in the past and my Dad wore Stetsons too. "rangerider7" made a good point. They're both made by the same company now so as to quality the difference is probably in how much "Beaver" you buy.

[deerwhacker444]

Get the most beaver you can with the money you got.

Words of Wisdom to live by..!

[rangerider7]

It's been 30 years! My how time flys after 40.

[Don McDowell]

The last JB Stetson I bought was from Johnny Vida, in Western Ranch Outfitters, downtown 16th street in Cheyenne, and I hate to admit it but that was over 30 years ago, he told me then that resistol had bought em out. Then some sombeech stold that hat off the hat rack at the Stockmans Club at the National Western,in 76.

[Hank Dodge]

One more vote for Serratelli. I bought one from a farm n' feed store in Cody Wy about ten years ago. After wearing it darn near daily since then, it's a bit rough now, but still in good shape. Can't say the same about a Resistol I had prior to this one. Rain or sun, it works great. I'd like to find another just like it.

[Blaine]

I got a wonderful stetson style straw in Quito Equ. about 1991. Twenty Bucks, I think. I was stationed in Panama and it got crushed in my hold baggage on the way back It was tight enough to be very water resistant.

[RKrodle]

Resistol. They're made in Garland Texas, I Think they still are, about 40 miles from my home. They have a factory outlet at the factory with more hats then you can shake a stick at.

[Pathfinder09]

Well just my $.02 but I go wityh Stetson. I've got a couple and they have served me very well over the years hunting and traveling around. They been good to me. As far as cost, at least for me you get what you pay for.

[Griff]

Well... which is a deep subject, and depending on how ya look it, can be confused with a tunnel... but, RKrodle is right, Resistol owns Stetson, and while I think some Stetsons are still made in St. Joe, MO, they make some and all Resistol's in Garland, TX. 'Bout 12 miles from my place.

Hard to compare the two, snce they use a different "X" system, or useta. IIRC, a 10X Steton is the same percentage beaver as a 30X Resistol; or is it the other way 'round? A phone call to the outlet store will do ya!

If ya go up to the outlet store ya can find some bargains... just be advised that any black hat is in reality a reject lighter colored dyed. And they'll reshape the crowm to any style you like, while ya wait.

I don't think there's one ounce of difference in either brand. If you're gonna trash around, buy a wool or blend; if you're gonna buy a good hat AND treat it as such (care & cleanin') or want it to last awhile, buy the best beaver you can afford, or even a little more!

[Travis Morgan]

Resistols last the longest for me. ........and I've worn out a few hats!

[Lastmohecken]

Resistol has been my hat of choice for 40yrs, but I usually save those for lighter duty then a lot of cheaper hats I have purchased over the years, for rough duty, because I hate to ruin a good hat. So I wear the cheap hats, for rought farm use, and even hunting, sometimes.

[Scott Young]

in the crowd i walked in resistol was worn when you had to do something and stetson when you didn't. it was purely a cost thing i guess and the fact most of us could only afford resistol. heck we wore the resistol even when the work was done and all we had left was play. heck, our play was harder than our work and we took more beating in the play than at work. those were the days when you had folks that did and folks that wanted you to think they did....i miss those days sometimes.

on those occasions when my girlfriend would talk me into going out...you had pressed 13mwz, polished boots, buckle, pressed 12 oz snap shirt, and a lady on the arm, you wanted a stetson cause it it was the only thing that would make a man cry when your partner would sachet in front with her rocky mountains.....

i prefer a resistol

[Travis Morgan]

That made almost no sense at all, and seemed to be based on commercials.

[Lefty Dude]

I own both, The one I wear the most is a 40 year old "American Hat Company" made in Houston Tx.
I bought it in Houston 10 years ago for $15.00 at a second hand store. Took it to "Shudde Brothers Hatters" in downtown Houston, they cleaned and reshaped the hat for me for $25.00 and made it new again.

[Scott Young]

That made almost no sense at all, and seemed to be based on commercials.

it meant we worked in resistols and didn't in stetsons. the stetsons were sorta reserved for dress wear or those occasions we had to glam up for something.

don't know of a commercial based on that, do you?? back then i could buy two resistols for one stetson. that was almost 20 years ago.

[blueroan]

I bought an American brand hat at Luchese Boot Company in 1968...even carried it along to Viet Nam...seemed like a link to home then...and gave it to someone there rather than drag it back.

I've had Stetsons since. I bought several over the years...4X working quality hats. My current hats are 4X from 1993 and far superior in quality to the 4X I picked up in 2006. I also bought a 6x in Belle Fouche SD (little place on the corner... Pete's?) in 2003 that is comparable to the older 4X.

I bought an Atwood buckaroo hat in Sheridan WY and wear it most of the summer. You need a stampede string up at the Quigley shoot or you may provide your friends with an aerial target. They DO NOT call the wind Mariah up there...a 40 mph+ cross wind does interesting things to bullets out of a big bore black powder rifle.

[SJPrice]

Easy Question, Stetson or Custom forget the Resistols

[Rusty]

I just got a Sportsman's Guide catalog in the mail today. They have listed a "fitted Resistol Wool Cisco hat" in either black or buck for $69.97 i'm sure the website would have these and much more.
At the bottom of the description it says"made by Hatco, Inc. makers of Resistol, Stetson, and Charlie 1 Horse brands."

[JerryB]

As far as I can recall my dad and my brother only wore John B. Stetson hats. I have a Stetson but my everyday hat is a Resistol. I have worn Baileys too.