Resistol 101
WE LIVE IT EVERY DAY
Ask any cowboy what brand of cowboy hat he wears and chances are you will hear the name Resistol. Resistol has been the preferred choice for working cowboys, ranch hands and rodeo cowboys for over 90 years. From the passionate hatters that started the company to the hardworking team that produce the best quality hat a cowboy can wear, the folks at Resistol live and love the western way of life. Not only do we make hats, we wear them. Not only do we respect cowboys and the western way of life, we all live it too. That’s why we say “We Live It Every Day”.
WE LIVE IT EVERY DAY
Ask any cowboy what brand of cowboy hat he wears and chances are you will hear the name Resistol. Resistol has been the preferred choice for working cowboys, ranch hands and rodeo cowboys for over 90 years. From the passionate hatters that started the company to the hardworking team working daily to produce the best quality hat a cowboy can wear, the folks at Resistol live and love the western way of life. Not only do we make hats, we wear them. Not only do we respect cowboys and the western way of life, we all live it too. That’s why we say “We Live It Every Day”.
It all started in the 1920’s with a brilliant young hat maker, Harry Rolnick, who had a flair for fashion and a devotion to quality. In 1927, Rolnick joined forces with one of his customers, a young millionaire, E.R. Byer, to form the company Byer-Rolnick in Dallas, Texas. The company produced men's felt hats in western and dress stylings, both were marketed under the newly created brand name "Resistol Hats," meaning to resist- all weather.
Innovations like the Self-Conforming band and Kitten Finish (an innovation in the finishing process of felt) gained national exposure and in 1938 prompted expansion to a larger facility in Garland, Texas, where Resistol hats are manufactured today.
Commitment to making the finest quality hats ensued and success continued. The Resistol brand quickly became the greatest name in western hats. In an effort to better control the quality and flow of product from start to finish, Byer-Rolnick acquired a fur cutting plant and built a rough-body plant in Longview, Texas. These acquisitions made Byer-Rolnick the first and still the only manufacturer to operate the entire felt hat making process, which includes over 200 processes.
By operating all phases of production, the Resistol brand is able to obtain maximum quality control and thereby produce the most consistent and finest cowboy hat on the market. That is why the great ranchers and rodeo cowboys choose to wear Resistol.
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HATS 101
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HOW A RESISTOL HAT SHOULD FIT
Like footwear, your Resistol Hat must be sized properly. To find your hat size, use a fabric tape measure and wrap it around your head about 3/4" above your ears where a hat naturally sits. For the best-looking and most comfortable fit, please make sure that the bottom of the tape touches slightly above your eyebrows while resting straight around your head. Hold it there comfortably and do not pull tight! Take a note of your measurement.
Once you have your measurement use this size guide to find your Resistol Hat size. If you are half-way or more between sizes, it is recommended you move up to the larger size.
HAT ANATOMY
New to hats or wanting to know all about hats? Use this guide to know the different parts of the best all-around hats you can get.
Buckle Set
Self Felt Band
Lining
Eyelets
2-Cord Band
Sweatband
HAT TERMINOLOGY
2-PLY / 2-CORD BAND
Narrow ribbon band approximately 1/4" wide stitched to the hat at band line (where crown meets brim).
BOUND EDGE
Bound edges are made with ribbon that is sewn around the edge of a hat's brim. This ribbon is usually the same color of the hat for a tonal look, but can also have a bold and contrast look.
BRIM
The brim of a hat provides shade while wearing your hat. It can be shaped in many various ways to your liking. Generally we offer brims varying from 4" - 5" in length. The brim extends from the bottom of the crown outward. Also, known as the flange of a hat.
BUCKLE SET
Buckle sets generally come in a 3-piece (buckle, keeper, and tip) and with more premium hats having a 4-piece (buckle, 2 keepers, and tip) buckle set.
EYELETS
Small metal grommets inserted into both sides of the crown for appearance, fashion and/or ventilation.
CROWN
The crown is the shape on top of the hat. Crown heights and shapes vary per profile.
LINING
All fur felt hats and higher quality hats come with a full-coverage silk lining with embroidered artwork.
OVAL FIT
Just like how shoes have different widths available, Resistol has three oval fits to suit what best fits you comfortably: Regular, Long, and Wide. Generally most people would be fine with a Regular Oval fit hat. Those with wider heads would prefer a Wide Oval fit and those with narrow heads would prefer a Long Oval Fit.
SELF FELT BAND
These hat bands are made from excess brim that has been trimmed and decorated generally with a buckle set.
SWEATBAND
The inner band sewn inside the hat. This can be composed of leather or cotton (including DriLex®) depending on the style of the hat.
VENTS
Some straw hats come with ventilation around the crown for fashion and/or utility.
WEAVE
Straw hats generally have a 2x2 or 1x1 weave, and they determine the quality of a hat as well. Tighter weaved hats are more luxurious because of the skill required to hand weave them so tightly.
HAT CARE TIPS
To remove dust or surface dirt from your hat: Straw- simply wipe with a clean damp cloth. Fur Felt- use a soft brush starting at the left side of the hat and brush counterclockwise toward the back and around again.
If your hat gets wet:
Straw - simply shake off the excess water.
Fur Felt / Wool- you need to turn down the “self-conforming” leather sweatband and stand the hat on the sweatband so it can dry naturally. While the hat is wet, don’t rest the hat on its brim as this will cause it to alter the shape.
Avoid exposing your hat to heat from stoves, radiators, lamps and car windows. The combination of heat and perspiration will shrink the sweatband.
To keep perspiration and hair dressing from penetrating the outside of the straw, occasionally turn down the sweatband so it can dry naturally between wearings.
Should your fur felt (if it is a light color) become spotted with water or grease, you can clean it with a little baby talc or cornstarch – NO liquid cleaners – please.
To put on or remove your hat, hold the brim in the front or back; handle the crown as little as possible.
Store your hat upside crown, on its crown, on a clean surface or in a box. Do not store it right side up on a flat surface, as this will cause the brim to lose shape and flatten.
CROWN GALLERY
25 PROFILE
profile
TELESCOPE
35 PROFILE
41 PROFILE
63 PROFILE
73 PROFILE
83 PROFILE
87 PROFILE
SPONSORSHIPS
Supporting the western way of life and sponsoring events that keep our western heritage strong is important to Resistol. As one of the first sponsors of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) when it formed in 1956, Resistol has realized the importance of long-term partnerships and bonds with corporations, cowboys and associations that have the same cowboy ideals and character. Supporting the following organizations keep the cowboy way alive and thriving and we are proud to be the official hat!
RESISTOL ROOKIE PROGRAM
While many of the top PRCA competitors have multiple chances throughout their career to win gold buckles and titles in the events they compete in, there is one award that a competitor has only one shot at, the coveted Resistol Rookie of the Year. This award is given out to first year card members who are the high money winner of their event at the end of the season including WNFR. Resistol, one of the original sponsors of the PRCA and official hat of the PRCA is has been proud to sponsor this program since the beginning. The new inductees are highlighted each year at a special award event in Las Vegas.
TEAM RESISTOL ENDORSEE PROGRAM
Top tier cowboys and cowgirls as well as up and coming youth competitors provide the basis of our grassroots marketing. These are the “Best All Around” hands that wear Resistol and live the lifestyle every day. They are also the role models that give confirmation on the quality and style of Resistol hats, just like the champions and heroes that went before them.