The "X's" on a cowboy hat refer to the percentage of beaver fur used in felt cowboy hats. A 4X hat contains 4% beaver fur, and hats with more "X's" contain higher percentages of beaver and cost more. Pure beaver hats contain 100% beaver fur and are the most expensive. The quality of the beaver fur used also impacts the price, with brands like Resistol and Stetson using higher quality parts. Wool cowboy hats do not contain beaver and are cheaper and more durable than felt hats. The tightness of weaving also affects the price of straw cowboy hats, with higher "X" straw hats being more tightly woven.

1. What does the “X’s” mean in a Cowboy Hat?

2. Beaver Hats
• In a Beaver felt Cowboy Hat, the “X’s” mean the
percentage of real Beaver used in the making of that
Cowboy Hat.
• At Big R, we usually carry a 4X Beaver Felt Cowboy
Hat. That means that hat was made with 4% real
Beaver. The more “X’s” you have, the more the Cowboy
Hat is going to cost.
• If you see a Cowboy Hat that comes into the store to
have it cleaned or shaped and it says “Pure Beaver”,
that means that Cowboy Hat was made strictly of
Beaver and it used the best parts of the Beaver. These
Cowboy Hats are very expensive.

3. • Cowboy Hats from Resistol or Stetson, are using
the higher quality parts of the Beaver. Cowboy
Hats from Twister or Master Hatters are using the
lower quality parts of the Beaver.
• These Cowboy Hats are a great price point for our
customers, but they are not using the high quality
parts of the Beaver. For example, a 20X Twister is
not the same as a 20X Resistol. There is
approximately a $400.00 difference in the prices of
these two Cowboy Hats.
• The softer the hat, the better the Beaver Felt.

4. Wool Cowboy Hats
• Wool Cowboy Hats are a great everyday hat. They
also have an “X” factor. These hats do not contain
any Beaver in them. These Cowboy Hats are
usually cheaper and more durable.
• Wool Cowboy Hat stands up to the weather better
then Beaver Felt Cowboy Hats do.
• Wool Cowboy Hats are not soft and smooth like a
Beaver Felt Cowboy Hat. They look the same, but
feel completely different.

5. Straw Cowboy Hats
• Straw Cowboy Hats have “X” factors also. The
“X’s” on a Straw Cowboy Hat determines how tight
it was woven.
• A 4X Straw Cowboy Hat is not tightly woven and
you can see a lot of light through it if you hold it up
to the light. A 20X Straw Cowboy Hat will not allow
as much light through it.
• Brands will also make a difference. A Resistol or
Stetson Straw Cowboy Hat are your true “X”
factors. You will notice this just by the selling
price.