Cow's Breakfast

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

As in "With his head covered by a "cow's breakfast, the Homesteader was out standing in his field."

Of course I mean the straw hat.  I see many photos in the SHOOTIST, etc. where members are wearing very high quality, and obviously practical, straw hats.  I suppose it depends on your persona, but a cowboy on a trail drive or roundup likely only had one hat with him.  The bedroll wagon would be a dangerous place for the longevity of a spare hat!  If I was on the trail, with all sorts of weather certain, i'd choose the best felt I could afford.  It seems more likely that straws would be worn closer to the ranch house or bunkhouse than on the trail.

Coming from the great White North, i personally don't like to sweat.  I too, have taken to wearing a straw that I picked up in the Marcado in Cuidad Juarez.

With the possible exception of the desert areas, like along the border from the Big Bend to California, what is the evidence that straw hats were worn by those following their regular lives during "our" period?

[River City John]

There are several accounts of some of the 7th Cav. officers wearing straws when setting out on the Little Big Horn campaign in '76.
Many photos of stevedores and rivermen, freighters, etc. wearing straw.

[Delmonico]

Several show up on homesteaders in the Butcher collection. 

Most of the straw hats I see in this and other collections are like this Sunbody brand hat.

http://www.sunbody.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=57

This is a braided palm leaf hat a type also used in the time period.  Sunbody lists this as a womens hat but in the context of our time period it is not.  In fact on the History Channel shows on Custer the Major Reno often wears one of these.  This is my concept of the type of hats a lot of the 7th wore on the 24th of June 1876. 

Braided palm leaf hats are vewry inexpensive and durable, the Sunbody site does a good job of explaining them  www.sunbody.com will get you the home page.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Del;  checked out "sunbody". my hat is closest to the "gambler" type.  i like it, and wore it 12 hours a day while on vacation in the mediteranean during July.  The sweat band was totally soaked, but held up.  I also managed to keep it safe from the hazards of about 30 hours of plane travel.  it doesn't owe me a thing!

[Delmonico]

The Sunbody are very popular with "real" working cowboys in the summer and folks who work in hay fields.  Have had two complaints about them, they tend to not hold up to balers and Brush Hogs.   Help a guy get one fixed up a couple years ago, seems it was on his back porch anfd the porch took a ride in the Halam Tornado and the hat was found over a mile away.  Soaking in dish soap water and scrubbing with a tooth brush got rid of the mud, the hat was rinsed and reshaped by the owner, was not pristine but very serviceable and a nice conversation piece.