What the X's mean in a Soulhide hat

Hello! my name is Alejandro and I am here to discuss the meaning behind the X's that you see on the inside in most, if not all hats and its importance to how you chose your next cowboy hat.

Every one of our cowboy or dress hats will have the percentage of fur content displayed under the product information. In the hat industry, X's measure the quality of a hat by either the amount of beaver it has or the dominant material that makes up the hat. Truly, there is no regulation on X's. It is more so just accepted of what it should be across all hat businesses. Therefore, it can be misleading for new or even expert customers to determine the material you are paying for. Many companies like to take advantage of the confusing rating system and charge customers a ridiculous price when it could not be the material they say it is. However, that is to say that there are not companies out there that stay true to their high quality standards.

With that said, a 4x Stetson hat (a popular and establish hat company), depending on the model of the hat, it states in their description that it contains either be made up entirely of wool OR one of their popular buffalo fur line of products. Both can be the case, but the feel is what distinguishes it from each other; not the X, even though they are considered 4x. Wool and buffalo tend to be coarse furs, priced generally the same, provide a subjective smooth finish, thickness, and holds up just as long, so what makes it any different? I am sure that is what Stetson thought, so with their similar features, this could be the case. It is what works best for their company to keep buffalo and wool at lower X's and allows their beaver fur hats to shine with the higher X's they go. Great marketing and rating strategy.

Now, listen to this. A 4x hat from us will actually be a 4% beaver with 96% rabbit. It is a big difference in how our rating works. It is clear and concise with what is included in the hat you are purchasing. This will also help customers know what they are getting into when trying to compare other hat brands. Another theoretical product example would be if a hat comes in a 50% wool and 50% rabbit blend, the rabbit will be the leading material in the name because rabbit is a higher quality material. So in this case, it is a 50x rabbit. 

The X rating system applies to straw hats as well. Straw hats are made from various species of plants or the classic synthetic straws. Felt can be manufactured through heavy machinery and skilled hatters; however, straw is traditionally hand woven and can takes weeks to process a single hat body. There is straw that is extremely thin and made of a fine plant like Ecuadorian Panama,  so imagine the time it would take to weave it, generally can up to a month or higher. You can expect lower X's to be synthetic materials disguising as a genuine straw. The X's indicate fineness, authenticity of material, and processing time of the straw.

I hope this post clears everything up revolving the X's. The rating system can change anytime within the century if hats are still around. In the end, the best hat is what works best for you whether you need to look as classy as possible in a wedding or need protection from the scorching sun rays at the ranch. Also, a price that does not have your wallet begging for forgiveness. Have a lovely day everyone.

-Alejandro