The Hat Guide

Every hat starts somewhere.Here's where.

Felt, wool, straw, crown shape, brim shape, size - here's a plain-English walk through everything that goes into a HatterBs hat before Andrew ever picks up a steamer.

No prices below - every build is quoted one-on-one after your inquiry.

The Hats

The Experience Tiers

Every custom build starts from one of these foundations. From there, Andrew shapes, steams, and finishes it into something that's only yours.

Premium Felt

7X Fur Felt Experience

100% fur felt
Open crown
4½" flat brim
Genuine leather sweatband
No sweatband branding - this one's yours

Signature Felt

3X Wool Open Crown Experience

3X, 100% wool felt
6" open crown
4½" brim
Leather sweatband

100% Wool Experience

Cattleman BuildPre-creased Cattleman crown, square George brim, silver-tone 3-piece buckle
Fedora BuildTeardrop crown, 4" brim, moisture-wicking sweatband

Warm Weather

Straw Experience

Bangora Open CrownTan, 5¾" open crown, two-cord chocolate band, comfort sweat shield, 4½" brim

For the Little Ones

Youth Experience - Felt & Straw

Youth CattlemanWool felt, sized for kids
Youth BangoraStraw, sized for kids

Buy once, grow into it - built to hold up to a kid actually wearing it.

Most styles are available for both men and women, with additional colors available on request.

For the Purists

Beyond 7X

For customers chasing something rarer, Andrew can source finer fur-felt grades beyond the standard lineup.

10X 30X 50X Higher - on request

The "X" rating reflects how much fine beaver and rabbit underfur is blended into the felt - the higher the number, the softer the hand, the lighter the weight, and the better the hat holds up to weather. These grades are sourced per order rather than kept on the shelf.

Ask Andrew what's available right now.

Sizing & Fit

Getting the Right Size

A great hat only works if it fits. Here's how to measure at home:

Wrap a soft tape measure around your head, just above your ears and eyebrows - where a hat naturally sits.
Keep the tape snug but not tight, and take the measurement in inches.
Match your measurement to the size chart to find your starting size.

Not sure, or somewhere between sizes? Andrew fits every custom build by hand - a proper fitting solves this in minutes.

OvalThe most common head shape - evenly rounded front to back.

RoundCircumference is close to equal in every direction.

DiamondWider through the temple, narrower at the forehead and back.

Long/TriangularLonger front-to-back than side-to-side.

Size	Hat Size	Inches
S	6⅝ – 6¾	21 – 21½"
M	6⅞ – 7	21¾ – 22¼"
L	7⅛ – 7¼	22½ – 23"
XL	7⅜ – 7½	23¼ – 23¾"
XXL	7⅝ – 7¾	24 – 24½"

Not local to Lake County? Mention it in your inquiry and Andrew can talk through a mail-in sizing option so your fit is right before anything's cut or shaped.

HatterBs crown, brim, and brim-front shaping chart

Shaping Styles

Your Crown, Your Character

Every hat gets hand-shaped to your request. Here's the vocabulary Andrew works from:

Crown

Open
Low Cattleman
Cattleman
Wide Cattleman
Ranch
Gus
Brick
Square Top
Round Top
Diamond Top
Gambler
Clint
Association
Puncher
Luke

Brim

Flat
Low
George
Half Taco
Relaxed Taco
Taco
Buckaroo
Retro
Rolled
Come & Go
Pencil Roll

Brim Front

Pointed
Round
Square
Wide
Extra Wide

Felt & Straw

Which One, When

Felt - Fall Through Spring

Felt holds its shape, blocks wind, and adds warmth - the natural pick for cooler months. Higher fur-felt content (7X and up) also handles a bit of weather better than straight wool.

Straw - Spring Through Summer

Straw breathes. It's lighter, cooler, and built for long days in the sun without the heat that felt holds onto.

A Note on Sweatbands

Leather sweatbands are a living material - they can shrink slightly in dry heat and stretch a touch with humidity. That's normal, not a defect, and it's part of why a proper fitting (and the occasional reshape) keeps a hat feeling right for years.

Found the one you're picturing?

Tell Andrew what you're after and he'll take it from there.

Start Your Custom Hat