The Serratelli company was formed in 1878 by the present owners, Dean and Peter Serratelli's, great grandfather, Pio Serratelli. The process of making a cowboy hat is really a combination of several different processes. The raw material (fur, wool, or a combination of the two) is collected, sorted, and graded as to color and texture. This material is then mixed together with binders and pressed flat, and trimmed to make a "hat rounding". Another rounding is then formed over a mandrel and assembled, (stitched to the brim) resulting in a flat brimed, "open crown" hat. Serratelli started their business selling these "blown roundings" to the "famous" hat makers who then finished them off and added their own name to them.

At this stage, it resembles the cowboy hat "Hoss" Cartwright on Bonanza wore, the classic "ten gallon" hat. But the hat is not finished. Although some hats are left open crown, most hats are creased in several popular styles, as we'll see later. Hats are then dyed to achieve the desired color. Remember that the raw materials may not be of completely uniform color, so here we see the difference in price between light colored and darker hats. Only certain hat bodies can be light colored, depending on the color of the materials. Bodies with too much variation in color will be dyed the darker colors for uniformity. Note that there is no difference in quality, just color. The additional amount of work and inspection needed for the lighter hats usually accounts for higher costs.

The hat is then ready for finishing. The crown is creased, often by hand, the hat is steamed and cooled which allows it to keep its crown and brim shape. The lining, sweatband, and trim are added and construction is finished.

"What do the "Xs" mean in a hat name?" I'm glad you asked. The number of Xs describe the "fineness" of the finished hat. The more Xs, the finer the feel or "hand" of the hat. This feel can only be attained by rigorous inspection and sorting of the raw materials. The finest hats are made from the carefully selected, smoothest hair of the fur from pelts. The 1,000X Entre III is the smoothest, finest, most durable hat made in the world. As you can see from the description of the process, the more Xs, the more a hat naturally costs.

"What do the different style names mean?" The style names describe the shape and style of the hat and brim. Each style is a combination of a flange profile, crown profile, and brim width (including if the brim is bound with ribbon or not), as well as a select trim (the band around the crown). You will also notice that we include the FLANGE and CROWN profiles in the name of the hat so that you can compare styles easily once you know what profile (or profiles) you like.

"What are the different FLANGE profiles and what does that mean?" As you look through or website, you will see that the flange profiles explain the shape of the BRIM of the hat. The flange profiles are: Border, Outback, Entre, Norteño, Rodeo, Texan, Rancher, Vaquero, and Flat.

"What are the different CROWN profiles and what does that mean?" The crown profiles describe the shape of the crown (the part of the hat above the brim). For instance, if you remember the movie "Quigley Down Under", the hat that Tom Selleck ("Quigley") wore had a Gus crease. Crown profiles also describe the height of the crown as follows:

I: 4-7/8 inch crown height
III: 4-3/8 inch crown height
V: 4-3/16 inch crown height
Brick: 4-1/8 inch crown height
Navada: 4-1/8 inch crown height
C Crown: 3-7/8 inch crown height
Outback: 3-7/8 inch crown height
Gus: 6 inch crown height
Open: 6 inch crown height
Gambler: 3-7/8 inch crown height

"What brim widths are available?" Brims vary from style to style with the narrowest being 3 inches and the widest being 4-1/2 inches.
PLEASE NOTE: BRIM WIDTHS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE AS SPECIFIED FOR ANY GIVEN HAT. WE CANNOT SUBSTITUTE DIFFERENT WIDTHS.

"What does all of this mean to ME, THE HAT BUYER???"
First: it means that Serratelli produces one of the widest range of styles and sizes of cowboy and western hats in the country. We quite literally, make a hat that is suited for everyone!
Second: we find that some taller or larger customers tend to like styles that have wider brims as well as taller crowns, while some other customers tend to want the opposite.
Finally: buying a hat is a HIGHLY personal decision and the best hat for you is the one that you like best and that fits your personality the best. Some customers want a simple hat while others like their hat more ornate.

The best part of all of this is that WE HAVE THE HAT FOR YOU!

Dean and Peter Serratelli-4th generation hatters.

"We've been successful in producing what our customers say is the finest Western hat on the market today by starting with the best fur and demanding perfection at every stage in the manufacturing process. Our great grandfather Pio Serratelli was right-start with the finest fur to finish with the ultimate hat!"

-Dean Serratelli

North Sea Traders is proud to sell only the finest Cowboy Hats, Western Hats, and Dress Hats. When we say the finest, we mean Serratelli Hats. They are made from the best fur felt. There is no better hat than a Serratelli and they have been proving it for over 100 years!

North Sea Traders

Proud Purveyors of Quality Goods Since 1973

As usual, free, that's right-FREE shipping on all orders over $100.00 in the continental US.

We also ship internationally! Please add the following shipping, handling and customs documentation costs to these countries:

Australia = $US 125.00

Germany = $US 90.00

Canada = $US 75.00

(Please contact us for other International Shipping costs. All prices are in $U.S.)

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Contents, code, and layout © 2010 North Sea Traders or Serratelli Hat Co. unless otherwise noted.