Clothing Resistol History and Hat Production Methods.

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Resistol History and Hat Production Methods.
Cowboy Hats, Australian Hats and Western Hats are Hatcountry's speciality. With over 500 styles to chose from it is safe to say that we are the #1 place to find Quality Brand Name Cowboy Hats.

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Resistol History:

In the early 1920's a young millionaire, E.R. Byer sold his business in Michigan and traveled South to further his fortune and investment. His investment was a brilliant young hat maker, Harry Rolnick, who was operating a small hat factory. E.R. Byer was one of Rolnick's customers and was so impressed by his professionalism, flair for fashion and devotion to quality that in 1927 the firm of Byer-Rolnick was founded in Dallas, Texas. The company produced men's felt hats in Western and Dress stylings, both were marketed under the newly created brand name "Resistol Hats," meaning to resist- all weather.

Distribution was limited to Texas and Oklahoma early on, but innovations like the Self-Conforming band and Kitten Finish (an innovation in the finishing process of felt) gained national exposure and in 1938 prompted expansion to a larger facility in Garland, Texas, where Resistol hats are manufactured today.

Byer-Rolnick's success continued and the Resistol brand became the greatest name in western hats. In an effort to better control the quality and flow of product, Byer-Rolnick acquired a fur cutting plant and built a rough-body plant in Longview, Texas. These acquisitions made Byer-Rolnick the first and only manufacturer to operate the entire felt hat making process, which includes over 200 processes. By operating all phases of production, Byer- Rolnick was able to obtain maximum quality control and thereby produce the most consistent and finest hat known the world over.

Demand for Resistol hats continued and today "the small hat factory" is the largest manufacturer of headwear in the world, as a part of Hatco, Inc. All phases of production are still operated and controlled to ensure product of the highest quality.

How Hats Are Made:

Based on a customer's order, a felt hat body is steam blocked to a specific head size, crown shape and brim width. Then a stiffening machine is used to apply shellac to the brims for firmness. The crown iron machine is used to tighten and to smooth the felt before finishing.

The brim is cut to the customers desired width before finishing. The brims are greased and pounced many rounds, using very fine sandpaper to achieve the proper finish. D-machines are used to grease and pounce the crowns. This is the finishing operation where the felt is sanded down to create a very smooth and fine finish for the felt hat.

A specially mixed powder, matched to the hat color, is hand rubbed into the body to enhance and even the tone.

Crown press machines are used to shape the crowns. Steam is used to restore the smooth finish and to clean the hat in the inspection line before a custom made 103 Singer sewing machine is used to sew the lining into the hat.

Boxes uniquely designed to protect the hat in transit receive the finished product.

We have just recently finished updating our site with every Fur felt hat in Resistols 2004 Fall Catalog. Come and see all the new styles they have to offer for this year. If you order from us your new hat will be coming to you brand new directly off the production line.