KJ Murphy's Information

KJ Murphy is the maker of fine western hats. He creates affordable felt and straw hats, while maintaining the custom fitting session that most would expect while paying double the price. "The concept of a broad-brimmed hat with a high crown worn by a rider on horseback can be seen as far back as the Mongolian horsemen of the 13th century. A tall crown provided insulation, the wide brim, shade. Hot, sunny climates inspire designs with very wide brims such as the sombrero of Mexico. It is not clear when the cowboy hat began to be named as such. Westerners originally had no standard headwear. People moving West wore many styles of hat, including top hats, derbies, remains of Civil War headgear, sailor hats and everything else. Contrary to popular belief, it was the bowler and not the cowboy hat that was the most popular in the American West, prompting Lucius Beebe to call it "the hat that won the West." The working cowboy wore wide-brimmed, high-crowned hats long before the invention of the modern design." -wikipedia.com/cowboyhat