When riding, I wear a cowboy hat. Cowboys have worn them since there were cowboys.Their uses are only limited by the imagination they protect. My hat had a rough year. My son-in-law Gabe, my grandson Thaddeus, and I were riding in our neighbor’s “hell hole” looking for three wayward heifers. The brush, thorns, and branches would challenge the best of riders. My hat’s crown caught a branch resulting in a five inch rip of the crown...luckily, my crown was spared. We never did find those three heifers, although one did get hit by a car a month later. Both she and the car had a “bad outcome”. So, my hat was shot. I looked on ebay for a replacement. I was looking for a new Gus Style Stetson, 6X…$280, a little steep! Then, a few months ago, I called Terry Hefner who has a Western clothing and sewing business. Yes, she could order a new 10X for $400. So, I asked “Could you repair my old hat?” She said, “I’ll try.” About a month later, she called. I could pick up my repaired hat. The rip was stitched neatly and a patch was placed on the inner surface. It looked good, not great, not good as new, but good enough for the riding I will do.
New and shiny is fine, but good enough is still good enough and while it may not impress folks, good enough is a whole lot cheaper.
-Doc