Golden Gate Western Wear
Home of Knudsen Hat Company
4" Crown
5" Brim
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Can be made in sizes: 6 7/8 - 7 3/4
Palm Straw: $89.98
Optional:
Dirt Stains: $25
Leather Lace Stampede Strings with Brass Grommets: $20
Shown with: Leather Blondie Band: $14
This is the hat worn by Clint Eastwood in the first part of The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. We never learn the name of Clint Eastwood's character, however Eli Wallach, as Tuco, calls him Blondie. This is the part of the movie when Clint Eastwood/ Blondie turns Tuco in to the local sheriff for the reward on his head, and then saves him from hanging by shooing the rope as they can do it again in the next town.
The scene where Clint Eastwood cuts the rope with one or two rifle shots helped inspire a special "Myths of The Old West" shown on Myth Busters. Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, the Myth Busters, selected several myths that I think all came from the three Clint Eastwood "Spaghetti Westerns." Cutting the rope with rifle shots from The Good, The Bad & The Ugly; Shooting a hat off a man's head. Dynamiting the bars out of a jail window from "For A Few Dollars More."
The Myth Busters came to our Pleasant Hill store to acquire hats to shoot holes in for this show and while they were here they filmed in the store briefly. We met Adam and the crew! They are all fun and likable people, having literally a blast at what they do! The Myth's of the old west show is episode 79 of the 2007 season. I won't give away the results of their tests because if you are reading this you are a fan of the Old West and if you have not seen that myth busters show you need to. Really, you need to see that show!
Our Blondie hat is just like Clint Eastwood/ Blondie's hat in The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. Our Blondie hat is fine palm which is what the movie hat actually was made of. I've seen other hat makers showing felt as being the Blondie hat, well if that's what you want we can provide this same style in felt of various qualities. But the movie hat was definitely fine palm. Notice our hat band is also correct having the horizontal lines and being frayed at the side loop, we even have the four small loops stationed appropriately around the crown.
We actually made this hat for years. This is another example of a hat that we have been making on request where we never got around to putting it on the website. The message is that if there is a hat that you have in mind, you should ask. Chances are we've already made it at some time or another.
If it is windy where you are I suggest a stampede string, because hats simply do not stay on in real life as well as they do in the movies. We punch holes in the brim and install brass grommets in straw hats when you order a stampede string. I think the basic leather thong would be in keeping with this hat.
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