RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Cow Lot is once again drawing crowds at the Black Hills Stock Show, offering visitors a hands-on look at custom cowboy hat craftsmanship and the artistry behind quality hat shaping.
Karen Orms of The Cow Lot said the business has been attending the Stock Show for about seven years and has built a strong following among ranchers, cowboys and hat enthusiasts. The Cow Lot has been in business since 2014 and is based in Denver, Colorado.
Karen explained that while many people focus on the number of Xs when buying a cowboy hat, what truly matters is what the hat is made of. “The more beaver, the better the quality,” she said. “Better quality means longer lasting and more expensive.”
The Cow Lot carries hats ranging from 100 percent wool to 100 percent beaver, with everything in between. Karen said beaver fur is prized for its durability, especially in harsh weather conditions like rain and snow, making it a popular choice for working ranchers.
“A lot of ranchers settle on a thirty X because it holds up really well,” she said. “It’s got a good percentage of beaver and it can handle the elements.”
Beyond selling hats, Karen said The Cow Lot focuses on the full experience of custom shaping. Customers can choose how their hat is shaped, with experienced shapers working directly with them. “It’s your head, your hat,” she said. “We don’t tell you how it should look. We listen to what you want.”
Karen described hat shaping as a dying art and said her family started a hat shaping school in Denver to help train the next generation of hat shapers. “There aren’t a lot of people who know how to do this anymore,” she said. “We wanted to help change that.”
Some of the hats sold by The Cow Lot are designed to last decades. Karen said their most expensive hat is made from the belly of the beaver, which she described as the softest and highest-quality material available.
Visitors can find The Cow Lot booth inside the Stock Show grounds throughout the event. When not attending shows, the business operates from its Denver location and serves customers both in person and remotely.
