Let's Talk X Factor Grading for Hats

Let's talk X factor labeling in hats since it can be such a confusing topic, and breaking it down is key when buying a hat. The X stands for the amount of beaver that is in a hat, the more beaver fur in a hat, the better quality the hat. The next thing you need to know is that there is no standard or rule when it comes to labeling the quality of the hat. They could say it's a 200X hat when it is a beaver blend. Every company uses its own X grading so it's important to ask what their X means. That's why you have to be very careful when buying a hat. Do your research because every hat company does it differently. For my company, this is the breakdown:

100X=Beaver Blend
200X=100% Pure Beaver
500X = 100%  Pure Belly Hair Beaver
Mink = Pure Fur
Chinchilla = Pure Fur
Ask the questions, and get to the answers.
What kind of fur?
What is the fur content?
Did you catch that?  I want you to ask what kind of fur. Some hat companies use rabbit fur and don't say that.
They can make it sound fancy by calling it European Hare, it's rabbit. It is more commonly available and less expensive. Rabbit fur does not felt as tightly (dense) as beaver fur which makes it thicker to obtain the needed stiffness for it to maintain its shape. It is also more susceptible to losing its shape through wear. Rabbit is the step up from wool. Beaver fur is far superior in quality, and durability, and is considered the gold standard for measuring the quality of a hat.
Let's get back to the X factor now that you know you want beaver, mink, or chinchilla.
A 100X hat is a beaver blend and is great as a starter hat.
A 200X hat is 100% pure beaver and great as a beautiful dress hat or an amazing ranch hat that will stand up to the elements and the wear of ranch life.
The 500X Belly Hair Beaver hat is pure and is the next level of quality.
Mink and Chinchilla are the creams of the crop and top of the line when it comes to hats. They are blended with beaver to give them the finest and softest feel possible while still having the body needed to hold their shape.
One more question to ask is where is it made?
Stating the obvious, European Hare (rabbit) is from Europe and can also be from Peru. That means the hats are only assembled in the USA.
I prefer made in the USA.
I hope this helps explain the importance of being informed when you purchase your next hat.