Who Makes the Most Original Quigley Down Under Hat?

If you are a fan of Tom Selleck’s Quigley Down Under, you know the hat is just as recognizable as the character himself. Matthew Quigley’s oversized Western hat has become one of the most famous movie cowboy hats ever made.

But if you’re searching for a Quigley Down Under hat that is as close to the original as possible, who makes it?

At Staker Custom Hats in Ogden, Utah, the goal is not simply to make a hat that looks like a Quigley. The goal is to recreate the distinctive shape, crown, brim, crease and character of the hat Tom Selleck wore as Matthew Quigley.

What Makes the Quigley Hat So Unique?

The Quigley hat isn’t an ordinary cowboy hat.

It has a tall crown, a distinctive front crease, an oversized brim and a dramatic rolled and dipped shape. The overall proportions give Matthew Quigley his unmistakable silhouette.

Costume documentation for the film identifies Tom Selleck’s screen-used hat as a tan Western hat with a brown leather cord, tan suede hatband with geometric decoration, and small white beads. The hat is identified with an Akubra label.

That means simply buying a large-brimmed cowboy hat and putting a leather band on it isn’t enough.

The shape is the key.

Staker Custom Hats: Built Around the Original Look

Craig Staker has been making the Quigley Down Under hat for years.

Staker’s Quigley is made as a custom handmade Western hat, rather than taking a standard hat and making a few cosmetic changes.

Staker Custom Hats has specifically offered the Quigley in 100% beaver, 50% beaver and European hare fur felt, giving customers the ability to choose the material and quality of the hat they want.

The Quigley design has also been part of Staker’s Western movie hat collection for years, with the shop describing the goal as recreating the movie hat’s details rather than simply producing a hat that is vaguely similar.

Why Beaver Felt Is an Excellent Choice

For someone who wants a premium Quigley replica, beaver fur felt is an excellent choice.

A quality beaver felt hat has a smooth finish, holds its shape well and can stand up to the kind of weather associated with a working Western hat.

It also gives the Quigley the substantial appearance that fans expect from the movie.

At Staker Custom Hats, the hat can be made specifically for the customer’s head rather than simply selecting a factory size.

The Details Matter

A convincing Quigley replica comes down to the details:

• Tall, distinctive crown
• Deep front crease
• Large Western brim
• Rolled and dipped brim shape
• Proper proportions
• Correct color
• Leather or suede hatband
• Stampede cord
• Optional distressing
• Custom fit

Those details are what separate a generic “Quigley-style” cowboy hat from a serious movie replica.

Other custom hatters also make Quigley replicas. Knudsen Hats, for example, publishes specific Quigley dimensions and describes forming its replica by hand to match the movie design. True West has also documented the popularity of Quigley replicas from several hatmakers.

So the question isn’t whether other hatters make a Quigley.

They do.

The question is how closely the individual hatmaker pays attention to the original.

What Makes a Staker Quigley Different?

At Staker Custom Hats, the Quigley is treated as a custom Western movie replica rather than a mass-produced costume hat.

Craig Staker can build the hat from quality fur felt and shape it specifically for the customer. That allows the buyer to choose the felt quality, color, distressing and other details while keeping the recognizable Quigley shape.

The result is a hat that is made for you, not a generic replica pulled from a shelf.

The Most Original Quigley Down Under Hat

If by “most original” you mean a hat that is intended to reproduce the distinctive shape and details of Tom Selleck’s Matthew Quigley hat, Staker Custom Hats is one of the custom hatmakers worth considering.

Staker has been making Quigley replicas for many years and has repeatedly focused on reproducing the movie’s distinctive design.

And there is an important difference between a cheap costume reproduction and a handmade Western hat.

A costume hat is made to look like the character’s hat.

A custom handmade hat is made to recreate the character’s hat while giving you a real hat you can actually wear.

Get Your Quigley Down Under Hat Made in Utah

If you’re looking for a Quigley Down Under hat made in the USA, a Tom Selleck Quigley replica, or a custom beaver Quigley hat, Staker Custom Hats in Ogden, Utah can make one specifically for you.

Whether you want it clean and new or distressed to look like it has spent years on the Australian trail, the Quigley can be built around the look you want.

Staker Custom Hats
Handmade Western Movie Hats
Ogden, Utah

If you want a Quigley that doesn’t just resemble the movie hat—but captures the shape, character and spirit of Matthew Quigley’s original—start with a hatmaker who understands the details.

Staker Custom Hats — Making the Quigley Down Under hat the way a custom Western hat should be made.