Description
Featuring a luxurious 100% Chichilla fur finish and 26 genuine diamonds, the exclusive 1000X Stetson El Diamante Tejana is the perfect expression of western elegance. Crafted with 14K solid gold, it is a one of a kind piece that includes a certificate of authenticity and original Stetson leather case. With a 4 5/8″ crown and 4″ brim, this premium hat creates an unforgettable look.
The 1000X STETSON EL DIAMANTE is designed to provide a custom fit, ensuring maximum comfort and efficiency. Its personalized Horma ensures the hat fits perfectly.
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="647px" width="720px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>‘/></i-spzhtml-sizer></img></p>
<div class="collapsible-content collapsible-content--all is-open" id="Product-content-4ccb3e6f-5e75-4d60-9248-13234fb681657670434726108">
<div class="collapsible-content__inner rte">
<div class="metafield-rich_text_field">
<div class="c-gallery-vertical-slide__photo-credit-wrapper"></div>
<h2 class="c-gallery-vertical-slide__title">1. Material Sourcing</h2>
<div class="c-gallery-vertical-slide__caption">
<p>The process begins with finding raw material. Optimo has a worldwide exclusive on sustainably sourced Canadian silver beaver felt from a supplier in Portugal and each year releases various<br />colors and weights for limited-edition collections. “Beaver is the ultimate fur to felt for a smooth-finish hat because of its tightness and feel,” Thompson says. “Traditionally, underbelly [fur] is known as the best of the best because the color is clearer and more vibrant once it’s dyed.” The fine fur is felted—a time-honored technique that binds the fibers together and produces a bell-shaped hat body—at the mill before being shipped to Chicago. </p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="" auto-fit="" class="i-spzhtml-layout-intrinsic i-spzhtml-layout-size-defined" height="682" layout="intrinsic" src="https://billwillson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/9be37ba785040a3aad4cc325503f2b6a.jpeg" width="1024"></img></p>
<h2 class="c-gallery-vertical-slide__title">2. Blocking</h2>
<p><span>The next step, called blocking, creates the initial structure. An inverted hat body is placed into a 1940s blocking machine that Thompson sourced from Germany. The material is then steamed, and a domed mold called a hat block is plunged into the felt, forcing it into the desired size and shape.</span></p>
<p><span><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="" auto-fit="" class="i-spzhtml-layout-intrinsic i-spzhtml-layout-size-defined" height="682" layout="intrinsic" src="https://billwillson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/6f3cac937e546b2a1ba8d9fb32a19471.jpeg" width="1024"></img></span></p>
<h2 class="c-gallery-vertical-slide__title">3. Slow Bake</h2>
<p><span>The blocked hat body is put through a secondary blocking, called decatizing, in which it’s steamed again and then slowly “baked” in a decatizing machine. “I would liken it to a curing of the fabric,” Thompson says. “This process makes the felt more resistant to shrinkage and prevents the shape from being knocked out of it. Just to do that step is very expensive and requires a lot of additional molds.”</span></p>
<p><span><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="" auto-fit="" class="i-spzhtml-layout-intrinsic i-spzhtml-layout-size-defined" height="1799" layout="intrinsic" src="https://billwillson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2396713b01116adeb69423665bf2db71.jpeg" width="1200"></img></span></p>
<h2 class="c-gallery-vertical-slide__title">4. Rest and Vacuum</h2>
<p><span>The hat body is lined up on a rack and left to rest for a few days in a climate-controlled room before going to surface finishing. Most are finished smooth, the felt shaved with fine abrasive papers, as well as conditioned and polished. Finally, a high-suction machine vacuums any dust particles from the pores of the hat. “A lot of the time you don’t see the problems until you begin surface finishing, because they’re beneath the outer layer of felt that’s being worked,” explains Thompson. “Those can be clumps of fibers that weren’t uniformly felted or color inconsistencies.” Finding such flaws means the hat must be scrapped.</span></p>
<p><span><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="" auto-fit="" class="i-spzhtml-layout-intrinsic i-spzhtml-layout-size-defined" height="563" layout="intrinsic" src="https://billwillson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/17d1ccf9b2b98052470317a49e03580b.jpeg" width="1000"></img></span></p>
<h2 class="c-gallery-vertical-slide__title">5. Trimming</h2>
<p><span>Once the hat passes inspection, it’s off to the trimming room. Here, a sheepskin sweatband is snipped to size and installed with a vintage Singer sewing machine. (Thompson finds the older models to be of higher quality.) The brim is cut, and the edges are either welted, bound, curled, or, in some cases, left raw. The treatment affects not only the look but also how the brim snaps and holds.</span></p>
<p><span><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="" auto-fit="" class="i-spzhtml-layout-intrinsic i-spzhtml-layout-size-defined" height="1535" layout="intrinsic" src="https://billwillson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/d9274c8e1f8bbec8b9558d390c998f45.jpeg" width="1024"></img></span></p>
<h2 class="c-gallery-vertical-slide__title">6. Ironing the Brim</h2>
<p><span>Next comes the flanging bench, where the headwear is flipped upside down into a donut-looking mold called a flange—which corresponds to the desired size, brim width, and brim shape—and placed under a large, heated bag of sand. “It’s kind of an ingenious way to iron the brim,” Thompson says. “It sits under there for several minutes, and then we let it sufficiently cool.”</span></p>
<p><span><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="" auto-fit="" class="i-spzhtml-layout-intrinsic i-spzhtml-layout-size-defined" height="682" layout="intrinsic" src="https://billwillson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/9c518d04093fd7852a77db9942a2ba2d.jpeg" width="1024"></img></span></p>
<h2 class="c-gallery-vertical-slide__title">7. Satin Lining</h2>
<p><span>The piece is returned to the trimming room, where a satin lining is sewn inside the crown and a ribbon and bow are secured to the outside. “Most of our ribbon, we have specially produced for us,” Thompson says. “We’re fortunate enough to have a lot of vintage ribbon that was made in the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s—the quality was more refined then.”</span></p>
<p><span><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="" auto-fit="" class="i-spzhtml-layout-intrinsic i-spzhtml-layout-size-defined" height="563" layout="intrinsic" src="https://billwillson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/c9cdd1789b811d4235d6425dff85a514.jpeg" width="1000"></img></span></p>
<h2 class="c-gallery-vertical-slide__title">8. Final Touches</h2>
<p><span>Lastly, the hat undergoes a secondary flanging before arriving at the hatter’s bench for final finishing, including creasing, polishing, and gentle steaming to relax the fibers and bring out the colors. Each piece is thoroughly inspected before being placed into its hat box and shipped.</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</section>
<p></spz-accordion></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="wd-accordion-item">
<div id="tab-item-title-reviews" class="wd-accordion-title wd-opener-pos-right tab-title-reviews" data-accordion-index="reviews">
<div class="wd-accordion-title-text">
<span>
Reviews (0) </span>
</div>
<span class="wd-accordion-opener wd-opener-style-arrow"></span>
</div>
<div class="entry-content woocommerce-Tabs-panel woocommerce-Tabs-panel--reviews panel wc-tab wd-single-reviews wd-layout-two-column" id="tab-reviews" role="tabpanel" aria-labelledby="tab-title-reviews" data-accordion-index="reviews">
<div class="wc-tab-inner">
<div id="reviews" class="woocommerce-Reviews" data-product-id="27348">
<div id="comments">
<div class="wd-reviews-heading">
<div class="wd-reviews-tools">
<h2 class="woocommerce-Reviews-title">
Reviews </h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="wd-reviews-content wd-sticky">
<p class="woocommerce-noreviews">There are no reviews yet.</p>
</div>
<div class="wd-loader-overlay wd-fill"></div>
</div>
<div id="review_form_wrapper" class="wd-form-pos-after">
<div id="review_form">
<div id="respond" class="comment-respond">
<span id="reply-title" class="comment-reply-title">Be the first to review “STETSON EL DIAMANTE BLACK” <small><a rel="nofollow" id="cancel-comment-reply-link" href="/product/1000x-stetson-el-diamante-black/#respond" style="display:none;">Cancel reply</a></small></span><form action="https://billwillson.com/wp-comments-post.php" method="post" id="commentform" class="comment-form" novalidate><p class="comment-notes"><span id="email-notes">Your email address will not be published.</span> <span class="required-field-message">Required fields are marked <span class="required">*</span></span></p><div class="comment-form-rating"><label for="rating">Your rating <span class="required">*</span></label><select name="rating" id="rating" required>
<option value="">Rate…</option>
<option value="5">Perfect</option>
<option value="4">Good</option>
<option value="3">Average</option>
<option value="2">Not that bad</option>
<option value="1">Very poor</option>
</select></div><p class="comment-form-comment"><label for="comment">Your review <span class="required">*</span></label><textarea id="comment" name="comment" cols="45" rows="8" required></textarea></p><p class="comment-form-author"><label for="author">Name <span class="required">*</span></label><input id="author" name="author" type="text" value="" size="30" required /></p>
<p class="comment-form-email"><label for="email">Email <span class="required">*</span></label><input id="email" name="email" type="email" value="" size="30" required /></p>
<p class="comment-form-cookies-consent"><input id="wp-comment-cookies-consent" name="wp-comment-cookies-consent" type="checkbox" value="yes" /> <label for="wp-comment-cookies-consent">Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.</label></p>
<p class="form-submit"><input name="submit" type="submit" id="submit" class="submit" value="Submit" /> <input type=)
