When a cowboy brags that he's got more beaver than his friend,what's
he talking about?

Hi inneedofaclue,
  
I believe it's slang. My guess is that the cowboy is referring to his
wealth. Beaver felt/fur is used to make cowboy hats. The more Beaver
fur used, the better the hat. Beaver felt is considered the best
material possible from which to build a hat, but it's very expensive.
So, I think the cowboy is bragging to his friend that he is worth
more, i.e. that he has more money than him.
   
  
"Cowboy or Western hats are one of the unique trademarks of the
cowboy.  Hats of  felt are worn in cold weather and straw hats are
worn in hot weather.  The important parts of a cowboy hat are the
brim, crown, and crease.  Felt is the material of choice for a cowboy
hat for good reason.  Felt is matted fur.  Because it is matted, and
the hairs run in all directions interlocking with each other, felt is
stronger and lighter than woven materials.  A water resistant fur/felt
is desirable to help the hat hold its shape and shed water.  Beaver,
neutrea or muskrat are the best and most expensive fur / felts. 
Rabbit, or a combination of rabbit with one of the other felts, is
most common.  Wool felt will not hold its shape.  Nothing looks worse
than a droopy cowboy hat.  Felt hats are made of rabbit and beaver
hair. A 5X hat is all rabbit, a 10X hat is 50% rabbit and 50% beaver,
and a 100X hat is 100% beaver.  A working cowboy would typically
purchase a 10X hat for $165 to $240. A 5X hat would retail for $100 to
$150, and a 100X hat starts at $750."
http://www.beer-bytch.com/cowboylingo.htm
   
    
"Why doesn't everyone use Beaver?
Beaver is very expensive. The raw material (premium select) can cost
up to $350 per hat; many times the cost of a mass produced hat that
most people wear. There's lots of sheep and even more rabbits in the
world, but fewer Beaver.   There is no one single supplier of Beaver
felt and Dorer's contracts with private sources to have made the very
best premium select Beaver felt.  100% of the beaver fur that Dorer's
uses comes from the USA and Canada. But it's sometimes hard to find
and the prices can get outrageous!  Besides price, Beaver hats are
much harder to work with than wool or rabbit. (...)
  
Why is Beaver the best?
Think about it.  A Beaver is an animal that spends most of its life in
and under the water.  When is the last time you saw a sheep or a
rabbit swimming?   Beaver fur is incredibly strong, resistant to wear
and dirt and naturally water resistant.  It will keep your head dry
through the hardest rain.  It will hold its shape through almost
anything you or mother nature can dish out and it can be re-built or
re-shaped over and over again." 
http://www.butchdorer.com/FAQ.htm
  
  
  
I hope you agree with my findings.
  
Best regards,
  
Jackburton-ga
  
  
  
Search terms:
cowboys beaver work lingo
cowboys beaver fur hats expensive

---

Clarification of Answer by jackburton-ga on 21 Sep 2004 04:31 PDT

From the Hudson's Bay Company website:
  
"In the early 1600's, when an Englishman spoke of his "beaver" he
meant his hat. But in North America a "beaver" became a token of
value. Money was no good to the natives. It became necessary to
develop a standard of trade to calculate the value of goods traded.
  
So, the Hudson's Bay Company set up a universally accepted system
where one good quality big beaver pelt, called a "made beaver" was
worth a fixed amount. This method of trade was used in exchanging
everything from tobacco to gun shot. A blanket was worth four "made
beavers", a gun was worth twelve "made beavers" and either a brass
kettle, 2 pounds of Brazil tobacco or 20 steel fish hooks was worth
one pelt.
  
The "made beaver" became the standard against which all other furs and
goods were measured. At one point, "made beaver" tokens were issued.
Trappers would bring in their furs, and instead of trading directly
for goods they could be given these coins to be used later. The coins
ranged in value from 1 to 1/5. These coins were engraved with the
Company coat of arms."
http://www.hbc.com/hbc/e_hi/historic_hbc/Standard_trades.htm
    
     
Here's a picture of a One-quarter Made Beaver Token:
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/bank/english/jan82e.htm
(The letters "NB" stand for "made beaver" - the N is a die-cutter's error for M.)

He could either be:

1) Saying that he has many beaver hats or coat than his friend;

2) Implying that he works harder than his friend (work like a beaver),
similar to saying "I've got more smarts than you";

3) Using "beaver" as a sexual innuendo that he has more chicks than his friend.

Saying that he's got a better quality hat ???

http://www.rodeonebraska.com/html/cowboy_corner/cowboy_corner01.htm

"Hats are typically made from the following three varieties of felt:
wool, fur and beaver felt. In the 18th century beaver felt was the
preferred material for head wear, although a mixture of felts, beaver
and wool, beaver and fur felt, became increasingly popular for the
less expensive hats. The quality of a felt hat is characteristically
defined by the amount of beaver it contains and is classically
identified by the number of X's stamped in the sweatband of the hat.
The more beaver fur in the felt the higher the quality. Although, that
may seem like common knowledge to individuals who wear cowboy hats, it
can be deceiving due to the lack of industry standards or guideline to
be followed by manufacturers."

Another reference to "beaver" in relation to wealth: in 1849, Oregon
produced $5 and $10 gold coins that were nicknamed "Beaver Money."

"On this day in 1849, the Provisional Legislature adopted a plan to
mint 'Beaver Money' in five and ten dollar coins. The coins, with a
beaver imprint, helped supply a monetary solution to a confusing and
difficult exchange situation."

On This Day in Oregon 
http://www.onthisdayinoregon.com/02_15.html