Ginseng
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 142
- Location
- MidAtlantic
Folks,
My father had been ill and passed earlier this year. Over the next few months, I looked for a way to remember and remind myself of what a man is and can be and of who he was and the legacy left to me. There have been numerous hats made for the future generations but fewer commemorating the prior generation.
And so I cast about for a craftsman to carry out my wish. Bob Jessee at Black Sheep Hat Works got the call.
Over the course of several weeks, he worked with me hand in hand, sharing and working out ideas, concepts, and symbols until finally I arrived at something that I felt expressed in felt, that which I could not properly express in words.
Here then, is the Hat for My Father. The simplicity of the specs belie the artistry that went into its execution.
The brim was cut in a softened eight-sided profile. The number eight in Chinese symbolizes wealth, prosperity, and fortune. My father arrived with just the money in his pockets and build a life for his children and family. The number of folds on the bow is five, relating to the five elements in Chinese philosophy water, fire, wood, earth, metal.
Jade embodies beauty and expresses the Confucian virtues of courage, wisdom, modesty, justice and compassion.
Red is an auspicious color and was my father's favorite. Green is the color for "wood" and relates to both of our Chinese years, Snake and Dog, both of the wood cycle in the Chinese calendar.
The tip liner was procured from the tailor in Chinatown, New York where my wife bought her wedding dress "cheong sahm" over 20 years ago. The motifs include dragons and bats, with the latter being tradtional symbols of happiness.
And here is a close up that shows more clearly the dual finishes on the crown and brim.
I am honored to have been able to work with Bob on this project. The experience was as everyone here has described and better. More than just a hat, it is a memorial, a walking meditation on the depth of meaning that can be embodied so simply, so elegantly in a work of art. I hope that this piece is as pleasing to you as it is meaningful to me.
Wilkey
PS. I forgot to comment about the fit of the hat in my original posting. The crazy conformation device that Bob sends you to gauge the shape of your melon works amazingly well. This is the first hat that, having just put it on for the first time, felt even better than hat's I've worn the heck out of for months. There's just enough room for tightening up a hair, and there are no pressure points. Top notch!
My father had been ill and passed earlier this year. Over the next few months, I looked for a way to remember and remind myself of what a man is and can be and of who he was and the legacy left to me. There have been numerous hats made for the future generations but fewer commemorating the prior generation.
And so I cast about for a craftsman to carry out my wish. Bob Jessee at Black Sheep Hat Works got the call.
Over the course of several weeks, he worked with me hand in hand, sharing and working out ideas, concepts, and symbols until finally I arrived at something that I felt expressed in felt, that which I could not properly express in words.
Here then, is the Hat for My Father. The simplicity of the specs belie the artistry that went into its execution.
- 100% pure beaver felt in Black Cherry
- Double finish with sateen crown, smooth brim
- Bound edge, hand-dyed ribbon
- Custom eight-sided dimensional brim
- Teardrop crown
- Antique chestnut sweatband
- Customer-selected embroidered silk tip liner and complementary crown liner
- Five-fold standard bow
- Jade hat pin
The brim was cut in a softened eight-sided profile. The number eight in Chinese symbolizes wealth, prosperity, and fortune. My father arrived with just the money in his pockets and build a life for his children and family. The number of folds on the bow is five, relating to the five elements in Chinese philosophy water, fire, wood, earth, metal.
Jade embodies beauty and expresses the Confucian virtues of courage, wisdom, modesty, justice and compassion.
Red is an auspicious color and was my father's favorite. Green is the color for "wood" and relates to both of our Chinese years, Snake and Dog, both of the wood cycle in the Chinese calendar.
The tip liner was procured from the tailor in Chinatown, New York where my wife bought her wedding dress "cheong sahm" over 20 years ago. The motifs include dragons and bats, with the latter being tradtional symbols of happiness.
And here is a close up that shows more clearly the dual finishes on the crown and brim.
I am honored to have been able to work with Bob on this project. The experience was as everyone here has described and better. More than just a hat, it is a memorial, a walking meditation on the depth of meaning that can be embodied so simply, so elegantly in a work of art. I hope that this piece is as pleasing to you as it is meaningful to me.
Wilkey
PS. I forgot to comment about the fit of the hat in my original posting. The crazy conformation device that Bob sends you to gauge the shape of your melon works amazingly well. This is the first hat that, having just put it on for the first time, felt even better than hat's I've worn the heck out of for months. There's just enough room for tightening up a hair, and there are no pressure points. Top notch!
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