Art Fawcett VS Hall of Fame

[Rabbit]

This is a Sahara 5.5" x 2 3/8" underwelt with a 19 L brown ribbon. It could be dark mocha - I'm not sure as I only specified a slightly warmer and lighter shade than a typical dark brown. By the way, the brim is very malleable due to the welted edge. It can be worn hollywood style or snapped throughout the front and holds its shape very well.

Ribbon detail:

 

[Rabbit]

More shots of the diamond crease:

For those interested in the sahara felt, it's worth mentioning that this color is quite warm.
Judging the color from the felt swatches alone is most accurate IMHO, more accurate than relying on monitor views. Btw, I also found it very helpful to have the felt samples next to shirts and fabric books.

 

[suitedcboy]

WOW Mr. Rabbit!
3 Very fine lids from Mr. Fawcett. His work never ceases to impress.

 

[Aureliano]

More shots of the diamond crease:

Hey Rabbit, I wonder if Art, to create yours, took some inspiration from a hat he made for me a couple of years ago? :eusa_clap (mine's mojave though)

 

[Rabbit]

VS Powderblue

Aureliano,
yes the design seems familiar, doesn't it? I specified practically everything about these hats; the shape was of course Art's magic.

Here another one:
VS Powderblue 5.5" x 2 3/8" bound brim in silver with a 22 ligne midnight blue ribbon and narrow VS stripe in silver.

The powderblue is an incredibly beautiful dye. It is really very light, but definitely a light blue (as opposed to a light grey w/ blueish undertone).
Works very well with tan odd jackets/ suits.

 

[Rabbit]

Powderblue continued:

 

[Aureliano]

Aureliano,
yes the design seems familiar, doesn't it? I specified practically everything about these hats

So did I! what a cool coincidence. You know the saying: great minds think alike! beautiful VSs you have there, man.

 

[Rabbit]

Blue Smoke!

Thanks Aureliano. You have obviously acquired very good taste yourself judging from your hat collection alone. I saw the shots in the collection thread I believe.
Being so terribly specific about the hats must be a pain in the neck to Art. lol

Blue Smoke!

5.5" x 2 3/8" underwelt with black 17 L ribbon.

And then some people say the liner doesn't show...

Ribbon detail:

 

[T Rick]

Thank you all for your kind comments.
I'm wondering whether I'm overdoing the pic size? They are 300+ KB... I certainly don't intend to slow down the FL loading. Any thoughts on that?

Wow Rabbit, four very special "works of Art" there, thanks very much for sharing them with us, and Welcome to The Lounge!

BTW, I am currently using my data card instead of my broadband and WiFi (the card is not particularly fast) and I didn't notice any slowdown at all on the pages loading. While I usually keep mine under 250K, I think you've demonstrated that 300 is no issue.

Very nice Silverbelly, too. Kind of Whippet-esque. (Picture size looks great in my monitor, btw)

He's referring to the file size, or image density (resolution), as opposed to the screen size in area. Typically a high res photo will load much more slowly and can really make it a pain for those with slower connections (like I am using right now). Most either reduce the file size for posting (which generally shows no degradation in image quality appearing on a web page) or use a photo host that resizes them automatically.

 

[Aureliano]

He's referring to the file size, or image density (resolution), as opposed to the screen size in area.

Yeah, I got that. Just kept it succinct thinking it'd be understood. Thank you for elaborating, T.

 

[Jauntyone]

Great collection, Rabbit. :eusa_clap That gray ribbon with a black wind trolley is a nice combination, I think it looks particularly classy!

 

[T Rick]

Yeah, I got that. Just kept it succinct thinking it'd be understood. Thank you for elaborating, T.

To be honest, I figured you did (never had any trouble loading your images either!). I just threw that in because I do see others sometimes not understanding the difference. I should have been more clear on that (but then I rattled on plenty as it was ). Succinct is something I could work on .

 

[Lefty]

Fantastic collection. Art can make a heck of a fancy ribbon but, for me, his best looking hats are more simple and elegant. Each of those is a real prize.

 

[Rabbit]

VS Oxblood

Thanks T Rick, Jt1 and Lefty for your comments.
So I gather the 300 KB is tolerable, but only just so. I have a rather slow connection myself; my next image posts will have slightly smaller files.

And now, finally, my Oxblood.
This one is a shameless copy of Link's Oxblood
5.5" x 2 1/4" raw edge with 24 L brownish-oxblood ribbon and narrow red VS stripe.
The ribbon is similar to the felt color, but with a discernible shift towards brown. It balances the felt color very well (especially in this width), making the hat as a whole more subdued in color.

Two more felts in the queue

Art, thank you for building these awesome hats!
There are many things like etiquette and dress standards which have thinned throughout the decades following the war, and it's a comforting thought that there are actually people out there who still appreciate these very things, as a way of respect for their fellow men.
It's always nice to see these standards being brought to life!
Also, I'm very grateful to all of you fellow loungers out there who have supplied pics and info here!

 

[DJH]

Rabbit, fantastic VS collection you have - every one is a winner.

On picture size, for the forum I always make my images with the longest side 650 pixels. This fits the forum nicely and the file size is about 40KB.

 

[Aureliano]

Art can make a heck of a fancy ribbon but, for me, his best looking hats are more simple and elegant.

I'm right there with ya, Lefty.

 

[Rabbit]

Thanks David!
That works very well indeed! This one is 650 height / 92 KB.

 

[Rabbit]

About Art's felt finishes:
Is there someone out there who knows for certain whether or not the suede finish and the standard finish are one and the same thing? I have a feeling they are, with the name "standard" being a term not used any more by Art (except for the one reference to a standard finish on the newer "Largo" model on his site). I could be wrong, though.
I never asked Art about it and simply requested the suede finish each time.

 

[daizawaguy]

Smashing hats Rabbit! You`ve brought out the best in Art! I would say the suede requires more work in the finish than a standard, and think that Art`s methods have evolved over the years, and hence the difference, but you came in at the right time Sir, and got the very best...those color combinations rock!

 

[Rabbit]

Smashing hats Rabbit! You`ve brought out the best in Art! I would say the suede requires more work in the finish than a standard, and think that Art`s methods have evolved over the years, and hence the difference, but you came in at the right time Sir, and got the very best...those color combinations rock!

How do you do, D'Guy!

I see what you mean. The new name seems to have come about when his pouncing technique reached new levels...
I wonder if Art would also be willing to make a very "short" finish...one that makes the surface look very dense. I got a Resistol "Kitten Finish" Beaver Twenty with a finish like that; probably other vintage makers had similar ones. I understand that Art's pouncing is done in the shop - is it possible that these shorter finishes of old required bigger machines to do it?