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[Lean'n'mean]

and as such are vicious, bloodthirsty little ba$tard$,

Not at all like us then.

 

[RJR]

Not at all like us then.

 

[Woodtroll]

Not at all like us then.

I’ll have to say I think this group here is a pretty civil bunch, until you dangle a mint rare hat in front of them!

 

[Wyldkarma]

Anyone have a hats by grizz? If so, how do you like it? they look kinda rustic..... https://www.facebook.com/HatsByGrizzMadeWithJoy

 

[Mustang Mike's Hats]

^^^^his name is Gourdo right??

But his wife calls him Calabaza

 

[belfastboy]

Anyone have a hats by grizz? If so, how do you like it? they look kinda rustic..... https://www.facebook.com/HatsByGrizzMadeWithJoy

I sent an email to him a while back asking him if I purchased a hat and if I sent a leather sweat would he install that instead of his cotton sweats. I received a very terse reply.......NO, he would never compromise his creations by altering them in that way. The cotton sweat is his signature. I did not buy!

 

[scottyrocks]

Anyone have a hats by grizz? If so, how do you like it? they look kinda rustic..... https://www.facebook.com/HatsByGrizzMadeWithJoy

I just went to the website and saw one I reeeally like. Uh-oh.

 

[scottyrocks]

I sent an email to him a while back asking him if I purchased a hat and if I sent a leather sweat would he install that instead of his cotton sweats. I received a very terse reply.......NO, he would never compromise his creations by altering them in that way. The cotton sweat is his signature. I did not buy!

Hmm, that might help explain the reasonable prices.

 

[Wyldkarma]

I just went to the website and saw one I reeeally like. Uh-oh.

Don't go looking at my new post in the what hat are you waiting for section then....

 

[Wyldkarma]

Looking at most custom hatters prices, going pure beaver runs about $100 more than rabbit / beaver blends. Is the upgrade to beaver really worth it. I have both and like them equally well. As a neophyte here maybe I just don't understand the premium placed on beaver and why it makes for a better hat. ???

 

[scottyrocks]

Don't go looking at my new post in the what hat are you waiting for section then....

Just for that I'm gonna go.

Right now.

So there.

<hehehehe>

Edit: Referring to the Disney and Stetson post?

 

[jlee562]

Looking at most custom hatters prices, going pure beaver runs about $100 more than rabbit / beaver blends. Is the upgrade to beaver really worth it. I have both and like them equally well. As a neophyte here maybe I just don't understand the premium placed on beaver and why it makes for a better hat. ???

IMHO, beaver is generally superior for dress and western hats. We can add many caveats, such as vintage hare and rabbit velours (and I happen to really like my rabbit heathered felt from BSHW), but if we are talking getting a custom hat built in the now, I think you should go beaver.

The conventional wisdom goes that beaver felts tighter because the individual furs have barbs on them which makes them more conducive to the felting process itself. When mercury was used in hat production, it was used to produce similar barbs, which is one of the reasons vintage felts are generally more dense. Additionally, being an animal that primarily spends time in water, the thought is that beaver fur is inherently more water resistant. Finally, beaver hats seem to last longer without the need for a reblock.

You'd have to confirm with a hatter, but my understanding is that it's easier to produce a fine, soft finish on a beaver felt than with rabbit.

 

[belfastboy]

Looking at most custom hatters prices, going pure beaver runs about $100 more than rabbit / beaver blends. Is the upgrade to beaver really worth it. I have both and like them equally well. As a neophyte here maybe I just don't understand the premium placed on beaver and why it makes for a better hat. ???

I have both custom beaver felt hats and custom rabbit....Winchester, Fepsa and Tonak. Call me what you will but I like them all. Even comparing Winchester beaver to the rabbit to me the difference in look and feel is minimal. Hatters will tell you the difference comes in on the longevity. Beaver will look better longer as it is a better, tighter felt. The beaver fibres have natural hooks that enhances the bond making a denser and tighter fabric. I do know hatters prefer to work with the beaver over rabbit as the beaver is easier to work with. I met a guy camping two weeks ago and he wore a 15 year old Penman fedora in rabbit felt. It has been his everyday wear hat (his only hat) for all these years and damned if it didn't still look great. I have yet to own a 50/50 felt as they seem to only come in Western weight.

 

[belfastboy]

IMHO, beaver is generally superior for dress and western hats. We can add many caveats, such as vintage hare and rabbit velours (and I happen to really like my rabbit heathered felt from BSHW), but if we are talking getting a custom hat built in the now, I think you should go beaver.

The conventional wisdom goes that beaver felts tighter because the individual furs have barbs on them which makes them more conducive to the felting process itself. When mercury was used in hat production, it was used to produce similar barbs, which is one of the reasons vintage felts are generally more dense. Additionally, being an animal that primarily spends time in water, the thought is that beaver fur is inherently more water resistant. Finally, beaver hats seem to last longer without the need for a reblock.

You'd have to confirm with a hatter, but my understanding is that it's easier to produce a fine, soft finish on a beaver felt than with rabbit.

I have a heathered rabbit from BlackSheep and it is a stellar hat.....I love it. I also love my Fepsa and Tonak rabbit felt hats.

 

[Tukwila]

I can certainly tell my rabbit felt hats from beaver, but my rabbit felt is Winchester, not Tonak or Fepsa which I understand are better quality. I've talked to John Penman about his felts. He carries a lot of blends from several companies other than Winchester. His customs can be from Europe or South America and the quality on some of these rabbit/hare/beaver blends is better than Winchester beaver. The Adventurebilt Indy hats, for example, are not beaver and will last for generations.

But my Falcon Park rabbit felt fedora is thicker and much coarser than any of my vintage or custom beaver felt hats; noticeably so. I'm not saying it's not a nice hat. It's quite nice, and I love it. But I can tell the difference. When I order a custom, I order beaver as a general rule. Exceptions would be the previously mentioned heathered felts from BSHW or the blends from Penman.

I have a Penman Everyman Indy hat, John's factory/production hat. I will say that this 80/20 blend of rabbit/beaver is very close in quality to Winchester beaver. It's just as thin, seems to be as tough as nails, and if it didn't have stiffening agent applied to it I think you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference from Winchester beaver felt. IMO it doesn't have too much stiffness to it, it's just not as pliable as a custom from John Penman, or Michael Gannon, as a comparison.

But this Everyman felt is not Winchester, either, so... make your own decisions from there. IIRC, it is from South America.

 

[jonesy86]

I am thinking of trying to have a hatter re-create a vintage Borsalino, sage green, beaver felt, fairly large brim, high crown, and wide ribbon, +- $300. Already have a Gannon and VS and would like to try another custom hatter.

Kind of a mash up of these:

Any and all suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

 

[Tukwila]

Top 2 hats are closest to vintage Borsalino. If you can wait a year or more on his wait list, Bob at Black Sheep Hat Works does an impeccable job with anything he puts his hands (and mind) to.

I have been also looking at Wellema and Tatton Baird for hatters out of my area. You can check with Esther Weiss here on the FL and I have great hats from Mike Miller at NW Hats and John Penman of Penman Hat Co. Look at their facebook and/or instagram pages for an idea of their creations.

Good hunting and good luck!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I am thinking of trying to have a hatter re-create a vintage Borsalino, sage green, beaver felt, fairly large brim, high crown, and wide ribbon, +- $300. Already have a Gannon and VS and would like to try another custom hatter.

Kind of a mash up of these:

View attachment 138353
View attachment 138354
View attachment 138355
View attachment 138356
View attachment 138357
View attachment 138358

Any and all suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

We are spoiled for choice in custom hatters. I’ll throw The Phoenix Hat Company onto the list as worthy of consideration. Send @humanshoes a PM if you’re interested. Top quality hats at incredible prices.

Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[jlee562]

Well, my default answer is Bob at Black Sheep. The wait list is long (I didn't even ask Bob how long the line was, I just sent a deposit). Bob has reproduced a vintage Borsalino Torino of mine for one of his customers...I sent it in for a new sweat, somebody saw it when he posted on FB and commissioned one!

I like the look of Wellema hats too and was very close to ordering before I decided to stick with Bob. His work is exemplary, and details like custom embossments and European style hat hangers put him over the top, IMHO.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Support those custom hatters who support this forum first.