Black Sheep Hat Works

[drmaxtejeda]

My only Black Sheep hat.

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[Garrett]

Some future projects we're working on:

 

[Tukwila]

Some future projects we're working on:

I know that navy cloche in the back...

 

[Garrett]

I think Bob threw that cloche on the couch because it was in the way of the other hats on the mantle.


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[mayserwegener]

Garrett, I am looking forward to the end results! Is the hat at the far right in the first photo the S.J. Fraenkel Wien Velour?

 

[Garrett]

Yes, that's the S & J on the far right. There are 6 old velours in the lot including that Fraenkel, Echter, Huckel, Stetson 1900 Exposition, Melton and a Wilke.

 

[mayserwegener]

Super!

 

[Tukwila]

I think Bob threw that cloche on the couch because it was in the way of the other hats on the mantle.

Unfortunately, that cloche has apparently been "in the way... of other hats" now since March 2017.

I was hoping it would be a Christmas 2017 gift for my wife. Nope.
Then I hoped for a March 2018 birthday gift. Nope.
Surely, then, a Christmas 2018 gift. Nope.

My own fedora was ordered the next month in April 2017...

I believe Bob is one of the most talented hatters in the business. He makes perfect, incredible, artful, inspired, wonderful hats. But, in the future, I think I will stick with hatters closer to home that complete their commissions a little closer to their quoted wait times.

The best I can figure is that Bob is simply, extremely, waaaaay over extended.

 

[belfastboy]

Unfortunately, that cloche has apparently been "in the way... of other hats" now since March 2017.

I was hoping it would be a Christmas 2017 gift for my wife. Nope.
Then I hoped for a March 2018 birthday gift. Nope.
Surely, then, a Christmas 2018 gift. Nope.

My own fedora was ordered the next month in April 2017...

I believe Bob is one of the most talented hatters in the business. He makes perfect, incredible, artful, inspired, wonderful hats. But, in the future, I think I will stick with hatters closer to home that complete their commissions a little closer to their quoted wait times.

The best I can figure is that Bob is simply, extremely, waaaaay over extended.

A true conundrum....a victim of too much success.....if that makes any sense at all.

 

[Garrett]

Sorry to hear that. I know the lead times can vary. Just to clarify - most of the hats I've posted in this thread were made between 2014-2016. The Prince project is the newest acquisition and was commissioned the week he died in April 2016. I took delivery in September of 2018. I know that Alex (OfCourseMyHorse) waited around 2 years for his superb bowler as well. For me personally it was worth the wait but I can't speak for others. Hopefully 2019 will be a better year for workflow and lead times.

 

[ofcoursemyhorse]

The wait for my bowler was pretty darn long. That said, i'm pretty comfortable in saying that there are very few if any other hatters who could've made the bowler that Bob did for me.

He brought several long since dead techniques/flourishes that have been forgotten for quite some time. He even used a second hat body as a liner so he could replicate a liner he'd seen in one of MayserWegener's beautiful melones.

I'm definitely sympathetic to people who'd like his lead times to be a bit shorter, that said Bob will go out of his way to make you a hat that will have a level of attention/care that borders on the insane.

 

[Tukwila]

Advertised as 9-12 months and a 50% deposit.... that's the rub.

Everyone else I have ever commissioned has been at or below their advertised times.

 

[Bill Hughes]

Advertised as 9-12 months and a 50% deposit.... that's the rub.

Everyone else I have ever commissioned has been at or below their advertised times.

9-12 months it’s a long time. I usually have customs made of hats I can’t find in vintage. At that kind of a wait there’s a pretty good chance I’ll find in vintage what I had ordered. The only thing I could do would be to get in the queue. Then as it gets closer to my turn decide on a build.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Unfortunately, that cloche has apparently been "in the way... of other hats" now since March 2017.

I was hoping it would be a Christmas 2017 gift for my wife. Nope.
Then I hoped for a March 2018 birthday gift. Nope.
Surely, then, a Christmas 2018 gift. Nope.

My own fedora was ordered the next month in April 2017...

I believe Bob is one of the most talented hatters in the business. He makes perfect, incredible, artful, inspired, wonderful hats. But, in the future, I think I will stick with hatters closer to home that complete their commissions a little closer to their quoted wait times.

The best I can figure is that Bob is simply, extremely, waaaaay over extended.

When I ordered my hat the queue Bob quoted me was 7-9 months. I had a future event that I wanted the hat for if at all possible & got Bob to agree to "aim for" 5 months. I got the fitter sweats quickly & returned them right away. I got my hat 13 months later. This was 2016 -2017. During those 13 months Bob must have had plenty of refurb work because Loungers were always sending him hats to be reblocked, for new sweats & ribbons, etc. Most of these hats, if not all, were not even BSHW hats.

It seems to me that a bespoke custom hatter who is in demand would want to get his custom hats "out there" would limit his refurb work to hats of his own making. Custom bootmakers face this problem all the time; limit their rebuild & repair work to their own brand, close their order book when it gets so far out, only take new orders from previous customers, etc.

I'm happy my order finally worked out, & I would love to have another hat from Bob. But I just can't get in a lengthy queue with so much uncertainty.

 

[Raybuntu]

I send the 50% deposit for my hat 5 months ago after chatting with Bob (he said something about 1 year). I still believe he will make a wonderful hat but I'm a bit scared now reading all those reports.
On the other hand I do not have a choice. Waiting for vintage hats in my size (7 5/8) is frustrating. I live in Germany so all I can do is wait if something nice is up on e-bay and hope the seller sends it overseas. I waited almost 2 years to find my vintage Dobbs Twenty in 7 5/8.

Ray

 

[Daniele Tanto]

I send the 50% deposit for my hat 5 months ago after chatting with Bob (he said something about 1 year). I still believe he will make a wonderful hat but I'm a bit scared now reading all those reports.
On the other hand I do not have a choice. Waiting for vintage hats in my size (7 5/8) is frustrating. I live in Germany so all I can do is wait if something nice is up on e-bay and hope the seller sends it overseas. I waited almost 2 years to find my vintage Dobbs Twenty in 7 5/8.

There are hatters also in Europe that can satisfied your requests

 

[Raybuntu]

There are hatters also in Europe that can satisfied your requests

Sorry for my question but can you name them?

 

[Raybuntu]

Esther Weis Millinery

Thanks they look nice although there is not much info on their website. I will write them an email.

 

[Raybuntu]

I tell you those with whom I have had business relationships
Cappelleria Melegari. Sergio Melegari hatmaker https://www.cappelleriamelegari.com...ufacturers_id=84&sort=20a&page=1#.XFwNS1xKiUk
Take a look, there are many "fancy" hats, but the core (fedora and homnurg) are really interesting. I have excellent experience with him
Penumbra Hats in Netherlands https://www.instagram.com/penumbrahatco/?hl=en An excellent hatter with whom I have refurbished many hats, some made ex-novo from ancient felts or straws.

She (Esther Weis Millinery) is also on Instagram.

Thank you both for this valuable information!

 

[Garrett]

OK guys let’s keep this thread about black sheep hat works. Vendor status on this forum requires payment by the vendors and I doubt they would appreciate links or info to competitors in their own dedicated threads. Its insulting and just bad form. If you have info on other hatters you can PM those members with that info without cluttering this thread.


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