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A recent thread on South Street Hatters in Philadelphia got me wondering how many hatters there are.
The Internet has made feasible the business model followed by a few hat makers and renovators, but there's at least a solid handful of hatters with little or no web presence. I know of two in this state -- Alex Conley of the Conley Hat Manufacturing Co. in Seattle, who has a website but I question if it generates much business for him; and Dave Wolf of Wolf's Hattery in Spokane, who has no website at all.
I've had in-person chats with both of these guys. They're both personable and knowledgeable and seem to have a true passion for what they're doing. And they seem the sort who prefer a regular old bricks-and-mortar operation over any of that "virtual" stuff.
Most hatters with whom I've compared notes agree that making a new hat is a more pleasant undertaking than renovating an old one. And it's usually more lucrative. (Few people seem willing to spend what a hatter really ought to charge for all the hassle involved in returning a stained, rumpled old hat to something resembling its former glory.) For that reason, we all should consider ourselves fortunate to have people with the knowhow, the equipment and the willingness to make our old hats look good again.
So, where are they? And do they take business over the phone and the mail?
The Internet has made feasible the business model followed by a few hat makers and renovators, but there's at least a solid handful of hatters with little or no web presence. I know of two in this state -- Alex Conley of the Conley Hat Manufacturing Co. in Seattle, who has a website but I question if it generates much business for him; and Dave Wolf of Wolf's Hattery in Spokane, who has no website at all.
I've had in-person chats with both of these guys. They're both personable and knowledgeable and seem to have a true passion for what they're doing. And they seem the sort who prefer a regular old bricks-and-mortar operation over any of that "virtual" stuff.
Most hatters with whom I've compared notes agree that making a new hat is a more pleasant undertaking than renovating an old one. And it's usually more lucrative. (Few people seem willing to spend what a hatter really ought to charge for all the hassle involved in returning a stained, rumpled old hat to something resembling its former glory.) For that reason, we all should consider ourselves fortunate to have people with the knowhow, the equipment and the willingness to make our old hats look good again.
So, where are they? And do they take business over the phone and the mail?
