D Bar J Hats: an impromptu tour

[bowlerman]

Well, I finally had the utter pleasure of visiting a real brick and mortar hatter's shop! What a treat it was for me to be able to meet David from D Bar J Hats in Las Vegas and have him and [presumably] his wife delay their holiday vacation for an hour to show me and my kids around the "workbench" and hat making process. A huge thank you to them!

It was wonderful to chat with him and hear about his hat making process and the history of his company and career.

The following are some of the photos I took there.

Enjoy!

 

[bowlerman]

 

[bowlerman]

 

[bowlerman]

 

[Chepstow]

Jeff, wonderful photo set, and great Hat photos. Looks like you have a new one on your Head.
Thanks for sharing them with us.

 

[mayserwegener]

Jeff, wonderful photo set, and great Hat photos. Looks like you have a new one on your Head.
Thanks for sharing them with us.

+1

 

[Iyor]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I've never been there, but I have ordered a few hats from there, and the quality is outstanding. He has some vintage bodies which imo is the best of both worlds between vintage and custom.

 

[bowlerman]

Thanks all.

Iyor, I'd love to see some of your hats from here. Would you consider posting them? Perhaps this thread could be changed from "tour" to a more general "D Bar J" thread?

David is a super nice guy and very knowledgeable. I'm liking my new [non-custom] hat more and more every day, and it is fitting perfectly now, as if it were a custom after all. As I mentioned in a different thread, I find the sweatband leather to be uber-comfy.

For all you western fans out there, I think D Bar J does some really fantastic work. Honestly, I REALLY wanted to buy that bone homburg I tried on above-- the perfect western homburg, IMHO, but it was higher than staple grade and way beyond my budget.

 

[RBH]

Cool trip Bman. Thanks for taking us along.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi Jeff(?)

Great pictures, but I COULD have lived without seeing that bright fire engine red job. I couldn't live like that. :eeek:

Later

 

[St. Valentine]

Great photo story Jeff, love your new hat! I need to get myself a green fedora too.

 

[suitedcboy]

Cool set of photos. Looks like he gave you the grand tour. I have a question on #3 reply, 2nd picture. This looks like a still. DO hatters have to drink a lot?

 

[randooch]

Fun shots, Jeff! Until post #4, I was wondering if you came away with any! Super choice.

Looks like a "goin' concern" for sure. Did you ask how business was?

 

[job]

Bowlerman, is your new hat made of dress weight felt or western? Nice either way.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Jeff; Thanks for sharing your hat adventure. The business looks to have plenty of square footage, equipment and clean white walls. Neat, clean business is a good indicator of folks who pay attention to details.

Love the new lid. It is a grand felt color and ribbon. I look forward to seeing more of your hat.

Best, Eric -

 

[bowlerman]

Cool set of photos. Looks like he gave you the grand tour. I have a question on #3 reply, 2nd picture. This looks like a still. DO hatters have to drink a lot?

I think the picture you're referring to is what he told me was "the boiler" but I definitely caught sight of a big bottle of Grand Marnier in the back room there. I asked "secret ingredient?" He replied "only after work!"

Fun shots, Jeff! Until post #4, I was wondering if you came away with any! Super choice.

Looks like a "goin' concern" for sure. Did you ask how business was?

Catching him just before he took the rest of the week off for the fourth was a perfect time-- no other customers. Actually, since they are primarily a custom hatter, I was impressed at the showroom stock they had. He told me that certain times of the year he always has huge orders for reenactors, shows (travelling and stationary), and I infer some tv/film jobs. David also spoke a bit about the rising costs of good leather and felt bodies, and market trends where collectors may pass away and release hundreds of hats back into the market, lowering the cost for a little while until someone else nabs them (gulp...!). I believe he said he started in 1988 and has been doing this ever since.
He also commented on felt makeup and cited some of the chemicals that are no longer allowed to be put in the felting process (mercury being only one of several nerve-damaging and/or lethal chemicals).
Also, every "specialty shop" I've been to the past few weeks has voiced a very mixed feeling regarding Ebay's effect on their market (hats, cigars, pipes, etc.)

Bowlerman, is your new hat made of dress weight felt or western? Nice either way.

Thanks job [and everyone]! It's definitely considered dress weight, not as thick as their western, but it seems perhaps a bit thicker/tougher/more rugged than, say, Falcon Park, or Beaver Brand 5X, or other modern custom/production hats I've experienced. Similar in thickness to the Stetson Austral, but the 5X rabbit felt is MUCH finer and smoother than the Stetson Buffalo felt. I suppose that's not a great comparison.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Looks like you had a great "cook's tour!" I really like the hat you got.

For the record, D Bar J Hats ranks high among the good guys in my book. I do Cowboy Action Shooting, and D Bar J is a strong supporter, and is always present with their fine hats at major events. In addition, they often donate one or more hats for lucky participants. They make a GREAT hat!:eusa_clap

 

[barrowjh]

Nice photo tour, thanks for sharing!

 

[H Weinstein]

Wow! Yeah, thanks for "taking us along" on your tour. People who love what they do also love talking about it to anyone with a genuine interest, and it's really fun listening to them share their knowledge and experience. Sounds like a perfect confluence of events that you were there when he had the time to really show you around. That's some complicated-looking machinery in his shop!

 

[coble]

Bowlerman, excellent tour of the shop. I really like your new lid, did you pick up the bowler as well? How you been?