Falcon Park Hattery

[randooch]

yes, i'd say it was worth the wait. Beautiful choices in the hat color and contrasting ribbon!

:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap

plus one!

 

[fmw]

Beautiful hat FMW.
How tall is the crown?

Thanks. 4 3/4"

 

[fmw]

You said it That hat IS YOU !! The proportions with regard to your head are SPOT ON !! And you are right, you can wear THAT one with ANYTHING

LOL. Even an old faded blue t-shirt.

 

[Oldsarge]

My Falcon fedora arrived today. Is there something truly special about it? Yes and it is the finish. I have never handled a hat finished this nicely. Admittedly, I don't have a lot of experience but I haven't seen anything like this. It is very very nice. it is rabbit fur. The color is silverbelly with a medium gray grosgrain ribbon and binding. 2 3/8" brim, teardrop crease. You should take the studio shots as the most accurate representation of the color. The outdoor shot is too warm due to having white balance adjusted for the studio strobes. Here are the images.

Oh, look at that! A hat like that makes a man want to go out an buy a new suit to wear under it, something at least made to measure, possibly even bespoke. Worth the wait? I guess!

 

[job]

I love your hat. I have one that should be here in a couple of weeks. I have already sent Parker money for 2 more hats. So much for slowing down on buying hats. I think I am up to 8 or so this year. If the 3 I have Parker making come out as good as your FMW I will be WAY happy.

 

[fmw]

Job, I see no reason you won't be pleased with the results. Let me know what you think of the finish after you receive it. I think the finish is what his hats are all about.

 

[SgtRick]

I have one of Parkers creations, the Falcon pictured on his website in the same color. I don't think there is better value out there anywhere. I am in the process of ordering another one from him. I have bought 8 hats this year so far and his saw the most head time while I was on R&R recently. Pictures do not do his creations justice. I am truly a fan of Parkers.

And 1 more thing guys....if you think the rabbit is nice (outstanding value in my book) you should see the beaver!

Rick

 

[fmw]

I did learn a little about Parker's finish. I sent him an email letting him know the hat arrived and praising the finish. He said he pounces the hats by hand. He said he has tried using motorized methods but the hand pouncing produces better results for him. I wouldn't disagree. The finish is really special.

 

[EggHead]

I wonder if pouncing by hand includes a rotating motorized device and just hand pressure applied to felt with sandpaper or the hat is held in the hand and rotated manually.

 

[fmw]

No, he said he pounces without any sort of motorized device. He has them but no longer uses them. It is time consuming to be sure but I can assure you there is a difference in the look and feel of the felt. I have no personal experience with all the finishes of the various hatters so I can't compare it to other custom hats. But the quality of finish on this hat is instantly noticeable to someone like me who owns mostly factory hats.

 

[gtdean48]

FMW = how would you compare the felt body to that of the Outback style hat you are wearing in your avatar?

 

[fmw]

The nap is slightly longer giving the the felt a little more texture. The finish is softer and seems to be less directional. My wife describes it as feeling like suede and I wouldn't disagree with that. I'm not very good at hat terminology but this hat has a nicer looking and feeling finish than the one in my avatar.

 

[fmw]

Perhaps a better way to describe it is that the Buckaroo hat feels "hairier" and the Falcon hat feels "downier." If you were to compare a modern Akubra to another modern factory made hat, the Akubra would look and feel coarser and hairier. It would be more like the Buckaroo but the Buckaroo has a nicer finish than any of my Akubras. At any rate, if you happen to be in Northern Indiana, stop by. You can see the hats close up and I'll buy the beer.

 

[gtdean48]

Thanks. How about the weight & stiffness of the two? Your avatar hat seems to be a western body where I'm thinking the Falcon Park is a dress weight fedora body.

 

[fmw]

Let me get both of them out of their boxes and try to make as good a comparison as I can. I'll post something later.

 

[fmw]

Thanks. How about the weight & stiffness of the two? Your avatar hat seems to be a western body where I'm thinking the Falcon Park is a dress weight fedora body.

I don't think the Buckaroo hat is western weight. It seems quite similar to the Falcon and lighter than my western hats. The Buckaroo is slightly stiffer in the crown and the Falcon slightly stiffer in the brim. I would say both are not far off new factory hats in terms of stiffness. My Stetson Whippets are a little less stiff and my Stetson Open Road and new Akubras are significantly stiffer than this pair. My Dobbs Beechwood has about the same stiffness as these two.

I would give the Buckaroo a higher grade in terms of blocking and flanging. I think it was done with more precision and easily as much precision as the production line of a factory. I have had no motivation to apply steam and reshape anything on the Buckaroo. I wear just as it came out of the box and as you see it in the avatar. I may steam and smooth out the front the brim on the Falcon a little. Not a big deal but not truly precise. In a nutshell these are both great hats and terrific values. The cost of the Buckaroo was similar to that of a new Borsalino and the Falcon was about the same price as a new Stetson or Dobbs. Both hats are of better fit, finish and quality than any factory hat I've encountered - either new or vintage.

I would certainly recommend both hatters to any prospective buyer. If you want the benefit of more experience and precision, Mike would be the way to go. He would also be the way to go for a western or outback style hat. If you want a lower price but with a luxurious finish, then Parker is your man. I will probably buy from both of them in the future. I'm thinking of a Boss of the Plains from Mike and a navy blue or chocolate center dent fedora from Parker.

 

[gtdean48]

VERY interesting. Thanks for the comparison. Just shows you how internet viewing can lead you astray. I'd bet good Yankee dollars that the Buckaroo was a stiffer, western body!

 

[danofarlington]

That's a classy-looking hat. Wish I had one like it.

 

[fmw]

Thanks, Dan. It isn't hard to get one.

 

[Blackjack]

My visit to Falcon Park Hattery

Since I've been rather depressed lately about the state of the country I decided the quickest way to pick myself up was to get myself a new custom made hat. Living outside Chicago I had a choice of going to Optimo, buying online, or trying the "new" guy Parker Melvin of Falcon Park Hats. As it turns out we are almost neighbors living the next town over from me, so I gave Mr. Melvin a call and we set up a time. I arrived at his home and he greeted me with a handshake and a smile and invited me in. He brought me into a room where I assume he does his finish work, ribbons ect... and showed me several hats he has restored and several he had made for himself. I was very impressed with both as he obviously put the same love and care into the restoration as he does into hats he makes from scratch. We chatted about styles, brim widths, colors and materials and he was more than helpful on all these subjects. He then took me into his shop where we looked at hat blocks, felt samples and several restored hats he had been working on including an absolutely stunning Whippet in a deep caramel brown. By this point I was very satisfied that I was making the right choice and discussed what I wanted him to make for me. Mr Melvin's passion is his work and it shows, he is a craftsman and an artist, all the hats I saw were perfect examples of what a fedora "should" be. Beautiful felt, soft but strong, shaped perfectly, and topped off with a one piece ribbon of choice ( the same way Optimo does theirs). I had read on one of the threads here some criticism of Parkers ribbon work and I can tell you first hand, it is top notch. he will make and style your ribbon in any fashion you wish, the ribbon work I saw today on all the hats were in no way "puffy or sloppy", they were meticulously done to finish off a great custom hat. I'm sure if you WANTED a puffy bow he would be glad to make that for you as a previous client had. It's not my taste but he will do what ever you wish. I decided on a little lower crown than a lot of you like here, more like the whippet he was working on, in a swell granite grey topped of with a darker burgundy ribbon. I'm looking forward to it!!!