Henry the Hatter

[azhiker]

Hey Joedahat...looks like you guys have some new best friends! I get compliments every time I wear my Stetsons you converted for me! I'm going now to find my wife 'something pink'! I know ya'll have it there! See ya soon.

 

[DJH]

I have to say, all these conversions are nothing short of fantastic.
Nothing like bringing a whole new life to these nice hats. I've really enjoyed looking through this thread.

 

[azhiker]

Well, it's nice to take something out of the closet that I havent worn in literally years, and have it turned into something I wear everyday. tThe tan Stetson has become my 'regular' hat, black one is a dress up hat, though I sometimes wear it with just a nice shirt, slacks, leather jacket. I can thank the fellow members like MV in chicago for showing what can be done with a conversion. These two were my idea, but Henry the Hatters craftmanship!

 

[DRB]

I got a package from Henry the Hatter today. I sent him my "vintage" Akubra Titan. He cleaned and blocked it and replaced the yellowed liner. The brim has more stiffening than when it left here but the crown doesn't seem to. I had to spend a little time steaming out one area of the crown but it didn't take long. All in all, a pleasant experience and my Titan is just like new!

I think that is the best looking "Akubra" I have ever seen. Nice conversion! I'll bet you look great in it. If you don't mind, what was the cost of such a conversion?

 

[monbla256]

I think that is the best looking "Akubra" I have ever seen. Nice conversion! I'll bet you look great in it. If you don't mind, what was the cost of such a conversion?

DRB,
that hat IS an Akubra. It is an earier vintage one he got and sent to Henry the Hatter to get cleaned and refurbed. That is a nice original ribbon yes? he posted earlier about getting it off of the 'bay.

 

[fmw]

As Monbla says, it is not a conversion. However, I don't think it would a problem for Henry's to do something like it if you have a larger Akubra you want converted.

 

[fmw]

Henry the Hatter does Western as well. I sent an old Stetson Western I've had since the 1960's. I needed it cleaned and stretched. I wasn't fond of the high crown and we discussed what to do about it it. In the end I decided rather than to try to reduce the effect of the high crown, I would accentuate it. The result appeals to me at least. We went from cattleman to gus.

Before:

After:

 

[monbla256]

Henry the Hatter does Western as well. I sent an old Stetson Western I've had since the 1960's. I needed it cleaned and stretched. I wasn't fond of the high crown and we discussed what to do about it it. In the end I decided rather than to try to reduce the effect of the high crown, I would accentuate it. The result appeals to me at least. We went from cattleman to gus.

They did a VERY NICE job especially considering it was such an older western ! No signs of that previous crease at all !

 

[fmw]

Thanks. Yes, it's very nice. Clean as a whistle. They added some core to crown to stiffen up and hold the new crease. The top of the hat was very soft before. I like it a lot. I'll wear it to the post office this afternoon and see if I get any jeers.

 

[monbla256]

Thanks. Yes, it's very nice. Clean as a whistle. They added some core to crown to stiffen up and hold the new crease. The top of the hat was very soft before. I like it a lot. I'll wear it to the post office this afternoon and see if I get any jeers.

If you lived down here, you wouldn't even get looked at in that hat !! In a Snap brim, probably

 

[azhiker]

fmw..I talked to Joedahat the other day right after he talked to you about the new crease. I am glad you are having good luck with him. That is one great looking hat! If we can get more folks using the local hatters we already have, we might help revive our passion.

I wish I was not moving soon, I think it would be a hoot to organize a 'Fedora Fest' or Hat Fest in a couple locations. We could get the hat manufactures, vendors, and hat shops to partitcipate. This could really work out to be something big, especially with the Hollywood folks getting involved in hats like they are. Oh well, maybe when I get back to the States. If any one wants to grab this idea, it won't hurt my feelings at all. It would benefit everyone!

 

[fmw]

Good luck with wherever you are headed. Maybe Chicago would be a good place to do something like that - transportation hub, Optimo, Hats-Plus, within striking distance of Henry the Hatter and others.

 

[gtdean48]

...
I wish I was not moving soon, I think it would be a hoot to organize a 'Fedora Fest' or Hat Fest...

We are already on Fedora Fest 3. Check the Events thread from time to time....

 

[handlebar bart]

We are already on Fedora Fest 3. Check the Events thread from time to time....

What Tom said^:eusa_clap

And for those interested, Rusty has a FedoraFest III sticky at the top of the 'hats' section also

 

[azhiker]

Great to hear that, Im fairly new here, just since Oct, so Im not into everything yet! so what different hat hakers will be there. How many day event is it? Can anyone open a booth, or is this only for 'fedora' or vintage items? I can't belive this didnt show up on Google under trade fairs?

 

[fmw]

Today's delivery from Netflix was a remake of the old Karate Kid. This one has a boy and his mother move from Detroit to Beijing. In the first scene they go through downtown Detroit on the way to the airport and they pass.........you guessed it, Henry the Hatter. I almost jumped off the sofa.

 

[mattface]

Really excited about going to Henry the Hatter tomorrow

After getting my Borsalino back from Henry the hatter with a new sweat, I was so pleased I sent of 3 more hats. 2 are for me, one for my Etsy shop. So tomorrow I'll be in Detroit, and I'm going to the Southfield shop to pick up my hats, while I'm there I'm going to have him put my initials in a couple of hats that have new sweatbands, and also see if Joe can help me with the crease on my Knox premier, since I've never been quite happy with the crease I've been able to get in that hat. Might also pick up a couple extra leather sweatbands for future repairs if he will sell them individually.

I'm also excited to see what they've got in the shop. I got their catalog in the mail yesterday, and they've got a LOT of hats. There just aren't any hat stores like that around here.

Pics of the Zephyr weight weekender which got cleaned, blocked and a new ribbon, and my freshly cleaned green whippet(ish) are sure to follow.

 

[Benzadmiral]

After getting my Borsalino back from Henry the hatter with a new sweat, I was so pleased I sent of 3 more hats. 2 are for me, one for my Etsy shop. So tomorrow I'll be in Detroit, and I'm going to the Southfield shop to pick up my hats, while I'm there I'm going to have him put my initials in a couple of hats that have new sweatbands, and also see if Joe can help me with the crease on my Knox premier, since I've never been quite happy with the crease I've been able to get in that hat. Might also pick up a couple extra leather sweatbands for future repairs if he will sell them individually.

Even Meyer the Hatter doesn't offer the range of services Henry does -- everything, I guess, but brim-binding. My Moonstone Fed is at Henry's for a brim trim, reflanging into a snap-brim, and ribbon replacement. If you see it, tell it hello for me!

 

[mattface]

Even Meyer the Hatter doesn't offer the range of services Henry does -- everything, I guess, but brim-binding. My Moonstone Fed is at Henry's for a brim trim, reflanging into a snap-brim, and ribbon replacement. If you see it, tell it hello for me!

Will do Paul.

 

[mattface]

Wow, I'm really pleased after my visit today. Joe, the manager at the southfield store is a great guy, and he really took great care of me and my hats. Pictures will follow when I get a chance to photograph stuff, but I will say that he did a really great job on the Weekender. I probably spent an hour in the shop. There are a LOT of hats in a relatively small shop, and business was fairly brisk while i was in there. Joe took the time to reflange the brim on the weekender, because he was not satisfied with how it came from the cleaner. While I was there I also got him to put my initials in in 2 of my hats with new sweatbands in them, and he was nice enough to recrease my Knox for me, since I'd been having trouble getting it to crease the way I wanted it. He did a beautiful diamond crease, and he put nice feathers in a few of my hats.

I'm just very pleased with the experience, it is the kind of customer service one only gets from an old school small business, but not the kind of service I ever expect, it's that above and beyond level of service that just leaves me feeling warm. I like to support small business, and I love it when one takes such obvious pride in taking care of their customers.

Hat pictures to come as soon as I've had a chance to take some pictures. Here's pics of the top hat that I had a new sweat sewn in, and a new ribbon. Joe found a vintage satin ribbon which i think really works nicely. I hope to find time to go back before I head back to Vermont. I'd like to pick up a couple of spare reeded sweats to keep on hand, and they had a grey wool cadet cap I kinda fancy. Besides, I'd like to take some time to browse around the shop when i don't have family waiting on me. I kinda want to try on a stratoliner, even though they only have them in silverbelly and black. I don't especially care for either of those colors for that hat, but it does look like a nice hat. I also like the looks of the Biltmore hats. they look like a quality product.

Paul, your hat was already on it's way back to you, so I didn't get to say hello to it. Let's see pics when you get it.