Hey UK! Where do you buy your hats?

[Matt Deckard]

Okay what about historically? Any famous hatters or shops from the recent past that folded yet are still known?

 

[avedwards]

Okay what about historically? Any famous hatters or shops from the recent past that folded yet are still known?

Christys and Locke & Co immediately come to mind.

 

[Nick D]

Dunn & Co, I have a good homburg and bowler from them.

 

[M6Classic]

Okay what about historically? Any famous hatters or shops from the recent past that folded yet are still known?

The relic of the once great Herbert Johnson is now owned and peddled by Swaine, Adeney, Brigg near the top of St James's Street. The hats on offer bay at the moon. Mind you, Swaine Adeney still sells some fine leather goods, umbrellas and canes, though their stock of whips...for those among us who crave whips...is greatly diminished.

Buzz

 

[Tedquinton]

With advintage no longer making custom hats, is adventurebilt delux the only custom European hat maker?

If so there must be an opportunity for someone, as transport and import costs are so high from the US. Is there a European Art Fawcett anywhere?

 

[ManofKent]

Sadly we're very poorly served by hatters in the UK.

I don't know of any custom hat makers, or even hat repairers.

Manufacturers wise Christy's (not their cheap crown series) and Olney still block hats in the UK. Straw boaters are still made in Luton. Failsworth are still going, but don't seem to produce fur-felts anymore. The list of good British hatmakers from the past is long, but there aren't many remaining. Last time I looked in Bates their boaters were re-badged Olney and Lock & Co's bowlers were Christy's with a different liner and huge mark up. There is at least one company producing wool hats (Burgess) but no fur felt hats.

There are a few online hat stores selling a variety of brands - Tails and the Unexpected offer a great service but limited range. Most brick and mortaetraditional menswear shops (also a dying breed) sell Olney, Christies or cheap woolies. Hornet Hats is long gone. There's the HatCentre in London for Tonak produced hats at very fair prices, and I think someone has mentioned John Halifax (might be Tonak's but I don't know).

Ebay wise you can pick up some decent vintage British hats (amongst a lot of crud). Sadly a lot of US sellers won't ship to the UK and when they do you're hit by customs charges (and a ridiculous 'handling' charge) on anything that comes in at over £15...

You can bring out the violins

 

[TheDane]

You can bring out the violins

And the violas and cellos hum the same sad theme: 'Things are not much better in Scandinavia' [huh]

In Copenhagen we've got one(!) hatshop - the legendary Petitgas. When it opened in 1853 and the following many years, his 160-some hatters lived in the building and it's close surroundings. Today it's a one-man-operated reseller for Borsalino, Stetson, Mayser and City Sport. It's just been taken over by a new owner, but the old one told me, that he had quite some Norwegian and Swedish customers, as they are just as poorly served in their own countries.

It's an interesting thought, that back in the late 1800's the number of employees in the Danish hatter business exceeded the number of those in our combined carpentry and bricklaying businesses. Talking about collapse of an industry! :eeek:

 

[Qvist]

The same sad situation in Finland also. There is about 5 hat shops in finland with VERY limited assortment and we are practically dependent on web stores mainly in USA (with enormous shipping fees, taxes and custom duties).

 

[Edward]

Locks and Bates are the big two, but they're both mostly out of my pocket's reach. I buy virtually all of my hats online. eBay UK for some, a couple from Everything Australian in the US. The vast majority of my new fur felts came from www.hatsdirect.com. Picked up a couple of cheaper hats from this guy - http://www.hatcentre.co.uk/ , as Manofkent notes. Perfectly serviceable, if not on the level of an Akubra Federation.

EDIT: There's also the hat museum in Stockport, their gift shop has a Christy's ordering service, but only have about 15 hats in stock to try on. If you're ever in the area it's worth a look round, entry is free. (but not worth a special trip in my opinion)

Interesting place, especially if you get the tour. Guy that showed me round had actually worked in the industry back in the day.

Failsworth are still going, but don't seem to produce fur-felts anymore.

Nice tweed newsboys, though - I have one I bought from Aero. Unfortunately Aero only sell the two colours. My favourite newsboys, though, are from Hepville (Germany), via Etsy.

Got a nice silk/wool cap from Laird Hatters http://www.lairdhatters.com/ in London a couple of years ago. Some nice things, though pricey.

 

[ManofKent]

Nice tweed newsboys, though - I have one I bought from Aero. Unfortunately Aero only sell the two colours. My favourite newsboys, though, are from Hepville (Germany), via Etsy.

Got a nice silk/wool cap from Laird Hatters http://www.lairdhatters.com/ in London a couple of years ago. Some nice things, though pricey.

Yes Failsworth still produce nice caps. I've not tried Laird - I must look out for them.

 

[GHT]

Here in Edinburgh there is only one 'specialist' hat shop (Fabhatrix), which mainly does Olney and Linney, with pretty much everything else being wool felt.
So all in all it's not great for fedoras, and most of us are reliant on importing hats from somewhere abroad.
Rob St.C

Quite the opposite for me, I came across Fabhatrix during a trip to Edinburgh's: Whisky Experience. They are very helpful, I send them a photo of a hat that's caught my eye. They send me a price, if I agree to it, the hat arrives a couple of weeks later.

 

[mikepara]

I found nothing in Fabhatrix that was wearable. Mainly a woman's wedding hat shop. Don't waste your time on a special visit. They have a website, check it out, see if you agree with me.

 

[scrawlysteve]

In lovely Dorset--in Bridport--there is Snooks. They host a hugely well attended Hat Festival annually.

 

[Tedquinton]

Thanks for the replies. Is there anywhere in the UK that would do reblocks/adjustments. I want to get a brim trimmed, but don't won't a hatchet job as it's on a decent custom.

Many thanks

 

[bloc]

I make my own. Currently I make ladies occasion hats at my shop and studio in West Wales. I've made a few gent's hats recently and I've got the bug! I have a lot to learn but my plan is to spend the next year building up my hatting equipment and my expertise and running down the wedding hat side of it. I will be spending a lot of time at the Fedora Lounge I think.

 

[ManofKent]

I make my own. Currently I make ladies occasion hats at my shop and studio in West Wales. I've made a few gent's hats recently and I've got the bug! I have a lot to learn but my plan is to spend the next year building up my hatting equipment and my expertise and running down the wedding hat side of it. I will be spending a lot of time at the Fedora Lounge I think.

You'll have next to no UK competition - good luck!

 

[bloc]

You'll have next to no UK competition - good luck!

Thanks for the kind wishes. I'll keep you all posted with progress. Meanwhile, have some wedding hats to make

 

[TheDane]

I have a lot to learn but my plan is to spend the next year building up my hatting equipment and my expertise and running down the wedding hat side of it

Not to sound discouraging but it's a very big project, if you plan to make a business from bespoke gents hats. A very big difference between ladies and gents hats is, that gents hats must be made to exact fit - whereas many styles of ladies hats come in one or two sizes.

Heads come in several different head shapes (ovals). Most are "regular" or "long", but you also see a lot "wide" and "extra-long" and even some "XX-long" ovals. Heads also come in many sizes - 10 or 12 is considered the standard range, that should be covered. In other words, each crown profile you intend to make takes more than 20 blocks - just to cover the very most common head sizes/shapes. On top of that comes a giant bunch of flanges in just as many head sizes/shapes and widths. Most hatters' "woodpile" amounts to several hundred pieces.

Blocks and flanges can to some degree be found second hand, but in those amounts you'll have to have a lot made from new. Buying new blocks in sets of 12 sizes you pay no less than $150 each. Then they must be shipped to Wales, and you'll have to pay customs, VAT and probably an import fee. In no time we're looking at tens of thousands of Pound Sterling - and we haven't even talked about other tools or materials.

As I started by stating: I don't want to sound discouraging. On the other hand, it takes a lot of time - a brilliant economy - or an enormous amount of creativity to gather the tools, necessary to settle as a full blown hatter. Millinery is quite an other matter. Both are great hobbies, though.

That said, I'll second Richard: "You'll have next to no UK competition - good luck!"

 

[bloc]

Not to sound discouraging but it's a very big project, if you plan to make a business from bespoke gents hats.

Thanks for the advice. It's always good to have a reality check and that does all sound overwhelming. My ladies hats are bespoke so they are made to measure but I don't have the mountain of hat blocks you describe. On the plus side I do have a local chap who makes blocks for me which should save a lot in the wood department and I do have a lot of equipment already. I don't have tens of thousands to spend in one go by any means. I wonder if I can build up the necessary block pile piecemeal. There is a lot to think about and the hat-making will definitely have hobby status alongside the millinery business while I try it out.

 

[carranty]

I wonder if I can build up the necessary block pile piecemeal.

While I completely agree with what TheDane just said, I think you're right that this is exactly the way to do it. Start small. Perhaps start with the equipment to make a hat that would fit your spouse/friend/close relative etc, to give you practice in hat making itself. To do custom hats, for everyone, is indeed quite a task, but you could perhaps initially just gather together some of the more popular size/shape blocks, and just offer hats made on those those (which is really all that the current UK hat retailers do anyway, just set styles in 4 or 5 different sizes), then move onto custom if you think it'll be economically viable. To bring in some extra coin you could offer a re-ribbon, binding service -- I know I have a couple of Akubras I'd like a different ribbon on but don't dare do myself. It just isn't worth the expense for me to send the entire hat to the US and back just for a $35 service.