HNC Hatworks (formerly known as Agnoulita Hats)

[deadlyhandsome]

Hat #1:

Marine blue in antelope/suede finish (rabbit) with charcoal ribbon and binding. I haven’t given it any water or steam yet and the crease was a 30 second affair. The top of the crown is very soft but it gets a bit firmer down the sides toward the brim. No issue, just different.

I requested that this hat be pounced finer and he came through. The fit is perfect and the liner is nice and the sweat is wonderful! No kidding, his sweats are the best I’ve felt. All hats came in a nice oval cardboard box and had a cloth storage bag included (my previous hats did not have the bag).

I’ll work on the crease with some steam, but in my experience if a hat will take a dry crease I know it will be great to work with.

I can unreservedly endorse this hat. There are some small issues that I’d pick out if I’d payed $300 or more for it, but at $145ish? I’m very happy. The felt is soft and wonderful and the details are pretty darn good. If you order from Agnoulita make sure to specify all the details including the finish. The shop is capable of some good work.


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[deadlyhandsome]

Hat #2
This is a caramel colored antelope/suede finished rabbit fur felt. Again, I asked for and received finer pouncing and better attention to details. This hat is a twin in quality to my marine blue so I won’t repeat myself.

Another 30 second dry crease. These hats are going to take any shape I want without putting up a fight.

I specified this minor bow treatment where the trailing edge is higher than the ribbon.

The full sun photos are the true color of the hat. I don’t know what color he calls the ribbon because I sent him a photo and asked him to duplicate it. Which reminds me, most of the photos you receive from Agnoulita are not accurate representations of colors.

If anything, this hat is even more compliant and willing to take a shape than my marine blue. The brims on both this caramel and the marine are very soft; not floppy at all, but not too far from it.

Another full-throated endorsement.


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[deadlyhandsome]

Hat #3
First, a correction: in a previous post I said this was another antelope/suede finished hat. It is actually just a plain old rabbit fur felt.

For this hat I sent Agnoulita a photo of Short Balding Guy’s cadet blue hat. I asked him to duplicate the color and he said he could. I think the result is a bit too royal blue, but I like it all the same. I also mixed up the ribbon and bow treatment on this hat as well.

I think I prefer the antelope/suede finish, but this is also quite nice and it’s available in many more colors. Again, a 30 second dry crease. These hats are insanely easy to shape. The soft brim was a bit wonky, but all it took was a light massage and it went into place. Amazing. Make sure you ask for a finely pounced hat if you order one!

I can’t overstate how pleased I am with these hats for the price...even at significantly more I’d be pleased.

For all of them: they all fit me the same (about perfect), but they are all size 62 and they fit me the same a current production Stetson open crown fedoras in size 61. Maybe it’s just me?




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[deadlyhandsome]

Hat #4:
This was a trial balloon. I ordered in in “flecked” rabbit fur and I tried his overwelting for the first time. I should say, this is my least favorite of the four hats in this order. The first problem was mine: I ordered it in “natural” knowing the color of Winchester’s natural beaver felt. They are not the same colors. The second problem was more on Agnoulita: the ribbon color is too pink and too bright. I asked for a dull finished raspberry. I’ll change out the ribbon at some point. This felt was the most resistant to shaping. I could hear and feel the stiffeners cracking as I shaped it. It still wasn’t too bad to shape, but this one wants steam and that’s fair enough. Despite the stiffeners, it has a nice hand and once shaped it is reasonably compliant. The overwelting is acceptable, but not perfectly even in its execution. I do like the finish and I’m curious to try another in a darker shade, but it’s down on my list.

I’d be willing to part with this hat if someone is interested (I really wanted a darker felt and I should have ordered the “peanut” color).


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[splintercellsz]

all are absoloutley breathtaking. Some great pieces!!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

all are absoloutley breathtaking. Some great pieces!!

Thanks Justin. These don’t compare to high quality vintage hats or to fine customs from the big names. They are good value for the money and they are in size 62...not a lot of 1900-1940s hats in that size.

Brent

 

[Perry Underwood]

Brent, all great looking hats! I could see myself wearing the marine blue and especially the caramel. I also ordered the charcoal ribbon and brim binding on my hat, so it's good to see what it really looks like on a hat..

By the way, I did hear back from Mr. P. He sent me a photo of different color ribbons to make my choice. I selected the charcoal grey although I don't see much difference in that and the slate grey. Here's the photo Mr. P. sent. From left to right, the colors are light grey, charcoal, and slate grey.

My hat may ship on the weekend. I'll post photos and a review once it arrives.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Brent, all great looking hats! I could see myself wearing the marine blue and especially the caramel. I also ordered the charcoal ribbon and brim binding on my hat, so it's good to see what it really looks like on a hat..

By the way, I did hear back from Mr. P. He sent me a photo of different color ribbons to make my choice. I selected the charcoal grey although I don't see much difference in that and the slate grey. Here's the photo Mr. P. sent. From left to right, the colors are light grey, charcoal, and slate grey.

View attachment 119248

My hat may ship on the weekend. I'll post photos and a review once it arrives.

Looks great Perry. What kind of felt did to go with? I’m really liking the Antelope finish.

I have most of the standard colors covered so I went with some more bold choices. I’m looking a couple others in wine and iron. I like your non-traditional choice and I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

 

[Perry Underwood]

Brent, I chose the standard rabbit fur with extra pouncing. There are a few features that I'll been keen to know if Mr. P comes through with what I wanted. One is whether the crown has little or no taper. The original Drover hat seems to have some taper, but from my understanding, a boater doesn't. I asked for little or no taper. Mr. P. understands this.

Another question is how grey is light grey? I suspect that his light grey is slightly darker than the photo I posted above.

Now the wait begins.

By the way, how would you compare Hats 1, 2 & 3 with the Campdraft?

 

[Redfokker]

Great hats Brent. That bright blue (Cadet) actually is kind of interesting. The pink bow is a little much though. I would change it also. The finer pouncing is just the ticket. We know the difference between a $300 custom and these hats, but the general public will never know. Just like a theater prop, they only have to look good from 30 feet away.

Definitely worth the money. I commend you for such good reviews. I enjoyed them.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Brent, I chose the standard rabbit fur with extra pouncing. There are a few features that I'll been keen to know if Mr. P comes through with what I wanted. One is whether the crown has little or no taper. The original Drover hat seems to have some taper, but from my understanding, a boater doesn't. I asked for little or no taper. Mr. P. understands this.

Another question is how grey is light grey? I suspect that his light grey is slightly darker than the photo I posted above.

Now the wait begins.

By the way, how would you compare Hats 1, 2 & 3 with the Campdraft?

I’ve had a few Campdrafts pass through my hands and I currently own two. In my limited experience, there is a lot of variation one Akubra to the next.

These Agnoulitas, baring the flecked fur, are at least as nice as the Campdrafts; however, some of the details are not quite as nice. Does that make sense? My Akubras shown excellent positioning on the ribbon, whereas the Agnoulitas occasionally run ever so slightly past the tolliker break and into the brim (the Akubras being thin ribbons might have an unfair advantage. My thin ribbon Agnoulita is just about perfect too). You have to really look, but if you do you can spot it. The butting of the brim binding is much improved on these last four Agnoulitas, but Akubra is still just a bit better. The attaching of the liner is better in the Akubras, but the Agnoulita is completely serviceable. Small potatoes to me. As for the felt, Akubras are all over the board, but I’d say the Agnoulitas compare favorably with the better Akubras. The felt of my last Agnoulitas are definitely easier to crease and hold their shapes batter. The sweatbands are much superior on the Agnoulitas and I like the Akubra sweats.

If you are happy with Akubras I think you’ll be happy with Agnoulitas. I can also say that having ordered hats with no to minimal taper, I’ve been impressed with how straight sided my Agnoulitas have been.

Brent


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[deadlyhandsome]

Great hats Brent. That bright blue (Cadet) actually is kind of interesting. The pink bow is a little much though. I would change it also. The finer pouncing is just the ticket. We know the difference between a $300 custom and these hats, but the general public will never know. Just like a theater prop, they only have to look good from 30 feet away.

Definitely worth the money. I commend you for such good reviews. I enjoyed them.

Thanks Mike. My wife laughed at the cadet blue but soon after said she really liked it. 30 years of marriage and I’m still getting mixed messages

The pink ribbon kills me. How could he think that was the look I was after? I have a green hat I’m sending to VS for some work and I thought about putting this hat in the box for a ribbon change. I can just see Art shaking his head and mentally scolding me for buying a custom on the cheap.



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[Daniele Tanto]

Hello Brent, I follow your affair with Agnoulita to see the final risult. I have deal with them some time ago for straw hat. I have a question: what do you mean exactly when you say to pounce more the felt? To have it more thin? More smooth? More velveteen? I really need explications ti understand tour request. Io seems to me a little bit weird [emoji6]

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[Goldstein]

Levine Hat Company is the destination of choice for the top brands in men's hats, including DobbsHats, Bailey Hats, Kangol Hats, Mayser Hats and Tilley Hats!

You can take from them.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Hello Brent, I follow your affair with Agnoulita to see the final risult. I have deal with them some time ago for straw hat. I have a question: what do you mean exactly when you say to pounce more the felt? To have it more thin? More smooth? More velveteen? I really need explications ti understand tour request. Io seems to me a little bit weird [emoji6]

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Hello Daniele. My second Agnoulita, a light felt with a copper ribbon, arrived a bit fuzzy. The finish was even and appeared that it was intended to be that way. It was not a look I preferred. It was obviously not a velour or a long hair finish, it was just fuzzy. It looked to me as though he stopped pouncing it at about 400 grit. These newest hats, with the exception of the flecked fur, were ordered with a finer pouncing that the proprietor said was possible at no extra charge.

The felt is not thin like it is in some lightweight offerings, but it is a bit thinner since the fuzziness is gone. I’d say it was finished to 800-1000 grit, but that’s just a guess. In this case, the purpose of the extra pouncing wasn’t to achieve a thinner felt, but rather a finer/smoother finish. This was the case with the antelope/suede finish and the plain rabbit fur felt. Some people might like the heartier and fuzzier finish, but I wanted a smoother finish and I got it with these last hats.

If you look back up the thread you’ll read where Mike (Redfokker) and I were talking about my light hat and our shared desire for finer pouncing. Look at that light gray hat’s finish and you can see what we were talking about.

Here’s a side by side comparison of the finishes. The dark blue (marine) is one of the new finer pounced hats. The light hat is the less-finely pounced hat from an earlier order, and the green hat is a Borsalino Savoy included just for a comparison reference point.

The difference isn’t huge, but you can immediately see it. The longer stray hairs on the light hat give it a slightly fuzzy look. I agree with you that having to request that they be more finely pounced is a bit weird. I can only guess that his core customers are not people like us who own lots of fine hats and recognize when one wasn’t given a fine finish. The good news is that he doesn’t charge extra for the service.

Good luck and feel free to ask anything you want about these hats and the company. I’m not an expert, but I’m glad to share my limited experiences.

Brent



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[steur]

Hello Daniele. My second Agnoulita, a light felt with a copper ribbon, arrived a bit fuzzy. The finish was even and appeared that it was intended to be that way. It was not a look I preferred. It was obviously not a velour or a long hair finish, it was just fuzzy. It looked to me as though he stopped pouncing it at about 400 grit. These newest hats, with the exception of the flecked fur, were ordered with a finer pouncing that the proprietor said was possible at no extra charge.

The felt is not thin like it is in some lightweight offerings, but it is a bit thinner since the fuzziness is gone. I’d say it was finished to 800-1000 grit, but that’s just a guess. In this case, the purpose of the extra pouncing wasn’t to achieve a thinner felt, but rather a finer/smoother finish. This was the case with the antelope/suede finish and the plain rabbit fur felt. Some people might like the heartier and fuzzier finish, but I wanted a smoother finish and I got it with these last hats.

If you look back up the thread you’ll read where Mike (Redfokker) and I were talking about my light hat and our shared desire for finer pouncing. Look at that light gray hat’s finish and you can see what we were talking about.

Here’s a side by side comparison of the finishes. The dark blue (marine) is one of the new finer pounced hats. The light hat is the less-finely pounced hat from an earlier order, and the green hat is a Borsalino Savoy included just for a comparison reference point.

The difference isn’t huge, but you can immediately see it. The longer stray hairs on the light hat give it a slightly fuzzy look. I agree with you that having to request that they be more finely pounced is a bit weird. I can only guess that his core customers are not people like us who own lots of fine hats and recognize when one wasn’t given a fine finish. The good news is that he doesn’t charge extra for the service.

Good luck and feel free to ask anything you want about these hats and the company. I’m not an expert, but I’m glad to share my limited experiences.

Brent



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Brent, thank you for such a nicely detailed review of these hats. Very informative. While I doubt if I will order a hat from them (I'm quite firmly on the vintage path and I have way too many hats already) it is nice to see what custom hatters come up with. These hats do look quite good and I like the look of the navy blue one best. That really is a lovely colour and the ribbon and brim binding colour set it off nicely. I also like the look of their liners; good looking materials and a bit understated.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Brent, thank you for such a nicely detailed review of these hats. Very informative. While I doubt if I will order a hat from them (I'm quite firmly on the vintage path and I have way too many hats already) it is nice to see what custom hatters come up with. These hats do look quite good and I like the look of the navy blue one best. That really is a lovely colour and the ribbon and brim binding colour set it off nicely. I also like the look of their liners; good looking materials and a bit understated.

Thanks Stefan. If I had a hat size that allowed me to acquire more vintage hats I’d go that way too.

 

[drmaxtejeda]

Thanks Stefan. If I had a hat size that allowed me to acquire more vintage hats I’d go that way too.

Hi, Brent,

I only own Optimos, and I've never held a vintage hat in my hands. I want to learn. What is the difference in the felt of a vintage hat compared to an Optimo Heirloom Silverbelly, for instance? Which brands of vintage hats are the best?

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[deadlyhandsome]

Hi, Brent,

I only own Optimos, and I've never held a vintage hat in my hands. I want to learn. What is the difference in the felt of a vintage hat compared to an Optimo Heirloom Silverbelly, for instance? Which brands of vintage hats are the best?

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Wow, great questions that would take volumes to answer, still be subjective, and require someone more educated than me.

I’ve only admired Optimos from afar so I don’t know what your baseline is. For me, vintage felt falls into one of two categories: 1) soft easily moved felt that is just shy of floppy. 2) dense felt that is like clay in that it will take and keep any shape you give it; push your finger into it and the indentation remains.

The general consensus is that felt quality started going down in the 1950s, but there are exceptions. The pre-War hats are the most desirable, but the hardest to find and bring the biggest prices. I’m only a novice and not at all qualified to pose as an expert, but there are some real experts here. As for brands, Stetson, Knox, Cavanaugh, Mallory, Borsalino, and a whole list of others made some truly exceptional hats. The best thing to do is to stick around the Lounge and read and read. The old threads are great even if the photos are no longer working. I also look forward every day to seeing what others are wearing and seeing new hats. Like cars and most everything else, there were a lot more brands 70+ years ago and even those truly knowledgeable come across a new hat now and then.

As a rule, if you see something being posted by Short Balding Guy, alanfgag, Mayserwegener, Steur, Moontheloon, and others you’ll come to recognize you’ll know the hats are top shelf.

You can also find more online at The Hatted Professor

If you let the fellows here know your size, what type of hat you’re after, and your price range I bet you would receive some great recommendations for hats currently on sale/auction. The Lounge’s classifieds also sometimes produce gems.

Good luck, Brent

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Levine Hat Company is the destination of choice for the top brands in men's hats, including DobbsHats, Bailey Hats, Kangol Hats, Mayser Hats and Tilley Hats!

You can take from them.

Not to be argumentative, but the brands you listed aren’t really the sort of hats that get much love here at the Lounge. Old Maysers and Dobbs hats are popular, but not so much their new stuff. Tilley is great for its niche.

As this thread is for Agnoulita, perhaps your comments would be better received in a different thread? No harm done and it’s always good to have another Lounge member contributing.