HNC Hatworks (formerly known as Agnoulita Hats)

[Air Wing Marine]

Awesome hat! Great work!

 

[Air Wing Marine]

I have some questions for members who have bought Agnoulita hats:

1. What is the difference between Rabbit and Antelope?
2. What is the corresponding names for Rabbit felt model number P8188, P172, P177
3. What is the corresponding number for "Latte" and caramel color rabbit?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I have some questions for members who have bought Agnoulita hats:

1. What is the difference between Rabbit and Antelope?
2. What is the corresponding names for Rabbit felt model number P8188, P172, P177
3. What is the corresponding number for "Latte" and caramel color rabbit?

I have a dozen Agnoulitas. “Antelope” is another word for suede and it’s a finish not a material. Agnoulita antelope is also a 100% rabbit fur felt.

I can’t help you with his color numbers compared to names. You’ll need to ask Mr. P.

I have a caramel in antelope finish and a latte in standard rabbit (see back in this thread). I have a preference for the antelope finish but it’s available is fewer colors and in smaller sized hat bodies. I don’t have the color numbers, and I don’t think anyone else here does. It sometimes takes several days to get an answer, but asking Mr. P is your only real option.

 

[Air Wing Marine]

Were the names caramel and latte Mr P used to describe them or your descrption. How is the rabbits malleability if I want to play around with the shape?

Thanks

 

[deadlyhandsome]

They are what Mr. P called the colors.

Mr. P makes his own stiffener and he can adjust the stiffness at your request. I had all of my hats shipped open crown and they were easy to crease.


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[Air Wing Marine]

They are what Mr. P called the colors.

Mr. P makes his own stiffener and he can adjust the stiffness at your request. I had all of my hats shipped open crown and they were easy to crease.


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[Air Wing Marine]

I might get creative and get an open crown to experiment with. If I wanted a hat with a 4 inch crown at the crease, what size open crown would I order? How hard would it be for neophyte like me to form a diamond crown like in the attached pics

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I might get creative and get an open crown to experiment with. If I wanted a hat with a 4 inch crown at the crease, what size open crown would I order? How hard would it be for neophyte like me to form a diamond crown like in the attached pics View attachment 141902 View attachment 141903

They are very easy to crease. It’s also easy to learn how to crease them. If you don’t like you results you can pop it back to full crown and start over.

A good primer:

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[belfastboy]

I might get creative and get an open crown to experiment with. If I wanted a hat with a 4 inch crown at the crease, what size open crown would I order? How hard would it be for neophyte like me to form a diamond crown like in the attached pics View attachment 141902 View attachment 141903

I get my open crowns 6" and then I have lots of hat to work with. It is easy to adjust the bashed crown height by adjusting the depth. If you desire a low crown at 4" you could make do with 5 1/2" open crown but I am not certain as I have never bash a hat to that low a crown.

 

[Air Wing Marine]

When you bash a hat to make a 5 1/2 crown, what open crown do you start with?

 

[jlee562]

When you bash a hat to make a 5 1/2 crown, what open crown do you start with?

There is no "formula" per se for starting height and ending height. Only crown heights that are more standard than others. 5 1/2" was fairly common for open crown dress hats.

If you're looking for a lower profile, you can ask for something like a 5" open crown, but most of us here prefer a bit more. My Borso Torino has about a 5" open crown though. It's a good city hat.

FWIW, when I asked Art Fawcett to block my Hat with a lower crown height, he told me "just crease it lower!" Of course, Art was correct.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

When you bash a hat to make a 5 1/2 crown, what open crown do you start with?

I’m not following you. If you the the front of the crown to measure 5 1/2 as creased your talking about one really tall crown. If you want a moderately tall crown height you could get a 5 1/2” open crown and vary the height by changing the crease. It’s a simple thing to Lower the crease by making it deeper and giving the center a dome for your head to fit in. I’ll say it again, with your stingy brim I wouldn’t go with a very tall crown; certainly not over 5 1/2”.

Agnoulita 15 cm open crown (almost 6”) open crown:

Resistol with a 2” brim. The open crown was approximately 5.25”. Anything higher and I don’t think the hat would look right with such a small brim.

This is what a 5 1/2” as creased crown looks like:

A crown this tall would look clownish with a smaller brim. I think it was 6 1/2” or more when open.


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[Air Wing Marine]

Nice job on the Torino. Will it be possible to get a 5 1/2 open down to a 4 inch? What the technique for lowering the crown??

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Nice job on the Torino. Will it be possible to get a 5 1/2 open down to a 4 inch? What the technique for lowering the crown??

If you use the quote feature the member you’re asking the question of will be alerted and is much more likely to respond to you. Just FYI.


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[Obi1]

Teaser photo of the marine blue:

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DH, what are you using here to spin the hat? I've been weighing out what options would be the easiest or least expensive but still effective.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

DH, what are you using here to spin the hat? I've been weighing out what options would be the easiest or least expensive but still effective.

That photo is of the hatter pouncing the hat. I don’t have such a device. I suppose I could use my wife’s pottery wheel? I have done some light pouncing by hand but a new custom hat should never need it.


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[Obi1]

That photo is of the hatter pouncing the hat. I don’t have such a device. I suppose I could use my wife’s pottery wheel? I have done some light pouncing by hand but a new custom hat should never need it.


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Gotcha, from some of your photos it had seemed you ordered some hats blocked and banded but unshaped then did the shaping yourself. I figured you were finishing some as well. I have a few bodies on the way to start making my own, I just haven't squared away exactly how I am going to make a few of the tools.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Gotcha, from some of your photos it had seemed you ordered some hats blocked and banded but unshaped then did the shaping yourself. I figured you were finishing some as well. I have a few bodies on the way to start making my own, I just haven't squared away exactly how I am going to make a few of the tools.

I ordered all of my Agnoulitas open crown, but they were all delivered 100% completed. No tools are required to shape a hat, but a water mister and a source of steam can certainly help.

If you ordered hat bodies you will need a block and flange at the minimum, and a lot more tools for convenience. A band block is nice, as is a puller downer and a rounding jack. A foot tolliker is also needed. I personally hate sewing on sweats, but I like the awl method best. Ribbons are simple and just take practice, but sewing them on where the stitches are not visible as the ribbon is tight to the crown/brim break takes patience.

Ordering a hat body and making your own hat is a jump into the deep end and I commend you for your dedication.


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[deadlyhandsome]

3 1/4” bound brim and 6 1/2” open crown. This started with a Diamond crease but I reshaped it last night into a center dent. The color is latte and at my request the felt is more dress weight than western.

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[Tukwila]

3 1/4” bound brim and 6 1/2” open crown. This started with a Diamond crease but I reshaped it last night into a center dent. The color is latte and at my request the felt is more dress weight than western.

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I notice all your hats but 2 have the seam for the satin liner in front. The exceptions are this hat and your long nap dark brown hat with the wider brim binding. Is there a reason for this, and can you ask that the seam be in the back as it is with this one?

Brent, of all the felts you have ordered do you have a preference? Would it be the antelope finish you ordered several times, perhaps?

I like the navy color and the caramel almost looks like a Winchester camel felt on my monitor. Is that an accurate comparison?

I'm surprised Mr. P can't get good beaver felt over that way. I thought the Tonak rabbit was almost as nice as Winchester beaver and the Tonak beaver was even better. Not true? Maybe that was FEPSA? I know the Portuguese beaver has a very good reputation.

I have to admit, I've been slow to get on board with Mr. P's hats as well as Phoenix hats, but the quality on both continues to improve to the point where they just can't be ignored.

I do admit that small things bug me... like the seam on the satin liner being in front, the butting up vs. overlap on the bound brim, etc, etc, and I am so enamored of my hats with Art Fawcett, Mike Miller, Michael Gannon, John Penman and I'm sure Bob Jesse (when it arrives here) that even though they cost more I just feel better with that quality in hand vs. sitting here and having some small thing bother me without me being able to forget about it.... obsessive, I know.

But I'll say, my interest is piqued.