HNC Hatworks (formerly known as Agnoulita Hats)

[Rmccamey]

I hope you do, one day. It can be a little tricky. Too tall and it looks like a Topper, top short and it looks like a Gambler. Nothing wrong with those, they just have a different character than a Cambridge.

I’ve come close a couple times to asking Mike at Northwest to make me a Cambridge Bowler like yours…maybe one of these days.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I hope you do, one day. It can be a little tricky. Too tall and it looks like a Topper, top short and it looks like a Gambler. Nothing wrong with those, they just have a different character than a Cambridge.

I’ve also wanted a Northwest Proper Topper top hat. The melusine finish is pretty close to silk plush and more durable too. However, like the Cambridge Bowler, I just don’t know when I’d wear it.

 

[Hunk]

Mr. P makes some very nice hats but bowlers, even here on TFL, are a more specialized hat, so you won't see as many. And, no offense, but if you are going for a classic, vintage look, the Agnoulita bowlers miss the critical D'Orsay brim curl details. He (and most modern milliners) us the easier to construct [modern] homburg curl that is basically a symmetric curl around the perimeter of the brim. A D'Orsay curl has a very short "nubb" on the front and rear, in a vericle orientation parallel to the side of the crown. As the curl proceeds around the hat, the brim curl gets wider and folds over onto itself similar to an overwelt, almost perpendicular to the crown. For all practical purposes, there is not a machine that can do this, so it is done by hand which takes more time and effort and is, thus, more costly. Here is my Cambridge bowler (flat top bowler, coach hat, Oddjob, etc) and my brown bowler (modern hats by Northwest Hat Co) that show a little more of the D'Orsay brim detail. Here is also a picture of a 1920s Stetson bowler that show more of the brim detail.

While a stiff felt bowler is intended to be rather stiff or ridged, I'm not sure "extra stiff" is of much value IMO.

Again, Mr. P makes some wonderful hats. I just wanted to make sure you get what you expect to get.
Not to worry, however. Even Lock & Co., the original suppliers of bowler hats, has difficulty reproducing the D'Orsay curl today!

Thanks for your reply and pictures! I might reconsider my purchase plans based on them. It's unfortunately hard to find vintage bowlers that fits me (I'm Eurosize 61), but I might ask questions in the Bowler/Derby thread on were to find quality bowlers in the current market.

 

[Rmccamey]

Yes, unfortunate but true. Vintage bowlers in larger sizes are very rare. Brent @deadlyhandsome has come across a few over the years. He might have one stashed away or he might have a lead on one. Mike at Northwest Hats in the U.S. makes a custom bowler that might be an option, too.

Thanks for your reply and pictures! I might reconsider my purchase plans based on them. It's unfortunately hard to find vintage bowlers that fits me (I'm Eurosize 61), but I might ask questions in the Bowler/Derby thread on were to find quality bowlers in the current market.

 

[Sincityhatcollector]

This is my Ascot that I ordered in Dark Slate I wish he still offered the Fire color liner but I do like the Burgundy liner as well. The crown is ~5 1/4 and ~2 3/8 for the brim. Overall I am happy with the hat and my steam and tweak the brim a little bit. View attachment 568406

 

[Rmccamey]

A classy derby indeed!

This is my Ascot that I ordered in Dark Slate I wish he still offered the Fire color liner but I do like the Burgundy liner as well. The crown is ~5 1/4 and ~2 3/8 for the brim. Overall I am happy with the hat and my steam and tweak the brim a little bit. View attachment 568397 View attachment 568398 View attachment 568406 View attachment 568405 View attachment 568407

 

[ptjoe]

I want to order a hat from Agnoulita hats, but I am waiting to hear from them concerning a couple of questions.
The hat I am looking at is the Cavalieri with a 5 1/4"crown.
Is that the height from the brim to center crease or the highest point of the crown on the sides?
It seems like a pretty high crown
I have open crown hats running around 51/2" before shaping.
After shaping going down to 41/2 front and sides apprx. 5".
Just curious if that 51/4 crown is after its shaped.
May someone canshed some light.

 

[belfastboy]

I want to order a hat from Agnoulita hats, but I am waiting to hear from them concerning a couple of questions.
The hat I am looking at is the Cavalieri with a 5 1/4"crown.
Is that the height from the brim to center crease or the highest point of the crown on the sides?
It seems like a pretty high crown
I have open crown hats running around 51/2" before shaping.
After shaping going down to 41/2 front and sides apprx. 5".
Just curious if that 51/4 crown is after its shaped.
May someone canshed some light.

I encourage you to have a conversation with the hatmaker so you are clear on what you are ordering. MrP at Agnoulita is a good guy and I am sure he would welcome a conversation so both of you are clear.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I want to order a hat from Agnoulita hats, but I am waiting to hear from them concerning a couple of questions.
The hat I am looking at is the Cavalieri with a 5 1/4"crown.
Is that the height from the brim to center crease or the highest point of the crown on the sides?
It seems like a pretty high crown
I have open crown hats running around 51/2" before shaping.
After shaping going down to 41/2 front and sides apprx. 5".
Just curious if that 51/4 crown is after its shaped.
May someone canshed some light.

Mr. P is a great guy, but sometimes his communication can be erratic…or non-existent. You can order the hat open crown so you know the height you have to work with and then crease it yourself.

 

[Sincityhatcollector]

I want to order a hat from Agnoulita hats, but I am waiting to hear from them concerning a couple of questions.
The hat I am looking at is the Cavalieri with a 5 1/4"crown.
Is that the height from the brim to center crease or the highest point of the crown on the sides?
It seems like a pretty high crown
I have open crown hats running around 51/2" before shaping.
After shaping going down to 41/2 front and sides apprx. 5".
Just curious if that 51/4 crown is after its shaped.
May someone canshed some light.

I have found I receive better communications through his Etsy store portal than the website and I'm willing to the little extra for ordering from Etsy when I want more customization than what is available through the website. I was able to get my grey Pandamator exactly the way I wanted including comparing ribbons for the hat band against the hat body before he completed the hat.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Agnoulita in dark slate:

 

[Steve1857]

Agnoulita in dark slate:


View attachment 600724

Wonderful wings.

Is that a new one, Brent?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Wonderful wings.

Is that a new one, Brent?

I’ve had this hat for about a year…maybe two?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

100% hare felt. I think I like this better than his beaver felt.

 

[Olumin]

I placed an order for their "Oppenheimer" in beaver with a 2 3/4" brim about a week ago. Coffee with ivory band and binding. This type of hat was something I had been looking for, and the level of customization at the offered price point, plus the fact that the company is based in the EU, intrigued me. I will post pictures here when it arrives.

Does anyone know what percentage of beaver is used in Agnoulita’s beaver felt? I had asked them the same question about a month ago over their website, but never heard back from them.

 

[Fedorico Hatman]

Dear FL members, I’m so happy to be now a former member of the Lounge. All your posts have been very helpful to me. I’m an absolute beginner in the exciting world of fedora hats. Recently I ordered a custom made hat from Mr Pappa. I was hesitant between choosing a local danish milliner (Hornskov) or Agnoulita, I decided the latter due to their price range and reading this thread I considered that it was a good choice to begin with. The hat is a wide brim, rabbit fur felt in desert Color, diamond crown with four pinches( I don’t know the exact term). I saw a model in their shop that was close to what I was looking for. So I ordered it and wrote a detailed description complemented with images.
Knowing that communicating with Mr Pappa by mail was not the best option I called him and discussed with him the details of my order. He was extremely friendly and helpful. Usually he didn’t have a block that matched the design, so he ordered one, causing a short delay. I didn’t hear from him in weeks. I was quite worried, but suddenly I got a mail with pictures of my new hat. I am absolutely surprised to see that, at least in pictures, the hat looks even better than what I had imagined. I’ll post some pics as soon I receive it. It will be delivered this Wednesday. I think all of you know the feeling of excitement that comes from expecting your first fedora!

So, yes, Agnoulita’s lack of communication can be unnerving, therefore I’ll recommend to future customers to be as precise and descriptive of their requirements and measurements as possible, and give him a few calls instead of mailing him. Is good to keep in mind that it is in fact a little one man shop.

I hope this little review will help future Agnoulita costumers.

I wish you all well!!

 

[Fedorico Hatman]

Here are some of the pictures of my new hat. Do you know what is the name of this kind of krown? I really like it!

 

[Mighty44]

Here are some of the pictures of my new hat. Do you know what is the name of this kind of krown? I really like it!

Very nice—basically just a diamond crease.

 

[Fedorico Hatman]

Thanks Mighty44, I have seen some diamond creases with two pinches, the four pinches is more uncommon, isn’t? Do you know what kind of hat this is, cause I don’t have the slightest idea what to call it.

 

[Mighty44]

Ah sorry—didn’t notice the rear pinch. Definitely others here will have more to share.