Hornskov Hats - custom Danish hatter

[belfastboy]

I think I’m right in saying that Wolfbrae Custom Hatters is the undisputed best custom Canadian hat shop extant. Is this right @belfastboy

I don't have the balls to add that as my tag line but I did check with Stephen at Leon Drexler and asked him the question: "are you aware of any other Canadian custom hatters now that you have retired?". His reply was other than a couple 'steam punk' modernist crap hatters which he does not consider serious hatters I am the ONLY custom fedora hatter in Canada. So by default I am the best!. There are at least a couple of hatters in Alberta that specialize only in western hats. So I would have to insert "custom fedora hatter" in the tagline.

 

[Pellie]

And no website? And what about the Etsy shop?

 

[belfastboy]

I think I’m right in saying that Wolfbrae Custom Hatters is the undisputed best custom Canadian hat shop extant. Is this right @belfastboy

I don't have the balls to add that as my tag line but I did check with Stephen at Leon Drexler and asked him the question: "are you aware of any other Canadian custom hatters now that you have retired?". His reply was other than a couple 'steam punk' modernist crap hatters which he does not consider serious hatters I am the ONLY custom fedora hatter in Canada. So by default I am the best!. There are at least a couple of hatters in Alberta that specialize only in western hats. So I would have to insert "custom fedora hatter" in the tagline.

And no website? And what about the Etsy shop?

I intend to open up an Etsy shop first. But it has been an embarrassment of riches being busy right from the start so I continue to delay the launch. I want to try it out as I want very much to make hats for women based on men's fedora quality not the throw away world of fashion millinery. Just by word of mouth I have about a 4 week wait list...down from 8 weeks at one point. I want to try and manage this so I am not overwhelmed. I would hate to have to shift to a production line effort and lose some of the 'one of' feel of my hats. I love making/creating hats but don't want to be pushed by deadlines.

 

[Pellie]

Clear!

 

[Pellie]

I asked Hornskov in a PM about this ;-)

Hornskov told me in a pm that my ribbon was rayon grosgrain and that they don't use petersham anymore...

 

[Pellie]

I agree that the difference between petersham and grosgrain is slight. If it doesn’t bother you then that’s all that matters.

In the past Hornskov said that their petersham ribbon was grosgrain and I was surprised that hat makers didn’t know the difference. I’ll keep watching to see if their new hats truly have grosgrain ribbons. The difference might be small, but small difference mean a lot some times. Every time I look at my Hornskov my eye is drawn to the ribbon edge. I can see it at five meters and I irks me.

One of the constant struggles that most custom hat makers have is finding ribbon. They go to great lengths to find the old style vintage grosgrain that has the properties that so many of us look for. There is an ever dwindling supply of the old grosgrain and at some point we’ll have to use something else. Agnoulita uses polyester grosgrain (woven edge), and it looks decent in some colors, but nowhere near as good as vintage ribbon. There are silk substitutes too and some of those look great, but they come at a premium price.

If Hornskov really does start using grosgrain then I’ll seriously consider ordering another; the rest of my hat is quite nice and shows skill in its construction.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

As long as they now know the difference:

Their “rayon grosgrain” is everyone else’s petersham.

 

[Pellie]

I'm afraid of that either

 

[belfastboy]

As long as they now know the difference:


View attachment 338634 View attachment 338635


Their “rayon grosgrain” is everyone else’s petersham.

In the "Millinery" world the term grosgrain is interchangeable with Petersham. Luckily many of the ribbon sites now make the distinction. They list Grosgrain as a category but in the description they add the term Petersham where applicable. Although it is best to closely check the pictures because sometimes they don't add the term.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

In the "Millinery" world the term grosgrain is interchangeable with Petersham. Luckily many of the ribbon sites now make the distinction. They list Grosgrain as a category but in the description they add the term Petersham where applicable. Although it is best to closely check the pictures because sometimes they don't add the term.

I remember when this came up a while back. The problem is that Cathrine said it was not petersham, this, to me, indicates that she knew what petersham is. She also made distinction between petersham and grosgrain so I just don’t understand how she could assure me the ribbon wasn’t petersham.

Water under the bridge. I don’t harbor any hard feelings, but I am reluctant to order again.

 

[belfastboy]

I remember when this came up a while back. The problem is that Cathrine said it was not petersham, this, to me, indicates that she knew what petersham is. She also made distinction between petersham and grosgrain so I just don’t understand how she could assure me the ribbon wasn’t petersham.

Water under the bridge. I don’t harbor any hard feelings, but I am reluctant to order again.

Yes, I could see a milliner not knowing the diff but not a custom hatter.

 

[belfastboy]

Yes, I could see a milliner not knowing the diff but not a custom hatter.

unless they were trained by a milliner.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Yes, I could see a milliner not knowing the diff but not a custom hatter.

When she attested that it was not petersham she would have to know what petersham is. Hard to say it isn’t petersham if you don’t know what petersham is. Looking over the old emails, Cathrine also said that my hat, and by implication all the standard “named” hats in their collection, was not a custom hat. I had used the term in an email and she corrected me and said it was a stock hat and not a custom....not sure what that means. If it was a pre-made hat I don’t think I’d have had to wait two months.

I also had to send Cathrine photos of the various ribbon edges before she understood what petersham is. I still find it odd that someone who makes their living from customs mens hats didn’t know what petersham is.

To “circle back,” I do think that their hats are well made and I love the felt quality. I hope they add more color options. I hope they continue to see success as they deserve it.

 

[Pellie]

Agree, the quality, as far as i have the knowledge, is sublime. Really love to wear them. And for me the hatband is not important enough (except from colour and centimeters).

 

[deadlyhandsome]

After my first Hornskov I thought I was through, but this hat (shown here in two colors) has me rethinking that decision. The photos still show petersham, but if it’s now grosgrain….

His à la carte pricing adds up quick!

 

[Pellie]

I asked when Hornskov comes with panama hats. They say they are working on it and couldn't find the supplier to work with. In 2022 they hope they will.

 

[Beotaran]

Hello everyone.
I am new to more premium hats, let's put it that way. i have a couple of consumer brand hats, but the thought of a custom hand-made hat is really intriguing to me and as my birthday is approaching i though i would maybe upgrade my headwear a bit.
I have been looking at the Hornskov hats and they are really good looking, also the reviews here are really positive.
Before i contact the Hornskovs and put in an order, i though i would ask for some comments and advice about the material and weight.
The hat would see (almost) daily use. Walking the dog / taking kids to daycare / going to work / going to get the groceries etc so nothing too extreme activity wise and for the cold winter days and snow/sleet/heavy rain etc i have other options.
For material i would most likely go for the blend.

My main confusion is the dress weight / western weight. How big is the difference there. For normal daily use is the dress weight good enough and what are the cases where western weight is better?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Hello everyone.
I am new to more premium hats, let's put it that way. i have a couple of consumer brand hats, but the thought of a custom hand-made hat is really intriguing to me and as my birthday is approaching i though i would maybe upgrade my headwear a bit.
I have been looking at the Hornskov hats and they are really good looking, also the reviews here are really positive.
Before i contact the Hornskovs and put in an order, i though i would ask for some comments and advice about the material and weight.
The hat would see (almost) daily use. Walking the dog / taking kids to daycare / going to work / going to get the groceries etc so nothing too extreme activity wise and for the cold winter days and snow/sleet/heavy rain etc i have other options.
For material i would most likely go for the blend.

My main confusion is the dress weight / western weight. How big is the difference there. For normal daily use is the dress weight good enough and what are the cases where western weight is better?

Hello. Welcome to The Lounge and the wonderful world of custom hats! If you don’t need a rugged outdoorsy “adventure hat” or similar, I’d go with the dress weight. However, I believe Hornskov used felt from FEPSA and I’ve never had a custom western made with that felt. I do have 100% beaver FEPSA dress weight as well as 50/50 (50% beaver aka 50X) FEPSA and I love the 50X felt. The 100% beaver might be more rugged or deal with getting wet better, but the other attributes of the 50X felt make it my favorite over the pure beaver. For the uses you described, the only reason I would consider western weight is if the crown height and brim width I wanted were too big for what is possible dress weight as the felt blanks used to make the hats are smaller in dress weight and can’t always be made into larger proportioned hats. Now if you personally prefer a stiffer hat then go for western weight. You won’t be able to work and re-work the shape like you can with dress weight, but some people like the shape the be permanent.

Whatever you decide, please share photos and a review when you receive your hat!

 

[Beotaran]

Thank you for the comments
I don't work as a history professor, so i think the dress weight is good for me. Usually the most adventure i see is when my dog spots a squirrel in the tree and starts dragging me to the bushes (it's surprising how strong even a medium sized dog can be when properly motivated)
I'm still thinking about my options for crown type and colors. Most likely i will go for something simple and versatile.
It does not have to be the "perfect" hat by any means, but i still like to take my time and not rush too much.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Thank you for the comments
I don't work as a history professor, so i think the dress weight is good for me. Usually the most adventure i see is when my dog spots a squirrel in the tree and starts dragging me to the bushes (it's surprising how strong even a medium sized dog can be when properly motivated)
I'm still thinking about my options for crown type and colors. Most likely i will go for something simple and versatile.
It does not have to be the "perfect" hat by any means, but i still like to take my time and not rush too much.

One of the best reasons (to me) for going with the 50X dress weight is how re-shapable the crown is. You don’t have to make up your mind on the shape as you can change it daily if you want.

Enjoy the process…and start thinking about what you want for your second, and third and…?custom hats!