just ordered a Knightsbridge in the color of Cork...

[Blackthorn]

I'm wondering why you ordered a Knightsbridge if you didn't like dimensional brims.

I ordered the Knightsbridge because it's a 6 cm brim. Where did you get the idea that it has a dimensional brim? The web site says "The Knightsbridge is a fine quality fedora with a 6cm brim, 12.2cm crown height, with 4cm band and bow, leather sweatband and Christys traditional lining. Available in wine, sable, cork, black, burma, grey, beige, maize, peatwood, elm and navy." Nowhere does it mention the brim being longer than it is wide.

 

[Tone]

Eh, we'll see when it gets there. You've got a few trilbys from them, too. Show plenty of pics for us. Looking forward to it either way. I have to agree that Top Secret Hat's customer service is beyond top notch!

A "dimensional brim" refers to a brim which measures different lengths at the front than at the sides, not simply the dimensions of a brim. Perhaps I am not understanding your wording as it is intended.

The term "dimensional brim" is used (frequently here) as if the fact that all dimensionally cut brims are somehow of same proportions; they're not. You're correct in that the front and side dimensions are not the same, though. It depends on which hat and which specs the brims dimensions are in. It's inaccurate to refer to all dimensional brims as if they're all in the same proportions, however. There are some good dimensional specs, too.

Yeah, so there really is no worry. Top Secret Hats has a good pulse on what specs are being asked for, and will probably eliminate the need to customize a Christys' Adventurer at all at this point. The options are only getting better from what I see coming from them. The fact that at one point they were allowing for change requests is just another testament to their outstanding service - as they were never meant to be a custom request hatter - especially for around $120.00!

Looking forward to the Knightsbridge - and any future hats they're coming up with!

 

[jlee562]

Oh yeah, and if I wanted to buy a hat that resembled the Dr. No trilby, would the peatwood Sportsman or Epsom be good choices?

It looks close to their peatwood color, to me at least. I already know who really made the hat (Lock & Co.), but they're way too expensive for my budget.

Of those two, I'd go for the Sportsman, though it looks to my eye that the difference is mostly that the Epsom has a slightly wider brim. The block shapes are pretty similar, if not the same.

 

[jlee562]

The term "dimensional brim" is used (frequently here) as if the fact that all dimensionally cut brims are somehow of same proportions; they're not.

I don't see that as being true. You were, in fact, the one to apply the term incorrectly to the Knightsbridge hat.

Yeah, so there really is no worry. Top Secret Hats has a good pulse on what specs are being asked for, and will probably eliminate the need to customize a Christys' Adventurer at all at this point. The options are only getting better from what I see coming from them. The fact that at one point they were allowing for change requests is just another testament to their outstanding service - as they were never meant to be a custom request hatter - especially for around $120.00!

It's not just the Adventurer, I simply used that as a point of reference. I simply disagree with your positive assessment. While no doubt it makes it easier for Christy's - and I have sympathy for them from a manufacturing point of view - it does NOT give us, the hat buying public, more options.

 

[Tone]

What specs are you missing from a Christys? Forget the model, your sympathy, semantics, etc.; What specs?

 

[jlee562]

Whatever. If you want to believe that Christy's no longer allowing customization is somehow an example of "outstanding customer service," more power to you.

Oh, how nice of you to edit your "Lol!"

Look, it's not about me and my requests for a hat. It's the principle that Christy's offered a low-cost hat that ANY USER could request changes to. What is so hard to understand about this?

 

[Tone]

Was a simple question. Not surprised, though. "Whatever." :-D

Thought it too mean; but here, I'll add it back if it helps? "LOL!"

 

[jlee562]

You clearly don't understand the point I am trying to make.

 

[Lokar]

Tone: How about a rollable fedora that's at all different to the standard foldaway dimensions? That alone is a great loss.

 

[Tone]

[quote="jlee562]

Whatever. If you want to believe that Christy's no longer allowing customization is somehow an example of "outstanding customer service," more power to you.

Oh, how nice of you to edit your "Lol!"

Look, it's not about me and my requests for a hat. It's the principle that Christy's offered a low-cost hat that ANY USER could request changes to. What is so hard to understand about this?...

...It's not just the Adventurer, I simply used that as a point of reference. I simply disagree with your positive assessment. While no doubt it makes it easier for Christy's - and I have sympathy for them from a manufacturing point of view - it does NOT give us, the hat buying public, more options....

...You clearly don't understand the point I am trying to make. [/quote]

Jlee562, the point you seem to be trying to make is an argument that an already good and affordable hat somehow needs your unfounded "sympathy" in that their listening to customers and releasing new models in specs that are very popular to the general public (where other brands have been stuck in previous specs with no options of change in the past) in comparison to other hats that are usually just "off enough" in their own design in order to look okay only - often for more money - are somehow a problem.

I have never seen a Christys from you, but often hear only opinions that hint of someone else's words with regards to the offerings from them as soon as Christys is mentioned. I don't blame you for parroting the opinions fed to you from the wings of competitors; but simply that Christys no longer offers custom requests (though they ARE creating new hats based on popular requests, instead); or that you can't custom order from them anymore - when you never should have had the option to do so for such a price in the first place, as any justification to take your word as any kind of factual knowledge about the brand; let alone your unfounded statement of feeling "sympathy" for them. If anything, the hats being designed based on popular requests is a huge plus from Top Secrets with a great range of possibilities.

Example: Herbert Johnson's Poet has been stuck at a 5 3/4" open crown and a short brim forever, yet they charge $300.00 for those specs - NO CHANGES. How is Christys - creating new models actually based on popular and preferred customer specs - despite no longer offering customizations - (no other hat has ever done so) needing your sympathy?

Hi Lokar, to which hat in particular are you referring? Or (I think what you're saying is that you had one made in specs different to their standard rollaway that suited you?) the hat you had ordered, and preferred, is no longer an option? Did you ever post that here? I'm sure a decently proportioned roll-away is much desired, and not out of their reach. There just doesn't seem to be much info on one shown here. Did you post it here?

 

[Lokar]

Tone: I never posted it as I haven't bought one yet (not thinking they'd stop customisations). I don't like dimensional brims (but of course, I could just trim down the brim to 2 3/8 - but then I can't have a larger brim size), and the crown height and taper is set (which I think was the favourite part of the customisation on the Lounge - we liked being able to customise the crown taper and height, usually to very high and no taper).

Also - 1) Christy's offered a fantastic feature we appreciated, which has now disappeared, and 2) there's not much else good about their hats - the felt is quite nice, but the hats generally act badly in water, they taper, they lose their shape, the dyes run, and the sweatbands are terrible, thick, cheap things. They also generally fit badly - I was told both by Hornets online, and the Hornets stores in London, that I should definitely order a size up as the fit is unreliable.

I'm aware they are adding new models, but it's still the case that they offered a fantastic feature and dropped it. Why shouldn't we be disappointed? I'm sure it makes economic sense, and if Christy's need to do it to make enough/a better profit then that's great for them as we all know theirs is still a suffering trade, but I can still be disappointed.

I'll probably still buy the odd Christy's hat as they're still quite cheap, but I'm much more likely to jump up to a slightly more expensive hat - even if they don't let me customise, I'll likely be able to get as close to the dimensions I want as Christy's offer, but I'll also get a better quality hat.

 

[The Good]

Of those two, I'd go for the Sportsman, though it looks to my eye that the difference is mostly that the Epsom has a slightly wider brim. The block shapes are pretty similar, if not the same.

Alright, thanks for the suggestion. I seem to be leaning towards the Sportsman, then. Perhaps I'll be able to make use of birthday money (or receiving it as a gift) this September. It may be my next hat. On another note, burma also appears close to the Bond hat color...

 

[jlee562]

Alright, thanks for the suggestion. I seem to be leaning towards the Sportsman, then. Perhaps I'll be able to make use of birthday money (or receiving it as a gift) this September. It may be my next hat. On another note, burma also appears close to the Bond hat color...

That Burma is a tricky color. Erri over on Club Obi Wan has some good shots of the Burma in different lighting situations, it's one of those felts that has a bit of a chameleon quality to it.

 

[jlee562]

oops, double

 

[The Good]

That Burma is a tricky color. Erri over on Club Obi Wan has some good shots of the Burma in different lighting situations, it's one of those felts that has a bit of a chameleon quality to it.

Yeah. Actually, I did a search on this board, and from a couple of pictures in different threads, it seems to either appear like an olive green, or more of a dark tan. I'll check out Erri's pictures over at Club Obi Wan when I get the chance, though.

 

[The Good]

So Blackthorn, did you ever end up getting your Knightsbridge? I would like to see a picture of it in reality, if you don't mind. That looks like a nice hat on the site.

 

[Blackthorn]

So Blackthorn, did you ever end up getting your Knightsbridge? I would like to see a picture of it in reality, if you don't mind. That looks like a nice hat on the site.

Still hasn't arrived yet, TG. Maybe Monday. This is the longest it has taken to get a hat from them. I did get an email from them saying it had been shipped on the 12th.

 

[The Good]

Still hasn't arrived yet, TG. Maybe Monday. This is the longest it has taken to get a hat from them. I did get an email from them saying it had been shipped on the 12th.

Oh OK, thanks for the update. That cork color looked nice, I wonder how different it'll look in your photo? Different lighting, and such...

 

[Blackthorn]

Oh OK, thanks for the update. That cork color looked nice, I wonder how different it'll look in your photo? Different lighting, and such...

Yeah, I'm really curious about that, too. You never know until you open that box.

 

[Blackthorn]

OK, The Good, it finally arrived. The hat itself is fine, I expected it to have a short crown. And for the dollars spent, it's well enough made. But I ordered it in the color of Cork, and that's lighter than Light Sable. But in the pic below, my last hat from them is on the left, and it's Light Sable. The new one is on the right, and it's DARKER than the first one. Definitely not Cork. As soon as I post this I'm going to send an email to Sarah asking what the deal is: