M.C. Gannon Hat Company

[RJR]

+1.

And to tell the truth, I've received better attention from Michael than I did from Optimo, which charged me three times as much for the hat I ordered from them!

Pretty hard to argue these points.

 

[TheDane]

+1.

And to tell the truth, I've received better attention from Michael than I did from Optimo, which charged me three times as much for the hat I ordered from them!

It's a tricky comparison. If you talked to the Optimo-people about their hobby, things may have been a little different. To them hatting is most likely not a hobby

 

[moontheloon]

It's a tricky comparison. If you talked to the Optimo-people about their hobby, things may have been a little different. To them hatting is most likely not a hobby

are you suggesting that making hats is Michaels hobby ?

... because I assure you that he would say otherwise

 

[EstherWeis]

are you suggesting that making hats is Michaels hobby ?

... because I assure you that he would say otherwise

+ 1.
As a fellow hatter I find that a little harsh statement.
I prefer the look of his hats by miles to an optimo.

 

[TheDane]

are you suggesting that making hats is Michaels hobby ?

... because I assure you that he would say otherwise

Sorry, I'm probably ill informed, then. I thought he was making hats besides doing another job

 

[moontheloon]

Sorry, I'm probably ill informed, then. I thought he was making hats besides doing another job

if he is not full time yet he absolutely soon will be
I know hat making is his pure passion

a lot of times we have to supplement income ... not speaking for Michael ... just artists in general

I am a musician by trade and by passion ... but do not always do it full time ... that does not make it a hobby
I teach to pay bills when gigs are not in abundance

Michaels goal is to be a full time hatter ... which he very well may be at this time

I don't believe hatting was ever a hobby for him

 

[Michael R.]

that cat doesn't get bothered ... I bombard him with emails sometimes ... changing my mind about things 3 and 4 times a day

doesn't bother him in the least ... he rolls with it and always answers back within a few hours

the dude truly appreciates his customers

Haha ! That cracked me up ! I bet you do , because I do myself (change my mind , back and forth) . But he really is kind and seems to roll with it , I guess he knows he'll use whatever body eventually. He's in it for the long haul , and that's great he's open and willing to accomadate . He seems like a really great guy , understanding. I'm sure he appreciates the work and the exposure, building a business and a reputation are tough , and you know the FL crew , they tell it like it is .

Ky , I was a lurker for so long , then I thought I might as well get to know some of these passionate people that I'm getting advice from . Haven't regretted it . A bunch of kind people sharing knowledge, and experience. They're great !

 

[Guardian Enzo]

Man, I'm on the wrong end of an 8-week turnaround time for Mr. Gannon right now - looking at the hats showed off here is going to make that torture.

 

[TheDane]

if he is not full time yet he absolutely soon will be
I know hat making is his pure passion

a lot of times we have to supplement income ... not speaking for Michael ... just artists in general

I am a musician by trade and by passion ... but do not always do it full time ... that does not make it a hobby
I teach to pay bills when gigs are not in abundance

Michaels goal is to be a full time hatter ... which he very well may be at this time

I don't believe hatting was ever a hobby for him

First of all, I had absolutely no bad intentions with my post - and I had no intentions what so ever to down-talk Mike's work.

I worked for 20+ years as a sound engineer and was married for 10 years to a musician, who was teaching to cover the rest. I know perfectly well, what you mean.

I have also known hobbyists, that were better at their "trade" than many professionals. To me "hobby" doesn't have a bad ring to it - but it may sound different in English. I deeply respect Mike's work - not his job or his hobby.

Hope, that clarifies things

 

[DJH]

Turning a hobby into a business is a great way to go forward in life. A lot of my customers are the craft brewers, many of who started as home beer makers before starting a real business - it is nothing to look down on and to me having a hobby your are passionate about that you turn into a business is the definition of success.

One thing that's a little worrying is that we are all used to the aggravation in the leather jacket forums here, where as soon as anyone says anything negative about the favored manufacturer, the part time PR squad (almost certainly rewarded with free or cheap stuff) is in action to yell at them.

There are a lot of custom hatters, most of them really good (heck my only disappointment was with the hatter acknowledged to be the best by many here - some guy in Chicago), and they almost certainly started off making hats as a hobby. This guy is just one of the custom hatters and (as I understand it) was taught the trade by master hatter Art Fawcett.

I'd hate to see the hat forum descend to the level of the PR squad jumping in everytime anything negative might be suggested.


Cheers!
David!

 

[moontheloon]

where is anyone getting "negative" , "bad intentions" , "descend to the levels of PR" ?

I don't get it ... I just read back to the entire discussion and see not one negative thing ... nor do I see anything that resembles bad intentions

 

[KY Crusader]

It's a tricky comparison. If you talked to the Optimo-people about their hobby, things may have been a little different. To them hatting is most likely not a hobby

Really, my intention was not to knock Optimo, but to praise Michael Gannon. I like my Optimo very much: I'm glad I purchased it, and I'll value it highly as long as I live. However, in my opinion, the customer service rep at Optimo was not as communicative as I would have liked, especially considering the prices involved. On the other hand, Michael went out of his way to make sure that the hats he was making for me were something I'd be pleased with!

 

[Michael R.]

It goes to how a person reads stuff . I answered a txt msg from my sister-n-law and she went buzerk ( nothing at all intended negative ) , and she wouldn't speak to me for like two years ( a plus there ) . But it's hard to read the intent a person types something. I usually get in trouble never understanding what I typed that caused a problem . But I'm new , and the day will come , pretty sure .

It just happens . Gotta take it with a grain of salt and let it roll .

I know a guy that's a Hatter , actually two guys that work full time at other jobs , but still have the hat making business . And they've done well , just getting to the point where they can do it exclusively takes time and they'll get there , no doubt. You've heard location , location, but advertising, word of mouth , and as the demand goes up it'll be bigger than they can handle . But I know guys that do all kinds of things , both full time gigs , but operate on an as needed basis . Guys that farm or ranch , sing and do shows , or players . Guys that farm and seriously hunt , or do hunting guide deals seasonally . Train duck dogs , or bird dogs . One guy has a TV show . They roll with it , and do it as they want , not nailed down . Options .

 

[Michael R.]

Man, I'm on the wrong end of an 8-week turnaround time for Mr. Gannon right now - looking at the hats showed off here is going to make that torture.

Yeah , but at 2-3 Hats per week I'm getting excited. It could be a month or less . Initially it was 8 weeks out , now 8 hats ahead of me .

 

[Daniele Tanto]

Turning a hobby into a business is a great way to go forward in life. A lot of my customers are the craft brewers, many of who started as home beer makers before starting a real business - it is nothing to look down on and to me having a hobby your are passionate about that you turn into a business is the definition of success.

May I say I completely agree with David about this statement
The rest is as always an interpretation........

 

[EstherWeis]

I agree completely.
I don't do it full time either but that doesn't mean I don't love it heart and soul.

I like to look at it like this;
I have a steady income of my other job. This makes sure I never stress or try to sell things I'm not 100% ok with.
I have seen a lot of great businesses fail because of that.

As for the PR thing.
I would be a very bad business woman if I would do such a thing...
I agree with moon on this, I'm confused, I don't think anyone had intended it that way.

 

[TheDane]

I agree completely.
I don't do it full time either but that doesn't mean I don't love it heart and soul.

No of course not. I can't see anyone in this thread saying that. I have - as stated in my latest post - lived around people with "extra" job all my life. Most of those had their "job of passion" on the side. That's been the case for myself too.

I never wrote anything - and I sure didn't mean to imply - that a "second job" is not something one does out of passion. I really can't see where that came from. You're not the only one being confused here, Esther

I believe most of the hatters around TFL started their hatting as a hobby. As it evolved, they then turned hatting into a business. I believe that goes for Delks and Kitter. From what Art has written on his history, I understand, it was the case with him too. Mike Moore needed hats for reenacting and his SASS-activities, so he tried to make them himself. As I remember TonyB's upstart, hatting was initially a hobby - and so on. I have never ever said/written anything that could be interpreted as doubts about their commitment or passion for hatting - on the contrary!

In my initial post I just stated the obvious, that you can't compare two operations as different as Mike's and Optimo's. Mike's is a small one-man operation. Optimo is a highly profiled and hyped hat "factory" with two brick-and-mortar shops and a staff - probably outputting in a day, what Mike outputs in a month. I would anytime expect to see better and more patient customer service - as well as lower prices - with a small one-man hatter. That was my point ... nothing else

I'm pretty sure, this discussion builds on a bunch of misunderstandings, originating from the medium of communication. Had we been talking face-to-face, I don't think the conversation would have derailed as much

PS: I'm not and never was an "Optimo fan-boy"! I have never owned one of their hats.

 

[ConsiderMeMilesDavis]

Holy dog...would someone please post a photo of a hat already?!?!

My Gannon in Silvermist with 40s Whippet specs is, to quote Victor Frankenstein, alive — IT'S ALIVE. Discussing ribbon options with Michael this morning.

 

[moontheloon]

Holy dog...would someone please post a photo of a hat already?!?!

View attachment 50382

My Gannon in Silvermist with 40s Whippet specs is, to quote Victor Frankenstein, alive — IT'S ALIVE. Discussing ribbon options with Michael this morning.

that looks like it is going to be a beast !!!

you choose a ribbon?

 

[Chamuco]

We just presented the book Innovation 16 successful examples Jalisco 2015 at the MIND (Mexico Innovation and Design) building, my Gannon performed very well in front of the Secretary of Innovation Science and Technology and a bunch of people !!

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk