M.C. Gannon Hat Company

[Scooterz]

I would say my Stetson modern bantam is the softest hat I have. It is probably a premium but not sure as it was not really labeled at the factory outlet. Some of the lower end modern Stetson dress hats are pretty stiff. I have handled very similar hats at the factory outlet that feel very different in terms of stiffness. Some of the modern Stetsons have been reported to bleed some of the color they use if they get drenched. The Akubras and some of the beaver customs can hold up better to a rain shower. My new Gannon is soft but with some body. I like it a lot. I am fighting the urge to get right back on the list for another one. I have an Alley Kat custom hat in rabbit by Tim its a really nice hat. It feels really nice to the hand but the winchester felts they have to work with are different and a little thicker than the old vintage felts that are no longer available. There is a thread here for his hats. I would also buy another one from Tim. The deal with the custom hats is you can order the style, dimensions, color and ribbon to your liking. Things you cannot find in modern hats. Vintage Knox hats I have are the softest most moldable felt I have experienced personally. But when buying vintage you have to take your chances or pay a high price. I expect to leave the Gannon and the Alley Kat to my kid. (Once he got a good haircut most of my hats actually fit him now.) If you just want a really soft hat and are happy with the factory hats (the ribbons are just tacked on with plastic deals not sewn) then go pick one out in person and get the softest one in the store. I love my walnut modern stratoliner and a modern whippet with a leather band instead of a ribbon. If you want a hat made to your specs order a custom from Gannon or one of the other guys on here and don't look back. You will be getting a nice hat that is also a work of art. I would have saved some money if I had just ordered custom hats in the first place. I do like some of the modern stetsons but I picked them out in person and did not buy the ones that were stiff. PS if you keep hanging out here you are going to wind up with several more hats anyway.

 

[JessieJames]

Does anyone here have a western felt weight? I'm curious to see your take on it. I am getting a 3 inch flat brim so western weight is best to keep the shape but I think most hats here style and felt weight is dress.

 

[suitedcboy]

"western weight" is a bit of misnomer. Lots of western hats have the same felt thickness as fedoras. The amount of shellac is increased in westerns to let them have the full steam and shape feature. I have a couple of fedoras that have thick felt but little or no shellac and are malleable. I have a Peters Bros fedora that has thinner felt but is very stiff and there is no way to shape or adjust crown without steam. There are lightweight felts that can start as thinner felts or a standard body can be pounced until it loses thickness. I am talking high beaver content felts. If you have a higher wool content western felt compared to a fur felt fedora you could assume all westerns were much thicker. 100% beaver westerns I have without bound edge have similar thickness to my few raw edge fedoras.

 

[Bamaboots]

100% beaver westerns I have without bound edge have similar thickness to my few raw edge fedoras.

Agree with this.

 

[Rmccamey]

No way! That never happens!

PS if you keep hanging out here you are going to wind up with several more hats anyway.

I'll be picking up another new-to-me Dobbs this afternoon

Number of hats in the stable: JJ...me (21)...Bill...Brent...Eric..............................Max!

 

[Rmccamey]

Love my Gannon; granite and slate. Firm enough to handle easily (ie, it does not flop around and the crease does not change every time I pick it up) with a good hand and soft enough to reshape and crease with just a little steam.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Does anyone here have a western felt weight? I'm curious to see your take on it. I am getting a 3 inch flat brim so western weight is best to keep the shape but I think most hats here style and felt weight is dress.

Here are photos of two Resistol 4X hats. They both were “Cattleman” hats with 4” brims and the ubiquitous cattleman’s crease. I trimmed the brims back to 3” and changed the crease. I could have left them with the cattleman’s crease, but I wanted something different. The brims are mostly flat after I ironed them, but I did give them just a bit of flare.

You should be able to do all this yourself and be into the hat (at your size) for well under $50. The bound edge dress western hats are much nicer (and not expensive), but I like these thick and stiff westerns for rugged wear and their economy. They are also very comfortable wearing hats. Both of these hats were from the 1970s or ‘80s and you won’t ruffle any feathers by modifying them.

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[deadlyhandsome]

Here are photos of two Resistol 4X hats. They both were “Cattleman” hats with 4” brims and the ubiquitous cattleman’s crease. I trimmed the brims back to 3” and changed the crease. I could have left them with the cattleman’s crease, but I wanted something different. The brims are mostly flat after I ironed them, but I did give them just a bit of flare.

You should be able to do all this yourself and be into the hat (at your size) for well under $50. The bound edge dress western hats are much nicer (and not expensive), but I like these thick and stiff westerns for rugged wear and their economy. They are also very comfortable wearing hats. Both of these hats were from the 1970s or ‘80s and you won’t ruffle any feathers by modifying them.

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Sorry, I just realized this was in the Gannon thread and not in the ask a question....


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[belfastboy]

Does anyone here have a western felt weight? I'm curious to see your take on it. I am getting a 3 inch flat brim so western weight is best to keep the shape but I think most hats here style and felt weight is dress.

I just picked up a new 50/50 beaver/rabbit western weight hat from NW Hats. The felt is not much thicker than my dress weights. The crown is def stiffer but the brim is not much stiffer on my many dress weight fedoras from Mike.

 

[JessieJames]

I just picked up a new 50/50 beaver/rabbit western weight hat from NW Hats. The felt is not much thicker than my dress weights. The crown is def stiffer but the brim is not much stiffer on my many dress weight fedoras from Mike.

that's so odd, I would think that it would be the opposite since the crown is the one being stretched and not the brim. Perhaps the crown just feels more rigid because it is being bent into shapes which increases the rigidity in some ways as a whole

 

[Rmccamey]

Coming soon...

Sahara and old Copper

 

[Bill Hughes]

Coming soon...

Sahara and old Copper

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Like everything about that one Randy.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Coming soon...

Sahara and old Copper

View attachment 175559

Looks super, Randy. Michael does such nice work.


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[steur]

Coming soon...

Sahara and old Copper

View attachment 175559

Oooh, that looks very pretty. Good one, Randy.

 

[Rmccamey]

Thank you all. It should be in the first of the week. I love the color of your 100, Bill, and I wanted to get another one close to that.

Like everything about that one Randy.

Looks super, Randy. Michael does such nice work.


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Oooh, that looks very pretty. Good one, Randy.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Coming soon...

Sahara and old Copper

View attachment 175559

Gill and sahara wonderful hat day coming soon! I really like this hat Randy. The gill work in the attached pic is grand. Is it 7 gills or does it also have a "barn door"?

Congrats sir. That is a special hat. Eric -

 

[Rmccamey]

Thank you, Eric. All of your Gannons inspired me to get a second one and I tried to get a little different color combo. I find myself wearing lighter colored hats most often. This is the only pic Michael sent and we did not talk about a barn door so I'm assuming it is gills all the way.

Gill and sahara wonderful hat day coming soon! I really like this hat Randy. The gill work in the attached pic is grand. Is it 7 gills or does it also have a "barn door"?

Congrats sir. That is a special hat. Eric -

 

[JessieJames]

Waiting to get a package is part of the excitement!

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Coming soon...

Sahara and old Copper

View attachment 175559

Different lighting?

 

[Rmccamey]

I did use that hat as a pattern but Michael told me it was a different felt color, pecan perhaps, and my ribbon was the last of an old roll and has a bright orange tone.

Different lighting?

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