M.C. Gannon Hat Company

[Woodtroll]

This is my first Gannon made from FEPSA 100% beaver felt. This is a 95g lightweight body in the color Tim and Pure Beaver calls flagstone. The open crown is a bit shorter than some of my other Gannons at 6 ¼ inches. The bound brim is 3 inches wide. The felt was shaped dry and it has a great hand. The felt has good color saturation and it is light and very moldable. I’d say this felt is more to my liking than Winchester’s dress weight beaver, but not by a huge margin and I’m not sure it’s worth the premium. However, Winchester has been having difficulties filling orders.

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I like taller crowns too, in general, but I think that crown height and deep bash on the top suit you and the hat both very well. That is a sharp hat that looks good on you!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I like taller crowns too, in general, but I think that crown height and deep bash on the top suit you and the hat both very well. That is a sharp hat that looks good on you!

Thanks, Regan. Long live the tall crowns!

 

[BobHufford]

This is my first Gannon made from FEPSA 100% beaver felt.

So nice Brent! Kudos to Mr. Gannon and to you (as I'm sure you had a hand in the design choices). A beauty!

 

[hambone71]

This is my first Gannon made from FEPSA 100% beaver felt. This is a 95g lightweight body in the color Tim and Pure Beaver calls flagstone. The open crown is a bit shorter than some of my other Gannons at 6 ¼ inches. The bound brim is 3 inches wide. The felt was shaped dry and it has a great hand. The felt has good color saturation and it is light and very moldable. I’d say this felt is more to my liking than Winchester’s dress weight beaver, but not by a huge margin and I’m not sure it’s worth the premium. However, Winchester has been having difficulties filling orders.

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Very nice! Great proportions and suits you well! Classy looking!

 

[Mighty44]

This is my first Gannon made from FEPSA 100% beaver felt. This is a 95g lightweight body in the color Tim and Pure Beaver calls flagstone. The open crown is a bit shorter than some of my other Gannons at 6 ¼ inches. The bound brim is 3 inches wide. The felt was shaped dry and it has a great hand. The felt has good color saturation and it is light and very moldable. I’d say this felt is more to my liking than Winchester’s dress weight beaver, but not by a huge margin and I’m not sure it’s worth the premium. However, Winchester has been having difficulties filling orders.

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Looks great! I’m intrigued by the color options available from fepsa—but yeah, it takes it to the next level of expense.

 

[Rmccamey]

I have to say that is a wonderful color. I'll be interested in what attire it matches best.

This is my first Gannon made from FEPSA 100% beaver felt. This is a 95g lightweight body in the color Tim and Pure Beaver calls flagstone. The open crown is a bit shorter than some of my other Gannons at 6 ¼ inches. The bound brim is 3 inches wide. The felt was shaped dry and it has a great hand. The felt has good color saturation and it is light and very moldable. I’d say this felt is more to my liking than Winchester’s dress weight beaver, but not by a huge margin and I’m not sure it’s worth the premium. However, Winchester has been having difficulties filling orders.

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[deadlyhandsome]

I have to say that is a wonderful color. I'll be interested in what attire it matches best.

Thanks, Randy. It’s a bit of a chameleon and sometimes looks more green than blue.

There are times when I put real thought into my attire, but most of the time I wear my hats because I want to wear them that day with only brief consideration for how it pairs with the rest of what I have on.

 

[jdouglasj]

This is my second Gannon hat. It's a whiskey western weight with a lot of waterproofing wax. My first Gannon has not been steamed and I want to try my best not to get it wet because I don't want to activate the stiffeners. This is my snow/rain/fishing hat (when it's not too hot). The wax gives it almost a leather feel.

Of course the wax is what hat makers use for customers who want a distressed look to their hats. I was mainly interested in the waterproofing.

Michael charges an extra $20 for the weaving on the sweatband, but I enjoy looking at the interior of the hat every time I put it on so I think this is worth the extra money.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

This is my second Gannon hat. It's a whiskey western weight with a lot of waterproofing wax. My first Gannon has not been steamed and I want to try my best not to get it wet because I don't want to activate the stiffeners. This is my snow/rain/fishing hat (when it's not too hot). The wax gives it almost a leather feel.

Of course the wax is what hat makers use for customers who want a distressed look to their hats. I was mainly interested in the waterproofing.

Michael charges an extra $20 for the weaving on the sweatband, but I enjoy looking at the interior of the hat every time I put it on so I think this is worth the extra money.

I’ve never seen one waxed before: very interesting look.

I’m not sure what you are referring to when you say you don’t want to get your Gannon wet or expose it to steam from concern of activating the stiffeners. Can you please expound?

 

[Zombie_61]

A little off topic, but this is what I think every time I read this thread's title:

Anyone else?

 

[jdouglasj]

Brent, sure, below I have pasted a portion of an email exchange with Michael Gannon, so you can hear it in his own words. I put one section of the email in bold because Michael and I share the same stylistic preferences when it comes to hat design, and the look he describes in the bolded section is exactly what I wanted out of my first hat.

I have a couple hats from Optimo in Chicago. Graham does custom hats (very expensive) but most of his business is off the shelf sales. My Optimo hat is a high quality hat with soft felt, but the creases are basically permanent, and none of Graham's hats have the look Michael describes in the bolded section below:

There are a couple of reasons to go with an open crown (other than if you want to wear it that way). First, some people like an open crown because they prefer to crease the hat themselves. These are usually people that have some experience with hats and experience with shaping the hat, they know what kind of crease they like and prefer to crease it themselves so they can make sure it suits their tastes. In most cases these people intend to give the hat a permanent crease; they just prefer to do it themselves. You give the hat a permanent crease by adding steam as you shape it, when the felt is steamed it "activates" the stiffener and the felt will hold the shape you give it.

Others like an open crown so they can "reshape" the crown - not giving it a "permanent" crease. However in order to be able to reshape the crown the felt needs to be pretty thin otherwise the crease will want to "pop" out. Also this reshaping only works if you don't add steam to shape the hat, once you add steam to the felt the crease will "set in" and you would need to reblock the hat in order to reshape the hat without crease lines etc. Also if you do want a well defined crease like a diamond with really straight lines etc then you will need to add steam to the felt, the reshaping of the open crown only works for the "casual" crease which does not require steam.

A bit about the thin felt open crown. I started making those types of hats to try to duplicate some of my favorite vintage hats, I loved the way you could crease them without steam. The thing I personally liked the most about that type of felt was that you could wear what I call a "casual" crease. I tend to like my personal hats to have a more unique looking crown, so not necessarily a well defined diamond or teardrop etc. I keep most of my hats open crown and crease them when I am going to wear them and each time I wear them I may put a different crease in the hat. If you look at really old photos of hats they often had that type of look, I think it gives the hat more "character". However I know my preference for unique looking crowns is not something that is shared by the majority of hat wearers.

Of course there is nothing wrong with a well defined crease and the vast majority of my customers prefer that type of crease for their hats. I have made many soft thin open crown hats for people over the years and I believe most of them gave the hat a nice crease. They may just prefer the lighter feel of the thinner felt but also the open crown allows the wearer to shape the hat just how they like, in a way that works for their personal taste and their unique facial features etc. However it does take some practice and a decent source of steam to get a well defined shape in the hat.

Something else to note about a soft thin felt open crown hat is that they don't make great "all weather" hats. You need to keep the open crown relatively dry and free of moisture to avoid a crease from settling in. Once a creased hat is exposed to a lot of moisture the crease "sets" in and the hat would need to be reblocked to get it back to an open crown without crease lines or marks. Generally a thicker felt is better for wear in the elements.

For "outdoor" type hats I usually prefer western weight felt, it is thicker and more stiff and those things make the hat more sturdy, durable and hold up better in the rain etc. The distressed felt is done using fabric wax which does add even more protection from rain, the fabric wax makes the hat more water repellent. You can of course add the wax to dress weight felt and it will have the same effect.

And from a second email from Michael:

I think I can make the hat very similar to the hat in the video you referenced. It will be able to be creased easily without steam. Just keep in mind that steam will be required to get a "perfect" shape, notice that the hat in the video has more of what I like to call a "casual" crease, it does not have a really well defined diamond crease etc. When I say the thin felt hat can be creased easily without steam that means with a casual crease, I have had customers think that they can get a perfect crease - one that looks like it was factory creased with a shaped block - without using steam and that is not the case. If you want a perfect crease like that then steam will always be necessary and the crease will then become somewhat permanent.

Finally, I have attached a photo of my "casual crease" first Gannon hat next to my "permanent crease" Optimo hat. I may not always keep my Gannon bash like it is in the photo, but that's what its like this week. But to my eye the Gannon hat just has a lot more character. The Gannon hat feels softer to the touch around the crown, but actually the Optimo has a softer, more pliable brim. I like the stiffer brim because I don't want to lose the shape along the brim.

Appropriately enough, the first day I have worn my new western weight waxed hat is a windy, rainy day here in Chicago. I have attached a photo of the hat coming in right out of the rain. The second wet had picture has more focus.

For those of you interested in a "distressed" hat, here is one thing to consider. As you can see, the wax makes the hat a little shiny (although not as shiny as it looks in the photo, I don't think). The distressed hats I've seen online do not look shiny but I think that was just a function of the lighting used to make the shot. I presume all hat makers who produce distressed hats do so with wax. I'd prefer if it weren't shiny, but I don't care much because, again, my goal was waterproof.

P.S. If any newbies are reading this post, I should say that you can certainly wear a beaver hat in the rain or snow. I've done it many times and it won't permanently damage the hat. And with a "permanent crease" like the Optimo, it matters even less if it gets a little wet. But it's not ideal and the hat may be a little misshapen, maybe a little "bumpy." It's nothing that can't be steamed and smoothed out. If you have a high quality beaver hat, I don't think you have to worry about getting it wet. But I just would prefer not to get it wet because I don't want worry about smoothing it out later. And I REALLY don't want my casual crease Gannon to become a permanent crease Gannon so I'm extra careful about not letting that hat get wet. If precipitation is in the forecast I'll throw on my waxed Gannon.

P.P.S. I have already re-shaped my new hat.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Brent, sure, below I have pasted a portion of an email exchange with Michael Gannon, so you can hear it in his own words. I put one section of the email in bold because Michael and I share the same stylistic preferences when it comes to hat design, and the look he describes in the bolded section is exactly what I wanted out of my first hat.

I have a couple hats from Optimo in Chicago. Graham does custom hats (very expensive) but most of his business is off the shelf sales. My Optimo hat is a high quality hat with soft felt, but the creases are basically permanent, and none of Graham's hats have the look Michael describes in the bolded section below:

There are a couple of reasons to go with an open crown (other than if you want to wear it that way). First, some people like an open crown because they prefer to crease the hat themselves. These are usually people that have some experience with hats and experience with shaping the hat, they know what kind of crease they like and prefer to crease it themselves so they can make sure it suits their tastes. In most cases these people intend to give the hat a permanent crease; they just prefer to do it themselves. You give the hat a permanent crease by adding steam as you shape it, when the felt is steamed it "activates" the stiffener and the felt will hold the shape you give it.

Others like an open crown so they can "reshape" the crown - not giving it a "permanent" crease. However in order to be able to reshape the crown the felt needs to be pretty thin otherwise the crease will want to "pop" out. Also this reshaping only works if you don't add steam to shape the hat, once you add steam to the felt the crease will "set in" and you would need to reblock the hat in order to reshape the hat without crease lines etc. Also if you do want a well defined crease like a diamond with really straight lines etc then you will need to add steam to the felt, the reshaping of the open crown only works for the "casual" crease which does not require steam.

A bit about the thin felt open crown. I started making those types of hats to try to duplicate some of my favorite vintage hats, I loved the way you could crease them without steam. The thing I personally liked the most about that type of felt was that you could wear what I call a "casual" crease. I tend to like my personal hats to have a more unique looking crown, so not necessarily a well defined diamond or teardrop etc. I keep most of my hats open crown and crease them when I am going to wear them and each time I wear them I may put a different crease in the hat. If you look at really old photos of hats they often had that type of look, I think it gives the hat more "character". However I know my preference for unique looking crowns is not something that is shared by the majority of hat wearers.

Of course there is nothing wrong with a well defined crease and the vast majority of my customers prefer that type of crease for their hats. I have made many soft thin open crown hats for people over the years and I believe most of them gave the hat a nice crease. They may just prefer the lighter feel of the thinner felt but also the open crown allows the wearer to shape the hat just how they like, in a way that works for their personal taste and their unique facial features etc. However it does take some practice and a decent source of steam to get a well defined shape in the hat.

Something else to note about a soft thin felt open crown hat is that they don't make great "all weather" hats. You need to keep the open crown relatively dry and free of moisture to avoid a crease from settling in. Once a creased hat is exposed to a lot of moisture the crease "sets" in and the hat would need to be reblocked to get it back to an open crown without crease lines or marks. Generally a thicker felt is better for wear in the elements.

For "outdoor" type hats I usually prefer western weight felt, it is thicker and more stiff and those things make the hat more sturdy, durable and hold up better in the rain etc. The distressed felt is done using fabric wax which does add even more protection from rain, the fabric wax makes the hat more water repellent. You can of course add the wax to dress weight felt and it will have the same effect.

And from a second email from Michael:

I think I can make the hat very similar to the hat in the video you referenced. It will be able to be creased easily without steam. Just keep in mind that steam will be required to get a "perfect" shape, notice that the hat in the video has more of what I like to call a "casual" crease, it does not have a really well defined diamond crease etc. When I say the thin felt hat can be creased easily without steam that means with a casual crease, I have had customers think that they can get a perfect crease - one that looks like it was factory creased with a shaped block - without using steam and that is not the case. If you want a perfect crease like that then steam will always be necessary and the crease will then become somewhat permanent.

Finally, I have attached a photo of my "casual crease" first Gannon hat next to my "permanent crease" Optimo hat. I may not always keep my Gannon bash like it is in the photo, but that's what its like this week. But to my eye the Gannon hat just has a lot more character. The Gannon hat feels softer to the touch around the crown, but actually the Optimo has a softer, more pliable brim. I like the stiffer brim because I don't want to lose the shape along the brim.

Appropriately enough, the first day I have worn my new western weight waxed hat is a windy, rainy day here in Chicago. I have attached a photo of the hat coming in right out of the rain. The second wet had picture has more focus.

For those of you interested in a "distressed" hat, here is one thing to consider. As you can see, the wax makes the hat a little shiny (although not as shiny as it looks in the photo, I don't think). The distressed hats I've seen online do not look shiny but I think that was just a function of the lighting used to make the shot. I presume all hat makers who produce distressed hats do so with wax. I'd prefer if it weren't shiny, but I don't care much because, again, my goal was waterproof.

P.S. If any newbies are reading this post, I should say that you can certainly wear a beaver hat in the rain or snow. I've done it many times and it won't permanently damage the hat. And with a "permanent crease" like the Optimo, it matters even less if it gets a little wet. But it's not ideal and the hat may be a little misshapen, maybe a little "bumpy." It's nothing that can't be steamed and smoothed out. If you have a high quality beaver hat, I don't think you have to worry about getting it wet. But I just would prefer not to get it wet because I don't want worry about smoothing it out later. And I REALLY don't want my casual crease Gannon to become a permanent crease Gannon so I'm extra careful about not letting that hat get wet. If precipitation is in the forecast I'll throw on my waxed Gannon.

P.P.S. I have already re-shaped my new hat.

I have 20ish custom hats from Gannon and I’ve had at least five from Optimo of Chicago. I too prefer Gannon’s creations…I have two more presently in his queue.

Yes, steam does activate the stiffening agents in the felt, but it doesn’t make it permanent. It will give it hold and memory, as well as allowing for sharper creases, but you can still pop them back to open crown. More steam after the crown is open allows for the memory of the steamed in shape to release and you’re ready to change the shape. Some of my Gannons are stored open crown and I shape them every time I take them out to wear them and the crease changes somewhat every time. Steam isn’t going to take your thin moldable Gannon and turn it into a permanently creased Optimo…not in my experience anyway.

You don’t need to steam in the shape, and some of my hats, including some of my Gannons, have not been steamed after I’ve shaped them. However, as much as I like my Gannons, the felt just isn’t the same as the “molds like clay” felt found on the better vintage hats of the 1940s and earlier. There is usually some amount of spring back in the beaver felt Gannon uses. That doesn’t mean you have to use steam, but if you do steam in the shape it will hold better and it will allow for sharper creases (more acute angles).

I don’t think that water is going to set the crease either. Quality fur felt is resilient and I’ve had soaked felt that after it dried completely went back to open crown without any hint of the old crease.

 

[Rmccamey]

There are a couple of reasons to go with an open crown (other than if you want to wear it that way).

I resemble that remark!

I've nicknamed this one the Gannon Westener.

 

[belfastboy]

I have 20ish custom hats from Gannon and I’ve had at least five from Optimo of Chicago. I too prefer Gannon’s creations…I have two more presently in his queue.

Yes, steam does activate the stiffening agents in the felt, but it doesn’t make it permanent. It will give it hold and memory, as well as allowing for sharper creases, but you can still pop them back to open crown. More steam after the crown is open allows for the memory of the steamed in shape to release and you’re ready to change the shape. Some of my Gannons are stored open crown and I shape them every time I take them out to wear them and the crease changes somewhat every time. Steam isn’t going to take your thin moldable Gannon and turn it into a permanently creased Optimo…not in my experience anyway.

You don’t need to steam in the shape, and some of my hats, including some of my Gannons, have not been steamed after I’ve shaped them. However, as much as I like my Gannons, the felt just isn’t the same as the “molds like clay” felt found on the better vintage hats of the 1940s and earlier. There is usually some amount of spring back in the beaver felt Gannon uses. That doesn’t mean you have to use steam, but if you do steam in the shape it will hold better and it will allow for sharper creases (more acute angles).

I don’t think that water is going to set the crease either. Quality fur felt is resilient and I’ve had soaked felt that after it dried completely went back to open crown without any hint of the old crease.

I fully agree. About the only time you would get any hint or 'Shadow' from a hat crease is if it is machine pressed.......hydraulic pressure, water and steam .....that will set in a permanent crease.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

What color is Winchester's bone felt? See below.

Good morning hat folks. I scampered about during a morning walkabout in a Gannon Beachcomer. Home I wore a different Gannon still in a beaver bone hued felt.

Both hats were out drying, waiting to be brushed and the Beachcomer waiting to be steamed (as the brim has gotten wonky from being hit by branches). I took them outside for a "family pic" of Winchester bone felt.

Cheers, Eric -

 

[Mighty44]

Birthday present to myself this year—a new Gannon in Natural. Absolutely perfect, every detail is a pleasure to consider. Inspired by the Strat clone I posted the other day, I opted for a 2 3/8 brim. Even if the vent holes are more decorative than functional, I love them!

Cheers,

David

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Birthday present to myself this year—a new Gannon in Natural. Absolutely perfect, every detail is a pleasure to consider. Inspired by the Strat clone I posted the other day, I opted for a 2 3/8 brim. Even if the vent holes are more decorative than functional, I love them!

Cheers,

David

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It is a stunner. The natural felt is a felt right up my alley. I do like the soft crown creased into a diamond. The vents!
Congrats on the dynamite hat that celebrates your special day. I hope that on your special day you got to celebrate with friends and family.

Cheers, Eric -

 

[StoryPNW]

Birthday present to myself this year—a new Gannon in Natural. Absolutely perfect, every detail is a pleasure to consider. Inspired by the Strat clone I posted the other day, I opted for a 2 3/8 brim. Even if the vent holes are more decorative than functional, I love them!

Cheers,

David

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Congrats! What a terrific hat! You made some great design choices and as usual Mr Gannon knocks it out of the park. I love the vents too.

 

[BobHufford]

Birthday present to myself this year—a new Gannon in Natural.

Wow -- what a hat! Exactly what you wanted as well. How did you know?

Hope the rest of your birthday festivities went as well as this "surprise".

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Birthday present to myself this year—a new Gannon in Natural. Absolutely perfect, every detail is a pleasure to consider. Inspired by the Strat clone I posted the other day, I opted for a 2 3/8 brim. Even if the vent holes are more decorative than functional, I love them!

Cheers,

David

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What a classy looking hat. The colors pair perfectly and the proportions are classic. I love the vents too.
Many happy returns.