New Hats Finally Arrive!Somewhat dissapointed.

[pmjk]

Hello to All,

This is my second post here at the Fedora Lounge.
I ordered two hats from Hornets Hats on February 4th,2010 both Adventurer's . They were finally shipped on February 26th.Although they are made to order I thought this time frame a trifle long.They finally arrived today March 9th to me here in China where I am teaching English.
Being my first ever fedoras ,I love them but realistically the workmanship seems somewhat lacking.Both of course came with the childlike stiching on the bow and ribbon which I already knew about and expected.What I didn't expect was the flange marks on the light grey one which is clearly visible, and the fact that the ribbon is sewn about 3mm or 1/4 inch above where the brim meets the crown.The one in Sable is free of these problems.Also on the positive side the liners are NOT glued to the hatbands as I have read in some posts on here.So turning out the hatbands is easily done.
Bashing the hats to my liking was also easily done requiring neither steam nor dampening.
Overall I will enjoy wearing the hats ,however I will not order anymore hats from the above mentioned place nor Christy's hats again.
I will post pics as soon as possible.
Regards to all,Peter

 

[daizawaguy]

Sorry to hear about your news. I think someone had the same experience if I am not mistaken, and posted some photos. At worst they will be your `bashers`, and I guess you`ll be ordering somewhere else at some stage. I had the same experience early on in my early days...wool felts etc, and I soon decided three $100 hats were not worth more than a one $300 hat. Welcome. Enjoy your lids and this site!

 

[fluteplayer07]

I'm also sorry to hear about it. Sadly, the once great hat makers of years past have lost their luster in the modern day. Felts are thinner, workmanship is shoddier, and consistency is poor, at best. Not that Borsalino and Stetson and others still don't turn out a nice hat, but for the money, one could easily buy two or three vintage ones that blow the modern day hats out of the water. I agree with daizawaguy that these two could be your beaters. I can't say that I didn't make the same mistakes when I got into hats. In fact, this was me about three months ago! But you learn quick, and I guarantee these two will not be your last. So welcome, and if you ever need a hand, us FLer's are here to help out!

Cheers,
flute

EDIT: Looking back, I see you have been here longer than I have! You're just a bit of a lurker. But still, the sentiment remains.

 

[Sam Craig]

I hear what you are all saying and have experienced the same.

I also have enjoyed the opposite and continue to with my Jaxon Iconoclast.

I've owned them all. I have Knox 40 and 25, Dobbs classic dress and Whippets

They are all great

But the Iconoclast at its cost ... currently $60 and occasional free shipping if you watch for it ... is a great everyday hat

I've worn mine at least two times a week for about four months now and I like it better all the time

I have made some alterations in it, including replacing the ribbon with a narrower Petersham that is more attractive and helps make the crown look taller.

That would be my one change, add an inch to the crown height, and I wish it was avaiable in other colors, but it is holding up well so far ... especially for that money.

For what it's worth ...[huh]

Sam

 

[pmjk]

Thanks Gentlemen,

As I am writing this post my wife is laughing as I haven't taken my hats off all evening, despite their defects.I keep switching from grey to brown.In any case you are all correct in saying these won't be my last hats and I have already picked out a couple by Akubra via David Morgan.
Sad to see, as was stated, that hat makers of some note no longer care about the quality they produce and seem to be riding on the laurels of yesteryear.
I wish there was somewhere to buy vintage hats here.Short of snatching one off an elderly mans head, they seem to be unheard of here in this part of China.Production rabbit hair fedoras can be purchased here for under 50 USD but I can't attest to their quality.My e-bay is gone to the dogs and I can't even log on now.I will keep looking at the classifieds here and scanning the internet as well.Half the fun is coming across that rare find I imagine.

Reagards from China,Peter

 

[FurFeltFedora]

If you're looking at Akubra, don't forget to look at Hatsdirect. Being in Australia, I suspect they are closer to you in China than most.

 

[AlterEgo]

If you've been lurking here for some time--I hate to say we told you so--then you should have known what you'd get in a Christys' hat and what to expect from Hornet's.

The good news is that you will be highly satisfied if not delighted with your Akubras. I don't know whether or not you've already placed an order with David Morgan, but they're an outstanding vendor I've done business with for years. Only thing is, their selection of Akubras is somewhat limited, especially if you want styles other than outback or sporting, and be sure to look into what shipping will cost to China. Note that DM installs chin strap hooks on all its Imperial grade Akubras except the Adventurer; the attachment grommets are visible above the hat band on all of them.

I can also persoanally recommend two excellent Aussie vendors: The Hattery, www.hatsdirect.com--the only vendor to offer the Federation IV (hint)--and Everything Australian, www.everythingaustralian.com.au. Both sell a very broad array of Akubras at relatively low prices, but shipping could more than make up for that, if they ship to China at all.

What Akubra styles are you currently considering?

Who makes the under-$50 rabbit fur felt fedoras sold there in China (I'm guessing Scala/Dorfman Pacific)?

One more thing: Make sure the Chinese government does not regard buying hats from the USA and Australia acts of sedition. I'd hate to read, "Man sentenced to 20 years hard labor for collusion with Banjo Paterson!"

 

[pmjk]

I have been lurking for quite some time now,and I had an idea of what to expect,the most anoying thing was the wait .If I were waiting for th epitome of craftsmanship thats one thing but this of course was another.Overall as these are my first two hats and the price including shipping was reasonable,I can't complain too much.
I havent ordered the Akubras yet,I am interested in the Squatter which seems only to be made in Imperial felt for David Morgans the ones from the Austrailian dealers as I recall were different,Superfine felt I believe and no liner.I am also interested in the Bushman.All will ship to China.It's not the shipping as much as it is the paying.The only option here for me anyways is Western Union.NO chequing account available to me, no money orders for outside China and no bank wire transfer allowed.I don't have credit cards and my e-bay paypal is screwed up So Hats direct is out. I can't even access e-bay.
As for the Chinese hats,I don't know what names they are sold under once they leave China but the factory is in Hebei and are called Lihua Hat Manu. Group,China.I'll pick one up sometime just to see what it's like.

Well thanks to all for your comments and impressions.

Regards,Peter

 

[cybergentleman]

the void

i say find a dealer who makes a good offer for christys and have them do the bow and ribbon or do it yourself.


i ordered mine through ascot top hats- doug did a nice job. although i did switch back to the brown ribbon on my own since i thought it toned down the hat... black and sable was just a tad to dressy for what i wear daily.

i may take a shot at christy's again, will have to see what i can get away with since you can have a quasi custom out of them at a cheap price.

 

[frussell]

Morgan Squatter

Peter - Just an FYI, the Squatter available at David Morgan's has grommets on the sides. Not too obtrusive, but they're not that apparent in the photos, so it caught me by surprise. Otherwise, great hat. Good luck to you. Frank

 

[Dewhurst]

As average hats though, I think the Christy's are wearable and moderately attractive. And for the price that Hornet's sells them, there can't be much to complain about.

Like you said, the wait time did seem a bit excessive for basically only slightly modified production hats. And that is something worth complaining about, as you indicated.

Speaking of the China company that you are familiar with, I wonder if they produce any of the fur felt hats for Stefeno (alt. Stefeno). I have two of their hats that I bought years ago and those things just keep going. Still look good too, which continues to surprise me.

Well, wear the hats proudly anyway. Oh, and welcome, welcome.