Northwest Hats, Eugene, Ore.

[EstherWeis]

I spoke to mike about FEPSA and he has a problem with supply. They won't sell direct to him and if they did their minimums are high. I looked on their website and they offer a 100% cashmere felt blank that intrigues me. Have not seen it offered by any of the bespoke hatters I have encountered.

Yeah, for a smaller hatter the minimum amount is pretty steep. The same with TONAK.
I've tried to get my hands on winchester felts, but the import cost in Belgium is pretty steep...

I have 100% cashmere hoods.
They are beautiful, but so very very tough to block.
Very dense, thick felt. By far the thickest that I've handled. This being said you won't find a warmer hat than those.
Mr. E has one, and he always jokes that his brains are scrambled.
They have a very nice long hair finish.
Downside, i can only get them in 4 colours and only in hoods.
Getting a bigger brim is a bit more complicated.

@TJones:
I like the ones with the warmer undertones on you. Suits your completion a bit better.

Beaver is a lot harder to block, rabbit is so mouldable with not that much effort and steam and has way more stretch in it. You wouldn't believe how much brim I can get out of a hood like this

Especially out of the tissue felts, they just keep on going...
A shame they don't make more colours in the tissue felts...

Beaver, not so much. A lot tougher to block and it takes a lot to get them nice and smooth.
But that's just me, might just be my blocking skills...



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[ingineer]

Hey Terry
its on his facebook page as the fun one a while back
granite grey; grey only in the cool light;

its really brown with a grey undertone
see post 575

 

[T Jones]

Yeah, for a smaller hatter the minimum amount is pretty steep. The same with TONAK.
I've tried to get my hands on winchester felts, but the import cost in Belgium is pretty steep...

I have 100% cashmere hoods.
They are beautiful, but so very very tough to block.
Very dense, thick felt. By far the thickest that I've handled. This being said you won't find a warmer hat than those.
Mr. E has one, and he always jokes that his brains are scrambled.
They have a very nice long hair finish.
Downside, i can only get them in 4 colours and only in hoods.
Getting a bigger brim is a bit more complicated.

@TJones:
I like the ones with the warmer undertones on you. Suits your completion a bit better.

Beaver is a lot harder to block, rabbit is so mouldable with not that much effort and steam and has way more stretch in it. You wouldn't believe how much brim I can get out of a hood like this

Especially out of the tissue felts, they just keep on going...
A shame they don't make more colours in the tissue felts...

Beaver, not so much. A lot tougher to block and it takes a lot to get them nice and smooth.
But that's just me, might just be my blocking skills...



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Thanks, Esther. I'd like to try some

Hey Terry
its on his facebook page as the fun one a while back
granite grey; grey only in the cool light;

its really brown with a grey undertone
see post 575

That looks good on you, Richard. Still a little lighter than I want, though. I got burnt out with Silverbelly and its turned me away from lighter colors. Pecan and Whiskey are going to be too yellowish for me. I'm looking for something along the line of mid-tones. Something between Pecan and Dark Brown.

 

[belfastboy]

Thanks, Esther. I'd like to try some

That looks good on you, Richard. Still a little lighter than I want, though. I got burnt out with Silverbelly and its turned me away from lighter colors. Pecan and Whiskey are going to be too yellowish for me. I'm looking for something along the line of mid-tones. Something between Pecan and Dark Brown.

Probably if you ask Mike he will send you an actual swatch of a felt colour. I did not buy a Whiskey as the undertone was definitely yellow but my Pecan has green/olive undertones and it is very slight at that. I also like the colour of Mike/s FEPSA felts and it might suit your needs.
I went through this looking for a Grey that was not so dark and that is why I chose the Granite and was disappointed when it turned out so brown. I love the hat and wear it a lot but it did not fill my needed grey slot. And could not find a hatter with a colour I wanted so went on the hunt and found an old Borsalino in the mid grey I wanted.

 

[T Jones]

I know that Mike made some Indy style hats in the Dark Brown Beaver felt. For those of you who had those hats made would this be a fair representation of that dark brown....this is a hat that Mike made up a few years ago in dark brown Beaver felt...

It's hard to get an accurate picture of the hat colors because of the differences in light settings

 

[belfastboy]

I have a swatch of the dark brown beaver from Mike and on my monitor your hat looks much lighter. It is more of a mid brown whereas my swatch is much darker but not a deep dark 80% cocoa content dark.
PS I really like the hat. Is that a black ribbon on the hat?

 

[T Jones]

I have a swatch of the dark brown beaver from Mike and on my monitor your hat looks much lighter. It is more of a mid brown whereas my swatch is much darker but not a deep dark 80% cocoa content dark.
PS I really like the hat. Is that a black ribbon on the hat?

Thanks bb. It was a hat I found on Mike's FB page. Something he did in 2013. It's supposed to be dark brown, but, once again, the fluorescent lighting changes the color altogether. I'm guessing it's actually close to the same dark brown on the Indy hats made by himself and other hatters. I'm not sure of the color of the ribbon. Mike does have the very dark brown ribbon for the Indy hats, though. Almost black.

 

[indyhan]

hey that snazzy Brown lid in the pic t jones posted is mine ! first one mike made for me, a little while ago. Dark Brown alright, but lighter than the next he made for me (i had asked for the same dark Brown at the time but i suppose hues may vary from one batch of felt to another). I know felt tends to "fade" a bit over time, but i don't think the reason for the difference between my two lovely hats may reside in that , though... the ribbon is black, by the way.

 

[T Jones]

hey that snazzy Brown lid in the pic t jones posted is mine ! first one mike made for me, a little while ago. Dark Brown alright, but lighter than the next he made for me (i had asked for the same dark Brown at the time but i suppose hues may vary from one batch of felt to another). I know felt tends to "fade" a bit over time, but i don't think the reason for the difference between my two lovely hats may reside in that , though... the ribbon is black, by the way.

That's definitely a nice looing hat. I like that. Mike's making one, similar to yours, for me. Mine will be about the same color, only with the dark chocolate brown 1 1/2 ribbon that he uses on his Indy hats. I'm having it made to look like a close facsimile to Alan Ladd's "China" hat, (one of the inspiration hats to the Indy fedora, along with Heston's SOTI slouch hat), The open crown will be straight sided at 5 3/4 inches tall. It will be creased into a C crown, 4 3/4 at the pinch with a rake sloping to 4 1/4 at the back. The brim width will be 2 3/4 inches with a noticeable up turned snap brim like the one on yours. When creased, it will have a tighter pinch, but not squeezed together...

Definitely worth another look at your fine hat....

...and definitely worth a little Rock A Billy from Johnny Cash....

 

[indyhan]

That's definitely a nice looing hat. I like that. Mike's making one, similar to yours, for me. Mine will be about the same color, only with the dark chocolate brown 1 1/2 ribbon that he uses on his Indy hats. I'm having it made to look like a close facsimile to Alan Ladd's "China" hat, (one of the inspiration hats to the Indy fedora, along with Heston's SOTI slouch hat), The open crown will be straight sided at 5 3/4 inches tall. It will be creased into a C crown, 4 3/4 at the pinch with a rake sloping to 4 1/4 at the back. The brim width will be 2 3/4 inches with a noticeable up turned snap brim like the one on yours. When creased, it will have a tighter pinch, but not squeezed together...

Definitely worth another look at your fine hat....

...and definitely worth a little Rock A Billy from Johnny Cash....

i've been searching a long time for a decent copy of that alan ladd movie and finally resigned myself to Watch it through a streaming service. i love mister ladd's look in that flick. both his hat and jacket. i think david garrison makes a replica of that lid or at least he used to some time ago. but you can't go wrong with Northwest hats. i have three of mike's gems and they are by far the best hats i've ever had. that little brownie in the picture is my go-to hat and it's still as gorgeous as it was the day i received it.

 

[Tedquinton]

A quick phone pick of my latest from Mike, and possibly my favourite!

I will take some decent picks hopefully this weekend, we've got the decorators in and I'm not sure where my camera has been stored.

It's really hard to photograph adequately, in real life it is a beautiful, incredibly dark black cherry that appears black until the sun catches it and brings out the cherry tones. It is incredibly beautiful but also eminently wearable. I had a 'Depp Dillinger' hat made by Mike that I love. It was made for a wedding where all the chaps wore hats. I received so many compliments however it's not a hat one can wear all the time (at least I can't!). This hat isn't as showy, but already I've seen people give it a double take as they see a normal black hat suddenly come to life.

I am so pleased with it. This will probably be my last hat purchase for a while (yeah right!!) as I've just been bitten by the leather jacket bug; this place is so dangerous there I was minding my own business when I accidentally clicked on the 'Outerwear' forum. And bam, another expensive hobby to salve my mid life crisis. C'est la vie!

 

[RJR]

A quick phone pick of my latest from Mike, and possibly my favourite!

I will take some decent picks hopefully this weekend, we've got the decorators in and I'm not sure where my camera has been stored.

It's really hard to photograph adequately, in real life it is a beautiful, incredibly dark black cherry that appears black until the sun catches it and brings out the cherry tones. It is incredibly beautiful but also eminently wearable. I had a 'Depp Dillinger' hat made by Mike that I love. It was made for a wedding where all the chaps wore hats. I received so many compliments however it's not a hat one can wear all the time (at least I can't!). This hat isn't as showy, but already I've seen people give it a double take as they see a normal black hat suddenly come to life.

I am so pleased with it. This will probably be my last hat purchase for a while (yeah right!!) as I've just been bitten by the leather jacket bug; this place is so dangerous there I was minding my own business when I accidentally clicked on the 'Outerwear' forum. And bam, another expensive hobby to salve my mid life crisis. C'est la vie!

I understand the jacket issue .

 

[Tedquinton]

Hi TJ

I have whisky, dark brown and granite hats all in Winchester beaver felt that I'd happily post comparison images of, but it will have to wait for a week or two as whilst decorating I've put most of my hats into storage - wet paint and hats do not belong together, unless you're Laurel and Hardy!

Could you ask Mike for some swatches, its so much easier to judge these thing in the flesh?

When choosing a felt for my 'China' hat I purposely went for a lighter brown, in truth not because I felt it to be more accurate, but because I didn't want it confused with an Indy hat (I already had one of those!). Mind you I still went with Mikes dark brown Indy ribbon and yes people still mistake it far an Indy lid!

When getting a custom lid, choosing the felt/ribbon etc is more than half the fun. All those possibilities!

 

[RJR]

Hi TJ

I have whisky, dark brown and granite hats all in Winchester beaver felt that I'd happily post comparison images of, but it will have to wait for a week or two as whilst decorating I've put most of my hats into storage - wet paint and hats do not belong together, unless you're Laurel and Hardy!

Could you ask Mike for some swatches, its so much easier to judge these thing in the flesh?

When choosing a felt for my 'China' hat I purposely went for a lighter brown, in truth not because I felt it to be more accurate, but because I didn't want it confused with an Indy hat (I already had one of those!). Mind you I still went with Mikes dark brown Indy ribbon and yes people still mistake it far an Indy lid!

When getting a custom lid, choosing the felt/ribbon etc is more than half the fun. All those possibilities!

Very true about the multitude of choices.I have yet for Mike to steer me wrong.

 

[Bob Roberts]

A quick phone pick of my latest from Mike, and possibly my favourite!

I will take some decent picks hopefully this weekend, we've got the decorators in and I'm not sure where my camera has been stored.

It's really hard to photograph adequately, in real life it is a beautiful, incredibly dark black cherry that appears black until the sun catches it and brings out the cherry tones. It is incredibly beautiful but also eminently wearable. I had a 'Depp Dillinger' hat made by Mike that I love. It was made for a wedding where all the chaps wore hats. I received so many compliments however it's not a hat one can wear all the time (at least I can't!). This hat isn't as showy, but already I've seen people give it a double take as they see a normal black hat suddenly come to life.

I am so pleased with it. This will probably be my last hat purchase for a while (yeah right!!) as I've just been bitten by the leather jacket bug; this place is so dangerous there I was minding my own business when I accidentally clicked on the 'Outerwear' forum. And bam, another expensive hobby to salve my mid life crisis. C'est la vie!

Beautiful. I was torn between that color and Navy Blue. I think I might have made the wrong decision...

 

[T Jones]

A quick phone pick of my latest from Mike, and possibly my favourite!

I will take some decent picks hopefully this weekend, we've got the decorators in and I'm not sure where my camera has been stored.

It's really hard to photograph adequately, in real life it is a beautiful, incredibly dark black cherry that appears black until the sun catches it and brings out the cherry tones. It is incredibly beautiful but also eminently wearable. I had a 'Depp Dillinger' hat made by Mike that I love. It was made for a wedding where all the chaps wore hats. I received so many compliments however it's not a hat one can wear all the time (at least I can't!). This hat isn't as showy, but already I've seen people give it a double take as they see a normal black hat suddenly come to life.

I am so pleased with it. This will probably be my last hat purchase for a while (yeah right!!) as I've just been bitten by the leather jacket bug; this place is so dangerous there I was minding my own business when I accidentally clicked on the 'Outerwear' forum. And bam, another expensive hobby to salve my mid life crisis. C'est la vie!

That is one fine lid! Awesome!

 

[T Jones]

i've been searching a long time for a decent copy of that alan ladd movie and finally resigned myself to Watch it through a streaming service. i love mister ladd's look in that flick. both his hat and jacket. i think david garrison makes a replica of that lid or at least he used to some time ago. but you can't go wrong with Northwest hats. i have three of mike's gems and they are by far the best hats i've ever had. that little brownie in the picture is my go-to hat and it's still as gorgeous as it was the day i received it.

I watched the movie a little bit this morning. Incidentally, Ladd's character in the movie also has the last name of Jones.
I like what I've seen of Mike's work. I think I'm going to be very happy with what he turns out.

 

[Tedquinton]

Hi Bob

I've been back through this thread as somehow I missed your post 1st time round. I love that navy. How does it look in real life as on my monitor, some images look almost black, others dark blue.

And if you still have a hankering for black cherry there's an easy solution!

Best wishes

Greg

 

[Bob Roberts]

Hi Bob

I've been back through this thread as somehow I missed your post 1st time round. I love that navy. How does it look in real life as on my monitor, some images look almost black, others dark blue.

And if you still have a hankering for black cherry there's an easy solution!

Best wishes

Greg

Thanks Ted. Yes, unfortunately I know the solution... and yes, it's a true Navy Blue. Almost a deep midnight blue in some light. Would you mind sharing some more pics of the black cherry in natural light for future reference... thank you! Enjoy the wknd.

 

[tropicalbob]

Hi, Ted. That's a real beauty. Mind if I ask the dimensions? I don't think Mike's posted it yet on the Facebook page. I really like that feature that it suddenly shows a surprising tint in a certain light. Very cool.