Northwest Hats, Eugene, Ore.

[Tedquinton]

Thanks, I have to say as regards value for money I really don't think Mike can be beaten. Fantastic quality for the price. I have another couple in the pipeline!

 

[ofcoursemyhorse]

Nice looking fedora Ted. To anyone on the fence about putting in an order with Mike, he does wonderful work and his lead time is still very low.

 

[seabass]

TedQ
Beautiful hat !
Great 30's vibe
Your detail pics are well done...
Thanks for posting

 

[fedoralover]

Thanks, I have to say as regards value for money I really don't think Mike can be beaten. Fantastic quality for the price. I have another couple in the pipeline!

When I first heard that a guy was making custom 100% beaver felt fedora's for $200, I thought to myself "yes, but what do they look like quality wise". After sampling Mike's work I was more than impressed. The people at Club obi Wan have found him too and are more then happy to be able to get an excellent Indy Fedora in beaver felt for that money.

fedoralover

 

[m0nk]

I have been on COW lately but I did see the Indy style on the website.... it looks spot on to me. And I'm with ya, for that price and with the work I've seen, I already contacted him about an order in beaver felt.

 

[TheDane]

Happy, not to be a hatter! It must be terribly annoying to have to live from making hats, when people in other lines of work make hats on the side and give their work away for glassbeads. $175 minus the cost of a beaver body doesn't leave a realistic margin to make a living from. That is quite counterproductive, if the goal is a healthier, growing industry of skillful hatters. Just my two cents ...

 

[gtdean48]

Happy, not to be a hatter! It must be terribly annoying to have to live from making hats, when people in other lines of work make hats on the side and give their work away for glassbeads. $175 minus the cost of a beaver body doesn't leave a realistic margin to make a living from. That is quite counterproductive, if the goal is a healthier, growing industry of skillful hatters. Just my two cents ...

Shade-tree mechanics have been around for decades....

 

[TheDane]

Shade-tree mechanics have been around for decades....

Sure, but I believe the bill-boarding of the services on the web - alongside and not distinguishable from the professional providers - is a new phenomenon. Makes a pretty big difference in my mind.

 

[ManofKent]

Sure, but I believe the bill-boarding of the services on the web - alongside and not distinguishable from the professional providers - is a new phenomenon. Makes a pretty big difference in my mind.

I may be wrong, but I think most of the modern hatters started producing hats as a sideline to another job. If you're starting out you're fighting against the reputation established hatters have so pricing low initially until you've built up a reputation, and a big enough customer base to go full-time seems a reasonable way of going about things. I'm sure Mike's prices would rise if he feels he can get enough business to go full-time.

 

[m0nk]

Agreed, plus, I only pay $5/MO for hosting a website; internet advertising is cheap and often free anymore so there may not be much in other overhead. I'm just hoping I can slip an order in before he does raise prices.

 

[TheDane]

I fully understand, that you set your prices lower at a start, but I still find these very low. I absolutely don't mind cheap access to advertising, either. That makes it a lot cheaper to run a hatter business, but still there are so many expences before you have a finished hat, and so much time goes into a quality hat. A realistic margin on a 100% beaver @ $175 seems impossible to me.

To put it on an edge, one could ask, how big the need actually is for those hats at a normal price, if the only way they sell is by pricing them so low. A new hatter could instead try to compete on other parameters. With very few exceptions it's my impression, there isn't much competition on felt finish - and looking at contemporary and vintage interiours, this area seems more or less overseen by modern hatters. If you offer me something distinctively different and nice, I'll gladly pay the price. Push the envelope, please

 

[ofcoursemyhorse]

I think his prices are in line for the somewhat limited options he's able to offer at this time. He makes an absolutely beautiful hat, but unfortunately other hatters offer much wider array of felt colors and finishes.

I really wanted a hat in light/powder blue. Thats not one of his offerings and i'm sure won't be anytime soon. So I went to Mr. Fawcett, who has a pretty substantial array of felt colors at his disposal. I believe he also offers a peluche finish on beaver felts as well.

There's also Bob at Blacksheep who hand dyes his own felts and also offers heathered and velour felts as well.

If he were to price his hats closer to match other custom hatters there'd be far less incentive for people to order from him.

 

[TheDane]

You are probably right. As said, it was just a couple of cents of mine

 

[Dan Allen]

I feel that we need to encourage more people to inter the craft, their skills are badly needed. If Mike were to inter the market at top dollar price he may never get established as a major player. I have no problem with that. the only problem with me is that I hope I can get the funds to order one of his hats before he moves on to the next level, Unfortunately I got beat up pretty badly by a man with a white beard and red suit this winter.

 

[fedoralover]

So you are in essence complaining that his prices are too low?? That's a first, mostly people complain that prices are too high. However, it is Mike's business and he's entitled to set his prices where ever he wants to. He isn't ripping anyone off. He delivers an excellent product in a reasonable time table. If he wanted to make them for free what business would it be to anyone else.

I have no doubt at some point Mike's prices will rise, simply because the materials he uses will go up in price. Plus he is always looking for more variety in ribbon and felt options, not to mention equipment. All of which add to his cost.

In the mean time, I'd suggest that people get his product while they can at the price they are now. You simply can't get that quality at that price anywhere else.

fedoralover

 

[TheDane]

Unfortunately I got beat up pretty badly by a man with a white beard and red suit this winter.

Hehe ... he has sure gotten rid of some aggressions here and there

 

[TheDane]

So you are in essence complaining that his prices are too low??

No

 

[m0nk]

Well, I'm going for it, personally. He's a great guy to communicate with and I'm looking forward to getting a closer look at his work... in the mirror...

 

[J.B.]

...Unfortunately I got beat up pretty badly by a man with a white beard and red suit this winter.

ya. I'm skint from Crimbo. :boom:

 

[fedoralover]

I fully understand, that you set your prices lower at a start, but I still find these very low. I absolutely don't mind cheap access to advertising, either. That makes it a lot cheaper to run a hatter business, but still there are so many expences before you have a finished hat, and so much time goes into a quality hat. A realistic margin on a 100% beaver @ $175 seems impossible to me.

To put it on an edge, one could ask, how big the need actually is for those hats at a normal price, if the only way they sell is by pricing them so low. A new hatter could instead try to compete on other parameters. With very few exceptions it's my impression, there isn't much competition on felt finish - and looking at contemporary and vintage interiours, this area seems more or less overseen by modern hatters. If you offer me something distinctively different and nice, I'll gladly pay the price. Push the envelope, please

If you'd actually get one of Mikes fedora's you'd know that low quality isn't the reason his prices are low and thats the "ONLY WAY THEY SELL". Your off hand slights at Mike are a puzzle to me. Anyone that has dealt with him and received one of his hats know that they got a super quality product at an incredible price.

The other quality hatters offer things Mike doesn't and they have waiting lists for their products. I doubt they've even noticed he's in business.

fedoralover