Northwest Hats, Eugene, Ore.

[Pellie]

Just arrived.
5 3/4" open crown (4 1/2" as bashed).
Barely under 1 3/4" dark gray ribbon.
Matching binding and accent stitches on the 2 3/4" brim.

Everybody needs at least one purple hat!

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What a beauty. And yess...the typical shark gills with dog ears. Lovely.

 

[Tukwila]

Just arrived.
5 3/4" open crown (4 1/2" as bashed).
Barely under 1 3/4" dark gray ribbon.
Matching binding and accent stitches on the 2 3/4" brim.

Everybody needs at least one purple hat!

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I still have a dark charcoal suit with purple pinstripes... this would work just great with that. Now to lose 50 pounds!

 

[Tukwila]

We're headed down to see Mike on Saturday... going to take him my Sunrise Nutria 220g to see what he thinks, and to finalize a Dark Moss that is in queue.

Anyone else have work lined up with Mike currently?

 

[Rmccamey]

A Cambridge bowler...but it may still be a while out in the queue.

 

[Tukwila]

I spent about 2 hours talking with Mike today. I have an order in for 2 hats and 3 more are getting some ribbon work and/or a complete reblock, refurb, etc.

While talking Mike steamed and ironed out 4 more hats that I thought I was going to leave with him... reshaped a 30's women's Panama, gave the proper upward brim curl to a Homburg, steamed and ironed in a brim break and reflanged the brim on a 5 year old custom, and reflanged the brim on a custom Panama... and I got to bring those home with me. He did all that between customers and said it was nothing... LOL, it's like I have 4 new hats in the house. Hats that I wasn't wearing because they needed work.

Mike has some nice Tonak lightweight rabbit in and hopes to be getting some beaver/rabbit blend hat bodies that are superior to pure beaver from Winchester. He had a sample there that was fantastic. I wouldn't have believed it without handling these myself. THEY ARE NICE. His rabbit Tonak is a hat worth having. Light, dense, velvety hand... very nice indeed. The beaver is a definite step up, too!

The women's panama to Mike's right... a Cordova cap I was wearing, and a natural nutria 220 gram hat body I showed Mike for a tall, wide western... I think I like the bone colored ribbon!

A couple reshaped hats on top of the counter. The blue marine lightweight Tonak rabbit on the top shelf, 2nd from right. A Tonak with sprial brim treatment in an Outback/Londoner style on the bottom row, 2nd from left. Next to it is a bowler. That's not yours is it @Rmccamey ?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I spent about 2 hours talking with Mike today. I have an order in for 2 hats and 3 more are getting some ribbon work and/or a complete reblock, refurb, etc.

While talking Mike steamed and ironed out 4 more hats that I thought I was going to leave with him... reshaped a 30's women's Panama, gave the proper upward brim curl to a Homburg, steamed and ironed in a brim break and reflanged the brim on a 5 year old custom, and reflanged the brim on a custom Panama... and I got to bring those home with me. He did all that between customers and said it was nothing... LOL, it's like I have 4 new hats in the house. Hats that I wasn't wearing because they needed work.

Mike has some nice Tonak lightweight rabbit in and hopes to be getting some beaver/rabbit blend hat bodies that are superior to pure beaver from Winchester. He had a sample there that was fantastic. I wouldn't have believed it without handling these myself. THEY ARE NICE. His rabbit Tonak is a hat worth having. Light, dense, velvety hand... very nice indeed. The beaver is a definite step up, too!

The women's panama to Mike's right... a Cordova cap I was wearing, and a natural nutria 220 gram hat body I showed Mike for a tall, wide western... I think I like the bone colored ribbon!

View attachment 316118


A couple reshaped hats on top of the counter. The blue marine lightweight Tonak rabbit on the top shelf, 2nd from right. A Tonak with sprial brim treatment in an Outback/Londoner style on the bottom row, 2nd from left. Next to it is a bowler. That's not yours is it @Rmccamey ?
View attachment 316120

I only have a couple of FEPSA felt hats. I much prefer the 50/50 beaver and hare to the 100% beaver. The 50/50 was soft and so malleable. Even if they were the same price I’d rather have the 50/50 than the 100% beaver. Of course, my sample size being one of each....
Is the the beaver blend that Mike is getting Tonak?

 

[Tukwila]

I only have a couple of FEPSA felt hats. I much prefer the 50/50 beaver and hare to the 100% beaver. The 50/50 was soft and so malleable. Even if they were the same price I’d rather have the 50/50 than the 100% beaver. Of course, my sample size being one of each....
Is the the beaver blend that Mike is getting Tonak?

Yes, Tonak. He had one sample there and it was super nice.

Mike showed me so many hats I know I am forgetting some. He showed me a winchester lightweight in coyote that was fabulous... not as tall or wide as I generally like but for a 2 ounce hat... wow! Then he showed me a lightweight Tonak rabbit... not quite as nice but just as light, just as thin and aaaaalmost there with the Winchester. The beaver blend Tonak was super.

It was hard not to order a couple more hats right there on the spot.

Ohh.... there was a lightweight rabbit he finished as a woman's hat and it had a suede finish. WOW! I was impressed. Lightweight, and what a hand!

 

[Rmccamey]

A great rundown, Doug. Very enlightening. Now we all have more options to think about!

The bowler, no, if it has a blue ribbon then it is not mine. Mine is probably still a month or more out in the queue. Thanks for checking, Doug.

I look forward to seeing your "new" hats.

I spent about 2 hours talking with Mike today. I have an order in for 2 hats and 3 more are getting some ribbon work and/or a complete reblock, refurb, etc.

While talking Mike steamed and ironed out 4 more hats that I thought I was going to leave with him... reshaped a 30's women's Panama, gave the proper upward brim curl to a Homburg, steamed and ironed in a brim break and reflanged the brim on a 5 year old custom, and reflanged the brim on a custom Panama... and I got to bring those home with me. He did all that between customers and said it was nothing... LOL, it's like I have 4 new hats in the house. Hats that I wasn't wearing because they needed work.

Mike has some nice Tonak lightweight rabbit in and hopes to be getting some beaver/rabbit blend hat bodies that are superior to pure beaver from Winchester. He had a sample there that was fantastic. I wouldn't have believed it without handling these myself. THEY ARE NICE. His rabbit Tonak is a hat worth having. Light, dense, velvety hand... very nice indeed. The beaver is a definite step up, too!

The women's panama to Mike's right... a Cordova cap I was wearing, and a natural nutria 220 gram hat body I showed Mike for a tall, wide western... I think I like the bone colored ribbon!

View attachment 316118


A couple reshaped hats on top of the counter. The blue marine lightweight Tonak rabbit on the top shelf, 2nd from right. A Tonak with sprial brim treatment in an Outback/Londoner style on the bottom row, 2nd from left. Next to it is a bowler. That's not yours is it @Rmccamey ?
View attachment 316120

 

[Tukwila]

Mike is finishing up a new straw for me.

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Looked over one of these at Mike's shop today. The pictures really don't do enough. It is such a great, open weave. A very cool hat.

 

[Tukwila]

My custom steel beaver felt... kind of droopy

Sharper brim break, reflanged:

I was curious, so I went back to look at new hats pics of this one. I think it looks better than when it was new, in 2016:

 

[Bill Hughes]

My custom steel beaver felt... kind of droopy

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Sharper brim break, reflanged:


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I was curious, so I went back to look at new hats pics of this one. I think it looks better than when it was new, in 2016:

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Agreed. Mike made it better.

 

[Bill Hughes]

My latest from Mike. I'm calling it my Whiskey Whippet.

 

[Pellie]

My latest from Mike. I'm calling it my Whiskey Whippet.

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Awesome hat.
Mike doesn't post all his creations on instagram lately does he?

 

[Bill Hughes]

Awesome hat.
Mike doesn't post all his creations on instagram lately does he?

No he does not.

 

[Pellie]

No he does not.

Do you know why or is it just lack of time? I always enjoyed to see his hats.

 

[Bill Hughes]

Do you know why or is it just lack of time? I always enjoyed to see his hats.

I know he hasn’t posted several of the hats he made for me. But, some of those had ribbons that I supplied. So maybe he didn’t post those because he couldn’t reproduce them since he didn’t have the ribbon? But I do know he is very busy and that could easily be the reason.

 

[Pellie]

Okay, thanks.

 

[Redfokker]

New hat day is always exciting, but this new Lords Hat from Mike Miller at NW Hats is kind of special. The household CFO authorized this purchase based on my phenomenal progress in quitting smoking! Still have a smoke every few days, but down from a pack and a half a day, so I feel pretty good about it. This new hat is an homage to Downton Abby, with a distinct brim curl as found in 1920s styles of the Landed Gentry. Finished with a long hair (melusine) aubergine felt, Mike said this is one of the wildest he has created. The crown is a full 5 3/4" (tall) and the curl of the brim is super swoopy. Now, to put together an outfit based on eggplant purple!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

New hat day is always exciting, but this new Lords Hat from Mike Miller at NW Hats is kind of special. The household CFO authorized this purchase based on my phenomenal progress in quitting smoking! Still have a smoke every few days, but down from a pack and a half a day, so I feel pretty good about it. This new hat is an homage to Downton Abby, with a distinct brim curl as found in 1920s styles of the Landed Gentry. Finished with a long hair (melusine) aubergine felt, Mike said this is one of the wildest he has created. The crown is a full 5 3/4" (tall) and the curl of the brim is super swoopy. Now, to put together an outfit based on eggplant purple!

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What a hat! I love when people aren’t afraid to try new things. Is that a Winchester felt? I don’t recall seeing that color in their offerings before. Hope to see a lot of this beauty, Mike.

 

[Redfokker]

What a hat! I love when people aren’t afraid to try new things. Is that a Winchester felt? I don’t recall seeing that color in their offerings before. Hope to see a lot of this beauty, Mike.

I think Mike said it was special (Fepsa?) I'll have to ask again. It is bunny though...