Optimo Cowboy Conversion

[Orgetorix]

Looks fantastic, Rick! How stiff is the felt? Most cowboy hats I see are stiff as a board--was this one that way before you sent it?

 

[Mark G]

Stunning, great job.

I have an Old ten X Stetson that will get the same treatment (only OR) and it's good to know where I can send it.

Thanks

 

[DanielJones]

Zowie!! That is fantastic looking! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Rick Blaine]

Rick -- do you mind sharing the specs on that lid? Width of brim? Height of crown? Width of ribbon?

Cheers,
JtL

...sorry f/ my delay. The specs are as follows;

Brim 2.75"
Ribbon 1.5"
Crown: rear- 4"
front 4.75"
open- 6"
Optimo once had a lrg. thumbnail of the real hat in question. It seems to no longer be on the new updated web site, though.

Looks fantastic, Rick! How stiff is the felt? Most cowboy hats I

see are stiff as a board--was this one that way before you sent it?

No this one was quite soft & supple, real dress weight felt, in my estimation.

 

[Mid-fogey]

Good Job...

...all around.

 

[Bruneau]

Great idea. It gave me ideas. I have an interchangeable ribbon from my Panama Bob Cuenca that worked great for an occasional new look on my O.R.

and no... I didn't remove the sacred thin Ribbon.

Bruneau

 

[RBH]

Great idea. It gave me ideas. I have an interchangeable ribbon from my Panama Bob Cuenca that worked great for an occasional new look on my O.R.

and no... I didn't remove the sacred thin Ribbon.

Bruneau

You will be blessed!!!

Oh also Welcome to the Lounge!!!!

 

[indylion]

Your hat looks great. A few years I ran into a few guys that work for Steve Harvey. They were wearing straw cowboy hats that were reblocked with the teardrop block.

 

[jimmy the lid]

Optimo once had a lrg. thumbnail of the real hat in question. It seems to no longer be on the new updated web site, though.

Rick -- thanks for posting the specs. Here is the original thumbnail of the Optimo Mitchum...

Your new conversion nails it, and is just beautiful. Congrats!

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Matt Deckard]

Now I know what to do with all those vintage Open Road hats I have collecting dust in my closet.

 

[Dundee]

That is one very good looking hat. I know you are proud.

 

[RBH]

Maybe now we can get a shot of it on!!

 

[Jeff M]

Love the conversion. Fantastic job by Optimo.

 

[scottyrocks]

That turned into a very handsome hat.

 

[peach]

No offense to other fine works but that is the finest conversion i have seen.

 

[Midwest Boater]

my optimo conversion

i bid on a C.B. thinking it was an O.R. and i was so happy when i won it off ebay for just $22.00 U.S.
thankfully folks on the fedora lounge set me straight. so i figured why not convert it my self.
first lets look at it the way i got it in the mail.

 

[Midwest Boater]

disaster strikes

changing the crease from open range to a teardrop wasn't so hard thanks to JTL's workshop but while i was working on the brim i got the leather hat band soaked and it turned into a cracked-up mess, but i was still proud of what i had going so far and wore it while i B.B.Q ed at my mother in laws 80th birthday.
the smoke and fingerprints that resulted made the poor hat a mess and while trying to brush it clean the glued on ribbon fell most of the way off.

 

[Midwest Boater]

enter optimo

so i sent the poor thing off to chi-town after reading this thread.here is how it came back.

brim:2 7/8" down from 3" but sort of Amish looking
turned up all the way around.
ribbon: 1 1/2" up from the thin ribbon maybe 1/4 that came with it
and the color seems to be sort of a cream instead of the snow white it was.

 

[Midwest Boater]

my touches

all i did was turn the brim down in the front and tighten up the pinch in the crease.

sorry the head shots failed but i hope that folks can tell if the hat suits me and if they like the job Optimo did on the lid itself. thanks for any input.

 

[tonyb]

I like it a lot, Boater. It has an elegant simplicity -- dark, moderate width ribbon on a light body, raw edge. Nice balance to the dimensions. What makes it all the better is that you'll never see another exactly like it, and that it's likely a higher quality hat than you would have gotten in a new hat for a comparable cost.