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Optimo "Flannel" Trilby

Rex

New in Town
Messages
6
Location
Pittsburgh
Does anyone have this hat? (or any other hat with this finish/texture)? Picture from the Optimo website is as follows:

http://optimohats.com/felt/trilby2/

I am looking for something with a little contemporary flair and this looks like it might fit the bill. The texture looks as if it would make this piece really stand out. Wanted to see if anyone had any actual photos of theirs to post as well as comments on the way it looks and/or any information about the process used to get this type of finish and/or the materials it is made from.

Thanks.
 

Lou

One of the Regulars
Messages
182
Location
Philly burbs
I really like the proportions of that hat. Even the ribbon is just the width I prefer. The flannel is a great idea, but I'd be tempted to shave it.
 

bolthead

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,905
Location
Pennsylvania, United States
I have a Huckel.........

It looks similar, it's a great hat.
Huckel01.jpg
Huckel03.jpg
Huckel04.jpg
 

Rex

New in Town
Messages
6
Location
Pittsburgh
bolthead said:
It looks similar, it's a great hat.
Huckel01.jpg
Huckel03.jpg
Huckel04.jpg

Nice. This guy looks a bit more "dense" with the off colored hairs on the surface. Both look great and are a little more contemporary and eye-catching I think. Do you brush all of the off-colored hairs or do they stick up?

Wonder how do you get that look? Does the hatter just stop at one stage of the finishing process? It looks as though the hairs on the surface are either dyed a different color or completely un-dyed.
 

Rex

New in Town
Messages
6
Location
Pittsburgh
Finish Simply the Result of Stopping the Finishing Process Without Pouncing?

gtdean48 said:
Do a search for "pouncing" & you'll find out about some finishes. There are also discussion about lenth of hairs cut from the pelts to create the felt from the start... gtd

Thanks for the suggestion! I did so and retrieved some information. However (correct me if I am wrong) but it appears that this finish is not simply the result of avoiding the pouncing process altogether. The search resulted in some pictures of "unpounced" hats that look nothing like this. The number of hairs appear to be far more prevalent and the hat simply looks uniformly rough, hairy (like an animal) and...erm...unfinished :) This hat might have been *partially* pounced but how would you keep the sparse, long, and discolored hairs? These are clearly bleached or included later somehow to get that contrast right?

I have also seen hats with the "long hair" style. An example of which can also be found on the Optimo site:

http://www.optimohats.com/felt/jlhhomburg/

giving the hat a glossy, combed appearance.

There appears to be aspects of each in the Trilby I site in my first post, yet it appears to be somewhat different than either.

Hatters please correct me.
 

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