Penman Hats

[Benzadmiral]

Thank you everyone for the kind words. Its a pleasure to make them and I do love making all these hats.

Benzadmiral. The Casablanca I have made in several colors and it looks great in every color so far. I wish i had the time or I would have a few of them myself.

John, I looked all around your site, but I couldn't find your list of colors. Can you send a link?

 

[jlee562]

If you're on Facebook, he has an album of swatches that should also been viewable to the public.

 

[Garrett]

The sweatband on that hat looks positively luxurious. Is it something new, or does it just look that way because of the way it was photographed?

John always uses good stuff. As nice as the sweatband is...look at that pounce!

 

[bendingoak]

Hey , Garret. Good to see you again. Don't be a stranger.

 

[Rogera]

I got this beautiful Penman in the mail back in October and just now got myself set up to post pics. Sorry John, I have been wanting to show this off for some time. Thanks again for the great hat!

 

[BJC88]

Looks great! John did good work, but that's not surpising... As I sit here wearing my Charcoal Raiders Beaver felt.

 

[DJH]

Nice Penman you have there, Rogera - John does great work.

 

[Rogera]

Thanks for the compliments on the lid!! John does do excellent work and I am proud to own some of it. I got tired of being jealous looking at everyone else's. I love that sheen on the beaver felt after that great pounce job.

 

[bendingoak]

Thank you every one. rogera , I'm so had you like it. It was my pleasure to make it. Just like everyone here hats is a passion of mine and I'm fortunate to be able to make them.

 

[hatsRme]

If you're on Facebook, he has an album of swatches that should also been viewable to the public.

Why must we be pushed onto Facebook?

 

[jlee562]

Why must we be pushed onto Facebook?

You'd have to ask John. My guess is that it's quicker and easier for him to update that, than having to go through a webpage guy, but that's just speculation. I don't really see what the issue is, as you don't have to join Facebook, simply click on a link, no different than if the swatches were hosted on some other site such as photobucket or Flickr.

 

[bendingoak]

thank you jlee.

If someone wants swatches I can send them real ones in the mail which would be the way I would go but some have asked to have some swatches up on my site so I did exactly like Jlee stated.

 

[JTopenroad]

Well ...I have placed my order for a custom Penman! I had traveled from Ohio to Lakewood Washington to visit my daughter with the idea in mind that I just might get the chance to vist John's shop. It was only about 2 hours to Hillsboro Oregon so I couldn't resist. I called John and set up the appointment. John was very gracious and gave me a custom fitting. I have chosen to go with a thin ribbon Silberbelly pure beaver. Outside of the general shape and color I told John he could be creative and surprise me. I am a huge fan of the Open Road and have several vintage specimens. I am sure this hat will be a great addition to my rotation of wearable hats. I asked that it be sent open crowned so I can bash it myself. Now the wait...

 

[DJH]

That's very cool, JT. I don't recall seeing a thin ribbon hat from John so this will be a treat when you get your hat and post some photos. As you know, you have to wait a while for John's hats - he always has a healthy backlog of orders.

 

[JTopenroad]

Yes indeed worth the wait. I might need to make another vintage purchase to tide me over ...if you know what I mean!

 

[Rogera]

JT, I was able to visit John as well just before he started on my hat. It really put my mind at ease having him do the measuring. He was great to visit with and get a little insight into making a hat from scratch. You'll love his work...well worth the wait. We'll be waiting for pics!

 

[Garrett]

Here is a post long overdue – a gift from my friend, John Penman. We’ll get to the hat in a minute but first I’d like to preface this with something.

Prior to moving up to Seattle from Portland, OR I spent many weekends in the company of John Penman. Typically, I would take the train to old town Hillsboro and walk to his shop where we would listen to tunes from the Golden Era and talk hats, among other things. All the while, I was watching the master at work. We’d usually end up back at his home not 5 minutes away after frequenting one of several favorite lunch spots – John is from New York and can appreciate a good meal though he’ll be the first to tell you how Portland falls short of the fine cuisine available back home The conversation, now aided with Nicaraguan cigars and local microbrews, would continue on the back deck of his home. This is where we would exchange thoughts on hats from classic movies – Casablanca kept popping up as John is an avid Bogart fan. I tend to favor Cagney myself but that’s likely due to the fact that I’m closer in physical size to him than Bogie. The tall crowns, wide ribbons and short brims of the 1930’s entice me more so than the low crown, thin ribbon, wide brims we see trending a decade later. Having an eagle eye for detail, John would always ask to see which vintage hat I was wearing to the shop that day. He remarked that my taste in vintage hats all have one thing in common – wide ribbons. Something he was not accustomed to receiving orders for having made his name as an “Indy Hatter”. In this case, 1.5” is as wide as it gets. He would also comment on the different finishes of the vintage hats I brought in - among them, a long hair or “Peluche” (Borsalino) caught his eye. We talked about variety being one of the attributes separating the modern reproduction market from true vintage. John was certain he could acquire such a finish today and made the proper inquiries. Sure enough, tenacity paid off and John sent me a few photos of a hat he had made for himself utilizing this finish. It’s the same hat currently seen on his website. Fast-forward to November of that year where I was invited to John’s house for a sacred viewing of his beloved NY Giants…lost though they did, John was still in good spirits as he directed me toward a box bearing the Penman name and insignia sitting on the chair next to me. Upon opening the box John remarked “As I was making this hat everything about it just screamed Garrett”.

The block was custom made using measurements from an original 1930's block, the dark chocolate 2 1/8"ribbon is near 100 year-old deadstock, and the semi longhair felt itself is the same cream color that John knew I've been looking for since laying my eyes on that old Borsalino Al Capone donned in 1931 on his journey to Atlanta. The color scheme is coordinated even as you flip the hat over to find a champagne liner and chocolate leather sweatband to match the ribbon. And on the underside of the sweat, an inscription - "For my friend, Garrett".

To use one of John's favorite phrases - "and here it is"

This hat has those Cagney proportions I love so much and its as close as you'll get to the 1930's in a modern reproduction. If one never turned the hat over to see the label you would swear its vintage.

Thank you for this masterpiece, John.

 

[RBH]

Very nice!
Great work John.

 

[Lotsahats]

Wow, interesting proportions! That's the second high-crown, stingy-brim I've seen today; I'm thinking its a comeback.

Aaron

 

[Rogera]

Man that is slick. Congratulations Garrett and nice work John!