Phoenix Hat Company

[T Jones]

My 3” Arizona (measured after the curl). View attachment 251881 View attachment 251882 View attachment 251883

That's a nice one, kemosabie. Rick knows how to do 'em up.

 

[T Jones]

My dark moss received two compliments today at Costco. Rick’s work really is great.

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Yup. As I said, Rick does 'em up nice.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Anticipation:

Gulp!

 

[Just A Hat Rack]

Anticipation:

View attachment 259747

Gulp!

Nice Brent. Now I'm getting antsy for you.

 

[Mm25]

Starting to cool off a bit, so even though I haven’t had time to shape the brim, this hat needed a little head time today.

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

Wow, really impressed. I literally went through all 65 pages LOL. I sent him a PM yesterday to get some info. I think I might try and get one for the holidays. I think he can capture a couple different looks I'm going for. But I really love some of the freestyle stuff he did. Then you know you really got a one of the kind.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Wow, really impressed. I literally went through all 65 pages LOL. I sent him a PM yesterday to get some info. I think I might try and get one for the holidays. I think he can capture a couple different looks I'm going for. But I really love some of the freestyle stuff he did. Then you know you really got a one of the kind.

Rick’s a gentleman and an all-around great guy. His hats are exceptional for quality and value. I don’t think he’s taking on my projects/hats at the moment, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Rick said he thinned this 100% nutria felt to half it’s original thickness while trying to get it to have properties more like the vintage western felt we prefer. I’m soooo excited to feel this felt and dig my fingers into the crown!

Ribbon and matching brim binding.

 

[Rmccamey]

Excellent color combo, Brent. You going for the big western style on this one?

Rick said he thinned this 100% nutria felt to half it’s original thickness while trying to get it to have properties more like the vintage western felt we prefer. I’m soooo excited to feel this felt and dig my fingers into the crown!


View attachment 260642 View attachment 260643

Ribbon and matching brim binding.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Excellent color combo, Brent. You going for the big western style on this one?

For sure! It’s going to have a modest 3 1/4” brim so it should be a very versatile hat.

 

[humanshoes]

I love having quirky, creative people in my life. I mentioned to a lady friend that I was thinking about a new Phoenix logo. A few weeks later she presented me with this hand-carved, painted wooden Phoenix lobo. Hah!

 

[Robieman]

I love having quirky, creative people in my life. I mentioned to a lady friend that I was thinking about a new Phoenix logo. A few weeks later she presented me with this hand-carved, painted wooden Phoenix lobo. Hah!

View attachment 272447

That would look good as a hat liner.

 

[Rmccamey]

Embroidered!

That would look good as a hat liner.

 

[Robieman]

Embroidered!

YES, even better!!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

My latest Phoenix! 3 1/4” raw edge brim and 6” open crown. This is a Sunrise 100% nutria 220g western felt in pewter.

I asked Rick to pounce this felt thin. I wanted to see if I could end up with something similar to vintage western beaver felt. Rick did his usual outstanding job. However, this felt just didn’t have what it’s takes to duplicate the vintage qualities I was after. It’s fairly thin and wonderfully smooth with a truly an outstanding hand, but the limitations of the felt could not be completely overcome. It’s certainly not claylike and copious amounts of steam was required to shape it. It’s very much a modern western weight felt...bummer. It’s at least as good, if not better, as any of the Winchester 100% beaver westerns I’ve seen, but it’s nowhere near vintage.

Rick also ran into a mottling problem as he pounced it to approximately half its original thickness. The mottling doesn’t bother me and is only really visible in in certain lighting and angles of view. If I had been content with a stiff western there wouldn’t have been any mottling, but I kept encouraging Rick to take it farther to see if he could make a silk purse out of a modern sow’s ear. The problem isn’t the hatter or the skills or the tools: this modern felt is like Winchester’s beaver in that you just can’t get there from here.

The hat is going to see plenty of use and won’t require any delicate handling. I think Rick wrongly sees this as a failure on his part, but I’m the one who insisted on pushing the limits. The build quality is excellent, and the felt’s shortcomings are not Rick’s fault.

The 1 1/2” wide prairie rattlesnake snakeskin band from WyomingWildbyJen via Etsy. Jen is great to work with and the pricing is more than fair.

Thank you, Rick!

 

[Tukwila]

My latest Phoenix! 3 1/4” raw edge brim and 6” open crown. This is a Sunrise 100% nutria 220g western felt in pewter.

I asked Rick to pounce this felt thin. I wanted to see if I could end up with something similar to vintage western beaver felt. Rick did his usual outstanding job. However, this felt just didn’t have what it’s takes to duplicate the vintage qualities I was after. It’s fairly thin and wonderfully smooth with a truly an outstanding hand, but the limitations of the felt could not be completely overcome. It’s certainly not claylike and copious amounts of steam was required to shape it. It’s very much a modern western weight felt...bummer. It’s at least as good, if not better, as any of the Winchester 100% beaver westerns I’ve seen, but it’s nowhere near vintage.

Rick also ran into a mottling problem as he pounced it to approximately half its original thickness. The mottling doesn’t bother me and is only really visible in in certain lighting and angles of view. If I had been content with a stiff western there wouldn’t have been any mottling, but I kept encouraging Rick to take it farther to see if he could make a silk purse out of a modern sow’s ear. The problem isn’t the hatter or the skills or the tools: this modern felt is like Winchester’s beaver in that you just can’t get there from here.

The hat is going to see plenty of use and won’t require any delicate handling. I think Rick wrongly sees this as a failure on his part, but I’m the one who insisted on pushing the limits. The build quality is excellent, and the felt’s shortcomings are not Rick’s fault.

The 1 1/2” wide prairie rattlesnake snakeskin band from WyomingWildbyJen via Etsy. Jen is great to work with and the pricing is more than fair.

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Thank you, Rick!

I really like it, Brent. Great western!

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

View attachment 277894

Rick must have picked up some new toys, I doubt he ordered a bunch of sweats that say "Nutria 100" on them. My assumption is that he has his own hot foil stamping machine. @humanshoes am I correct? And if so which machine are you using? I have looked at model after model of Chinese made machines and I like the old Kingsley Machines too. On my list to pick one or two up someday.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi
Decent hat, if I get a Nutria body, I don't pounce it so much. Does the Snakeskin have the scales still on it or not? I couldn't tell from the picture. I've been working with some on my own.

Later

 

[Rmccamey]

Very nice.

My latest Phoenix! 3 1/4” raw edge brim and 6” open crown. This is a Sunrise 100% nutria 220g western felt in pewter.

I asked Rick to pounce this felt thin. I wanted to see if I could end up with something similar to vintage western beaver felt. Rick did his usual outstanding job. However, this felt just didn’t have what it’s takes to duplicate the vintage qualities I was after. It’s fairly thin and wonderfully smooth with a truly an outstanding hand, but the limitations of the felt could not be completely overcome. It’s certainly not claylike and copious amounts of steam was required to shape it. It’s very much a modern western weight felt...bummer. It’s at least as good, if not better, as any of the Winchester 100% beaver westerns I’ve seen, but it’s nowhere near vintage.

Rick also ran into a mottling problem as he pounced it to approximately half its original thickness. The mottling doesn’t bother me and is only really visible in in certain lighting and angles of view. If I had been content with a stiff western there wouldn’t have been any mottling, but I kept encouraging Rick to take it farther to see if he could make a silk purse out of a modern sow’s ear. The problem isn’t the hatter or the skills or the tools: this modern felt is like Winchester’s beaver in that you just can’t get there from here.

The hat is going to see plenty of use and won’t require any delicate handling. I think Rick wrongly sees this as a failure on his part, but I’m the one who insisted on pushing the limits. The build quality is excellent, and the felt’s shortcomings are not Rick’s fault.

The 1 1/2” wide prairie rattlesnake snakeskin band from WyomingWildbyJen via Etsy. Jen is great to work with and the pricing is more than fair.

View attachment 277888 View attachment 277889 View attachment 277890 View attachment 277891 View attachment 277892 View attachment 277893 View attachment 277894 View attachment 277895 View attachment 277896 View attachment 277897


Thank you, Rick!

 

[humanshoes]

My latest Phoenix! 3 1/4” raw edge brim and 6” open crown. This is a Sunrise 100% nutria 220g western felt in pewter.

I asked Rick to pounce this felt thin. I wanted to see if I could end up with something similar to vintage western beaver felt. Rick did his usual outstanding job. However, this felt just didn’t have what it’s takes to duplicate the vintage qualities I was after. It’s fairly thin and wonderfully smooth with a truly an outstanding hand, but the limitations of the felt could not be completely overcome. It’s certainly not claylike and copious amounts of steam was required to shape it. It’s very much a modern western weight felt...bummer. It’s at least as good, if not better, as any of the Winchester 100% beaver westerns I’ve seen, but it’s nowhere near vintage.

Rick also ran into a mottling problem as he pounced it to approximately half its original thickness. The mottling doesn’t bother me and is only really visible in in certain lighting and angles of view. If I had been content with a stiff western there wouldn’t have been any mottling, but I kept encouraging Rick to take it farther to see if he could make a silk purse out of a modern sow’s ear. The problem isn’t the hatter or the skills or the tools: this modern felt is like Winchester’s beaver in that you just can’t get there from here.

The hat is going to see plenty of use and won’t require any delicate handling. I think Rick wrongly sees this as a failure on his part, but I’m the one who insisted on pushing the limits. The build quality is excellent, and the felt’s shortcomings are not Rick’s fault.

The 1 1/2” wide prairie rattlesnake snakeskin band from WyomingWildbyJen via Etsy. Jen is great to work with and the pricing is more than fair.




Thank you, Rick!

You're welcome Brent. It was great fun making your hat. I had such high hopes that the felt could be worked to achieve the results we were both looking for, but I'm now convinced that it can't be done. Not by me at least. On the upside, judging from the beating I've already given it, the damn thing should be battle tough and virtually indestructible.