Thank you, Art!

[Barry]

There is a story behind this new Fedora and I think it should be told. Art made this hat out of the kindness of his own heart.



Close to a year ago I thought about purchasing some custom made caps. I was growing out of the style of caps that I'd been wearing and I was looking for something new and unique. A hatter appeared on one of the shaving forums and he made some rather strong statements about the quality of his hats. He told me that he wasn't really making caps aside from some 8 panels at the time. I was not interested in wearing fedoras but later decided to give it a go so I contacted this hatter. Around New Years I purchased a hat without fully doing my research. I let my desire for a nice custom fedora get in the way of my common sense. At first, I thought the hat I received was up to snuff. In fact, I liked it. However, after purchasing a few other lids I was embarrassed to learn the truth. I wound up paying around $550 for a less than stellar hat. Several people even asked me why the hat was so stiff. Months later I wrote back to the hatter to inquire about fixing it up. I was mostly curious to see what he would say or do about the hat. For a little more money he was wiling to put on a bound edge. That's when two new good friends (Sharpetoys and Mark the Shoeshine Boy) stepped in. "Are you nuts? Rather than send the hat back to him let us take care of it." Art learned about this and offered to work on the hat for free or replace it if necessary. Here you can see the end result of Art's work. This is a new hat. I wanted to wait until this weekend to get a few good shots of it. I liked it so much I decided to post some pictures now. This weekend I'll get some photos of myself wearing it with a vintage suit.

I should also thank Roger and Mark for helping me out as well. Thanks guys!

Once again, thanks Art!










Brim: 2.5
Crown: 4.5 (Just about)
Color: Charcoal Gray with amazing ribbon

Barry

 

[feltfan]

Glad you like your hat

That's one stunning chunk o' beaver.
Love that 4-point crown and that deee---luxxx brim binding.

Thanks so much for showing it.

 

[John in Covina]

For Art and Humanity!

Pretty amazing!

Special thanks to Art for stepping in to make right some one else's product!
THAT'S really going beyond the call of duty.:eusa_clap

Sharp looking lid, the ribbon color combo is very nice in your photos.

 

[WEEGEE]

Echo

Barry

Once again, thanks Art!

Once again, thanks Art!
Once again, thanks Art!
Once again, thanks Art!

Beautiful hat Barry...

I think we will hear the sentiment expressed "Once again, thanks Art!" over and over and over again.

 

[Benny Holiday]

It's a superb hat Barry, courtesy of some true gentlemen. The Fedora Lounge is a great community, full of people willing to share their knowledge and their experience - and clearly even their (extremely) skilled labour. There have been recent threads here with our friendly hat vendors sharing their stories and store photos with one another and with us - how often are you going to see that on an internet forum? The Fedora Lounge is a unique and very special place.

To Art, as Santa Claus, and his elves Mark and Roger lol - you guys are awesome!

 

[Blackhorse]

Hey Barry,

I'm currently having Art make up what I think will be an amazing fedora...in charcoal...and I noticed your ribbon. "Amazing?" Well, yes, of course! But is that what it's really called? Does it look all shiny and silvery for real, or is that the photo effect? Even though I started out thinking medium hat darker band...I may go medium hat lighter band.

Is there a switch inside you can flip and batteries so that the band actually sparkles?

 

[Barry]

Hey Barry,
Is there a switch inside you can flip and batteries so that the band actually sparkles?

I'll have to ask Art the name of the color. It's not that shiney at all. I think that's an effect of the flourescent lighting and the flash from the digital camera. I'll try and get a outdoors photo tomorrow morning. The lighting in my place always seems to distort colors.

Barry

 

[Blackhorse]

And the color of the felt is charcoal...or steel?

 

[Barry]

And the color of the felt is charcoal...or steel?

It's Charcoal.

Barry

 

[Blackhorse]

Excellent. Mine as well. I'll also have to ask Art re: the ribbon.

I din't mention before, a lapse, that the hat looks fantastic! Excellent job.

Now all you need is a purple feather. :cool2:

 

[jeboat]

A good hat story

We are reminded often that there are still some quality people who love their trade and are a credit to that trade. I believe that Art and Fedora are the greatest!

Both gentlemen are very generous with their time and sell wonderful hats at very reasonable (cheap) prices. I own several made by these two hatters and am proud to be associated with such fine men, they are a credit to today's hat community.

Hat's off to two of the best!!!

jeboat:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[HLSheppard]

GREAT hat. I also really like the 4 point! :eusa_clap

 

[Simon82]

More reasons I'm glad I went with Art (and Steve)!

Barry,

What a terrific looking hat! And even more remarkable considering the kindness behind the craftsmanship. :eusa_clap

I know Art doesn't do it for the good press -- from everything I've seen on the Lounge, he's the original stand-up guy as well as one of the best hatters out there.

Isn't it amazing how the creepy, in-it-for-a-quick-buck guys wind up shooting themselve in both feet with bad word-of-mouth? This is more proof I'm doing the right thing buy going with Art (in fact, I've got the conformer right now)!

I've been away from the Lounge for awhile (life changes, new job, new state, new baby, new everything!), but I also owe thanks to Fedora and his awesome work on my Seabiscuit "Tom Smith" custom fedora. Now that I've got a working camera again, I'll post pics of it soon.

You can't do better than Art or Steve for craftsmanship, and you can't do better than Art or Steve for all-around mensch-manship, either. Amazing the quality gents (and gals) you can run into in this place.

fftopic: BTW, in measuring my noggin with the conformer (to those who've used it), does the bottom of the tabs approximate the bottom of the sweatband, or does the black elastic band (on the side with the wing-nuts)?

Thanks so much!

Simon

 

[Lincsong]

Excellant hat there Barry. The color of the body and the ribbon are terrific. What color and type of suit are you going to wear with it?

 

[The Duke]

That hat is stunning! Congratulations! very nice work Art. :eusa_clap

 

[Sefton]

Another hat brought to life by our man Art! Love the crown bash. :eusa_clap

 

[Fedora]

We are reminded often that there are still some quality people who love their trade and are a credit to that trade. I believe that Art and Fedora are the greatest!

Both gentlemen are very generous with their time and sell wonderful hats at very reasonable (cheap) prices. I own several made by these two hatters and am proud to be associated with such fine men, they are a credit to today's hat community.

Hat's off to two of the best!!!

jeboat

Thank you kind sir. I appreciate that immensely. Art and I just do the best that we can, and think honesty is the best policy in our dealings with folks. Fedora

 

[Razzman]

Wonderful hat Barry. Great looking hat color and ribbon combination. :eusa_clap Art is truly a great guy. He is honest and sincere.
Congratulations to both of you. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[shoeshineboy]

There is a story behind this new Fedora and I think it should be told. Art made this hat out of the kindness of his own heart.

Close to a year ago I thought about purchasing some custom made caps. I was growing out of the style of caps that I'd been wearing and I was looking for something new and unique. A hatter appeared on one of the shaving forums and he made some rather strong statements about the quality of his hats. He told me that he wasn't really making caps aside from some 8 panels at the time. I was not interested in wearing fedoras but later decided to give it a go so I contacted this hatter. Around New Years I purchased a hat without fully doing my research. I let my desire for a nice custom fedora get in the way of my common sense. At first, I thought the hat I received was up to snuff. In fact, I liked it. However, after purchasing a few other lids I was embarrassed to learn the truth. I wound up paying around $550 for a less than stellar hat. Several people even asked me why the hat was so stiff. Months later I wrote back to the hatter to inquire about fixing it up. I was mostly curious to see what he would say or do about the hat. For a little more money he was wiling to put on a bound edge. That's when two new good friends (Sharpetoys and Mark the Shoeshine Boy) stepped in. "Are you nuts? Rather than send the hat back to him let us take care of it." Art learned about this and offered to work on the hat for free or replace it if necessary. Here you can see the end result of Art's work. This is a new hat. I wanted to wait until this weekend to get a few good shots of it. I liked it so much I decided to post some pictures now. This weekend I'll get some photos of myself wearing it with a vintage suit.

I should also thank Roger and Mark for helping me out as well. Thanks guys!

Once again, thanks Art!




Barry

Barry,

They call me the deputy dwarf around these parts...i'm proud to be part of the posse known as Roger's Raiders...we stand for truth, justice and the American way (or was that Superman)...I too almost stepped into that snare, but Roger steered me clear of the dark side....alright...enough of the silly talk....

i have known you from the shaving forums for awhile and you always seemed like a good guy to me...you even said you liked my jokes...heck i'd do anything thing for a guy that says that...however, all I tried to do is what is right...

There are those who choose to do business in an unethical way in any business and sometimes it will tarnish the whole industry, fortunately there are those that I am familar with , like Art and Steve that are upright and square in thier dealings. The hat industry has many other great hatters that I am sure would fit into this group, too.

Roger and I just wanted you to have a fair shake on a quality hat. Art is the man to thank, he is the one that stepped in there and remade your carnival prize into a real world class hat. He did it as a labor of love and he too, wanted you to have a fair shake on your hat.

What you have now is a beautiful hat that you can keep you chin up and wear it proudly around everyone. It looks wonderful...

My thanks to Art and your help doing this one....let's not forget Roger...he has saved many others from the cess pool of unethical business practices.

Best Regards,

Mark the shoehsine boy

shave your face, press your shirt, comb your hair, shine your shoes and put on your hat...before you go get the morning paper ...that is a good morning....

 

[Art Fawcett]

To set the record straight

First, Thank you Barry for showing this hat. I appreciate every post that one of my clients makes and although the circumstances surrounding the building of this hat could have been better it still shows my work. For the record though, I did NOT remake the hat you purchased. I decided that it was easier and quicker to start fresh, since I use the same "private felter" as this hat maker I had the felt color in stock. The finishing of the hat that you purchased was SO poor that I fealt it would take more time to correct than to make new.

For those new to the Lounge, please know that I have a policy of never criticizing or belittling another hatter in public and to this point never have. However, this hatter also owns ( yes, privately owned and heavily censored) a hat forum, on which I am regularly belittlled, called a "novice", my work regularly called "crap", amazingly enough, without ever touching or feeling one of my creations in person. The hatter is now calling for his minions to "stand up and tell the truth" so I decided to "stand up" oblige him. Since he bills himself as "The finest hatter on the planet" I thought I should share his work with you and let you be the judge.

Personally, when Barry told me of his unhappiness with what he bought I was leary about what I would see. My first thought was that since he was so new in the hat world he might be misinterpreting what he was seeing so I held judgement till I saw it with my own eyes. As it turns out, his complaints had really little to do with what I saw wrong. Yes, it's a very stiff hat but some like it that way. Yes, the ribbon work is boring but that's not the hatters fault if you didn't instruct him otherwise.

Here is the hat, taken with no flash, as is, no photo doctoring

For the newer folks, please know that what you are seeing is called "mottling". The felt is supposed to be just one color and it should be even. What you are seeing is the result of an amatuer finishing by sanding (pouncing) the felt so much that the knap is almost completely sanded off, leaving the core (shellac) of the hat to show through. The darker areas are where the knap survives. There are processes to alleviate this problem but the hatter has to first know how to do it, but also must care to do it. In this hat I don't know which is the case.

So, let me ask you...is THIS hat worth $1100 ( half price for the first order, thus $550)?...and is THIS really made by the finest hatter on the planet?

For those who wish to see this hat in the flesh, I have it here in Oregon and you are welcome to stop in & see it in person. It will be kept intact and placed in the "Hall of Shame" section.