TRUE WEST- Big Brims

[RBH]

A cool article from True West that features a friend of mine.

http://www.truewestmagazine.com/big-brims/

 

[Joao Encarnado]

I had posted this link on a thread related to Buckaroo Hatters but seems no one have read it.

 

[RBH]

I must have missed it Joao.

 

[Moviehats]

I saw comments at the end about the prices of the hats shown. Beaver is expensive and custom hats are a lot of work. Both hats in the article were great and worth it.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

I saw comments at the end about the prices of the hats shown. Beaver is expensive and custom hats are a lot of work. Both hats in the article were great and worth it.

A 100% beaver felt hat body is not that expensive.
I can get one from FEPSA for $100.
Now if you say that the WORK needed to get it to "shine" costs $500, I say maybe, but then seeing what people pays me for manual work, someone is scoring big with that price range.

 

[gtdean48]

Lots of sunk costs in machinery, blocks, tools, etc. that need to get covered in addition to the labor & material costs of each hat....the artistry is tricky to price as well...JMHO

 

[carouselvic]

It's not that I missed it, it's that I follow them on facebook and had already read it before you posted the link.

 

[1961MJS]

A 100% beaver felt hat body is not that expensive.
I can get one from FEPSA for $100.
Now if you say that the WORK needed to get it to "shine" costs $500, I say maybe, but then seeing what people pays me for manual work, someone is scoring big with that price range.

Hi Joao

Someone can correct me, but I believe that there is a minimum order number from FEPSA and Winchester both. If it's 25, then that's $2500 in FEPSA hats of probably one color, one % beaver etc. This would be why hatters don't stock Navy, Royal, and Baby Blue felt bodies....

Later

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Hi Joao

Someone can correct me, but I believe that there is a minimum order number from FEPSA and Winchester both. If it's 25, then that's $2500 in FEPSA hats of probably one color, one % beaver etc. This would be why hatters don't stock Navy, Royal, and Baby Blue felt bodies....

That is true.
But then if you are not very picky, you can get only one (I don't know if Winchester is as flexible as FEPSA is (at least to me)). You only need to wait, like I did and like I am now (again) for someone order a batch of something similiar you want and they can make one more for you. Every month I ask FEPSA for news, I can wait, I have enough hats for 4 or 5 lifes (if not 10).

 

[1961MJS]

That is true.
But then if you are not very picky, you can get only one (I don't know if Winchester is as flexible as FEPSA is (at least to me)). You only need to wait, like I did and like I am now (again) for someone order a batch of something similiar you want and they can make one more for you. Every month I ask FEPSA for news, I can wait, I have enough hats for 4 or 5 lifes (if not 10).

Wow, interesting concept. I doubt that gets offered to most of the hat shops, or they don't think to ask.

Later

 

[majormoore]

To order hat bodies from FEPSA, the custom hatters must pre-pay for them up front, pay duty fees and all shipping cost and I am told wait about 2 months.
The hat in the article has a larger brim than one from the factory , and then the hand tooled leather wide bound edge. The body cost more when the brim is wider than 4" from Winchester. Adding the leather bound edge is very very time wise hard. Then I have the custom hand made hat band , these concho's are not the cheap Chicago screw back type, these are hand made and have a fold over wire back so they lay down on the leather nice.
I thank Tom Dean, for his comment on all the equipment needed, plus when you have a real store front, not dining room table, you have rent, insurance and all other bills per month to keep the doors open. The price I posted on my hat, takes in all those cost, and yes there is some profit there, all companies need to make a profit, The United States Treasury frowns on you when you don't make a profit, when taxes are due. If there is a leather man here on the lounge that can hand tool , curl that 4" wide piece of leather and then sew onto the brim of the hat for under my cost, I would like to work with him.

Major Moore

A 100% beaver felt hat body is not that expensive.
I can get one from FEPSA for $100.
Now if you say that the WORK needed to get it to "shine" costs $500, I say maybe, but then seeing what people pays me for manual work, someone is scoring big with that price range.

 

[ingineer]

Major;
There is no need to explain.
i feel very fortunate to have one of yours
Joao;
You just have to have one of his hats to understand.
A custom hat is the difference between the Timex and a Rolex

 

[KingAndrew]

I was just disappointed that after all the build-up, the article only showed 2 hats. It felt like there would at least be a few more. I would have especially like to see a sombrero, after all the talk about Billy the Kid wearing them. You just don't see many pictures of good sombreros, rather than the tourist-shop costume kind.

But the hats shown were really nice.

 

[RBH]

I was just disappointed that after all the build-up, the article only showed 2 hats. It felt like there would at least be a few more. I would have especially like to see a sombrero, after all the talk about Billy the Kid wearing them. You just don't see many pictures of good sombreros, rather than the tourist-shop costume kind.

But the hats shown were really nice.

KA... the article in the magazine showed several hats.
I was happy that the web piece had Mikes hat in it.
I suspect that just showing a bit of the article is an enticement to try to get you to buy the paper copy.
And I will say the magazine has some really great pieces in it.

 

[majormoore]

I know first hand that FESPA , wants and has a min amount per a order and dollar wise it $2500.00 plus fees and shipping, plus the min is one color and one style crown that they offer, say if I wanted some black hats, some silver belly, and lets say a lite blue they offer, each color, each color has to meet the min. your looking at a lot of hat bodies and a nice sum of money.
Major Moore

Wow, interesting concept. I doubt that gets offered to most of the hat shops, or they don't think to ask.

Later

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Wow, interesting concept. I doubt that gets offered to most of the hat shops, or they don't think to ask.

Don't think so, maybe for the "homemaker hatter" but you have to wait until what you want comes out.
I think if I asked FEPSA what they are doing now and if it interested me, they would do one more for me.
Now if I want a specific color/size in the fastest time, I'll have to met their minimum order (light colors are more expensive than dark colors).
As I said, I only have to wait.

To order hat bodies from FEPSA, the custom hatters must pre-pay for them up front, pay duty fees and all shipping cost and I am told wait about 2 months.

Lucky me I have FEPSA around the corner. But also I'm not a hatter and I'm not picky.
But I also have the same problem on everything I get from the US.

I thank Tom Dean, for his comment on all the equipment needed, plus when you have a real store front, not dining room table, you have rent, insurance and all other bills per month to keep the doors open. The price I posted on my hat, takes in all those cost, and yes there is some profit there

Well this confirms what I tried to say, the hat body is not even half the cost of the hat, it's what "revolves" around it and what you want in it.
I don't understand what makes people say that a beaver hat is so much more expensive than a bunny one, a beaver hat body is not even double the cost of a bunny one. That was what impressed me when FEPSA sent me their prices (and them maybe that is what makes people buy D'Aquino beaver hats).

Joao;
You just have to have one of his hats to understand.
A custom hat is the difference between the Timex and a Rolex

I would love to have a hat from Major Moore but I prefer to spend $1000 to a trip to the US and met some of you in person

 

[Moviehats]

Just as with anything, you are paying for the name. My hats aren't as expensive (or as nice) as the Major's. I don't have the name or experience to justify it. Plus the hat body is only part of the cost so saying it costs only $100 doesn't take into account all the expenses especially time.

 

[RBH]

I would love to have a hat from Major Moore but I prefer to spend $1000 to a trip to the US and met some of you in person

Cool Joao...bring some of those hats with you to Mikes and maybe we can put some shape to those brims!!!

 

[Joao Encarnado]

For that I have to gather a bit more than $1000. $600 is just the plane ticket to New York and return.