Western, anyone?

[nigeloscar]

 

[nigeloscar]

pretty rough stitching...

 

[frussell]

Thanks for the review. I've had the same reservations. Great shapes, but crazy prices. Site is good bait, but seems more for costume/reenactments or SASS-type stuff. I pay over $200 for a cowboy hat, it better knock my socks off, and be ready for real work.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

I'm no hat expert but looks like the felt if unfinished and needs some pouncing. The second picture is the brim's upper side and looks like the inside of my Dobbs West. Looks like the gold stamping machine was not hot enough.

 

[ManofKent]

Nigel - I see what you mean about the finishing - that stitching isn't good close up.

 

[nigeloscar]

This was the blurb on the website about the hat..
This might explain why you think it needs more pouncing..
"The Dodge City is shown in long hair Beaver fur-felt. Some call it SHAGGY some call it GRIZZLY, we prefer the name FRONTIER fur-felt to describe it, as this is what the very first beaver fur-felt would have been like. Not as long as Bill Cody's hat to the right, but longer than today's standard hat bodies.
You've likely seen this look before in a western movie. You can generally spot a long haired fur-felt in most of the westerns filmed in the 1930s and 40s. Errol Flynn wore it in several of his western movie's.
Has all the same characteristics as our fine, standard hat bodies - just a longer finish to the fur of the hat."

 

[Longfellow]

Surprised and disappointed to come across this posting from one of our clients. We shipped this hat half way around the world, and Nigel doesn’t even give us a chance to make it right before he guts us like this. The judge of a retailer is not how they handle you during the purchase, but how they handle complications. And to be slagged in this manner is extremely unprofessional, especially considering we replied within a day with solutions.

If you put a handmade item under a microscope you will find flaws. If you checked our testimonials page you will find the vast majority of our clients are thrilled with our work. http://www.thelastbestwest.com/last_best_hat_testimonials.html We have made hats for the movies, advertising agencies, even the Smithsonian, as well as a dozen or more of the finest professional cowboys riding today, and yet our work is not good here.

And after viewing some of the accompanying posts, there are several misconceptions being promoted. The guy that said our hats are over priced and anybody spending more than 200 dollars is crazy. This shows a complete lack of knowledge in what goes into a great hat, and the properties of beaver fur-felt. You get what you pay for and we make working hats that will perform well in all weather conditions, year after year.

We buy our rough beaver fur-felt hat bodies from one of the few independent fur-felt factories not owned by Stetson. And our rough hat bodies are dramatically superior to any that Stetson makes. That makes them worth more. About 20 years ago Stetson and Resistol were sold lock stock and barrel to HATCO a CHINESE GOVERNMENT OWNED COMPANY. Stetson is no longer even a shadow of their former selves. Hatco makes everything from bennies, to skull caps, to baseball caps, to cowboy hats. They likely make close to 75% of all the head wear sold in the world and all profits go back to Bejiing.

Cheap hats are just that - cheap. If you try to clean them by submerging them in water they will fall apart, because the only thing holding them together is pressure. Like sandstone the layers separate when wet. And the dye will run. These are NOT working hats they are fashion hats, and in our shop we stopped cleaning anything by Stetson years ago because they fall apart.

Our hats are made in America, with American materials by Americans and Canadians. The dye is color fast and you can brush them any way you want, they will clean up beautifully and serve you well as long as you want it to. A hat is meant to worn and enjoyed, not put on a pedestal and critiqued.

One good thing has happened because of this posting. We will no longer ship any hat with an oversized brim width of more than 4 inches overseas, because we cannot get a proper hat shipping box. Thanks for bringing that problem to our attention Nigel.

And to show there are no hard feelings we would like to offer anyone from the Fedora Lounge a discount of $50.00 off any of our fine hats. Once you have placed your order online, simply email Sonja at service@thelastbestwest.com and let her know you saw our posting on the Fedora Lounge and she will credit you back 50 bucks.


Longfellow
TheLastBestWest.com

 

[johnnycanuck]

Hot danm Longfellow that was a good follow up. Its nice to see vendors take this kind of interest there products. I will add this, I have been looking at other Western hat makers web pages this last week and those that post prices, you seem to be at the right price point for the felt quality.
I appreciate the discount. Unfortunately being one income with a family of six a new hat is a little bit of a pipe dream right now but I do appreciate the offer.
Johnny

 

[frussell]

"And after viewing some of the accompanying posts, there are several misconceptions being promoted. The guy that said our hats are over priced and anybody spending more than 200 dollars is crazy. This shows a complete lack of knowledge in what goes into a great hat, and the properties of beaver fur-felt. You get what you pay for and we make working hats that will perform well in all weather conditions, year after year."

Slightly misquoted, but I stand by my statement. I've been wearing cowboy hats for over 40 years, and I know quality when I hold it or see it. I didn't see any photos taken "under a microscope" here, just images of poor stitching and pretty bad brim binding. I've had MANY custom made westerns and store boughts over these last decades, and I just don't see the quality here that I would expect at the prices listed. Bashing HATCO doesn't help. We're all aware of their quality control issues on modern hats, but my understanding is that it's still a corporation controlled by American business interests, as internet records still show. Where their profits go, who can say, but to characterize them as a strictly Chinese government owned business is not accurate, and doesn't make your business seem any more professional by bashing them. Again, I think you folks have some amazing styles and shapes, but not what I'm looking for at that price point, from what I have seen here and in person. Thanks, Frank.

 

[gtdean48]

View attachment 11300

For a high-priced custom hat from a "professional", this looks very amateurish to me.
This & the stitching should not have passed final inspection...

I have 2 custom westerns & numerous vintage & modern Stetsons & Resistols.
The sweatband itself looks very cheap, not to mention that weak labeling job for Nigel....
A review by a consumer should not be expected to be "professional" unless he is a professional critic.
JMHO

 

[RJR]

I have several custom as well as modern westerns as well.Had I commissioned the hat in question,it would have been returned.

 

[FrankMc]

Longfellow, why not stick with defending your product without cutting Hatco, not a classy move. http://www.hatlife.com/newsletters/2009/july09_1/art1.htm

 

[Landman]

Has there ever been any connection between Hatco and the Chinese Government? I've never heard that before and I'm just curious.

 

[FrankMc]

http://www.google.com/finance?cid=13371404

 

[nigeloscar]

Hang on Longfellow ... I think I gave a very fair review of what arrived! I hardly bagged out my hat or my experience with you guys! I also emailed you guys and gave you some fair feedback on what arrived.. And you responded in a fair manner considering the tyranny of distance. I was asked to give an honest review and stand by my words. The finish is sloppy - the stitching is still not the best, whether you like it or not! Please tell me about your quality control?! I did state I loved the hat - I suggest you order from Australia and see how they pack their hats too - just a few extra measures would have stopped the marks which I am still trying to remove.. Sorry you don't like my review, but the whole reason for the Lounge is for connoisseurs (tongue firmly in cheek in my case) talk hats . Good for you for responding though, as misguided as your response is... I have never gutted anything.

 

[bowlerman]

I've posted this before, but I love my custom westerns. Here are a couple of bunny felt ones that really stand out in my collection. The top was made for me by Montana Peaks Hats, and the bottom was made by Mike Moore and company at Buckaroo Hatters. Laura and Mike will make whatever hat with whatever color and dimensions you like, and nothing shotty will make it out of their door.

I also have a few custom western bowlers: a heavy duty woolie from Knudsen Hats (goldengatewesternwear.com), one from Baron Hats, and a low grade Panama bowler from Texas Hatters. All fantastic, detailed, and durable work. Baron Hats was a little more challenging to deal with, as they hurried through my order and I got a completely incorrect hat, but they did fix it and now it's one of my favorites.

A few years ago I had the pleasure of stopping in to D Bar J Hats in Las Vegas, and picked up a western weight fedora off the shelf. I looked at hundreds of his hats on the shelves-- various qualities and finishes, and his workmanship was detailed and impeccable. I wouldn't hesitate to make a custom order from them sometime either.

 

[ManofKent]

Sorry Western fans - this one was bought for a conversion project...

Resistol Stagecoach:

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Noooooooooooooo

 

[bowlerman]

Lol! Posting it in this thread just to fuel the fire, eh Richard?

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2

 

[gtdean48]

Sorry Western fans - this one was bought for a conversion project...

Resistol Stagecoach:
...

....

JBS Stetson pin on a Resistol Stagecoach hat.....blasphemy! Convert it FAST!!!!