Wolfbrae Custom Hatters

[Blare]

This Lord's hat is one of my favourite styles to make. Ukraine rabbit felt in Pecan, Coffee vintage grosgrain, 2 1/8" curled brim width View attachment 454034 , 4 1/4" crown at the front.

Wonderful job Robert

 

[belfastboy]

Wonderful job Robert

Thank you. The hat was for a doctor. A hat wearer but only cheap wool or cloth hats to protect his head from the elements. This was a leap for him....his first nice hat and a custom to boot. He kept changing his mind, really unsure and he really wanted to get it 'right'. I was very much prepared for him to reject it....BUT he loved it. He left my shop with the biggest grin on his face. He emailed me the next morning with a complaint.....He said he was saddened he had to remove his new hat before going to bed.

 

[Darrell2688]

This Lord's hat is one of my favourite styles to make. Ukraine rabbit felt in Pecan, Coffee vintage grosgrain, 2 1/8" curled brim width View attachment 454034 , 4 1/4" crown at the front.

Simply Beautiful work on your Lord's hat.

 

[Darrell2688]

Thank you. The hat was for a doctor. A hat wearer but only cheap wool or cloth hats to protect his head from the elements. This was a leap for him....his first nice hat and a custom to boot. He kept changing his mind, really unsure and he really wanted to get it 'right'. I was very much prepared for him to reject it....BUT he loved it. He left my shop with the biggest grin on his face. He emailed me the next morning with a complaint.....He said he was saddened he had to remove his new hat before going to bed.

Now that is funny, LOL. You could suggest that he could always sleep in his recliner.

 

[belfastboy]

Here is my latest about to be shipped to Ontario. Ukraine rabbit felt in Pecan, 2" chestnut vintage grosgrain, tone on tone brim (2 5/8") binding. The hat is still wet from the tight front pinch and deep teardrop bash, 4 3/4" front, 4" back.. The client wanted a bit of softer hand with this one so I double blocked and pounced inside and out to that feel. Nice hard snap to the brim.

 

[belfastboy]

Here are some pics of a fun collaboration with my wife. I have been toying with the idea of making a line of 'ready to wear' ladies hats. Started out working with wool felts as I wanted to keep the price point as low as possible. But working with wool turned out to be vexing. So here is my first attempt in a rabbit fur (Ukraine).
I wanted to replicate in a modern way the bowler hats of the Bolivian women. I worked the felt my wife made the bow out of a repurposed Italian silk tie.

I won't be selling this one as my wife loves it and I made the mistake of making it in her size.

 

[Steve1857]

Here are some pics of a fun collaboration with my wife. I have been toying with the idea of making a line of 'ready to wear' ladies hats. Started out working with wool felts as I wanted to keep the price point as low as possible. But working with wool turned out to be vexing. So here is my first attempt in a rabbit fur (Ukraine).
I wanted to replicate in a modern way the bowler hats of the Bolivian women. I worked the felt my wife made the bow out of a repurposed Italian silk tie.
View attachment 457121 View attachment 457122 View attachment 457123 View attachment 457124
I won't be selling this one as my wife loves it and I made the mistake of making it in her size.

You've both done a great job, Robert.

 

[Darrell2688]

Here are some pics of a fun collaboration with my wife. I have been toying with the idea of making a line of 'ready to wear' ladies hats. Started out working with wool felts as I wanted to keep the price point as low as possible. But working with wool turned out to be vexing. So here is my first attempt in a rabbit fur (Ukraine).
I wanted to replicate in a modern way the bowler hats of the Bolivian women. I worked the felt my wife made the bow out of a repurposed Italian silk tie.
View attachment 457121 View attachment 457122 View attachment 457123 View attachment 457124
I won't be selling this one as my wife loves it and I made the mistake of making it in her size.

That is a nice looking hat, good work. My wife really liked this hat, she said that's so cute, and she loved the idea of you and your wife working together on the hat.

 

[belfastboy]

I have to preface this by stating I neglected to snap pics of the hat.

A woman sent me an old hat, in terrible condition....stuffed in a door for decades. No liner, no leather sweat, no ribbon, no markings but the felt had a wonderful soft yet substantial hand. It was her grandfather's Borsalino.

She just wanted it restored as a keepsake. I kept the same size, installed a new sweat and I had a clean vintage Borsa liner to sew in. It cleaned up so very well. No mothing, no sun damage, no stains, a rich shade of chestnut brown that cleaned up as new. She was travelling down to the coast for a family get together and I was concerned that mailing it out of town might not reach her in time so I offered to drive it out to her at her brother's house and hand deliver (about a 30 minute drive).

Delivered the hat this morning. She invited me in and when I remarked that the hat was in such good shape for what is likely a 60 year old hat ...she corrected me and said the hat was approaching 100 years old as her grandfather wore it on the boat when he emigrated to Canada. She had decided to give the hat to her brother, wheelchair bound after a stroke. She plunked the hat on his head and damned if it didn't fit him like a custom. I cannot describe his smile of delight. It was a priceless moment.

So not only did I have the honour and pleasure of restoring a 100 year old hat I got to witness the smile that came across the recipient's face.

 

[Blare]

I have to preface this by stating I neglected to snap pics of the hat.

A woman sent me an old hat, in terrible condition....stuffed in a door for decades. No liner, no leather sweat, no ribbon, no markings but the felt had a wonderful soft yet substantial hand. It was her grandfather's Borsalino.

She just wanted it restored as a keepsake. I kept the same size, installed a new sweat and I had a clean vintage Borsa liner to sew in. It cleaned up so very well. No mothing, no sun damage, no stains, a rich shade of chestnut brown that cleaned up as new. She was travelling down to the coast for a family get together and I was concerned that mailing it out of town might not reach her in time so I offered to drive it out to her at her brother's house and hand deliver (about a 30 minute drive).

Delivered the hat this morning. She invited me in and when I remarked that the hat was in such good shape for what is likely a 60 year old hat ...she corrected me and said the hat was approaching 100 years old as her grandfather wore it on the boat when he emigrated to Canada. She had decided to give the hat to her brother, wheelchair bound after a stroke. She plunked the hat on his head and damned if it didn't fit him like a custom. I cannot describe his smile of delight. It was a priceless moment.

So not only did I have the honour and pleasure of restoring a 100 year old hat I got to witness the smile that came across the recipient's face.

Wonderful story Robert.

 

[belfastboy]

I remedied my oversight

and asked the client to snap a picture of the refurbished 90+ year old Borsalino. Here it is. The picture washed out the wonderful Chestnut brown colour with red undertones.

 

[belfastboy]

Client will pick this one up tomorrow. Ukraine Beaver felt in Pecan, 160gram in a western vibe. I stamped his initials in the leather band keeper. The Ukraine beaver is a nice felt. A bit stiff and even though dress weight could pass as western weight.

 

[StoryPNW]

Client will pick this one up tomorrow. Ukraine Beaver felt in Pecan, 160gram in a western vibe. I stamped his initials in the leather band keeper. The Ukraine beaver is a nice felt. A bit stiff and even though dress weight could pass as western weight. View attachment 459239 View attachment 459240

I love the style, and very nice touch with the initials on the band keeper.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Client will pick this one up tomorrow. Ukraine Beaver felt in Pecan, 160gram in a western vibe. I stamped his initials in the leather band keeper. The Ukraine beaver is a nice felt. A bit stiff and even though dress weight could pass as western weight. View attachment 459239 View attachment 459240

Very nice.
Do you think this is the same beaver felt Agnoulita uses?
I’m hoping you’ll get through your backlog soon so I can inundate you with my projects.

 

[Darrell2688]

Client will pick this one up tomorrow. Ukraine Beaver felt in Pecan, 160gram in a western vibe. I stamped his initials in the leather band keeper. The Ukraine beaver is a nice felt. A bit stiff and even though dress weight could pass as western weight. View attachment 459239 View attachment 459240

Robert, you never fail to produce outstanding work, the work on the Borsalino and delivery was truly heart warming, you couldn't have handled that job any better, a thirty minute drive to make sure the client received the hat in time and hand deliver that is service you don't see or hear of any more.

 

[belfastboy]

Very nice.
Do you think this is the same beaver felt Agnoulita uses?
I’m hoping you’ll get through your backlog soon so I can inundate you with my projects.

I am pretty sure that MrP uses Tonak. He has told me that if he ever gets a more reliable flow of beaver from the factory he will sell me some beaver felt. But I am not counting on it.

 

[belfastboy]

I am running my last hat making workshop for this year next weekend. The client wants a 7 1/2" open crown. So we had to thoroughly drench it before steaming/blocking to soften it enough to steal that much felt from the brim and thus decided to block it the weekend before the class to give it ample time to dry. We stole so much felt from the brim we ended up with some ripples in the crown felt along the brim break. Steaming/ironing the hell out of it then wrapping it tightly in a tensor bandage (an old hatters trick I was taught!) should take care of the issue. Next weekend the client makes her hat! I have this deep seated fear she may want to distress the hat in some way...stay tuned

 

[belfastboy]

Once in a while I sneak my own name o

nto the wait list and make a hat for me. Here is a Ukraine rabbit dress weight in the Military colour felt. I justifiy making hats for me as it is a time to play, to create, to experiment. This was an exercise in trying different pouncing techniques. I gave it a modified Tom Horne bash. Bound edge 9 ligne with matching crown ribbon in 16 ligne.

 

[Steve1857]

Once in a while I sneak my own name o View attachment 463276 View attachment 463277 nto the wait list and make a hat for me. Here is a Ukraine rabbit dress weight in the Military colour felt. I justifiy making hats for me as it is a time to play, to create, to experiment. This was an exercise in trying different pouncing techniques. I gave it a modified Tom Horne bash. Bound edge 9 ligne with matching crown ribbon in 16 ligne.

Love the colour, Robert. Super alternative rake for a Fedora.

 

[belfastboy]

Love the colour, Robert. Super alternative rake for a Fedora.

Thank you. I love the colour. It fit a niche, not as pastel as the Winchester Willow and just a light light touch of the khaki. A great soft green that has some depth of colour. I think the Military moniker is misleading.