Wolfbrae Custom Hatters

[Blare]

This hat has me scratching my head. The issues all came from the navy blue rabbit fur felt hat body. I supplied the felt which was a $10 Etsy find and it was a “second quality” felt. The problem was it was just too floppy and didn’t want to hold a shape. The brim was completely flat and after 24-hours on my flange after being ironed it was still flat. I very rarely add stiffeners to felt, but this one needed it on the crown and brim. It came out nice, but maybe there was a reason the felt was only $10. My issues with the hat were all due to the felt I provided and not the work Robert did. Lesson learned, but it still came out nice in the end.
5 ⅞” open crown and 3 ½” bound brim.



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The spots on the felt are due to the light rain falling and a few fat drops from the tree overhead.

Well it’s looking sharp now

 

[deadlyhandsome]

For me a large part of the journey is learning how to work with a wide range of felts. The only true way to know is to see how the various felt weights and varying amount of stiffeners in each felt react to the hat making process. The Lite Coco hat was not just western weight but had an inordinate amount of stiffener in the felt. Whereas the Navy blue was both lightweight (120grams?) and little stiffener.

I pounced the heck out of the Lite Coco crown (see the mottling on the inside of the crown....it is extensive) but I feared thinning it too much and endangering the felt's integrity. There is so much stiffener in it that even with that amount of pouncing it only softened up a bit.

The softer crown was immediately noticeable. It’s certainly a modern stiff/firm western. I like this style of get on certain hats. It’s like ordering a western from Northwest: I know it’s going to be a very firm stiff felt and I’m not disappointed as that’s what I’m expecting. The FEPSA felts are nice, but I’m not sure if the pricing is justified.

I hope the Ukrainian beaver become more available. However, the one dress weight felt that I have is stiffer by far than any other dress felt I’ve handled. I’m really not sure what to do with it.

 

[belfastboy]

The softer crown was immediately noticeable. It’s certainly a modern stiff/firm western. I like this style of get on certain hats. It’s like ordering a western from Northwest: I know it’s going to be a very firm stiff felt and I’m not disappointed as that’s what I’m expecting. The FEPSA felts are nice, but I’m not sure if the pricing is justified.

I hope the Ukrainian beaver become more available. However, the one dress weight felt that I have is stiffer by far than any other dress felt I’ve handled. I’m really not sure what to do with it.

I have had good success with double pouncing the Ukraine beaver felts. I can get a decent soft crown (not vintage feel by any means but still on the softer side) but still get the stiffer brim. The next shipment Mill Whse gets in I plan on laying in a decent stock of them. The difficulty is the colour palette is still limited to a few colours.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I have had good success with double pouncing the Ukraine beaver felts. I can get a decent soft crown (not vintage feel by any means but still on the softer side) but still get the stiffer brim. The next shipment Mill Whse gets in I plan on laying in a decent stock of them. The difficulty is the colour palette is still limited to a few colours.

The brim on my dress weight beaver from them is VERY stiff. I’m not sure what to do with it. Maybe an Open Road clone?

 

[Rmccamey]

View attachment 505462
Here are 4 vintage hats refurbished for a client. Resistol with a great back bow, a Stetson with a mode edge that had been hidden behind a sky blue Petersham brim binding, a Wormser with an unreeded sweat band sewn in at 3 o'clock instead of 12 o'clock. And a Richman. All ready to be enjoyed for another 50+ years.

Great work, Robert.

 

[belfastboy]

The brim on my dress weight beaver from them is VERY stiff. I’m not sure what to do with it. Maybe an Open Road clone?

What colour is it? I have noticed differences in the stiffness colour to colour

 

[deadlyhandsome]

What colour is it? I have noticed differences in the stiffness colour to colour

It’s in olive. It’s a nice color, but it’s as stiff as any felt I’ve seen.

 

[Woodtroll]

View attachment 505462
Here are 4 vintage hats refurbished for a client. Resistol with a great back bow, a Stetson with a mode edge that had been hidden behind a sky blue Petersham brim binding, a Wormser with an unreeded sweat band sewn in at 3 o'clock instead of 12 o'clock. And a Richman. All ready to be enjoyed for another 50+ years.

Nice work on bringing those back to life - they look great! Thanks for sharing these.

I wish someone still made a nice mid-brown felt, like the one in the foreground.

 

[belfastboy]

Nice work on bringing those back to life - they look great! Thanks for sharing these.

I wish someone still made a nice mid-brown felt, like the one in the foreground.

I have a FEPSA beaver felt, a sample, it is a colour the distributor is looking at adding to his offering. But yes, other than that the pickings are very slim.

 

[belfastboy]

Here are pictures of two hats made by a very talented lady in my last hat making workshop. I love it when the student surpasses the instruction.

brilliant hats that look great and suit her personal style to a tee. The grey is Ukraine rabbit in Granite, two toned ribbon created by overlaying the darker ribbon over the lighter. Topped with a feather for colour and flair.
The second hat is Winchester beaver in black. Bridle leather band, an antique West African trading bead and a hand woven horse hair band. Both hats will be worn open crown. Both very much statement hats but with a very classy presentation.

 

[quikrick]

Here are pictures of two hats made by a very talented lady in my last hat making workshop. I love it when the student surpasses the instruction. View attachment 506691 View attachment 506693 brilliant hats that look great and suit her personal style to a tee. The grey is Ukraine rabbit in Granite, two toned ribbon created by overlaying the darker ribbon over the lighter. Topped with a feather for colour and flair.
The second hat is Winchester beaver in black. Bridle leather band, an antique West African trading bead and a hand woven horse hair band. Both hats will be worn open crown. Both very much statement hats but with a very classy presentation.

Excellent!

 

[belfastboy]

My client picked this hat up yesterday. In many ways he is my ideal customer. A long time hat wearer but only low end hats as that is all that is available here. When he discovered that there is a custom hat maker in his neighbourhood offering a custom hat at an affordable price he jumped.

After wearing low end (some wool) hats when he looked at the hat in the shop mirror the smile went from ear to ear.
He told me this was going to be his One and Only hat.....a true hat he could be proud to wear but after seeing it, seeing how great it looked on him and well it fit......he said he is now thinking of ordering #2.

Offering a well made hat at an affordable price that expands the custom market really fulfills the market niche I set out to serve. Granite coloured Ukraine rabbit, 4 1/2" crown at front, 2 1/2" raw edge brim. Charcoal vintage grosgrain ribbon.

 

[Rmccamey]

I concur. My Wolfbrae ultralight is a great hat at a great price. As it is springtime here in Texas, this one will be seeing a lot more head time.

Offering a well made hat at an affordable price that expands the custom market really fulfills the market niche I set out to serve. View attachment 508457

 

[StoryPNW]

I concur. My Wolfbrae ultralight is a great hat at a great price. As it is springtime here in Texas, this one will be seeing a lot more head time.

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Very nice, I might have to get an ultralight!

 

[Darrell2688]

My client picked this hat up yesterday. In many ways he is my ideal customer. A long time hat wearer but only low end hats as that is all that is available here. When he discovered that there is a custom hat maker in his neighbourhood offering a custom hat at an affordable price he jumped.

After wearing low end (some wool) hats when he looked at the hat in the shop mirror the smile went from ear to ear.
He told me this was going to be his One and Only hat.....a true hat he could be proud to wear but after seeing it, seeing how great it looked on him and well it fit......he said he is now thinking of ordering #2.

Offering a well made hat at an affordable price that expands the custom market really fulfills the market niche I set out to serve. Granite coloured Ukraine rabbit, 4 1/2" crown at front, 2 1/2" raw edge brim. Charcoal vintage grosgrain ribbon. View attachment 508457

That is a real nice looking hat, I am sure that your client will be ordering another hat from you and then he will order a third hat as well. Give that he has always worn hats he will start replacing all of his wool hats for rabbit or beaver, just wait till he puts a hat made with beaver on his head. I am really partial to the granite gray color. I have to make a hat for myself to wear to a friends wedding in September, my wife wants me to make the hatband in blue, my suit is dark blue, my other colors to choose from are camel, silver belly, sable, peacan and black.

 

[belfastboy]

That is a real nice looking hat, I am sure that your client will be ordering another hat from you and then he will order a third hat as well. Give that he has always worn hats he will start replacing all of his wool hats for rabbit or beaver, just wait till he puts a hat made with beaver on his head. I am really partial to the granite gray color. I have to make a hat for myself to wear to a friends wedding in September, my wife wants me to make the hatband in blue, my suit is dark blue, my other colors to choose from are camel, silver belly, sable, peacan and black.

Yes, the client said he ordered this hat to be his ONE good hat. But as left he told me he was reconsidering the 'just one hat' thing and was already planning on his second. I replied that hats really do have an addictive quality to them.

 

[Darrell2688]

Yes, the client said he ordered this hat to be his ONE good hat. But as left he told me he was reconsidering the 'just one hat' thing and was already planning on his second. I replied that hats really do have an addictive quality to them.

Well when he drops by to order another hat, hopefully sooner than expected, let him try different colored hats on, let him try on a beaver and see how he responds. That should be interesting. Did he have another color in mind when he bought the granite?

 

[belfastboy]

Well when he drops by to order another hat, hopefully sooner than expected, let him try different colored hats on, let him try on a beaver and see how he responds. That should be interesting.

Part of the initial consultation is showing them a wide range of felt types: weight, stiffness, colours. in conjunction with a discussion on how, where and when he will be wearing the hat. What is the purpose of the hat? What is his budget? For the casual hat wearer working with a budget I am not sure beaver felt is the way to go. Beaver felts are now 2 1/2 to 3 times the cost of a good rabbit felt.....and continuing to rise.

From that I can direct him to a felt that will best fit the desired usage. We then talk about wardrobe; what will he wear it with, what occasions, what is the general pallette of his wardrobe. From that I can direct him to a felt colour that will fit best. I sell a lot of Granite coloured Ukraine felts (very similar to the Winchester granite), rabbit and beaver as it is such a versatile colour. You can pretty much wear it with anything and it looks good. The FEPSA granite is a much darker grey colour....I would be inclined to call it a Charcoal.

 

[belfastboy]

Well when he drops by to order another hat, hopefully sooner than expected, let him try different colored hats on, let him try on a beaver and see how he responds. That should be interesting. Did he have another color in mind when he bought the granite?

The initial consultation takes 60 - 90 minutes. Once the customer has chosen the felt I measure him up, size & shape Then I cut the sweat band and fit it to his head. This one step is great as I know when finished the hat will fit him as the sweat has been sized and I build the hat outward from the sweat.

 

[Darrell2688]

Part of the initial consultation is showing them a wide range of felt types: weight, stiffness, colours. in conjunction with a discussion on how, where and when he will be wearing the hat. What is the purpose of the hat? What is his budget? For the casual hat wearer working with a budget I am not sure beaver felt is the way to go. Beaver felts are now 2 1/2 to 3 times the cost of a good rabbit felt.....and continuing to rise.

From that I can direct him to a felt that will best fit the desired usage. We then talk about wardrobe; what will he wear it with, what occasions, what is the general pallette of his wardrobe. From that I can direct him to a felt colour that will fit best. I sell a lot of Granite coloured Ukraine felts (very similar to the Winchester granite), rabbit and beaver as it is such a versatile colour. You can pretty much wear it with anything and it looks good. The FEPSA granite is a much darker grey colour....I would be inclined to call it a Charcoal.

Thank you for all of the information, now I feel better about a granite color hat with my dark blue suit, I guess a dark or medium blue hat band will go with the granite color. My wardrobe is really kind of boring, blue jeans, gray T-shirts, or blue jean long sleeve shirts with pearl color snaps, white socks and gym shoes, the only time that changes is weddings and going to the beaches in Florida, then it is sandals and khaki colored shorts, a big floppy grey and white floppy brim hat, the normal tourist appearance.