You know what they say about guys with big heads...

[Gwyllgi]

...they gotta wear big hats!

Hey everyone! I'm new to the Lounge but not to hats. I did a brief search and didn't find much so I thought I'd start a thread for those of us blessed with abundant cranial space.

I measure in at approx. 65.1 cm or 25 5/8 inches. That means no vintage hats for me and I need to go custom. As stated in my intro message, as of right now I have a Steele & Jones Raiders, a Black Sheep original (that doesn't fit my style so I may be letting it go soon), and I have a Raiders on order from Herbert Johnson. I have been also considering a non-Indy Penman in the near future. I thought it would be fun to have a thread dedicated to listing hat-makers that can accommodate sizes larger than the standard which seems to top out at 62 cm or thereabouts.

Of the top of my head -

Penman Hats
Herbert Johnson
Black Sheep Hat Works
Steele & Jones

Anybody got any others?

Regards!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

...they gotta wear big hats!

Hey everyone! I'm new to the Lounge but not to hats. I did a brief search and didn't find much so I thought I'd start a thread for those of us blessed with abundant cranial space.

I measure in at approx. 65.1 cm or 25 5/8 inches. That means no vintage hats for me and I need to go custom. As stated in my intro message, as of right now I have a Steele & Jones Raiders, a Black Sheep original (that doesn't fit my style so I may be letting it go soon), and I have a Raiders on order from Herbert Johnson. I have been also considering a non-Indy Penman in the near future. I thought it would be fun to have a thread dedicated to listing hat-makers that can accommodate sizes larger than the standard which seems to top out at 62 cm or thereabouts.

Of the top of my head -

Penman Hats
Herbert Johnson
Black Sheep Hat Works
Steele & Jones

Anybody got any others?

Regards!

Not a lot of you folks out there, but I think it’s a great idea for a thread.

Borsalino seems to be a brand that regularly goes up to size 8 (64cm), but they also tend to run small.

Going custom requires the hatter to make a substantial investiment in a block, flange, band blocks, etc. I can see it being a tough sell when they are looking at return on an investment. Additionally, it can be hard to find felt hat bodies large enough. Winchester’s double yellow string (their largest), can probably be blocked to those sizes, but often there isn’t enough felt for the crown height and brim width you want. I run into this all the time even at a smaller 62cm. This is less of a problem with western weight felts, but it’s real tricky with dress weight hat bodies.

An option to consider is buying your own block, flange(s), etc. and sending them to your chosen hatter to use while making your hat. It’s a lot of money for initial costs and there is shipping costs to and back from the hatter to consider. I’m doing something similar with Gannon as he has a block that fits me perfect but he doesn’t have a 7 7/8 long oval medium flange for a 3 1/2” brim. I bought the flange and had it shipped to Gannon and it’s coming to me with the completed hat.

I’m curious to see how many folks are interested in this thread.

 

[GHT]

Hat size, although not a problem, does give those of us with a seven & three quarter inch (62cm) limited choice. When I was looking for a pale blue, Strat-like hat that I wanted to wear with a similar coloured suit to a Hawaiian themed wedding I had to ask Esther to make a bespoke one. A beautiful job she made of it too.

 

[Peacoat]

@Gwyllgi Welcome to the Lounge. PC

 

[Gwyllgi]

Thank you for the warm welcome folks! I appreciate you guys and I'm looking forward to learning here. As far as a personal block and flange, I feel that would be a little overkill for myself. I love hats but I'm not really the collector type as I really only want a few to wear about town and on adventures. I just wish there were more off the rack options for big heads as I'd like to play around with different styles and looks before plunking down so much cash for a custom.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Thank you for the warm welcome folks! I appreciate you guys and I'm looking forward to learning here. As far as a personal block and flange, I feel that would be a little overkill for myself. I love hats but I'm not really the collector type as I really only want a few to wear about town and on adventures. I just wish there were more off the rack options for big heads as I'd like to play around with different styles and looks before plunking down so much cash for a custom.

Can you squeeze into a tiny 64cm hat?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SELENTINO-...940044?hash=item3435349d8c:g:lr4AAOSwr8VfrFQE

 

[Gwyllgi]

Hah, I wish. I'm afraid I really do need that extra 1.1 cm. My other problem (and this is most likely a personal one) is having enough volume in the crown. I'm not a fan of my head touching the top or being squeezed at the sides. Feels like the hat is sitting on top of my head vs feeling like I'm wearing it. That's just me though.

 

[89quattro]

Realize it's been a year since there was activity here, but this thread may be helpful.
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/lamentations-of-the-large-headed.90121/

 

[EinarsM]

This is indeed very interesting. I wonder what the largest hat sizes are out there? I have been asked to craft hats in size 67. I wonder how common that is and if hatmakers out there are making that? I currently only carry blocks that would allow me to craft a size 65. But as mentioned in the thread, it all depends on the size of the felt as well. I guess it's something that I should explore more. Crafting a size 63 - 64, with the standard proportions, shouldn't be a problem as my felts allow. I should try my craft in a size 65 and see how it turns out. Maybe max it out at 6 inch crown and 3 1/2 inch brim.

The flange I use goes up to 64, but I am investing in new flanges in 2022. 65 could potentially be on that list. But there are other ways to shape the brim without a flange, just takes a bit more work.

If anyone with a size 65 could indicate what crown height and brim with that you are after, I am happy to explore the possibility and see what I can craft.

 

[Gwyllgi]

This is indeed very interesting. I wonder what the largest hat sizes are out there? I have been asked to craft hats in size 67. I wonder how common that is and if hatmakers out there are making that? I currently only carry blocks that would allow me to craft a size 65. But as mentioned in the thread, it all depends on the size of the felt as well. I guess it's something that I should explore more. Crafting a size 63 - 64, with the standard proportions, shouldn't be a problem as my felts allow. I should try my craft in a size 65 and see how it turns out. Maybe max it out at 6 inch crown and 3 1/2 inch brim.

The flange I use goes up to 64, but I am investing in new flanges in 2022. 65 could potentially be on that list. But there are other ways to shape the brim without a flange, just takes a bit more work.

If anyone with a size 65 could indicate what crown height and brim with that you are after, I am happy to explore the possibility and see what I can craft.

Hufvud, that would be amazing! I drool over the hats you post on Facebook and I would love to own one from you! Like I said, a 65.1 cm head size is huge but if you could accommodate it, that would be amazing! My current HJ dimensions are 14 cm in crown height and 7 cm in brim width on the side and 7.5 cm in brim width on the front. The brim size is perfect but lately, I've been wondering about the crown height. It fits my face well but I'm curious about maybe shaving a couple cm off from my next one. Maybe doing a 12-13 cm tall crown?

 

[belfastboy]

I think it is wonderful and amazing there are hatters out there that can accommodate larger sized heads. I can only go to 62.5cm blocking and I have just one client that uses it. For me going any larger does not make economic sense as I would be hard pressed to ever get my money back from the outlay.

 

[EinarsM]

Hufvud, that would be amazing! I drool over the hats you post on Facebook and I would love to own one from you! Like I said, a 65.1 cm head size is huge but if you could accommodate it, that would be amazing! My current HJ dimensions are 14 cm in crown height and 7 cm in brim width on the side and 7.5 cm in brim width on the front. The brim size is perfect but lately, I've been wondering about the crown height. It fits my face well but I'm curious about maybe shaving a couple cm off from my next one. Maybe doing a 12-13 cm tall crown?

Thank you very much! I appreciate the compliments. Just the kind of effect I wish for my posts to have.

It's great to know the proportions that you are after. I am still exploring my current options for what I can make, but I am also looking forward. I think 2022 will be the year that I can accommodate requests for larger hat sizes. It will be a bit of an investment but I am happy to be able to help out.

Please reach out and send me an email, I wish to be able to contact you for further questions and to let you know what I can do for you.

mikael.einarsson@hufvud.com

Regards,

Mikael