List of Custom, made-to-order, Fur Felt Fedora hatmakers and hatters

[dennisb]

Great reasource, thanks

 

[Lotsahats]

Some of the hat makers post here on the lounge about a variety of topics, from hat making ideas to general philosophy. You might look at what they have to say here in order to determine for yourself if they sound like folks you want to work with.

A

 

[DesertDan]

I agree that this thread should be "stickied" as it is a good reference.

I have a Falcon Park and it is quite nice. I currently have an order in with Mike at Northwest Hats. I will also order from VS and Tumwater in the future.

 

[fedoracentric]

I have tried JWHats.com

http://www.jwhats.com/

I only want to warn that they are very western-hat minded and are not super great dealing with repairs on fedoras. One of the fedoras I sent came back reflanged with a western brim treatment (up on both sides, dipped down in the front and back like a cowboy hat instead of snap brimmed style which is how it was when it was sent in). I did NOT ask for that. I think they are too used to westerns to readily get what a fedora wearer wants. But that was just me experience.

They were fairly priced and worked very quickly, though.

 

[JonSolo]

I wonder if we could use a new sticky thread, open to everyone, introducing the custom hatters and linking to their threads, together with a short overview of their styles, and a set of photos of finished hats?

I mean, we get these requests about getting started in the custom hatters world quite often, don't we?

I'd be happy to try to do a compilation. Admittedly I have dealt with only one of the custom hatters, but I feel unbiased enough to start a thread with those custom hatters who make dress hats and who are already represented in some thread or other here on the Lounge. I'd take a few pictures of finished hats from there.

I think that's a great idea, Rab. As a new FLer I know it would have helped me a great deal to have an easy relatively updated reference or at least a jumping off point.

 

[John Galt]

I just received a Black Sheep customized Dobbs 20 from Lotsahats that is destined for another lounger. It shows very good workmanship.

The hand stitching is very nice on the sweatband junction, and the hidden stitches in the bow, and the bow itself are extremely well executed. The ostrich leather sweat is also sublime.

Huzzah! Very well done! It's a good thing it doesn't fit me ;-)

 

[Blackthorn]

I just received a Black Sheep customized Dobbs 20 from Lotsahats that is destined for another lounger. It shows very good workmanship.

The hand stitching is very nice on the sweatband junction, and the hidden stitches in the bow, and the bow itself are extremely well executed. The ostrich leather sweat is also sublime.

Huzzah! Very well done! It's a good thing it doesn't fit me ;-)

Yes, Bob Jesse does excellent work.

 

[N8dawg16]

+1 I have to agree. Bob at Black Sheep impresses me far more than A F does. Another up and coming hatter to keep an eye on is one of our very own Loungers, John Galt. His talents have advanced very rapidly. His work is definitely competitive with the pros.

As someone who is currently researching their first custom, would you care to elaborate why Black Sheep impresses your more than Vintage Silhouettes? Is it the styles?

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Art ,spends the time and money to get it right. You can look at his shop video and see the amount of blocks and flanges, sewing machines and all the other hatting equipment that he has collected. This stuff is not easy to find and most do not have the desire to get it right.Art spent a lot of time and money last year learning how to hand sew Milan's and getting it right. You would not believe how many Milan bodies he went thru till he felt that he had mastered the art of sewing the Milan body. Art was a Master Stone mason who knows how to use his hands to shape an it shows in his pouncing and ribbon work. If you are not impressed with Art's work then maybe you do not own one of his hat's. Because those that do own a VS can and do know the difference.

 

[hatsRme]

I do own a few from each of those guys, and can say that the difference is similar to the difference between chocolate and vanilla, or Fords and Chevys. Both great, err, EXCELLENT flavors, but some just prefer one over the other. Of these two hatters, both will woo and WOW you. Both good, righteous people, too.

I am glad that I started with Art, though. That's only because he begins with the conformator, which revealed the trouble I was in because of my head size and shape. Although Art copies and saves the results, I kept a traced image of the conformator (when it came off my dome) for reference and winning bets about head size...

 

[jlee562]

You can't go wrong with either, basically. Art's styling tends to be more reminiscint of classic styling, while Bob's hats are generally less traditional. Which is of course not to suggest that Art can't make a more contemporary look or Bob can't do traditional. Just that they each have their own style and take on hats.

 

[TomS]

I like Art's work very much.

 

[DOGMAN]

Did 5 days of this thread just disappear?

 

[RBH]

Yes and for good reason.
Now back to normal programming.

 

[tonyb]

You mean all that sparkling prose of mine just went pffft?

I'll get back to you all after I dry my tears. Might take a bit.

 

[frussell]

Good work RBH. And Tony, your words may be gone, but they will live in my heart forever.

 

[kingrat]

I agree and he just doesn't get IT.

 

[Tom-n-Perris]

Good work RBH. And Tony, your words may be gone, but they will live in my heart forever.

+1

 

[hatsRme]

NOT fur felt, but really amazing hats from many perspectives... AND, finally something to go with my souvenir wooden shoes from the Netherlands!

http://woodhat.com/home.asp

They really are BEAUTIFUL.

Ole!? Do you know this gent?

 

[bowlerman]

WOW! you have my attention. That is really intriguing.