Good hats?

[chilehed]

Anyone else here appreciate a good hat?

A few years ago I got a dark brown wool Fedora. It took me a while to get used to wearing it, but one crappy winter day I put it on and was surprised at how well it kept the sleet off my face and the heat inside my head, so I started wearing it all the time. Got lots of compliments on the look.

But I needed something lighter for summer weather, and baseball caps weren’t making it anymore. A Panama? Yeah, a nice Panama. So I started looking, and didn’t like what I was seeing anywhere. Everything I found was too coarse, too bleached, too… unrefined. Until I discovered Brent Black. I had no idea that Panama hats were such an art form - check out his website. I ended up buying one, and DAMN this is a beautiful hat. I’ve had it for a couple of years, and random strangers comment on it nearly every day.

 

[chilehed]

And the wool hat’s gotten too disreputable looking, the weather’s made it shrink badly and no hatter is willing to reblock it. So I just picked up a new one from Cody Wellema in Los Angeles. Beaver felt, center crease, 2-3/4" brim; ordered it at the very end of June and he said he should have it done sometime in October.

Last Thursday he told me it was ready; when I saw the photo I said "ship it!", asked him if it could be here before I left for an out of state wedding next Wednesday, and it arrived on Saturday. It's a great hat, the stitching is clean and even and the sweat band is soft and supple. In addition to my circumference I gave him the distance from my brow to the back of my head and across my temples, and he blocked it right to those dimensions - it fits perfectly. The satin felt has a nice lush feel, it's less formal than a bald finish but the ribbon doesn't contrast too much which I think keeps it from looking too casual. The brim is about 3/16" wider than my Panama, that might not sound like a huge difference but Cody had warned me that a little goes a long way and he was right. Five years ago I wouldn't have had the nerve to go with a brim this wide, but now I think it looks perfect and it's going to do a good job keeping the snow and sleet off of me this winter. Yes, I WILL be wearing this in bad weather!

Here are some photos. If you're looking for a really good hat, give Cody a call.

 

[scott43]

You know, I mention from time to time the death of the formal hat. You look at pics from hockey games back in the 50's, EVERY man wore a hat! Then..they disappeared. I wonder if we'll get back to that one day. I'm not hat-guy personally, sorry.

 

[scott43]

This is Maple Leaf Gardens in 1940...

 

[pchewn]

If you are willing to pay top dollar and wait for a top quality custom hat, I'd like to recommend the Rocky Mountain Hat Company in Bozeman MT.

My father in law started this company and my brother-in-law now runs it. They made the hats for the actors in "The Horse Whisperer".

Custom hats made to order. All the right tools and materials to get your head shape transferred to a wooden block that is shaped just like your head. And then the hats from top-quality materials and workmanship. Go visit them!

http://www.rockymountainhatcompany.com/

 

[chilehed]

Then..they disappeared. I wonder if we'll get back to that one day.

I hope so, if only because I see it as a reflection of the movement (I might say decline) from the formal to the casual in our society in the way we treat other people, including strangers.

I often hear people make snide remarks about Fedoras and the people who wear them; usually they point to a picture of someone wearing a cheap clownish Trilby that is mismatched to his head, face, and mismatched clothing. They don't actually know what a Fedora is, much less how incredibly practical they can be. Honestly, after having one through the last five or six Michigan winters there's no way I'll ever be without one.

 

[Coach13]

You know, I mention from time to time the death of the formal hat. You look at pics from hockey games back in the 50's, EVERY man wore a hat! Then..they disappeared. I wonder if we'll get back to that one day. I'm not hat-guy personally, sorry.

Same with MLB games in the 50s! It’s not a style that I’m hoping comes back around!

 

[Coach13]

Most of my hats are Titleist golf hats!

 

[chilehed]

If you are willing to pay top dollar and wait for a top quality custom hat, I'd like to recommend the Rocky Mountain Hat Company in Bozeman MT.

His styles tend to be too Western for me, but they look good and man, the shop photos page is great! He's got a serious collection of hatmaking gear going there!

His style list looks like he doesn't use those Panama Optimo blocks very much. If that's the case and he's interested in selling them, the last time I spoke with Brent Black he asked me to keep an eye out for him. www.brentblack.com

 

[Jilly]

We had a hat factory in town till about 10 years ago. But a lot of the stuff was coming in from off shore. 2 of the boys of the former owner as still in the area and they both always have a really nice fedora on.

 

[tromano]

I like a wide straw hat for summer days out in the high country.

 

[mdf]

I went to take a few pictures and now I'm worried. My winter Tilley's aren't where I expected.

It's tough finding hats big enough. I also notice my summer Tilley is looking kinda beat.

 

[mdf]

Whew! Found the winter hats (well, my wife did).

 

[crgildart]

I've got about 25 souvenir resort caps I've posted here or there. As for dressy hats, got a few of them..

One on the right is a Stetson Billy Kidd.

Ones I grab on the way out the door day to day.. Nothing fancy there..

But when I do go fancy... BOOTS!

 

[Eric@ict]

I love a nice hat! My go to is a 20yo Bailey lite felt. Looks like crap, but is my baby. I have a number of Stetsons a few baileys and one borsalino that is gorgeous and I don’t wear it enough. I’m fortunate to have Hat Man Jack down the street from me. If you are ever in Wichita, you need to stop in and see him. https://www.hatmanjacks.com/

 

[Eric@ict]

Anyone else here appreciate a good hat?

A few years ago I got a dark brown wool Fedora. It took me a while to get used to wearing it, but one crappy winter day I put it on and was surprised at how well it kept the sleet off my face and the heat inside my head, so I started wearing it all the time. Got lots of compliments on the look.

But I needed something lighter for summer weather, and baseball caps weren’t making it anymore. A Panama? Yeah, a nice Panama. So I started looking, and didn’t like what I was seeing anywhere. Everything I found was too coarse, too bleached, too… unrefined. Until I discovered Brent Black. I had no idea that Panama hats were such an art form - check out his website. I ended up buying one, and DAMN this is a beautiful hat. I’ve had it for a couple of years, and random strangers comment on it nearly every day.

Im still on the look out for my perfect Panama. There a few companies on the web that will make a custom one but they are out of my league.

 

[Uncle-A]

I am a fan of baseball hats and not only with team related logos. All types of logos especially skiing and fishing related ones. My fishing hats I love to have the flap on the back of the hat to keep the sun from making me a redneck. Although I ski in a helmet I still have a lot of knit hats that are used for walking in the winter time, most of them are ski related styles and a few have matching sweaters.

 

[chilehed]

Im still on the look out for my perfect Panama. There a few companies on the web that will make a custom one but they are out of my league.

Yeah, they're not cheap, it took a while to talk myself into it. Brent's are hands down the best, that BS about starting a school and bringing medical care to the villiage isn't BS at all (I did some digging), and I figured since it could last the rest of my life the cost per day is pretty low even at $1k. It really strikes me as a great art form that ought to be preserved, and how will that happen if people like me don't buy them?

 

[Eric@ict]

Yeah, they're not cheap, it took a while to talk myself into it. Brent's are hands down the best, that BS about starting a school and bringing medical care to the villiage isn't BS at all (I did some digging), and I figured since it could last the rest of my life the cost per day is pretty low even at $1k. It really strikes me as a great art form that ought to be preserved, and how will that happen if people like me don't buy them?

I agree, but I know I won’t wear it daily, the environment isn’t warm enough for that. I am sure one day I will do it, just not ready to do it yet. Monte Crist is the company I keep going back to.

 

[chilehed]

Monte Crist is the company I keep going back to.

Fair enough, but before you pull the trigger do yourself a favor and dig through Brent's site. Lots of great info in it.