Post New Hats Here!

[Pellie]

This Verbano came in. It's from Ghiffa Italy, so maybe made by Panizza? Maybe @Daniele Tanto knows some info? Sold by Dan Dessel Antwerp, Belgium.
The quality of the felt is outstanding and i like the sharkgills on it. It's a kind of a small homburg (Lobbia), not exactly my style, but overall a very nice hat.

 

[Judgmentalist]

I got three new hats in from @wsmontana . I've been wearing this green Borsa all day - love this thing. I think this is hat number 6 or 7 that I've bought from Bill, and every one of them a very solid wearable hat, which I greatly appreciate.

Here it is straight out of the box.

 

[Judgmentalist]

Biltmore Milan also from @wsmontana

Thanks Bill. love this one.

 

[wsmontana]

I got three new hats in from @wsmontana . I've been wearing this green Borsa all day - love this thing. I think this is hat number 6 or 7 that I've bought from Bill, and every one of them a very solid wearable hat, which I greatly appreciate.

Here it is straight out of the box.
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Great! I hope they give you lots of quality head time

 

[Judgmentalist]

Art Fawcett came today. Thanks @jeffgarf for posting about this one.

 

[jeffgarf]

Art Fawcett came today. Thanks @jeffgarf for posting about this one.

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Lookin' good.

 

[jba972]

Hufvud Leifur Pecan 100X a 160gram mid weight.
Looks a bit lighter in the pics

 

[Judgmentalist]

Hufvud Leifur Pecan 100X a 160gram mid weight.
Looks a bit lighter in the pics
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Very pretty

 

[jba972]

Very pretty

Thanks. It was mis-listed as a Western weight 50X. I also asked Mikael to crease it into this tear drop shape. I'm really happy with it.

 

[jba972]

And 1 pic on head

 

[Judgmentalist]

Here is a somewhat out-there recent arrival - Optimo Capone straight out of the box. I'm going to tighten up the shape a bit.

 

[jba972]

Here is a somewhat out-there recent arrival - Optimo Capone straight out of the box. I'm going to tighten up the shape a bit.

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For a straw hat you reshape using steam like felt hats?
What's the grade of this one?

 

[Judgmentalist]

For a straw hat you reshape using steam like felt hats?
How does that compare to the other Panama hats you have?

Hey this is a felt hat. I have zero experience with steaming any hats, having successfully avoided taking on this project thus far. Perhaps someone with more applicable experience will also comment, to both of our benefit.

Having said that, from what I understand, yes you can use steam to shape Panama hats. Steam is used in the initial blocking process, for example.

However, straw is more delicate than felt and you have to be more judicious in your use of steam. This is according to my research, not from personal experience, and I am unwilling to comment more specifically for fear of unintentionally misleading anyone.

 

[jba972]

Hey this is a felt hat. I have zero experience with steaming any hats, having successfully avoided taking on this project thus far. Perhaps someone with more applicable experience will also comment, to both of our benefit.

Having said that, from what I understand, yes you can use steam to shape Panama hats. Steam is used in the initial blocking process, for example.

However, straw is more delicate than felt and you have to be more judicious in your use of steam. This is according to my research, not from personal experience, and I am unwilling to comment more specifically for fear of unintentionally misleading anyone.

Ahh..it didn't even occur that it had a liner. The color made me think it was a straw hat.
It's very cool.

 

[Judgmentalist]

Ahh..it didn't even occur that it had a liner. The color made me think it was a straw hat.
It's very cool.

Actually the first time I looked at the thumbnail photos of this hat online my knee-jerk reaction was “Optimo Montecristi!” before I started reading the ad copy. I think this probably had more to do with my obsession with Montecristis than the hat itself lol.

 

[jba972]

Actually the first time I looked at the thumbnail photos of this hat online my knee-jerk reaction was “Optimo Montecristi!” before I started reading the ad copy. I think this probably had more to do with my obsession with Montecristis than the hat itself lol.

Maybe that's what's on my mind too given the weather. Lol

 

[jeffgarf]

Hey this is a felt hat. I have zero experience with steaming any hats, having successfully avoided taking on this project thus far. Perhaps someone with more applicable experience will also comment, to both of our benefit.

Having said that, from what I understand, yes you can use steam to shape Panama hats. Steam is used in the initial blocking process, for example.

However, straw is more delicate than felt and you have to be more judicious in your use of steam. This is according to my research, not from personal experience, and I am unwilling to comment more specifically for fear of unintentionally misleading anyone.

You are correct on all counts.

 

[MikeP]

Looking for help dating this Bradford Western. Has a ”Grizzly “ finish (what its being called now ‍). Great condition, couple of light bites. Looking at the sweat and embossing it doesn’t appear to have been worn much if at all. Any help appreciated.

 

[Judgmentalist]

This is an odd little Optimo Panama I got in a while back. Very stingy-brim for a Panama. I would love to know how we arrived at this configuration.

This is the first Optimo Panama I've had the chance to get my hands on. I'm glad I had a chance to look at it, but to be honest I'm not impressed. Part of that is not Optimo's fault - Pork Pie and stingy-brim neither one work very well for me.

The weave is nice and even, and the color is consistent, but if I'm paying Optimo prices I would expect a higher WPI. I counted this one in two places on the sidewall of the crown and got 323-343. This surprised me, so I pulled the hat back out and checked it again visually and it's accurate. The rest of the finish is consistent with what you would expect from Optimo.

What do you guys think?

Optimo Pork Pie - 323 WPI

 

[jba972]

This is an odd little Optimo Panama I got in a while back. Very stingy-brim for a Panama. I would love to know how we arrived at this configuration.

This is the first Optimo Panama I've had the chance to get my hands on. I'm glad I had a chance to look at it, but to be honest I'm not impressed. Part of that is not Optimo's fault - Pork Pie and stingy-brim neither one work very well for me.

The weave is nice and even, and the color is consistent, but if I'm paying Optimo prices I would expect a higher WPI. I counted this one in two places on the sidewall of the crown and got 323-343. This surprised me, so I pulled the hat back out and checked it again visually and it's accurate. The rest of the finish is consistent with what you would expect from Optimo.

What do you guys think?

Optimo Pork Pie - 323 WPI
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What grade would this be? Do you have any idea what Optimo is charging for this grade?
I agree that brim is very short