An Indy / non-Indy Fedora hybrid... (pics)

[Marc]

Hey all,

one of my customers - a gentleman with several hundred hats - asked me to make an open crown hat for him, with the flying-V and everything else that makes a hat an Indy Fedora, except for the dim. cut on the brim. Open crown, as he likes to put in a personal crease - non Indy. So it's a non-Indy / Indy hybrid, sort of.

He finally received it yesterday and creased it the way he preferes it. Here are a few pics:

Hand sewn, of course:

The color is a deep burgundy, in opposite of pink, but you know how a flash can wash out the colors:

Again, I'd appreciate your honest opinion, good and bad.

Regards,

Marc

 

[RedPop4]

I like it.

 

[tonyb]

No reason to doubt it's a finely crafted hat, but, since you asked for honest opinions, I say that bash and brim shape really don't do it justice. But, you know, the customer is free to do as he pleases.
If it's not asking too much: What's your relationship with Mr. Adventurebilt, our Fedora Steve?

 

[Marc]

If it's not asking too much: What's your relationship with Mr. Adventurebilt, our Fedora Steve?

Steve is my friend and biz partner. When he started Adventurebilt Hat Co., the hobby quickly turned into a full time job for him - which was neither planned nor expected (at least not to THAT degree). Being a fanatic fan of the Raiders Fedora myself, a good friend of Steve and after having discussed block design with him for COUNTLESS hours on the phone over a period of 10 months, he offered me to make hats under his label. To take some of the weight off his shoulders. I was flattened! But just to make exactly what he was doing, was kind of missing the challenge, as he had his suppliers already (thanks to Sharpetoys). So, I came up with the idea to take the whole thing one step further and source the finest materials that could be optained, or two have them custom made when I felt it was necesarry - and still keep it affordable towards other Indy fans. That's how the idea with the Adventurebilt Deluxe came up and I started a 7 months quest, to find the materials I'm using now. I get pure beaver rawbodies I use custom made in Portugal. When I saw the samples of their felt, I was hooked immediately. Best (modern) felt I've seen to date. They make them exactly the color, thickness, floppiness and size I want them to be made off. I also ordered the bridal satin liner with the two color crest from a company who's min. was 20 dozen - so it'll take a looong time, before I run out of these. The sweatband company I'm using, is the fourth company I went to, as the other ones weren't able to produce a high quality vintage style sweatband. This one does. In fact they had some dead stock vintage reeding tape in a color that matches what the leather looks like on many vintage hats and I bought all of that, to ensure that I could get it in the future. They also print the golden letters INTO the leather, so it won't wear off, no matter how much you sweat into it. Something that I've come to appreciate on vintage hats as well. The leather is soft and made of roan goatskin, but unfortunately they charge as much for the sweatbands, as a cheap rawbody would cost Anyway, I like them and as long as only one company is able to make them the way I want them to be, I'll have to bite the bullet. Finally I sourced out the supplier of the original ribbon that was used on the Raiders Fedora (that was the worst pain in the behind of all), but for the Indy fans well worth it. Steve is using that particular ribbon as well now.

So, that is basicly my relationship to Steve and Adventurebilt. A biz partnership, based on the friendship of two fanatic Indy fans

Regards,

Marc

 

[tonyb]

That's great. Marc. Steve has always been quite generous and forthcoming toward me. He has made it clear there's nothing mysterious involved in making hats. It's mostly a matter of trial and error and rediscovering what those long-gone hatters took to their graves.
Here's hoping it all works out for you. :beer:

 

[Marc]

Very true Tony! It's not due to the complication of hatmaking, that most modern hats are mashine made disposable hats. It's due to the greed of those who make them. Why spent several hours or days on a hat to make it by hand, when a maschine can whipe it together in a couple of minutes? - Saves you the labor and the sore finger tips lol No, it's a pleasure to see that not all has gone done the drain and that true hatters as Steve and Art treasure and practice what was once common.

Regards,

Marc

 

[Matt Deckard]

Side view?

 

[Marc]

Sorry Joseph,

that's all I got from him..

Regards,

Marc

 

[Fedora]

If you added up the cost(wholesale) of the body, the ribbon, the liner and sweat, and marked it up what is normal in the custom dress hat industry, you could not touch it for less than a grand. AND THAT IS WHY YOU WILL NEVER SEE THIS QUALITY OF HAT SOLD BY ANYONE ELSE. Other dress hatters (besides Art) run away from considering using what Marc is using. And the company that makes this body uses a 5 roller felter, instead of a 3 roller, at least for this line of felt. This company is currently making the finest dress felt in the world, if you are willing to pay for it. Few are. Fedora

 

[Feraud]

That is a cool non-typical Indy hat.
The brim is a little too flat for my taste. I like a little "swoop" to it.
I really like how the customer bashed the crown! I have a stetson that needs reblocking and I want to put a loose bash in it.
The felt looks really thick!
Nice job Marc!

 

[spiridon]

A beautiful piece of work Marc.......and I will also mention that the owner of that new hat couldn't say enough about the QUALITY of your workmanship!!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[perterra]

No reason to doubt it's a finely crafted hat, but, since you asked for honest opinions, I say that bash and brim shape really don't do it justice. But, you know, the customer is free to do as he pleases.
If it's not asking too much: What's your relationship with Mr. Adventurebilt, our Fedora Steve?

I kinda like it, the brim will develop a personality with wearing and you dont see one like it very often.

 

[SHARPETOYS]

One word.. Quality.

I think the hat looks great Marc... That is the best looking custom hat I have ever seen on Douglas.

I like the way he blocked it very much. This hat fits the man.

The roan leather sweat band looks very vintage and I love that it does not have that ugly gold line on it...

Great hat by a great guy... :eusa_clap

 

[DanielJones]

Fantastic hat Marc! I love the European 1930's styling that the owner put into it and what a great looking liner. A-One Job there!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Marc]

Thanks for the kind words everyone!!!

Oh, the felt is 1.7mm thick...

Regards,

Marc

 

[shoeshineboy]

this is the nicest hat I have ever seen you wear douglas....you should treasure this one. i am sure that you now know the difference in real quality and rhetorical quality.

you are on your way.

Mark the shoeshine boy

 

[DOUGLAS]

This hat is very comfortable. It is soft but stable. I chose the type of brim and crease style because the hat itself is so beautiful that I did not see a reason to over design it. The more I wear it the hat's own character will come out and be a bit more relaxed.Personally I love the bash as it has room for future tweeking which I have a tendency to do. The quality is first rate and Marc has really out done himself. His eye for detail and finish is superb. Sorry for not having a side view,that is not my most flattering pose but I will try to get one up.

Redpop4, I love your avatar. Charles Durning is a great actor.

 

[Joel Tunnah]

Ha! I knew that was NYC in the background. Brooklyn? Park Slope perhaps?

Joel

ps. great hat, and I like your bash job.

 

[DOUGLAS]

Sorry Joel, Those were taken on the upper east side.

 

[Feraud]

A warm welcome to the Lounge Douglas from a fellow New Yorker. :cheers1: