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Anyone know anything about this hatmaker Daquino?

Bob Roberts

I'll Lock Up
Messages
11,201
Location
milford ct
Je je je Actually I am a Lawyer ja ja ja I work in engineering but have a law degree !!!

Let me check for a board exam so I can work in the US [emoji12] [emoji13] [emoji13] [emoji12]

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

Sent u a PM! Contingency fee only. No retainer.
 

javadave61

Practically Family
Messages
891
Location
Harrisburg, PA
New D'Aquino has arrived!

Okay... so my new D'Aquino arrived over the weekend, and I just picked it up at the post office. I was very nervous at first because of the huge gouge in the box (thank you postal service). But fortunately, she had it well protected. Here's my review...

**My request vs what I received:
Open crown: 5 1/2" / Received 6"
Creased to a teardrop: 4 1/2" high / Received 5"
Brim width: 2 1/4" / received 2 3/8
Brim binding matching the hat body / Received burgundy brim binding
Ribbon: 1 1/2" burgundy ribbon / Received 1 1/2" ribbon with extra stitching running through.
Color: "light gray" body / Received light gray body, but from my perspective, it leans more towards a "medium gray."

**Felt: The rabbit felt is soft to the touch, but more course in appearance than my other felts. It's not as light as my 50s vintage, but not as heavy as my Fed IV. It feels lighter and less dense than my modern premiere Stetson felts. It does remind me most of my Imperial Campdraft, though this has just a bit more stiffness in it.

**Hits: There are no flaws whatsoever in the stitching. The ribbon is "heartier" than I expected. I requested a size 59.5, knowing that some of you have gotten it "half-sized." It's marked 59 1/2 (with the 1/2 handwritten in), and it fits just right. The bow on the sweat is well done.

**Misses: The lining has light staining in it. This was disappointing. I haven't worked on it to see if it's deeply embedded or just in need of a light cleaning. The front point of the crown is not aligned properly with the back bow. I'll be reworking the crown, so that's something I can fix.

**Other details: Delivery was 33 days from date of order. Communication was okay. I usually got a response within 48 hours of asking a question.

**Overall Impression: It's a gorgeous hat... one I'll be wearing often. I wish I had asked for the 2 1/2" brim or larger to match the larger crown I received. I'm glad it's at least 2 3/8". The misses on some of the details are a reminder that this is a custom hat under $100. And none of those misses disqualify the hat's overall greatness. If you want your custom hat to be made to exact specifications, D'Aquino is not the way to go. If you have a design idea and want it in the ballpark (with a few surprises thrown in) for a great price, this is the way to go!

11822601_10207471500847278_1950509724195085143_n.jpg
11036729_10207471500967281_2910837346293194199_n.jpg


Dry creased with a little more pinch...
11043537_10207471502527320_6700534099343426496_n.jpg


The stain/dirt in the liner is disappointing.
11811358_10207471500447268_2524669936343177766_n.jpg


The bow work is very nice. I was hoping to have the size embossed on the sweat like some others have had. Just the paper tag on this.
11229966_10207471500407267_1801574734496529346_n.jpg
11800465_10207471500927280_582748503634550492_n.jpg


Gotta find a shirt to match. This one didn't quite work! :)
11050646_10207471501927305_2661765365073456164_n.jpg
11822432_10207471502007307_1522774215363313470_n.jpg
 
Last edited:

sergejvandervreede

One Too Many
Messages
1,934
Location
NL
Okay... so my new D'Aquino arrived over the weekend, and I just picked it up at the post office. I was very nervous at first because of the huge gouge in the box (thank you postal service). But fortunately, she had it well protected. Here's my review...

**My request vs what I received:
Open crown: 5 1/2" / Received 6"
Creased to a teardrop: 4 1/2" high / Received 5"
Brim width: 2 1/4" / received 2 3/8
Brim binding matching the hat body / Received burgundy brim binding
Ribbon: 1 1/2" burgundy ribbon / Received 1 1/2" ribbon with extra stitching running through.
Color: "light gray" body / Received light gray body, but from my perspective, it leans more towards a "medium gray."

**Felt: The rabbit felt is soft to the touch, but more course in appearance than my other felts. It's not as light as my 50s vintage, but not as heavy as my Fed IV. It feels lighter and less dense than my modern premiere Stetson felts. It does remind me most of my Imperial Campdraft, though this has just a bit more stiffness in it.

**Hits: There are no flaws whatsoever in the stitching. The ribbon is "heartier" than I expected. I requested a size 59.5, knowing that some of you have gotten it "half-sized." It's marked 59 1/2 (with the 1/2 handwritten in), and it fits just right. The bow on the sweat is well done.

**Misses: The lining has light staining in it. This was disappointing. I haven't worked on it to see if it's deeply embedded or just in need of a light cleaning. The front point of the crown is not aligned properly with the back bow. I'll be reworking the crown, so that's something I can fix.

**Other details: Delivery was 33 days from date of order. Communication was okay. I usually got a response within 48 hours of asking a question.

**Overall Impression: It's a gorgeous hat... one I'll be wearing often. I wish I had asked for the 2 1/2" brim or larger to match the larger crown I received. I'm glad it's at least 2 3/8". The misses on some of the details are a reminder that this is a custom hat under $100. And none of those misses disqualify the hat's overall greatness. If you want your custom hat to be made to exact specifications, D'Aquino is not the way to go. If you have a design idea and want it in the ballpark (with a few surprises thrown in) for a great price, this is the way to go!

11036729_10207471500967281_2910837346293194199_n.jpg
11822601_10207471500847278_1950509724195085143_n.jpg


Dry creased with a little more pinch...
11043537_10207471502527320_6700534099343426496_n.jpg
11229966_10207471500407267_1801574734496529346_n.jpg


The stain/dirt in the liner is disappointing.
11811358_10207471500447268_2524669936343177766_n.jpg


The bow work is very nice. I was hoping to have the size embossed on the sweat like some others have had. Just the paper tag on this.
11800465_10207471500927280_582748503634550492_n.jpg


Gotta find a shirt to match. This one didn't quite work! :)
11050646_10207471501927305_2661765365073456164_n.jpg
11822432_10207471502007307_1522774215363313470_n.jpg

Very nice hat! I think the proportions look great. I like a relatively high crown. The hat definately suits you!

My liner was stained a little too. Very minor. Wearing my D'Aquino I found that the lining stains rather easy. Not a really big deal IMO.
 
Last edited:

philosophy101

A-List Customer
Messages
383
Location
MA
javadave: Though you didn't request the burgundy color for the brim binding, it sure looks great that way. What a wonderful mistake! Same for the other specs that came out a little off. The proportions of what they sent you look excellent. You've got yourself a really great hat!
 

rogerstg

A-List Customer
Messages
325
Location
Rhode Island
Ditto what others have written. It looks great on you. The overall appearance is wonderfully different but not odd. I like it, especially the matching binding and ribbon.

Roger
 

javadave61

Practically Family
Messages
891
Location
Harrisburg, PA
Thanks everyone. All variations from my requested specs were improvements. I should mention that I put "approximately" on all my spec requests and did tell Luisa that I wanted her to use her judgement. As the old saying goes, sometimes the worst thing that can happen is you get your way. I love this hat and am thrilled how it turned out.

873f2b93b29a1c91ba2701f8c03c10b9.jpg
 
Messages
19,409
Location
Funkytown, USA
Dave, that looks really good. I like that extra line of stitching in the ribbon treatment, and the colors really pop. So far, she's been pretty good meeting most of my specs. I spec out in inches and centimeters, just to be sure, and have received the crown height and brim width requested both times. The only "mistake" she has ever made was one of the same as yours. I had asked for matching brim binding, and she matched the ribbon, not the hat. The other mistake she made, to give me beaver instead of rabbit; well, I hope those mistakes are made more often!

I'm happy you got such a nice hat. It really looks good and good on you.
 
Last edited:

javadave61

Practically Family
Messages
891
Location
Harrisburg, PA
Dave, that looks really good. I like that extra line of stitching in the ribbon treatment, and the colors really pop. So far, she's been pretty good meeting most of my specs. I spec out in inches and centimeters, just to be sure, and have received the crown height and brim width requested both times. The only "mistake" she has ever made was one of the same as yours. I had asked for matching brim binding, and she matched the ribbon, not the hat. The other mistake she made, to give me beaver instead of rabbit; well, I hope those mistakes are made more often!

I'm happy you go such a nice hat. It really looks good and good on you.
Fruno, thank you. The pieces she's made for you are gorgeous and why I placed the order.

I have the day off and went to downtown Harrisburg to the one men's store where they sell Stetson straws only to find out they're closed on Mondays. And I already paid to park. So I set out for a good cup of coffee only to stumble upon a storefront with an amazing display of gorgeous hats. I went in, and there's an older man (think Mr. Miyagi from Karate Kid) sitting in a shoe shine chair surrounded by a stack of hat boxes and a display of fur felts. I blurted out, "When did you get here?" His name is Charlie and he's been downtown for years outfitting all the state politicians, lobbyists, lawyers, and governors.

First thing he said was, "Beautiful hat." I told him where I got it and let him handle it. After a long examination, he said, "You're not going to find anything in here as nice as this." So the D'acquino got his stamp of approval.

He did have some nice pieces and a great display of Panamas. I'll be back for one of those. I told him I'd be back. He said, "I'll be here... til I'm dead!" He had a great laugh.

It was a great step back in time. I snapped a pic while be dug through all of his 7 3/8ths...

485d55eeb135bfca2208f5becebd9b41.jpg


That's my new beauty in the foreground.
 

theoldnorthwest

Familiar Face
Messages
91
Just an FYI for those who don't make hats, it is extremely difficult to find quality ribbon in different colors, it may not be possible to find the exact color you are looking for, grays are particularly hard to find. I have been trying to find ribbon for binding to match silverbelly felt for ever and cannot find any, the stuff just does not exist anymore, you can find vintage in some colors but there is only one source for new cotton/rayon ribbon and their colors are very limited, it may be different in Europe.
 
Messages
19,409
Location
Funkytown, USA
Fruno, thank you. The pieces she's made for you are gorgeous and why I placed the order.

I have the day off and went to downtown Harrisburg to the one men's store where they sell Stetson straws only to find out they're closed on Mondays. And I already paid to park. So I set out for a good cup of coffee only to stumble upon a storefront with an amazing display of gorgeous hats. I went in, and there's an older man (think Mr. Miyagi from Karate Kid) sitting in a shoe shine chair surrounded by a stack of hat boxes and a display of fur felts. I blurted out, "When did you get here?" His name is Charlie and he's been downtown for years outfitting all the state politicians, lobbyists, lawyers, and governors.

First thing he said was, "Beautiful hat." I told him where I got it and let him handle it. After a long examination, he said, "You're not going to find anything in here as nice as this." So the D'acquino got his stamp of approval.

He did have some nice pieces and a great display of Panamas. I'll be back for one of those. I told him I'd be back. He said, "I'll be here... til I'm dead!" He had a great laugh.

It was a great step back in time. I snapped a pic while be dug through all of his 7 3/8ths...

That's my new beauty in the foreground.

Kid in a candy store, Dave!
 

Lotsahats

One Too Many
Messages
1,370
Fruno, thank you. The pieces she's made for you are gorgeous and why I placed the order.

I have the day off and went to downtown Harrisburg to the one men's store where they sell Stetson straws only to find out they're closed on Mondays. And I already paid to park. So I set out for a good cup of coffee only to stumble upon a storefront with an amazing display of gorgeous hats. I went in, and there's an older man (think Mr. Miyagi from Karate Kid) sitting in a shoe shine chair surrounded by a stack of hat boxes and a display of fur felts. I blurted out, "When did you get here?" His name is Charlie and he's been downtown for years outfitting all the state politicians, lobbyists, lawyers, and governors.

First thing he said was, "Beautiful hat." I told him where I got it and let him handle it. After a long examination, he said, "You're not going to find anything in here as nice as this." So the D'acquino got his stamp of approval.

He did have some nice pieces and a great display of Panamas. I'll be back for one of those. I told him I'd be back. He said, "I'll be here... til I'm dead!" He had a great laugh.

It was a great step back in time. I snapped a pic while be dug through all of his 7 3/8ths...

What are the shop names in Harrisburg? I'm in Philly, and it might be worth a drive to check these places out. Do either of them do hat cleanings or repair work?

A
 

javadave61

Practically Family
Messages
891
Location
Harrisburg, PA
What are the shop names in Harrisburg? I'm in Philly, and it might be worth a drive to check these places out. Do either of them do hat cleanings or repair work?

A
There's Alden's on the 200 block of Walnut and Eddie's on the 300 block of Market. Alden's had a few Biltmore furs, but mostly wool stuff. Same with Eddie's (almost all wool). It's their straws where you can find some quality hats.

The guy at Eddie's told me there's a "guy upstairs" who makes and rebuilds hats. Didn't sound like he was associated with Eddie's. I'll ask more about him when I do l go back there.

0989fb1e1fa1c38033abe7ffa4fde057.jpg


7865898f69eaf08a9b6cf9e1a127ab80.jpg
 

sergejvandervreede

One Too Many
Messages
1,934
Location
NL
New hat arrived today. High crown, smaller brim. Think James Cagney in the thirties. I think Luisa nailed it!!
b2f4d77063fe2d6a488b15d17d85f984.jpg
2f893cf3d3ac8fd6d266386582e41e7a.jpg
c5837644e26b85c37016e27bc80416f8.jpg


Dentvin the back is courtesy of the postal service. It'll knock out easily I guess.
 

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