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Bob Roberts

I'll Lock Up
Messages
11,201
Location
milford ct
Thanks all for the feedback. It seems like "most" people going for a custom hat pay the extra $50 or so for the beaver. I have not seen many go for a lightweight hat in rabbit and I am guessing for apparent reasons. Hard to really get a feel for the difference between the two at least for lightweight hats. thanks again.
Welcome. Trust your hatter.
 

jlee562

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,104
Location
San Francisco, CA
John also gets some imported, European and south American IIRC, felts in both rabbit and beaver. You can tell the quality in your hands if you are ever in his shop, and those felts understandably command higher prices in the finished hats.

I know John uses FEPSA stuff too. IIRC, what he said back on Club Obi Wan (so this is going back a bit) was that his rabbit felt was better than Akubra's, and that it was a blend that was made for him exclusively. I don't know for certain, but in my head I remember this as being before John made any public comments about using FEPSA felts, so I'm pretty sure he was talking about Winchester.
 
Messages
10,858
Location
vancouver, canada
I have a number of hats from Mike at ME Hats.....winchester rabbit...winchester beaver and a Fepsa rabbit. I think the rabbit on par with my akubras. The fepsa is really nice and while the beaver is great I prefer the softer hand of the Fepsa. If I could find a hatter that used Fepsa felt at not too outrageous a price I would switch.
 

Bob Roberts

I'll Lock Up
Messages
11,201
Location
milford ct
FEPSA
Screenshot_2017-05-19-15-38-12-1.png
 

Ken David

One of the Regulars
Messages
274
Location
North Carolina
I have a number of hats from Mike at ME Hats.....winchester rabbit...winchester beaver and a Fepsa rabbit. I think the rabbit on par with my akubras. The fepsa is really nice and while the beaver is great I prefer the softer hand of the Fepsa. If I could find a hatter that used Fepsa felt at not too outrageous a price I would switch.
If I recall Fespa is extremely expensive to import due to the minimum quantities. I believe some of the hatters go in on a big shipment, regardless it either more $ than Winchester beaver or the same price plus limited supply in the US is the reason for the premium. I must of read this somewhere on the forum....

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
Messages
10,858
Location
vancouver, canada
If I recall Fespa is extremely expensive to import due to the minimum quantities. I believe some of the hatters go in on a big shipment, regardless it either more $ than Winchester beaver or the same price plus limited supply in the US is the reason for the premium. I must of read this somewhere on the forum....

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Yes, Mike at NW Hats would love to bring in Fepsa felts but the large buy-in is just too much for him. The felts themselves are not that expensive if you base the pricing on what Daquino asks for their hats on the Etsy site. Mike has some brown Fepsa left that he picked up along the way but paid a premium for them so they ended up costing him about the same as a Winchester Beaver.
 

itsallgood

One of the Regulars
Messages
179
How do you think, over the years, Stetson has segmented its City Line marketing strategy?

Maybe:
The Chatham and Downs (straight profile 10 with a somewhat low crown height) are for the Common Man.
The Pinnacle and Temple (somewhat tapered profile 01 and stands a little taller) are for the Accomplished Man.
The New York (straight profile 12 with a higher crown height) is for the Gentleman.
 

moontheloon

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,592
Location
NJ
How do you think, over the years, Stetson has segmented its City Line marketing strategy?

Maybe:
The Chatham and Downs (straight profile 10 with a somewhat low crown height) are for the Common Man.
The Pinnacle and Temple (somewhat tapered profile 01 and stands a little taller) are for the Accomplished Man.
The New York (straight profile 12 with a higher crown height) is for the Gentleman.
I think their strategy is ... hey lets make crappy hats at high prices so people think they are high quality and live off what our name used to be until they catch on

;)
 

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