Hat Opinions Needed!

[North Valley]

Hello Gentlemen, --And Women!
I have been making hats now for about 24 years and see that fedoras and more city style hats are becoming very popular once again. That is wonderful to see, as I get very tired making the same styles all the time.
Rodney Allison / North Valley Hat Co.

 

[tonyb]

They're great, Rodney, every one of 'em.

 

[Mr. Lucky]

Very nice collection. You do the wider brim well, but I got my eye on that stingy.

 

[Fletch]

Yes! There seems to be a specialized but healthy market for the 1930s-50s styles. (You may think of them as "city hats," but back in the day they were just hats.)

I would think, based on my study of what's available today, that there is particular unmet demand for the higher, straight sided, non-tapered crowns, and for rarer colors, such as silver, grey-blues and greens.

You might also consider doing an open crown option. I have had several and find that doing one's own bash lends a personal touch nothing else will give.

 

[SinatraStyle]

Gee, I don't know. It's kind of hard to tell from the pictures. I could get a much better idea, and gauge peoples' reactions, if you were to send one my direction...say the hat in the first picture in a 7 1/4?

I second Fletch's comment; I like to add my personal touch to each hat, so open crowns are a great option.

Welcome to the Lounge, Rodney.

 

[jimmy the lid]

Beautiful work, Rodney!

Cheers,
Jimmy

 

[WH1]

Beautiful work, Rodney. You are truly a master craftsman. I particularly like the one in the bottom photo, nice look.

 

[Dr Trinidad]

Those are great looking hats!

 

[Michaelson]

That brown bound edge version in the next to last photo has my name on it, as well as the silverbelly.....so the answer, I guess, is a resounding YES!!!!

HIGH regards! Michaelson

 

[Snrbfshn]

Very, very nice...

I agree with Fletch's comments. For me, 2 1/2" brim, high crown, no taper in colors other than medium brown and medium gray.

 

[Feraud]

A very nice selection of hats! :eusa_clap

As others have said, color options and open crowns are recommended.

 

[Stoney]

They look great

I agree with Fletch. You don't see too many color varations available, blue and green shades in particular, and it would be nice to have some with no taper on the front. I like smaller brims 2" to 2 1/4" but not too stingy.

 

[K.D. Lightner]

Those are great hats!

My favorites are the first gray one with silver-gray band, the brown one and I love that white cowboy hat.

karol

 

[Rick Blaine]

OUTSTANDING

Numbers 1 & 5 would have to be my favorites of those shown. Very accomplished work. I shouldn't think you would have any problem selling these to the hat wearing public, myself included!
:eusa_clap Bravo :eusa_clap & thanks for showing examples of your work!

 

[6StringShooter]

Great looking hats! I don't own any (I'm pretty new to the idea of non-baseball cap hats) but I'm looking to in the very near future. Your hats would be the exact style I'm going for (1,2,7, and 8 to be precise).

 

[North Valley]

great advice

 

[Fletch]

#1,3,7 in the first set would be my picks.
My favorite brim is 2 3/8" or 2 1/2".

What's your web address again?

 

[Dr Trinidad]

I was just looking at the newest pictures you posted that last picture reminds me of the hat Jame Caan wore in El Dorado. I have looked for a hat like that for a lot of years and that is the closes I have seen. Very cool!!!!

 

[North Valley]

???

Dr Trinidad,
I think you are talking about the short crown tapered hat??? It is a reproduction of a movie. Had Joh Wayne and Dean Martin in it. I can't remember the young kid, but he always said it was his dads' hat and he couldn't shoot a gun very well, so they always gave him a shotgun.
If that's the movie, that's the hat.

 

[North Valley]

web site

Fletch,
I am not allowed to post my web site here according to the rules.
All I can tel you is that my company is North Valley Hat Co.