just ordered a Knightsbridge in the color of Cork...

[Blackthorn]

...from Top Secret Hats, formerly Christy's. I have several other hats from them and the "bang for the buck" has always been good.

http://www.topsecrethats.com/Christys-Knightsbridge-Fur-Felt-Trilby

 

[The Good]

Ah Christy's, I still may be interesting in giving them a try, maybe one of their shorter brimmed fedoras. Beige looks like a good color...

 

[jlee562]

Top Secret used to be Hornet's Hats...the Christy's part is unchanged.

and oh, I just got an email from them with the coupon code TOPSECRET, 5% off...

 

[danofarlington]

...from Top Secret Hats, formerly Christy's. I have several other hats from them and the "bang for the buck" has always been good.

http://www.topsecrethats.com/Christys-Knightsbridge-Fur-Felt-Trilby

I was wondering how customers find these hats. Aren't Hornet Hats selling Christy's also? Less than $100 for the men's dress hats that I like. Another low price for stylish hats is RMR hats in Italy. I'm thinking of trying them, stopped only by not wanting to overload on hats, as I feel obligated to wear the ones that I buy.

 

[jlee562]

I was wondering how customers find these hats. Aren't Hornet Hats selling Christy's also? Less than $100 for the men's dress hats that I like. Another low price for stylish hats is RMR hats in Italy. I'm thinking of trying them, stopped only by not wanting to overload on hats, as I feel obligated to wear the ones that I buy.

Top Secret hats IS Hornet's hats.

 

[Blackthorn]

Even after factoring in the cost of delivery from England to the US, it's still only $120 delivered to my door. And you can make specific requests for different ribbons, trimmed brims, etc from Sarah. She's great on customer service.

 

[jlee562]

I was under the impression that they were no longer allowing any customization?

 

[Blackthorn]

I was under the impression that they were no longer allowing any customization?

I heard that too, and haven't asked Sarah for anything like that in the last year, but if anyone's interested in that kind of thing, it doesn't hurt to ask. I know they've been easy going to me when I asked for trimmed brims, different ribbons, etc.

 

[danofarlington]

I was under the impression that they were no longer allowing any customization?

Haven't they always circumsized their hats?

 

[jlee562]

All I know is that a few members of Club Obi Wan hat emailed Hornet's within the past few months requesting customizations and that they had gotten a reply that Christy's is no longer accommodating such requests.

See: http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33372&start=900

Thank you for your email. I'm afraid Christys no longer allow us to customise the hats so the Swerford can only come with the standard dimensions and ribbon. We are continually working on new hats with popular customisation requests.

I'm sorry I can't be more helpful.

With kind regards,

Sarah

That was posted on 3/9/11

 

[Blackthorn]

Well, I'd say that's pretty definitive, jlee562. I hadn't seen that.

 

[Neophyte]

Ah Christy's, I still may be interesting in giving them a try, maybe one of their shorter brimmed fedoras. Beige looks like a good color...

The Good, I've been wondering this for a while, but is there a reason behind the smaller text? You're strainin' my eyes, bro, and I'm wearing glasses! lol

 

[The Good]

The Good, I've been wondering this for a while, but is there a reason behind the smaller text? You're strainin' my eyes, bro, and I'm wearing glasses! lol

Heh, I thought somebody would bring it up eventually. Actually, I liked the size of the text better before the website change, it was a little smaller and more like how I post the size, so I'm doing this out of preference. The text I see on everyone else's posts is too big, in my opinion.

Oh yeah, and if I wanted to buy a hat that resembled the Dr. No trilby, would the peatwood Sportsman or Epsom be good choices?

It looks close to their peatwood color, to me at least. I already know who really made the hat (Lock & Co.), but they're way too expensive for my budget.

 

[jlee562]

Well, I'd say that's pretty definitive, jlee562. I hadn't seen that.

I was hoping you would be right and I was wrong, because the option for customization made the Christy's hats a good deal.

 

[Tone]

Oh? And what Custom Specs did you guys order on the Christys in the first place, exactly, that they supposedly no longer offer? There's the Christys' Knightsbridge; Fedora; Trilby; Adventurer... What specifically is being implied that they're missing?

 

[Blackthorn]

Oh? And what Custom Specs did you guys order on the Christys in the first place, exactly that they supposedly no longer offer?

On a previous order I had asked for a different color ribbon, and last year I briefly considered ordering an Adventurer but didn't want the dimensional brim. Although I decided not to get one, when I contacted Sarah in both cases she said No Problem.

Why do you ask, Tone?

 

[Tone]

I'm wondering why you ordered a Knightsbridge if you didn't like dimensional brims. They change it for you?

Dimensional brims are different from one another, aren't they? What dimensions constitute a dimensional brim? Would depend on the dimensions chosen for the hat to determine it's looking good or bad, wouldn't it? So, just wondering what dimensions have gone missing (no longer customizable) that this rationalization of their no longer offering customizations is supposedly bad now? What specs were being requested before they stopped doing customizations? Christys still has some great hats out there, IMO. Just a question out of curiosity, really.

 

[jlee562]

Oh? And what Custom Specs did you guys order on the Christys in the first place, exactly, that they supposedly no longer offer? There's the Christys' Knightsbridge; Fedora; Trilby; Adventurer... What specifically is being implied that they're missing?

They would put on any ribbon they had in stock, change the bow design, and adjust brim width. I think they may have done some customization on the crown height as well, but I can't say definitively that they did. I do know for certain that members of Club Obi Wan had requested and received different ribbons, bows, and widths.

edit: just backtracked through some posts on Club Obi Wan and they did indeed allow for crown height adjustments.

 

[Tone]

I KNOW they did. Just wondering what the tragedy is about now that they don't?

 

[jlee562]

You asked "What specifically is being implied that they're missing?" If you knew the customization options, why are you asking?

A "dimensional brim" refers to a brim which measures different lengths at the front than at the sides, not simply the dimensions of a brim. Perhaps I am not understanding your wording as it is intended.

I wouldn't use the word "tragedy" but it's unfortunate to not have the option to make those special requests. For example, one member on Club Obi Wan ordered an Adventurer with a 3", non-dimensional brim, and 2" ribbon, ala the Young Indiana Jones hat, many had the brim cut down to a size which better suited the wearer. What is hard to understand about wanting more options? With Christy's no longer accepting these requests, the next cheapest hat you can customize, to my knowledge, would be the Beaver brand customs at thefedorastore.com, but those are twice as expensive as a Christy's hat.