New Member to the Hat Forum

[Who?]

Like much of life the answer is..."It depends". All hatters are dealing with the same raw product. The number of felt factories in the world are very limited and we all have to buy from one of them So we are all starting with the same raw materials. it is like any any fashion item. You do pay for a 'name' and the hat biz is very much a fashion item. What price will the hatters name command? If you peruse online you can find basic Tshirts anywhere from $10 to over $100....it is still a cotton T but the price is whatever level the maker's name can command. Hats be like that too!

I defer to your experience, but i’m not sure I’m convinced that starting with the same hat body will yield identical hats.

I have no rational basis for this belief.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I defer to your experience, but i’m not sure I’m convinced that starting with the same hat body will yield identical hats.

I have no rational basis for this belief.

I agree. And an heirloom quality custom fit hat is not a fashion hat.

 

[Rmccamey]

Many here would argue they are better.

There is absolutely nothing which can’t be found “at a much lower price”.

The real question is then “are they the same?””

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Many here would argue they are better.

Randy, I have two very fine Martin guitars. They may be heirloom quality but I would never claim either one is better than your Collings.

 

[Rmccamey]

Yes, of course, Jack, but I may be misinterpreting what has been said. My point is that I believe a new custom from Gannon or Northwest would stand toe-to-toe with, if not be better than, a new custom from Limpia Creek or the others, and do so at half the price. Some will disagree, but that is just my two cents worth.

Randy, I have two very fine Martin guitars. They may be heirloom quality but I would never claim either one is better than your Collings.

 

[Yancy.41]

What I know about hats might fill a little thimble. The hat I have is nice in my limited opinion. The hat I was recently fitted for is on another level. That is no doubt due to the upgrade in materials. I imagine it will also fit better given the way my head was measured. Not inexpensive for sure. I am probably better off buying in person as I’m not experienced enough to order one long distance.

This is a great place to peruse if one is interested in nice hats.

 

[belfastboy]

I defer to your experience, but i’m not sure I’m convinced that starting with the same hat body will yield identical hats.

I have no rational basis for this belief.

I have custom made hats from 10 different hatters....price points from $250 to $1000. I can tell you from a very rational, hand's on basis......with a number of them I would dare you to tell the difference. Yes, with one or two of them there are discernable differences as I supported new hatters and some were not as good as others. But the price point is not the key to separating quality. I would put my $250 purchase beside the $1000 purchase and challenge you to tell me the difference.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Yes, of course, Jack, but I may be misinterpreting what has been said. My point is that I believe a new custom from Gannon or Northwest would stand toe-to-toe with, if not be better than, a new custom from Limpia Creek or the others, and do so at half the price. Some will disagree, but that is just my two cents worth.

Since the OP posted his interest is in Western fedoras I might agree with one of the hatters you have sighted but I would certainly buy a Bronco Sue over the other. Since the OP fondly remembers the fedora(s) his grandad owned & wore I assume the OP is not interested in a fashion hat. We have newbies join the FL every day who are young & I would guarantee won’t be wearing fedora hats ten yrs from now, so they probably should be saving money & buying fashion hats, not heirlooms that will last forever.

Most craftsmen, whether they be custom hat makers, made to fit custom boot makers, knife makers, farriers or luthiers learn their trade by doing an apprenticeship for several yrs. I think Dean’s @gtdean48 post/point just the other day about the differences between the 7XCB & the 100 being the skills of the master hatter & not just being inflation & a case was well taken & right on. Having 100’s, 7XCB’s & one 7X-Fifty I agree with him.

At my skill level I should have bought an Ibanez or a Squire instead of a Martin guitar. But that’s not what I wanted.

 

[belfastboy]

I agree. And an heirloom quality custom fit hat is not a fashion hat.

Agreed, but they quality custom hats are treated as such in the marketplace. Even in the western hat market the prices vary widely. I have worked on Greely Hat works hats.....nice hats but are they worth $1600 compared to the much less costing Limpia Creek, they too are fine hats? When I dropped into Limpia his wait list was over one year and the hats he had on display were the equal to Greely. How much are Bronco Sue's hats? Why does Greely get to charge so much? Because he can! But it doesn't mean his hats are twice as good as Limpia's.

In the fedora world I would put one of Gannon's $400 hats up against any hat out in the marketplace and challenge to spot the difference in quality. His hats are at least the equal to hats I own costing twice as much. Why he doesn't charge more I do not know.....cuz he could.

 

[RBH]

Welcome to The Lounge!!

 

[Frunobulax]

Hello,

After lurking for several years, I decided to join. This is absolutely a top teir forum for hats and other things. I hesitated to join as I don’t have the knowledge or the items to “compete” with 98% of you.

Always wanted a hat but hesitated. When I was a kid I used to handle a Fedora my grandad owned. I still remember how that hat felt in my hands.

Anyway, I visited Peters Brothers in FW Texas before Covid. Ordered a “western” Fedora from them. Prior to that, i intended to order a hat from Limpia Creek Hats in Fort Davis, Texas during a trip there. As my bad luck luck would have it, Limpia Creek was closed during my visit.

Hence, my visit to PB, which is closer to my home. it was a Father’s Day treat from my wife & daughter.

Not to criticize, but when I visited PB I didn’t feel they cared too much whether or not I bought a hat. They were very quick to say they were covered up with Stock Show orders (Forth Woth has a huge, two week stock show every winter). I didn’t know much about hats and they didn’t discuss much with me. They measured my head with a tape measure and I ordered a rabbit fur hat. Took two years to get it. That was due to Covid and the resulting supply chain issues.

I like the the hat. I assume it is at least very decent. I wear it often. It is a very stiff hat. I recently decided to get a darker color fedora and called Limpia Creek. I found out it’d been bought out by a hat place in Mason, Texas called Bronco Sue Hats. The very nice and pleasant lady I spoke to told me I needed to come to the store to be properly fitted. This was after she learned I was just a few hours away. She didn’t try to pressure me into a hat. She just stressed I needed to show up in person if I wanted a great hat.

My daughter lives less that two hours away from Mason so I slipped south during a recent visit. My experience with Bronco Sue was light years better. Ordered a wide brim fedora in 100%. beaver. Got my head traced and on file and they discussed ribbons, sweatbands, and liners with me. I will say the fedora example I handled there was much softer and far more reminiscent of my grandfather‘s fedora than my PB hat.

I was so pleased and comfortable with Bronco Sue and their service that I’m planning future hat purchases from them. I can’t rave about them enough. They had a couple dozen or so examples of felt hats- not to mention straw hats.

I have one hat thus far with a second coming. Other that that I have three pair of Wesco footwear and a pair of Limmer hiking boots. That’s about all I have to boast about here.

I mainly wanted to say if not for this forum and the good people posting on it… I would’ve never had the courage to buy or wear a proper hat In public. As it stands, no one has ever criticized my PB hat and I’ve gotten a handful of compliments.

i can’t wait to receive and wear the Bronco Sue hat.

i really do appreciate this forum and the regulars posting here. I’ve learned a lot from just looking and reading.

Thanks much.

Welcome to the party - pics or it didn't happen!

I'm starting to think I'm the only Lounger who has had a positive experience with Peters Bros. I was treated very well both times I've stopped in. But yeah, they're business is built around that stock show. They probably make 85% of their profits those two weeks.

Some good advice on here from several Members. The first thing to find out is what are you looking for? Do you want a nice, sturdy stiff Western, or a soft, vintage-like fedora? As @belfastboy indicated, different hatters produce different product from basically the same raw materials, but it''s not all about skill or talent. Some hatters make a stiffer hat, or a thicker felt, because that's what their customers want.

I'm personally a Gannon guy because he produces a hat with the qualities I want in styles I like, and still sits at a great price point. However, I have customs from a couple others as well, and those are nice, too.

Now go buy lots of hats and post lots of pictures.

 

[Who?]

I have custom made hats from 10 different hatters....price points from $250 to $1000. I can tell you from a very rational, hand's on basis......with a number of them I would dare you to tell the difference. Yes, with one or two of them there are discernable differences as I supported new hatters and some were not as good as others. But the price point is not the key to separating quality. I would put my $250 purchase beside the $1000 purchase and challenge you to tell me the difference.

Okay ….. i yield.

 

[Blare]

Hello,

After lurking for several years, I decided to join. This is absolutely a top teir forum for hats and other things. I hesitated to join as I don’t have the knowledge or the items to “compete” with 98% of you.

Always wanted a hat but hesitated. When I was a kid I used to handle a Fedora my grandad owned. I still remember how that hat felt in my hands.

Anyway, I visited Peters Brothers in FW Texas before Covid. Ordered a “western” Fedora from them. Prior to that, i intended to order a hat from Limpia Creek Hats in Fort Davis, Texas during a trip there. As my bad luck luck would have it, Limpia Creek was closed during my visit.

Hence, my visit to PB, which is closer to my home. it was a Father’s Day treat from my wife & daughter.

Not to criticize, but when I visited PB I didn’t feel they cared too much whether or not I bought a hat. They were very quick to say they were covered up with Stock Show orders (Forth Woth has a huge, two week stock show every winter). I didn’t know much about hats and they didn’t discuss much with me. They measured my head with a tape measure and I ordered a rabbit fur hat. Took two years to get it. That was due to Covid and the resulting supply chain issues.

I like the the hat. I assume it is at least very decent. I wear it often. It is a very stiff hat. I recently decided to get a darker color fedora and called Limpia Creek. I found out it’d been bought out by a hat place in Mason, Texas called Bronco Sue Hats. The very nice and pleasant lady I spoke to told me I needed to come to the store to be properly fitted. This was after she learned I was just a few hours away. She didn’t try to pressure me into a hat. She just stressed I needed to show up in person if I wanted a great hat.

My daughter lives less that two hours away from Mason so I slipped south during a recent visit. My experience with Bronco Sue was light years better. Ordered a wide brim fedora in 100%. beaver. Got my head traced and on file and they discussed ribbons, sweatbands, and liners with me. I will say the fedora example I handled there was much softer and far more reminiscent of my grandfather‘s fedora than my PB hat.

I was so pleased and comfortable with Bronco Sue and their service that I’m planning future hat purchases from them. I can’t rave about them enough. They had a couple dozen or so examples of felt hats- not to mention straw hats.

I have one hat thus far with a second coming. Other that that I have three pair of Wesco footwear and a pair of Limmer hiking boots. That’s about all I have to boast about here.

I mainly wanted to say if not for this forum and the good people posting on it… I would’ve never had the courage to buy or wear a proper hat In public. As it stands, no one has ever criticized my PB hat and I’ve gotten a handful of compliments.

i can’t wait to receive and wear the Bronco Sue hat.

i really do appreciate this forum and the regulars posting here. I’ve learned a lot from just looking and reading.

Thanks much.

Welcome to the lounge. We look forward to seeing your hats and hearing your opinions on them.

as you’ve been lurking for sometime… I’m sure you are used to the back and fourth banter that can erupt. A lot of folks here with different hat experiences, purposes and viewpoints. All part of the Lounge experience

oh and no worries about what knowledge you come in with… we all for the most part came here to learn about hats and share knowledge and hat pics.

 

[Yancy.41]

I appreciate all the the thoughtful and intelligent replies. Wouldn’t expect otherwise here. It‘s been long evident this is a welcoming and professional site.

As far as PB goes, the hat is nice. They didn’t seem all that enthusiastic about my visit nor did they explain much. It was the first time I visited a hat shop. In retrospect, not the best experience by far. Still like the hat. Probably wouldn’t go back or recommend a friend to go. They just didn’t seem interested in my business. If I were alone and not accompanied by excited family really wanting to buy me a hat I might’ve passed. In their defense, they told me flat out they were covered up in Stock Show business. I don’t think they really needed to sell me a hat.

On an interesting side note, when I picked my hat up, it was next in line to Sam Elliot’s 1883 hat. That was pretty cool.

My visit to Bronco Sue was exactly the opposite. I’m not young and I’m not interested in a fashion hat…. Whatever that is. The Bronco Sue hat is cheaper than some of the other places I called. One hatter out of state wanted almost twice the price. I was interested in a fedora similar to Kristofferson’s hat in Heaven’s Gate.

I am not a techno wizard but I’ll try to figure out the photo thing…. Not that I have anything all that interesting to look at.

I will say for the sake of other lurkers interested in a hat: I wanted one for years before I acted on the urge. I resisted thinking I’d look silly or foolish in one. Once I got one and started wearing it I realized those reservations were completely unfounded.

 

[Bamaboots]

At my skill level I should have bought an Ibanez or a Squire instead of a Martin guitar.

I had some junk around the house I'd been "playing" and I decided to buy my first real guitar, a Guild dv-52. My picking buddy and I were sitting around "playing" soon afterwards and he said, "Damn, now you've got a $1,000 guitar you can't play".

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I had some junk around the house I'd been "playing" and I decided to buy my first real guitar, a Guild dv-52. My picking buddy and I were sitting around "playing" soon afterwards and he said, Damn, now you've got a $1,000 guitar you can't play".

LOL! Just play it loud.

 

[Rmccamey]

LOL! Just play it loud.

I often tell people I own a guitar. I'm not sure what I do is really considered playing a guitar

 

[Snowman]

Hello,

After lurking for several years, I decided to join. This is absolutely a top teir forum for hats and other things. I hesitated to join as I don’t have the knowledge or the items to “compete” with 98% of you.

Always wanted a hat but hesitated. When I was a kid I used to handle a Fedora my grandad owned. I still remember how that hat felt in my hands.

Anyway, I visited Peters Brothers in FW Texas before Covid. Ordered a “western” Fedora from them. Prior to that, i intended to order a hat from Limpia Creek Hats in Fort Davis, Texas during a trip there. As my bad luck luck would have it, Limpia Creek was closed during my visit.

Hence, my visit to PB, which is closer to my home. it was a Father’s Day treat from my wife & daughter.

Not to criticize, but when I visited PB I didn’t feel they cared too much whether or not I bought a hat. They were very quick to say they were covered up with Stock Show orders (Forth Woth has a huge, two week stock show every winter). I didn’t know much about hats and they didn’t discuss much with me. They measured my head with a tape measure and I ordered a rabbit fur hat. Took two years to get it. That was due to Covid and the resulting supply chain issues.

I like the the hat. I assume it is at least very decent. I wear it often. It is a very stiff hat. I recently decided to get a darker color fedora and called Limpia Creek. I found out it’d been bought out by a hat place in Mason, Texas called Bronco Sue Hats. The very nice and pleasant lady I spoke to told me I needed to come to the store to be properly fitted. This was after she learned I was just a few hours away. She didn’t try to pressure me into a hat. She just stressed I needed to show up in person if I wanted a great hat.

My daughter lives less that two hours away from Mason so I slipped south during a recent visit. My experience with Bronco Sue was light years better. Ordered a wide brim fedora in 100%. beaver. Got my head traced and on file and they discussed ribbons, sweatbands, and liners with me. I will say the fedora example I handled there was much softer and far more reminiscent of my grandfather‘s fedora than my PB hat.

I was so pleased and comfortable with Bronco Sue and their service that I’m planning future hat purchases from them. I can’t rave about them enough. They had a couple dozen or so examples of felt hats- not to mention straw hats.

I have one hat thus far with a second coming. Other that that I have three pair of Wesco footwear and a pair of Limmer hiking boots. That’s about all I have to boast about here.

I mainly wanted to say if not for this forum and the good people posting on it… I would’ve never had the courage to buy or wear a proper hat In public. As it stands, no one has ever criticized my PB hat and I’ve gotten a handful of compliments.

i can’t wait to receive and wear the Bronco Sue hat.

i really do appreciate this forum and the regulars posting here. I’ve learned a lot from just looking and reading.

Thanks much.

Welcome! This is the place to be if you want to know more about hats. Don’t hesitate to share, ask, and contribute. We are a pretty accepting bunch, with a wide range of experience and knowledge.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I appreciate all the the thoughtful and intelligent replies. Wouldn’t expect otherwise here. It‘s been long evident this is a welcoming and professional site.

As far as PB goes, the hat is nice. They didn’t seem all that enthusiastic about my visit nor did they explain much. It was the first time I visited a hat shop. In retrospect, not the best experience by far. Still like the hat. Probably wouldn’t go back or recommend a friend to go. They just didn’t seem interested in my business. If I were alone and not accompanied by excited family really wanting to buy me a hat I might’ve passed. In their defense, they told me flat out they were covered up in Stock Show business. I don’t think they really needed to sell me a hat.

On an interesting side note, when I picked my hat up, it was next in line to Sam Elliot’s 1883 hat. That was pretty cool.

My visit to Bronco Sue was exactly the opposite. I’m not young and I’m not interested in a fashion hat…. Whatever that is. The Bronco Sue hat is cheaper than some of the other places I called. One hatter out of state wanted almost twice the price. I was interested in a fedora similar to Kristofferson’s hat in Heaven’s Gate.

I am not a techno wizard but I’ll try to figure out the photo thing…. Not that I have anything all that interesting to look at.

I will say for the sake of other lurkers interested in a hat: I wanted one for years before I acted on the urge. I resisted thinking I’d look silly or foolish in one. Once I got one and started wearing it I realized those reservations were completely unfounded.

The western custom hat market is all over the place on pricing, more so I think than those who specialize in fedoras. There seems to be a large enough market for custom cowboy hats in the $1000-2500 range to keep a lot of hatters busy.

My favorite western hats have been made by those who specialize in fedoras but also make westerns. Northwest is a great option if you like the firm modern western felt (very soft/fine finish but the underlying felt is stiff). Gannon and Wolfbrae are my favorites for softer more vintage-like felt.

I’ve meant to order a hat from Bronco Sue, but I’ve never got around to it. I can also say that I’ve never been personally fitted by a hatter and have had generally satisfactory results just providing measurements and head shape (I’m a long oval).

I’ve ordered exactly one new hat from Peters Bros., a hemp Milan weave in the fedora shape. The service was adequate, but just. Their website has been a mess for years. With so many great options with hatters who provide great service, I’m not in a hurry to try Peters Bros. again. I also haven’t been particularly impressed with some custom hats from what are supposed to be top tier makers (hats I’ve bought second hand). I will say that the hats I’ve owned from Montecristi Custom Hat Works have been special, but still not worth the premium price for my money.

It quickly becomes a very personal decision. My cheapest customs have been disasters so despite the price they were not good value. The cheapest hats that are still a decent value have been my Agnoulitas (HNC Hatworks). There are definite compromises at the lower prices. I think Wolfbrae Custom Hatters has the best quality for the price. Gannon is always a great choice too.

Welcome to The Lounge. We look forward to seeing your hats.

 

[marting81]

Got some old hats and was searching for help how to clean and how to store... So i found this Lounge