O'Farrell Hat Company

[BobHufford]

About time we had a thread for these hat makers.

Kevin O'Farrell apprenticed with five other hat-makers before starting his own hat making business in 1972 in Durango, Colorado. Years later he sold a portion of the business to the Glenn family (in 1992) before leaving it completely to open up Canyon Road Hats by Kevin O'Farrell in Santa Fe in 1995. Not sure when the store moved down to the Plaza in Santa Fe (111 E San Francisco St) -- prior to 2006 anyway when Kevin passed away. After his passing his son Scott took over the business which continues to thrive to this day.

A bit on Kevin O'Farrell:

http://articles.latimes.com/1993-11-26/news/vw-61193_1_master-milliner

https://ofarrellhatco.com/About_Us/Kevin_Scott/index.html

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-passing-of-a-master-hatmaker.13219/

The "other" O'Farrell company owned by the Glenn family.

http://extras.denverpost.com/business/biz0111h.htm

Some of the hats in our family:

This Durango era hat was my first O'Farrell. Photo taken in the Santa Fe shop.

This mid-80s Kevin O'Farrell started out like this:

I changed it to this:

Big black hat:

Adding some beads:

My wife's 2002 Kevin O’Farrell 100% beaver.

Another one of hers:

This one was way too big and went on to the late RJR.

This 1997 semi-colado Panama was too small and moved on as well.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Nice custom O’Farrell in size 7 ¼ found it’s way to me. From the feel, I’d bet this is a pure beaver felt and it definitely has a nicer hand than the other O’Farrells I’ve seen. There is some fading on the crown above the brim break. 3 ½” brim and the feathered band is sewn on.

 

[Who?]

Nice looking hat, I guess I could get used to the band.

 

[BobHufford]

Nice hat Brent! Nice that it is one of Kevin's prior to the Glenn family. I would un-sew what's left of that chicken ASAP.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Nice hat Brent! Nice that it is one of Kevin's prior to the Glenn family. I would un-sew what's left of that chicken ASAP.

I was really hoping there would be some sort of ribbon behind the feathers, but no.

 

[BobHufford]

Picked up two O'Farrells for $36.10 to my door. I had no idea on the size when I bid the $13 (thinking I was going to flip them), but they both fit me!

The spots are from a light rain -- the hat is clean and free of any mothing.

^^^^^ The card was from the Man's Hat Shop n Albuquerque, NM.

 

[BobHufford]

This one is going to need a bath and probably a new hat band. No "Custom" debossing and there is nothing behind the sweat band on either hat.

 

[BobHufford]

This newer (2021) O’Farrell passed through. A western fedora in style and cowboy hat stiff.

 

[BobHufford]

Kevin in 1982.

 

[wsmontana]

Here is a Signature Collection Handcrafted in Colorado hat from 1997 with what looks like a $526 price tag. There is no indication of the quality of the felt but it feels like high content Beaver.

I found a hat online that looks like a twin that is described as 100X Beaver and a ZZ Top auction hat with the same label that is also described as Beaver but none are stamped as such. Is that common for O’Farrell?

Hat on Worthpoint looks like a twin (described as 100X Beaver but not stamped as such):

ZZ Top hat with same stamp as mine (the description says it is Beaver):