Bolthead: I agree with you that $600.00 is a bit much. Personally, I think a more realistic price for a fine quality Beaver Optimo is $500.00 . I have been to their shop and seen their wares. Optimo has been getting a lot of notice from the press and is being touted as "the worlds best hatter". I don't think he is THE best. But I do believe no one can out do him.
They buy their blanks from (memory loss-got some brain damage from the war) somewhere that many others do not. You can find a different variety of colors and textures there. Several people there specialize in fixing just one part of the hat (that could make or break you). Personally I like Gary White hats just as much. I have a few being built by him, once he recovers from a surgery.
No hatter has the same collection of blocks. Some hatters can't build a hat with a with a strong taper in the front and low crown because they do not have the blocks (I won't mention names).
When you buy an optimo, you are also buying a style and a name. A stamp that says this IS a fine hat. I believe that Optimos will continue to climb in price, if he keeps his standards up. Is a Lexus car worth what they are asking for price? Probably not, (I drive an old 2003 Jetta that is paid for
) My hobby is collecting the very finest of hats that I can have built. If I was collecting cars, a Lexus would be in my collection.
Hats can appreciate in value. Look on Ebay and see how much some of these vintage hats are bringing. The day they were built they were not worth as much as they are now.
I paid $1000.00 for my Optimo 1000 and have no buyer's remorse. Everything about the hat was built perfectly. You should feel the finish on one. It is the smoothest and softest hat to the hand that I have ever experienced.
The old adage applies: You get what you pay for.
They buy their blanks from (memory loss-got some brain damage from the war) somewhere that many others do not. You can find a different variety of colors and textures there. Several people there specialize in fixing just one part of the hat (that could make or break you). Personally I like Gary White hats just as much. I have a few being built by him, once he recovers from a surgery.
No hatter has the same collection of blocks. Some hatters can't build a hat with a with a strong taper in the front and low crown because they do not have the blocks (I won't mention names).
When you buy an optimo, you are also buying a style and a name. A stamp that says this IS a fine hat. I believe that Optimos will continue to climb in price, if he keeps his standards up. Is a Lexus car worth what they are asking for price? Probably not, (I drive an old 2003 Jetta that is paid for
) My hobby is collecting the very finest of hats that I can have built. If I was collecting cars, a Lexus would be in my collection.Hats can appreciate in value. Look on Ebay and see how much some of these vintage hats are bringing. The day they were built they were not worth as much as they are now.
I paid $1000.00 for my Optimo 1000 and have no buyer's remorse. Everything about the hat was built perfectly. You should feel the finish on one
. It is the smoothest and softest hat to the hand that I have ever experienced.The old adage applies: You get what you pay for.
