HungaryTom
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,204
- Location
- Hungary
Location, location, location
Personally I view the entire thing like this. I am glad to have internet: this is the only way that a Hungarian living in Budapest –me- could get a superfino Panama hat from Montecristi/Ecuador and that’s how I will get a pure beaver felt from Art Fawcett.
Prices? I think with those two value hatters your money is invested in the HAT, not a brand-name or a brick and mortar store at an expensive location.
Since Art Fawcett lives in Oregon he can’t operate with his location next to rich people - he can only compete with his quality.
The same goes for PanamaBob from Indiana. Gus Miller in Cincinatti is also a master hatter but I assume that his neighborhood in Cincinatti isn’t a particularly well-to-do spot of the US. Gary White in NY is somewhat more expensive – NY seems to be more expensive. But I think all of these hatters are masters of their craft: all of them had rich, famous clients, you name it - stars. So they deliver same/similar quality as Paul’s in SF if you like.
If any of those hatters would decide to set up shop next to Paul’s their price would also necessarily skyrocket – for their very same hats. It is our luck that they did not decide to do so.
The expensive location and the proximity of rich clients make Paul's that expensive - not his character flaw.
Yes there are a few vintage Montecristi out in the world that have a few hundred more wpsi than Bob can supply - think here of Sharpetoys or Marc Chevaliers vintage specimens – maybe that 30k hat is one of their peer. Paul's is in the biz since 1912 maybe he has some vintage bigshot toquilla hat body. It is for the aficionado that can’t wait and risk at e-bay but just has the money. Maybe from the US maybe from Japan?-Who knows.
I don’t care. I have a precious superfino Montecristi from Bob, a second is on its way and I am sure that my beaver hat will be also exquisite from Art Fawcett.
Without internet I could only stick to custom rabbit fur felt hats (50 USD) and imported Cuenca (70 USD) in Budapest. And to my Vass RTW shoes which are also comparable to any famous International name – they fetch one a fraction of those prices – while those are also made of Shell Cordovan or the best French Boxcalf. Only it is cheaper to have shoemakers from Hungary or Transylvania working in the outskirts of Budapest than paying some British colleagues in Northampton, etc.
Location, location, location.
Personally I view the entire thing like this. I am glad to have internet: this is the only way that a Hungarian living in Budapest –me- could get a superfino Panama hat from Montecristi/Ecuador and that’s how I will get a pure beaver felt from Art Fawcett.
Prices? I think with those two value hatters your money is invested in the HAT, not a brand-name or a brick and mortar store at an expensive location.
Since Art Fawcett lives in Oregon he can’t operate with his location next to rich people - he can only compete with his quality.
The same goes for PanamaBob from Indiana. Gus Miller in Cincinatti is also a master hatter but I assume that his neighborhood in Cincinatti isn’t a particularly well-to-do spot of the US. Gary White in NY is somewhat more expensive – NY seems to be more expensive. But I think all of these hatters are masters of their craft: all of them had rich, famous clients, you name it - stars. So they deliver same/similar quality as Paul’s in SF if you like.
If any of those hatters would decide to set up shop next to Paul’s their price would also necessarily skyrocket – for their very same hats. It is our luck that they did not decide to do so.
The expensive location and the proximity of rich clients make Paul's that expensive - not his character flaw.
Yes there are a few vintage Montecristi out in the world that have a few hundred more wpsi than Bob can supply - think here of Sharpetoys or Marc Chevaliers vintage specimens – maybe that 30k hat is one of their peer. Paul's is in the biz since 1912 maybe he has some vintage bigshot toquilla hat body. It is for the aficionado that can’t wait and risk at e-bay but just has the money. Maybe from the US maybe from Japan?-Who knows.
I don’t care. I have a precious superfino Montecristi from Bob, a second is on its way and I am sure that my beaver hat will be also exquisite from Art Fawcett.
Without internet I could only stick to custom rabbit fur felt hats (50 USD) and imported Cuenca (70 USD) in Budapest. And to my Vass RTW shoes which are also comparable to any famous International name – they fetch one a fraction of those prices – while those are also made of Shell Cordovan or the best French Boxcalf. Only it is cheaper to have shoemakers from Hungary or Transylvania working in the outskirts of Budapest than paying some British colleagues in Northampton, etc.
Location, location, location.
fftopic: Tom, I'm intrigued by your reference to, if I read this correctly, custom shoemakers in or near Budapest. Can you tell us more about them?
