Phoenix Hat Company

[humanshoes]

Thanks steur. I agree with Bob that his new hat just needs a little knocking around to even more closely resemble Gillen's hat.

 

[humanshoes]

Here's the picture you requested Brent. Natural Beaver with 1 1/2" dark navy ribbon. The brim is 2 1/2" and the height is 4 3/4" at the front crease. The customer wears mostly white button down shirts and bluejeans, but I believe the hat will cross over nicely to tan or dark blue suits as well.

 

[Tukwila]

Here's the picture you requested Brent. Natural Beaver with 1 1/2" dark navy ribbon. The brim is 2 1/2" and the height is 4 3/4" at the front crease. The customer wears mostly white button down shirts and bluejeans, but I believe the hat will cross over nicely to tan or dark blue suits as well.
View attachment 132416

Holy moly, that's a sweeeeeeet lid!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Here's the picture you requested Brent. Natural Beaver with 1 1/2" dark navy ribbon. The brim is 2 1/2" and the height is 4 3/4" at the front crease. The customer wears mostly white button down shirts and bluejeans, but I believe the hat will cross over nicely to tan or dark blue suits as well.
View attachment 132416

Ooooh. Very nice, Rick. It looks like it would be a very versatile hat, but I’m not sure how the blue would look in bright light. Does the blue look good in all light? I’ll definitely keep this hat in mind for a future purchase.

The post office delaying the black cherry is killing me. I’m sure it will eventually show up, but the wait is hard to take.


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[humanshoes]

Holy moly, that's a sweeeeeeet lid!

Thanks Tukwila! I do love the natural beaver.

 

[humanshoes]

Ooooh. Very nice, Rick. It looks like it would be a very versatile hat, but I’m not sure how the blue would look in bright light. Does the blue look good in all light? I’ll definitely keep this hat in mind for a future purchase.

The post office delaying the black cherry is killing me. I’m sure it will eventually show up, but the wait is hard to take.


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Thanks Brent. I just finished it last night so I haven't seen it in natural light. I'll get a few outdoor pics today . I'm, of course, not happy about the post office delay on the black cherry. Let's just hope they haven't lost it. If so, I'll make you a replacement, but I spent soooo much time on that one.

 

[Woodtroll]

Here's the picture you requested Brent. Natural Beaver with 1 1/2" dark navy ribbon. The brim is 2 1/2" and the height is 4 3/4" at the front crease. The customer wears mostly white button down shirts and bluejeans, but I believe the hat will cross over nicely to tan or dark blue suits as well.
View attachment 132416

Wow, that IS a sharp hat; very nice! Looking forward to more pictures of it.

Sorry to hear that the USPS has detoured Brent's hat. I recently ordered some diesel engine seals from Oregon, and paid extra for Priority Mail. They were in Virginia the day after they were mailed, and then spent three days traveling around our state to TWO incorrect post offices before they were finally delivered. USPS figuratively just shrugged its shoulders when I complained.

The postman promises me a delivery from Phoenix Hats today; I hope to have pictures to post here tonight or tomorrow! Sorry again, Brent, but do you think you might have brought this on yourself just a little by trying to push to the front of the line a few posts back? Seriously, though, I hate that and hope your black cherry shows up soon. I really want to see how that one turned out, too!

Good luck!
Regan

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Wow, that IS a sharp hat; very nice! Looking forward to more pictures of it.

Sorry to hear that the USPS has detoured Brent's hat. I recently ordered some diesel engine seals from Oregon, and paid extra for Priority Mail. They were in Virginia the day after they were mailed, and then spent three days traveling around our state to TWO incorrect post offices before they were finally delivered. USPS figuratively just shrugged its shoulders when I complained.

The postman promises me a delivery from Phoenix Hats today; I hope to have pictures to post here tonight or tomorrow! Sorry again, Brent, but do you think you might have brought this on yourself just a little by trying to push to the front of the line a few posts back? Seriously, though, I hate that and hope your black cherry shows up soon. I really want to see how that one turned out, too!

Good luck!
Regan

Karma coming around to kick me in the butt? This is not the first time the postal service has temporarily lost a package of mine, but so far I’ve always had them eventually show up. It doesn’t do any good to get mad so I’ll hope for the best. Maybe I’ll have to console myself by ordering that natural with either the dark navy or a black ribbon. Can’t wait to see it in the sunlight!

I’m looking forward to seeing photos of your hat! I know that you’re going to love it.


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[humanshoes]

Natural beaver with navy ribbon in the Tennessee morning sun. It's so beautiful here I want to put this hat on and play hooky from the day job.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Natural beaver with navy ribbon in the Tennessee morning sun. It's so beautiful here I want to put this hat on and play hooky from the day job.
View attachment 132467

VERY nice! I’ve save a screen shot of this hat. I can see something similar in my future.


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[RJR]

Natural beaver with navy ribbon in the Tennessee morning sun. It's so beautiful here I want to put this hat on and play hooky from the day job.
View attachment 132467

Beauty,Rick.

 

[Woodtroll]

It's here, it's here!

Some weeks back I asked Rick to make me a "woods hat" for my big head. We talked about the specifics for use in the woods and rain - it needed to be wide brimmed to shed weather but not so wide to interfere with casting a fishing pole or to catch every branch in the woods, and I prefer a tall crown, so to get the size we ended up with a western-weight body with a 3-1/4" brim and a 5" tall crown. It needed to be durable in weather, so it needed to be 100% beaver; it needed not to show dirt too much yet not be too hot in the sun, so after some waffling I chose Pecan; it needed a simple yet classy band, so after some discussion we agreed on oil-tanned leather.

I happened to be off today, so I was hanging around the garage doing some piddling and waiting on the mailman to show up. Finally he did, and when I opened the box I could not have been more pleased!

The color is perfect (neither predominantly brown nor gray, so it matches with anything, if that matters in a woods hat!), the leather hatband is a really neat touch, and best of all the hat fits! Rick turned out exactly what I asked for and expected, and I could not be more pleased. The brim suffered a tiny bit in shipping (I had asked for no flange, and both the front and back to be turned down), so I will coax it a little bit to suit me but I enjoy tinkering and that will be a pleasure for me to do. The felt is a little stiff, because it is a western-weight and I actually prefer a stiffer felt in the woods, but the hand is soft and the pouncing is very well done:



The teardrop crease turned out great! I expect he was squeaking by just to get the height I had asked for, but the shallow crease is perfect for what I need, as the shallow lower back side of the crease will let water drain out much more easily, where a deep crease would hold the water in the crown and soak through faster. The top of the crown is just a quarter inch or so off my head; I hate the crown laying on my head, but if it's too tall then it just catches more branches. So Rick nailed this, as well:



Here's a close-up of the detail on the hatband - simple yet well done and I think it's a neat touch:



I had asked for no liner as I always felt they made the hat too hot, but Rick tucked one in loose as he didn't feel the hat was finished unless it had a liner in it. I'm glad he did! The liner is well done and is a complimentary color to the felt. As I told him, now that I'm balding I may appreciate a liner more than I did in the past...



That picture shows the ONLY flaw in the hat - there is a very short section of the edge of the sweatband where the stitching didn't capture the edge of the leather well. The only reason I even mention it is because the way the light hits that edge in the picture, it makes it stand out and it shows up as being much worse than it is, and I don't want anyone to think it is a huge defect. And let me assure you - that is the ONLY defect in this hat! Rick joked about this being a "Trekker" hat, and by the time he had finished it he had christened it the "Virginia Trekker" hat! It is almost too nice to wear in the woods.

For any of you out there considering a custom, I would enthusiastically recommend that you talk to Rick to see if he can fit your needs. He is fantastic to work with, very reasonably priced, met the timeframe he suggested for completion, and as you can see, his work is top notch!

Thanks, Rick, for being so great to work with, for listening to what I wanted and turning it into a tangible thing, and for the exceptional craftsmanship!

Take care,
Regan

 

[humanshoes]

Beauty,Rick.

Thanks Bob!

 

[humanshoes]

VERY nice! I’ve save a screen shot of this hat. I can see something similar in my future.


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Thanks Brent! I just sent you an email. I just received an update from the post office and it looks like you'll be receiving the black cherry today!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Wow, that IS a sharp hat; very nice! Looking forward to more pictures of it.

Sorry to hear that the USPS has detoured Brent's hat. I recently ordered some diesel engine seals from Oregon, and paid extra for Priority Mail. They were in Virginia the day after they were mailed, and then spent three days traveling around our state to TWO incorrect post offices before they were finally delivered. USPS figuratively just shrugged its shoulders when I complained.

The postman promises me a delivery from Phoenix Hats today; I hope to have pictures to post here tonight or tomorrow! Sorry again, Brent, but do you think you might have brought this on yourself just a little by trying to push to the front of the line a few posts back? Seriously, though, I hate that and hope your black cherry shows up soon. I really want to see how that one turned out, too!

Good luck!
Regan

Karma co

Thanks Brent! I just sent you an email. I just received an update from the post office and it looks like you'll be receiving the black cherry today!

I received the same message. I’m champing at the bit to receive it. I’ll post photos once it arrives.

 

[humanshoes]

It's here, it's here!

Some weeks back I asked Rick to make me a "woods hat" for my big head. We talked about the specifics for use in the woods and rain - it needed to be wide brimmed to shed weather but not so wide to interfere with casting a fishing pole or to catch every branch in the woods, and I prefer a tall crown, so to get the size we ended up with a western-weight body with a 3-1/4" brim and a 5" tall crown. It needed to be durable in weather, so it needed to be 100% beaver; it needed not to show dirt too much yet not be too hot in the sun, so after some waffling I chose Pecan; it needed a simple yet classy band, so after some discussion we agreed on oil-tanned leather.

I happened to be off today, so I was hanging around the garage doing some piddling and waiting on the mailman to show up. Finally he did, and when I opened the box I could not have been more pleased!

The color is perfect (neither predominantly brown nor gray, so it matches with anything, if that matters in a woods hat!), the leather hatband is a really neat touch, and best of all the hat fits! Rick turned out exactly what I asked for and expected, and I could not be more pleased. The brim suffered a tiny bit in shipping (I had asked for no flange, and both the front and back to be turned down), so I will coax it a little bit to suit me but I enjoy tinkering and that will be a pleasure for me to do. The felt is a little stiff, because it is a western-weight and I actually prefer a stiffer felt in the woods, but the hand is soft and the pouncing is very well done:



The teardrop crease turned out great! I expect he was squeaking by just to get the height I had asked for, but the shallow crease is perfect for what I need, as the shallow lower back side of the crease will let water drain out much more easily, where a deep crease would hold the water in the crown and soak through faster. The top of the crown is just a quarter inch or so off my head; I hate the crown laying on my head, but if it's too tall then it just catches more branches. So Rick nailed this, as well:



Here's a close-up of the detail on the hatband - simple yet well done and I think it's a neat touch:



I had asked for no liner as I always felt they made the hat too hot, but Rick tucked one in loose as he didn't feel the hat was finished unless it had a liner in it. I'm glad he did! The liner is well done and is a complimentary color to the felt. As I told him, now that I'm balding I may appreciate a liner more than I did in the past...



That picture shows the ONLY flaw in the hat - there is a very short section of the edge of the sweatband where the stitching didn't capture the edge of the leather well. The only reason I even mention it is because the way the light hits that edge in the picture, it makes it stand out and it shows up as being much worse than it is, and I don't want anyone to think it is a huge defect. And let me assure you - that is the ONLY defect in this hat! Rick joked about this being a "Trekker" hat, and by the time he had finished it he had christened it the "Virginia Trekker" hat! It is almost too nice to wear in the woods.

For any of you out there considering a custom, I would enthusiastically recommend that you talk to Rick to see if he can fit your needs. He is fantastic to work with, very reasonably priced, met the timeframe he suggested for completion, and as you can see, his work is top notch!

Thanks, Rick, for being so great to work with, for listening to what I wanted and turning it into a tangible thing, and for the exceptional craftsmanship!

Take care,
Regan

Thanks so much for the great review and kind words Regan. Yet another hat that's just going to look better with some age and honest wear. As you know, I liked it so much I'm making myself one with the same specs. Sorry about that sweatband. That came from a batch of sweatbands from JW Hats in Utah when JW was still alive. If it ever separates then I'll be glad to take care of it for you. I hope you get a lifetime of good use out of your new hat and wear it in good health.

 

[Woodtroll]

Certainly no need to apologize, Rick, it will outlast my need for it I'm sure. I was just afraid that if I didn't point out that it looked worse than it is due to the lighting, someone would think, "Holy cow, look at that!" Thank you again for everything!

Now I'm really looking forward to seeing Brent's hat; glad it has found its way back on track!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

It's here, it's here!

Some weeks back I asked Rick to make me a "woods hat" for my big head. We talked about the specifics for use in the woods and rain - it needed to be wide brimmed to shed weather but not so wide to interfere with casting a fishing pole or to catch every branch in the woods, and I prefer a tall crown, so to get the size we ended up with a western-weight body with a 3-1/4" brim and a 5" tall crown. It needed to be durable in weather, so it needed to be 100% beaver; it needed not to show dirt too much yet not be too hot in the sun, so after some waffling I chose Pecan; it needed a simple yet classy band, so after some discussion we agreed on oil-tanned leather.

I happened to be off today, so I was hanging around the garage doing some piddling and waiting on the mailman to show up. Finally he did, and when I opened the box I could not have been more pleased!

The color is perfect (neither predominantly brown nor gray, so it matches with anything, if that matters in a woods hat!), the leather hatband is a really neat touch, and best of all the hat fits! Rick turned out exactly what I asked for and expected, and I could not be more pleased. The brim suffered a tiny bit in shipping (I had asked for no flange, and both the front and back to be turned down), so I will coax it a little bit to suit me but I enjoy tinkering and that will be a pleasure for me to do. The felt is a little stiff, because it is a western-weight and I actually prefer a stiffer felt in the woods, but the hand is soft and the pouncing is very well done:



The teardrop crease turned out great! I expect he was squeaking by just to get the height I had asked for, but the shallow crease is perfect for what I need, as the shallow lower back side of the crease will let water drain out much more easily, where a deep crease would hold the water in the crown and soak through faster. The top of the crown is just a quarter inch or so off my head; I hate the crown laying on my head, but if it's too tall then it just catches more branches. So Rick nailed this, as well:



Here's a close-up of the detail on the hatband - simple yet well done and I think it's a neat touch:



I had asked for no liner as I always felt they made the hat too hot, but Rick tucked one in loose as he didn't feel the hat was finished unless it had a liner in it. I'm glad he did! The liner is well done and is a complimentary color to the felt. As I told him, now that I'm balding I may appreciate a liner more than I did in the past...



That picture shows the ONLY flaw in the hat - there is a very short section of the edge of the sweatband where the stitching didn't capture the edge of the leather well. The only reason I even mention it is because the way the light hits that edge in the picture, it makes it stand out and it shows up as being much worse than it is, and I don't want anyone to think it is a huge defect. And let me assure you - that is the ONLY defect in this hat! Rick joked about this being a "Trekker" hat, and by the time he had finished it he had christened it the "Virginia Trekker" hat! It is almost too nice to wear in the woods.

For any of you out there considering a custom, I would enthusiastically recommend that you talk to Rick to see if he can fit your needs. He is fantastic to work with, very reasonably priced, met the timeframe he suggested for completion, and as you can see, his work is top notch!

Thanks, Rick, for being so great to work with, for listening to what I wanted and turning it into a tangible thing, and for the exceptional craftsmanship!

Take care,
Regan

Spectacular hat! That leather crown band looks great and the entire hat was nicely executed. The cosmetic issue with the sweat is just what we get when we use natural materials with natural variations. As neither function nor comfort are compromised I don’t think it detracts from the hat one wit. You also have to love how Rick stands behind his work.

So the big question: what are you thinking of for your next hat?


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[Woodtroll]

Welllll, once I looked the hat over I immediately decided Rick was the one to build me a dressier hat, an honest-to-goodness-snapped-up-in-the-back-and-everything fedora dress hat. Everything I've owned to this point has been snapped down back and front, as that's just the way I started wearing my hats years ago and I feel a little pretentious in a snapped-up fedora. The Lounge has given me the courage to try one out! He's going to see if he can get a 3" brim out of a dress-weight body before we proceed further. I know that's pushing normal dress hat limits, but again there's the big-head proportion issue to consider. You were right, Rick provides fantastic value for the money! I swear this will be last one!

 

[T Jones]

Thanks so much for the great review and kind words Regan. Yet another hat that's just going to look better with some age and honest wear. As you know, I liked it so much I'm making myself one with the same specs. Sorry about that sweatband. That came from a batch of sweatbands from JW Hats in Utah when JW was still alive. If it ever separates then I'll be glad to take care of it for you. I hope you get a lifetime of good use out of your new hat and wear it in good health.

I thought I recognized that sweat band. I've been using those sweats in my conversions for the last few years now. After JW passed away another hatter bought out his sweat band business. I'm still using them and buying them from the guy who makes them now. They're the most comfortable and softest sweats I've ever worn....and they can take a lot of abuse. I've taken those sweats out of my hats, reworked them, sewn 'em back into other hats, got 'em wet, stretched 'em out, and they still keep going and they're still soft and comfortable. I have yet to experience any problems with them. The guy who puts those sweats together still uses soft goat skin leather. It's a lot better sweat than one which was used in my only custom made hat, which was a thicker and stiffer calf leather sweat. I think Woodtroll's going to get a lot of comfortable wear out of it with no worries.