Some 1st Hat Questions

[David Bresch]

Okay, I got my Art Fawcett hat. He is a very nice person and delivers the hat much more quickly than he threatened when I first ordered.

First, I do not appreciate any obvious difference between its felt and the felt in hats in a local hat shop. Is the difference between great vintage quality felt and regular felt from commercial hats obvious to sight and touch? Does Optimo felt look different for example?

I like my pinch to be more severe. Can I just use my fingers to squeeze it? Am I supposed to have to flex the front of the brim down? Can I re-bash the hat if I get tired of the diamond bash he sent me?

The crown looks high. But when I put on the hat, the top of my head touches the inside of the hat, in other words, the crown could not have been lower. How does one have a more shallow brim?

I got my hat made from heaviest quality felt. I was surprised, I expected it to be heavier. Why aren't hats made from heavier felt, is there a reason?

Are the differences between vintage or vintage quality and off-the-shelf, only appreciated over time, with rain and moisture exposure?

 

[EricH]

David, talk about starting off on the right foot. Art's hats are some of the finest out there.

You have a 100% beaver felt hat. Rub the felt between your fingers. Feel how soft and smooth it is. Flex it and feel how gracefully it shapes. Now pick up a commercial grade hat. The felt will have an entirely different texture with a much stiffer feel. With felt it is the fur that makes the difference beaver vs rabbit vs a blend.

Want more pinch, squeeze it with your fingers. It won't break. Just don't develop a habit of grabbing by the crown and pinching. Over time that will result in the notorious "hole" at the peak of the crown.

Rebash? I won't touch my diamond bash. To get a perfect block it often takes a custom wooden shape hat block or the mastery of the arcane arts. Get an old hat and practice. It's easy to reshape its hard to do it perfectly.

There is a skill to getting the right crown and brim combination. Art can best elaborate on that. Changing the bash can let you lower the crown a bit, but your head has to fit in there somewhere.

As far as heavy felt, any thicker and you might as wear a cap. Your weight is perfect for most every condition except extreme summer. That is for panamas.

What you will come to appreciate over time with a custom hat like Art's is the quality and the details. Look at the way the sweat and ribbon are installed in your hat. Look at the quality and color of the ribbon. View the proportions and subtle shaping of the crown and brim.

Just because a hat is vintage does not make it a good hat. There were all qualities of hats made over the years. Some were nearly as good as custom others just covered your head. The materials of the oldest hats are better than the material of the newest and for that reason they are often considered higher quality. If you look at the detailing on the hats you will see a wide range of quality from exceptional to sloppy.

As you learn more about hats you will appreciate the subtle and profound differences between hats old and new, custom crafted and manufactured. All will cover your head and some will even make you look better than others.

My advice. Don't touch your VS custom crafted hat yet. Wait a bit and wear it awhile. After you have learned and seen some more, then revisit the notion of rebashing it or reshaping it. Eric

 

[Joel Tunnah]

Different finishes, and naps, on the felt are a subjective thing. Having said that I think the difference between the felt Art uses, and the Stetson's I see in the store, is fairly obvious.

As for the weight, his felt is definitely heavy, when compared to my other hats.

Joel

 

[Barry]

How much heavier did you expect the felt to be? Are you comparing it to another brand of hat? I'm just curious.

I have several beaver hats from Art. One of the hats is heavier than the other three but to me the heavier felt suits that particular style of hat.

Isn't it great that there is no double-standard at the lounge? We are able to discuss what we like and dislike about about any brand of hat.

Cheers.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

David,
I'm not surprised at your reaction. I suspect that you haven't had too many (if any) previous "hat mistakes" and first hand lessons. If I didn't have my own trial and error experiences, I would not have a clue what set my Fawcett's apart. The thing is, sometimes even a "bad" hat can look and feel just as good as one of Art's, but over time it will become clear. A good hat (be it Art's, Optimo's, whatever) will withstand the elements, hold it's shape, and conform to your head the more you wear it until you can almost forget you have it on.

If you want the front brim down, just tug it down. It's called a "snap brim". If it doesn't want to stay down, a little steam on the brim should help. As for the crown height, I'd say leave it alone until you get used to it. Look at the top of the crown; is there a small bump inside the diamond? If not, dampen that area with some spring or distilled water and use a balled up t-shirt or something to form and hold a bump. That should help with it touching the top of your head. The lower the crown, the bigger of a bump you'll need. If you really don't like the height or the bash, I'm sure Art will be glad to adjust it for you.

Ultimately, some people are happy with "lesser" hats, and the difference isn't worth the money to them. Personal prefference, I guess. I feel the difference every time I put on one of Art's hats. And the people around me notice the difference, too.
NB

 

[SHARPETOYS]

I have a Great idea call 1-888-270-3984... I bet all your questions will be answered.

 

[bolthead]

Great explanation EricH, and David too for that matter.

Changing the bash can let you lower the crown a bit, but your head has to fit in there somewhere.

How much can you lower the crown really just by changing the bash?

 

[David Bresch]

I appreciate all these great answers. This is absolutely my first fedora, so I really have nothing to compare it with, except hats I saw at two hat shops I visited in Philadelphia. The Borsalinos struck me as overpriced kids' costume pieces, nothing to them. The Dobbs and Biltmores were more substantial. Art's hat is obviously nicer. For one, it fits me and is the shape and color I ordered, I could never get this in a shop. I appreciate a difference in the felt, but while Art's has a softer finish, that it is superior is not obvious to my untrained eye.

I have an Optimo Milan straw on the way, that will be interesting to compare. And I am contemplating getting either a Lagomarsino or a Guerra.

 

[bolthead]

Welcome.....David.

I have an Optimo Milan straw on the way, that will be interesting to compare. And I am contemplating getting either a Lagomarsino or a Guerra.

Expensive taste, and an Art Fawcett for your very 1st hat, I envy you. Be sure you post some pictures in the near future.

 

[ScionPI2005]

Definitely post some pictures.

I have had several store-bought generic modern fedoras over the past couple of years. Some have been better than others.

I'm in the process of getting my first custom from Art as we speak (one of his new featherweight styles) and can hardly wait (still have a while to wait though, the conformer went back just last week). Still, I expect my new hat to be something great.

 

[John K Stetson]

Two Hat Stores in Philadelphia?

There are two in Philadelphia? I kind of recall Stanmore (Stanmoor ?)
on 12th but thought that was long gone. There's Hats in the Belfry or something like that on 2nd and South... ?

 

[David Bresch]

Hats in the Belfry and South Street Hats (I think 18th and South). Neither are anything special.