Sunrise Hat Company felt (nutria) and hatters’ tools

[deadlyhandsome]

From Sunrise via email today: They are sticking to the 220 gram felts going forward. The next batch is expected sometime between “March and May,” and it’s supposed to be a much larger order.

I wanted a 180 gram felt, but it looks like I was too slow to make it happen. I went ahead and bought a 220 gram pewter hat body, and I’m planning on a couple more, when they are restocked if this first felt meets my expectations. I was happy to see a very reasonable shipping fee (less than $9) too.

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[deadlyhandsome]

This almond colored nutria felt needed a home too:

And I’m done...unless the “rain cloud” felt comes back in 180 grams!


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[J Williams]

This almond colored nutria felt needed a home too:

And I’m done...unless the “rain cloud” felt comes back in 180 grams!


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You planning on trying your own Brent? or are you shipping them to one of your go to custom guys?

 

[Tukwila]

It sure looks the same, but the issue with mine was immediately revealed early in the process and the seller offered a full refund within 30 minutes, and he let me keep the felt. Can’t get fairer than that. The seller also said he’s since sold his entire stock of 100% nutria felts and mine was the only one with an issue. Based on this, I’m willing to give them another try. Aside from the dye issue, Rick and I were both impressed by the quality of the felt. Very dense and tightly felted with minimal stiffeners (if any). Rick is still working on re-dyeing the felt black and making me a hat from it.


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Any word on the black hat?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

You planning on trying your own Brent? or are you shipping them to one of your go to custom guys?

I’m sending the first to Gibson and I’ll decide on the second after I get the first hat back. I wish I had the confidence to do it myself, but I’m sure I’ll be happier having a competent hatter do justice to these nutria hat bodies.


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[Tukwila]

I’m sending the first to Gibson and I’ll decide on the second after I get the first hat back. I wish I had the confidence to do it myself, but I’m sure I’ll be happier having a competent hatter do justice to these nutria hat bodies.


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Who is Gibson? Link to webpage?

 

[J Williams]

Who is Gibson? Link to webpage?

My guess is Gibson is auto correct for Gannon, but I could be wrong.

 

[Tukwila]

My guess is Gibson is auto correct for Gannon, but I could be wrong.

Maybe, but I saw someone else on FB mention Gibson too...

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Who is Gibson? Link to webpage?

He’s the guy who worked with Art and is now doing all of VS’s work:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/gibson-hat-company.99467/


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[Tukwila]

He’s the guy who worked with Art and is now doing all of VS’s work:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/gibson-hat-company.99467/


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Oh, David.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Who is Gibson? Link to webpage?

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/gibson-hat-company.99467/


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[deadlyhandsome]

My hat bodies arrived and I have mixed feelings. First, they aren’t as nice as the nutria felt I bought last year from the Hat Makers Emporium in Australia. The felt is thinner and denser, but these Sunrise felts are much stiffer. The stiffness also extends into the crown despite what the website states. Maybe the crown isn’t quite as stiff as the brim, but it’s much stiffer than I wanted. The dimensions are nice, but this is a western hat body and not the western/fedora hybrid that I was hoping for.

I think with some pouncing, and after the ministrations of an experienced hatter, this can become a nice western, but it’s nothing like the vintage clear beaver felt I had been hoping for. Maybe once it’s thinned and worked into a hat I’ll have a higher opinion of it. I’ll reserve judgement until it’s completed.

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[deadlyhandsome]

Just to add another perspective, this nutria felt seems to be quite inferior to the 100% hare felt that I received from Agnoulita. Again, it’s hard to accurately judge without having two finished hats in hand to compare, but based on the hat bodies alone these Sunrise nutria felts are a disappointment. Bummer. I wonder what the now discontinued 180 gram felts were like?


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[belfastboy]

I’m sending the first to Gibson and I’ll decide on the second after I get the first hat back. I wish I had the confidence to do it myself, but I’m sure I’ll be happier having a competent hatter do justice to these nutria hat bodies.


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In Vancouver there is a 5 day fedora making class coming up mid February. Taught by a woman that ran an upscale hat shop in the city for many years. I am going to enroll just for the fun of it. She provides a Czech felt (not Tonak) and at the end of the 5 days you have a fedora from your own hand.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

In Vancouver there is a 5 day fedora making class coming up mid February. Taught by a woman that ran an upscale hat shop in the city for many years. I am going to enroll just for the fun of it. She provides a Czech felt (not Tonak) and at the end of the 5 days you have a fedora from your own hand.

I know that JW in Salt Lake City offers build your own fedora classes too. Regardless of where you go, don’t use one of these Sunrise felts unless you want a firm western.


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[belfastboy]

I know that JW in Salt Lake City offers build your own fedora classes too. Regardless of where you go, don’t use one of these Sunrise felts unless you want a firm western.


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Thank you for being the 'early adopter' of these felts. I came so very close to buying but decided to wait your verdict. Thank you for taking the bullet!

 

[Hogdog]

I've been very happy with the felts I got from sunrise. Both 180 and 220 gram bodies. Ive probably had 8 bodies in various colors in my hands. More importantly, the folks I've made hats for have been very happy. The service is faster and they aren't restricting sales to large established clientele. Granted, I'm making western style hats but I feel like these are better bodies than what I've been getting from THE company. Im really struggling with having to buy felts that don't finish into proper hats that I can be very comfortable with selling to customers until some magical time when i can qualify to buy "first run" bodies. Ive actually retired my 100% beaver that I had made by texas hatters several years back in favor of the hat I made out of a 180 gram body.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I've been very happy with the felts I got from sunrise. Both 180 and 220 gram bodies. Ive probably had 8 bodies in various colors in my hands. More importantly, the folks I've made hats for have been very happy. The service is faster and they aren't restricting sales to large established clientele. Granted, I'm making western style hats but I feel like these are better bodies than what I've been getting from THE company. Im really struggling with having to buy felts that don't finish into proper hats that I can be very comfortable with selling to customers until some magical time when i can qualify to buy "first run" bodies. Ive actually retired my 100% beaver that I had made by texas hatters several years back in favor of the hat I made out of a 180 gram body.

You’re talking western hats, right? I’ve only handled the 220 gram hats (the 180 has been discontinued with no plans to offer it again). The felt is tight, dense, and reasonably thin, but it’s not like the beaver used in westerns from 60+ years ago. It’s also not as nice as the nutria felt I got last spring from Australia; however, that particular felt had its own issue. I’m thinking that my two hat bodies might turn out better than I originally thought after my initial handling of the felt. I just need to get off my butt and ship them out.

Any chance we can see photos of the hats you’ve made with these nutria felts?

 

[belfastboy]

I know that JW in Salt Lake City offers build your own fedora classes too. Regardless of where you go, don’t use one of these Sunrise felts unless you want a firm western.


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I looked into the JW workshop. He charges only $75 (Plus materials cost) but it is for just a 2 hour time slot. If I am ever back in SL City it would be fun to check it out but curious what you would end up with after just two hours.

 

[J Williams]

Does anyone have natural light photos of the colour samples?