Sunrise Hat Company felt (nutria) and hatters’ tools

[Gobi]

I had my girlfriend look at the pictures and explain to me what colors they are.
I'd like to try making a 6" crown with at least 3 1/2" brim. Hopefully get a little more out of the brim. Size 61. Think that'd be doable?
I dont have all the tools needed yet but I'd like to start accumulating what I need and make this a winter project. I've been wanting to do that for many years. I think I'm ready to give it a go. These bodies sound decent for the money.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I had my girlfriend look at the pictures and explain to me what colors they are.
I'd like to try making a 6" crown with at least 3 1/2" brim. Hopefully get a little more out of the brim. Size 61. Think that'd be doable?
I dont have all the tools needed yet but I'd like to start accumulating what I need and make this a winter project. I've been wanting to do that for many years. I think I'm ready to give it a go. These bodies sound decent for the money.

On the two western hat bodies I received there was more than enough felt for your dimensions. I had mine made one size larger (7 3/4) and with a 6” #52 crown there was enough felt for a 4” brim (I had it made smaller). I don’t know if all the felts are the same size.

 

[Gobi]

Well I'm in, I ordered a 220 body in natural. I need to get and build some tools so itll be a while before I start. This will make a fun winter project.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

My 150g dress weight nutria hat body arrived. It’s considerably more floppy and less stiff/firm than the Winchester dress weight hat bodies I’ve handled. It’s thicker than I was expecting and not as dense as I had hoped. I’m hopeful that after pouncing, ironing, and steaming it will form up and become more dense. The biggest surprise was the color. This is “gunmetal” and it is much lighter and bluer than the photos on the website:

The numbers:
1: Sunrise gunmetal hat body (the indoor light makes it appear darker than it is).
2: Resistol’s granite gray
3: Winchester’s blue smoke
4: Akubra’s moonstone

I think it will take some work and some luck to get my preferred dimensions from the hat body. I sure wish they made them a bit bigger.

 

[Gobi]

I also got mine today. Mine is natural which is also lighter than pictured on the site. It is fairly flexible for a western. The crown is decently thin but the brim is fairly thick. The texture isnt as smooth as I was hoping though the crown texture isn't bad. Inside the crown reveals much coarser fur than I was expecting.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I also got mine today. Mine is natural which is also lighter than pictured on the site. It is fairly flexible for a western. The crown is decently thin but the brim is fairly thick. The texture isnt as smooth as I was hoping though the crown texture isn't bad. Inside the crown reveals much coarser fur than I was expecting.
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Based on your photo I ordered a 220g western in Natural too. It looks like it could be close to a vintage color I really like. I’m thinking of a lighter contrasting brim binding and 3/8” crown ribbon with either an Open Road or a campaign style bow.

I know they market these felts as pre-pounced, but they really have a long way to go before they are ready to become a finished hat. My hatter has me in his queue and I’m looking at about three months. Lots of time to think about specifics.

Who’s building your hat?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

My 220g 100% nutria in natural. This is going to make a great hat. Gannon has agreed to do the work: 6” open crown, 3.5” bound brim, etc. It should be back in time for Christmas!

Densely felted with less stiffness than my other two 220g nutria felts. Nice tight “grain” with a nice hand and it will only get better after Michael finishes with it.

 

[belfastboy]

Based on your photo I ordered a 220g western in Natural too. It looks like it could be close to a vintage color I really like. I’m thinking of a lighter contrasting brim binding and 3/8” crown ribbon with either an Open Road or a campaign style bow.

I know they market these felts as pre-pounced, but they really have a long way to go before they are ready to become a finished hat. My hatter has me in his queue and I’m looking at about three months. Lots of time to think about specifics.

Who’s building your hat?

I think I will order a 150 in Natural and build it the same time as I make your Winchester beaver Natural. I can do a blow by blow comparison of how they are to work with.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I think I will order a 150 in Natural and build it the same time as I make your Winchester beaver Natural. I can do a blow by blow comparison of how they are to work with.

Now that sounds interesting. What do you think about the 150g gunmetal?

 

[belfastboy]

Now that sounds interesting. What do you think about the 150g gunmetal?

I like and think it will make a great hat. It has the softness and plush feeling of the Tonak which I really like but is much more substantial.

 

[Tukwila]

My 220g 100% nutria in natural. This is going to make a great hat. Gannon has agreed to do the work: 6” open crown, 3.5” bound brim, etc. It should be back in time for Christmas!

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Densely felted with less stiffness than my other two 220g nutria felts. Nice tight “grain” with a nice hand and it will only get better after Michael finishes with it.

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Sure you don't want a 7" x 3.5" with that sucker?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Sure you don't want a 7" x 3.5" with that sucker?

It’s tempting, but I’d have to pop for the custom block. Michael is already going above and beyond to give me what I want.

 

[belfastboy]

It’s tempting, but I’d have to pop for the custom block. Michael is already going above and beyond to give me what I want.

I reblocked that Tom Mix you gave me by cutting out an 1 1/2" extension out of a 2x8" piece of lumber to match the block. Added it to my 6" block to make it 7 1/2" high...just took the extension off today.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I reblocked that Tom Mix you gave me by cutting out an 1 1/2" extension out of a 2x8" piece of lumber to match the block. Added it to my 6" block to make it 7 1/2" high...just took the extension off today.

Gannon wasn’t sure about doing the western nutria and that’s why I asked how you would feel about tackling it. In the end, Michael and I figured out a good deal: I bought a 7 7/8 long oval #16 flange for a 3.5” brim and had it shipped to Michael. Michael will use the flange to make me a 61.5cm LO hat with a 6” #52 crown. When the hat is done he’ll send the flange to me along with the completed hat. It’s adding over $200 to the price of the hat, but I’ll have the flange to keep. I don’t think I’d ever find a vintage 7 7/8 LO 3.5” flange.

6” of crown should be enough, but I wouldn’t mind an extra 1/2”.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

My forth Sunrise nutria hat body: this is a replacement felt and I mentioned to the company that I wanted one in Raincloud but would also be fine with one in Sage. Due to the felt not looking at all like the photos on the website, I’m not sure which I received.

The color is actually darker than it appears in my photos. Someday I’ll learn to photograph felt.

This new hat body is like my natural in that it’s substantial, but nowhere near as firm/stiff as my first two felts. All of them are the 220g western felts.

 

[Gobi]

I'm thinking of trying their chestnut color. The pictures on their site arent very good. All the dark hats just look black to me. If you email them, they'll snap some better pics for you and do side by sides with other colors and describe the different tones in the color, like if it has purple or red tones to it.
I'll for sure be ordering their honey color when it's back in stock.
Has anyone tried pouncing these felts? I did a small test section on the outer brim. The color seemed to sand off immediately with very fine sand paper. I dont know what that's all about, I won't know until I do the actual pouncing but it definitely has me concerned. I realize they are pre pounced but they feel like they need at least a little more to be finished. The color should not be coming off already.

 

[belfastboy]

I'm thinking of trying their chestnut color. The pictures on their site arent very good. All the dark hats just look black to me. If you email them, they'll snap some better pics for you and do side by sides with other colors and describe the different tones in the color, like if it has purple or red tones to it.
I'll for sure be ordering their honey color when it's back in stock.
Has anyone tried pouncing these felts? I did a small test section on the outer brim. The color seemed to sand off immediately with very fine sand paper. I dont know what that's all about, I won't know until I do the actual pouncing but it definitely has me concerned. I realize they are pre pounced but they feel like they need at least a little more to be finished. The color should not be coming off already.

Keep me posted as you may save me money.....I was about to order a few felts to check them out.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I'm thinking of trying their chestnut color. The pictures on their site arent very good. All the dark hats just look black to me. If you email them, they'll snap some better pics for you and do side by sides with other colors and describe the different tones in the color, like if it has purple or red tones to it.
I'll for sure be ordering their honey color when it's back in stock.
Has anyone tried pouncing these felts? I did a small test section on the outer brim. The color seemed to sand off immediately with very fine sand paper. I dont know what that's all about, I won't know until I do the actual pouncing but it definitely has me concerned. I realize they are pre pounced but they feel like they need at least a little more to be finished. The color should not be coming off already.

They call them pre-pounced but these need a lot of pouncing before they can become a hat that I’d want. Now if you pounce them too much you’ll run into trouble, but the same is true with most hat bodies.

 

[Gobi]

Another thing that concerns me but I won't know until I begin working on the body but the felt is really uneven. Thick in some areas and what's concerning is the real thin area on the brim next to the crown. It's about what you'd expect for a top of the crown thickness. It's thin and very soft, not much of any shellac in that area. Almost feels like if I got it wet and poked it hard enough, my finger might go through. I'm completely new to "officially" making a hat so I have no idea if this is a big deal or not and how to properly deal with it. Definatly will avoid any aggressive pouncing in that area. I will probably have that be the back of the hat since the back tends to get less use, as in flexing and bending.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Another thing that concerns me but I won't know until I begin working on the body but the felt is really uneven. Thick in some areas and what's concerning is the real thin area on the brim next to the crown. It's about what you'd expect for a top of the crown thickness. It's thin and very soft, not much of any shellac in that area. Almost feels like if I got it wet and poked it hard enough, my finger might go through. I'm completely new to "officially" making a hat so I have no idea if this is a big deal or not and how to properly deal with it. Definatly will avoid any aggressive pouncing in that area. I will probably have that be the back of the hat since the back tends to get less use, as in flexing and bending.

Contact Sunrise. I’ve had four of the 220g westerns and one of the 150g dress felts and I haven’t experienced anything like that. I’d get it resolved before you put any more time/money into it.

It’s been my experience that there is a fairly high rejection rate of hat bodies. I’ve had custom hats from at least three hatters get delayed due to defects in hat bodies.