VS Transformation

[Not-Bogart13]

Well, by now most of you know that I'm a huge fan of Art Fawcett's work, and that I'm a sucker for bound edge brims. I had this hat - an Indy hat - with a block shape that just didn't hit me right and a brim that was too wide. I figured I had plenty of Indy hats already (3 should be enough), so I handed it off to Art for a bit of retooling. I wanted something a bit more classic. I'm still tweeking the bash, but here are the results.

I especially like the color on this one, which is a little lighter than the much more common Chocolate Brown.

Prospective Diamond bash

Prospective wide crease (not the Indy crease)

A bunch of other pics if interested;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27810273@N04/sets/72157622525662317/

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Whoops! Silly me, I forgot the "before" picture...

 

[Torpedo]

I like it better now, NB - which is to be expected of any hat going through Art's hands

I would go for the diamond crease, in order to get away from the Indy crease. Not that there is anything wrong with that, just to keep with the idea of making this one more non-Indy.

 

[RBH]

WOW!
That looks great! I would go with the diamond, maybe a little deeper one than your photo.
Art did a great job!
:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[funneman]

Great looking hat.

How do you guys keep getting Art to rework hats?

I read on this forum that he was only filling orders for new hats.

I even sent him an email and he confirmed that he was no longer able
to work on existing hats. But I keep seeing examples of his fantastic
work with your old hats on this forum.

What gives?

 

[Mulceber]

Really? Because I just asked him a couple weeks ago if he'd be willing to reblock and style an Optimo for me and he was absolutely fine with it. Charged a very reasonable price too. -M

 

[handlebar bart]

Great looking hat.

How do you guys keep getting Art to rework hats?

I read on this forum that he was only filling orders for new hats.

I even sent him an email and he confirmed that he was no longer able
to work on existing hats. But I keep seeing examples of his fantastic
work with your old hats on this forum.

What gives?

Don't know but maybe he can sneak in a refurb now and again when orders for new are slow.[huh] He did a great job on this brown one

 

[1911 Man]

I understand completely.

I actually had an Adventurebilt Raiders style hat for a while. It was a very well made hat. I love the first Indy film, love the hat in the movie, love seeing pictures of Indy hats here and COW. But you know, it just didn't look good on me. Since I bought it before Steve started making hats for the movie, I was able to "buy low and sell high", as it were. I sold it, and used the money to buy an Art Fawcett. I posted the pics here in the Fawcett thread. I find the traditional 40's style fedora Art makes to be much better suited for me.

Yours looks great by the way. You have posted so many great hats, I am very jealous of your vast collection, and you wear them all so well.

 

[Tango Yankee]

I don't wish to seem like I'm speaking for him, but I believe Art's policy is that he'll work on hats belonging to customers who have already purchased hats from him.

Regards,
Tom

 

[Mulceber]

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense - it would explain why he was willing to do it for me, but doesn't advertise it on his site. -M

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Yes, I think that's his policy, or maybe it's repeat customers. Something like that. A perk for the loyal, and a means of keeping his waiting list reasonable.

 

[Garrett]

Art was kind enough to extend his services on a panama for me even prior to my first hat order. Needless to say, I was a customer for life after that.

 

[Mulceber]

Maybe he changed it since then? I dunno. -M

 

[kaosharper1]

Back to the hat. NB-13 has inspired me to send the Hoosier I got from Visigoth back to Art. He removed the brim binding, but I think it suited the hat better and kept it from looking "Indy" especially when combined with the silver/bronze ribbon. The original was very close to NB-13's binding, so I think I'll go for that.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Hi funneman, sorry for the confusion. My basic policy is that I do new hats first, then refurbs for existing clients, then refurbs for those that are not clients in that priority. Last year I had average 50 hat orders ( 10 weeks) in front of me so refurbs were basically out of the question for anyone without a two year wait.

That's one of the reasons I have been sending people to Optimo as Graham is not only a great hatter but has the system to take care of business in a timely manner. Now that my orders have slowed to perhaps a dozen in front of me, I've been taking on refurb work as a courtesy to existing clients but I still need to be careful that I keep wait times down. It's a fluent situation and I hope everyone understands. I'd rather not do the work than try to do it and end up with an unhappy client because of wait times. Unhappy clients tend to spread the word much faster than happy ones.:eusa_doh:

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Unhappy clients tend to spread the word much faster than happy ones.:eusa_doh:

Indeed. Which is why I'll say these two things publicly;
1. I am Happy.

2. Art, if you ever have to say 'no' or ask me to hold off on a refurb job, I will understand.


kaosharper1; I never discourage the binding of a brim!

 

[Mulceber]

Same here on both counts! -M

 

[J.J. Gittes]

The new binding and bash make it look really sharp. It looks alot better and set apart now compared to the Indy look.