Rmccamey
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 5,872
- Location
- Central Texas
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Wolfbrae Custom Hatters
- Thread starter deadlyhandsome
- Start date
- Messages
- 10,855
- Location
- vancouver, canada
Well we completed the first 3 days of Fedora University and it went very smoothly although I am exhausted today.....just not used to being "On" for 3 full days. I had 2 students, 3 days, 6 hours each day. We first worked on an inexpensive fur felt (a Tonak rabbit felt 140gram) as a 'practice' felt or sacrificial rabbit!. At the end of day 3 we have 1 completed hat except for final inspection and the bash. And we have Hat #2 (Ukraine rabbit felt 160gram) blocked, trimmed. leather sweat sewn and now on the flange. I think another 4 hour day to finish up and the students will each take home 2 hats.
A few mishaps as I let them run with it and my job after demonstrating was to turn them loose and guide them if they strayed from the path. Both bled little drops on Hat 1 from needle pricks drawing blood but that was about the worst of it.
Both clients were close to my size so they could try on hats from my collection to see what worked for them, dimensionally and proportionally. That was a big help for them getting to see how it actually looked on them.
They are both thrilled to now have hats made from their own hand....flaws and all. One of them wants to now be my 'shop boy' in his spare time.
We could only do the 3 days in a row as that is all the time they manage due to work. The final day will be scheduled for one day next weekend.
I will post some pics later today.
A few mishaps as I let them run with it and my job after demonstrating was to turn them loose and guide them if they strayed from the path. Both bled little drops on Hat 1 from needle pricks drawing blood but that was about the worst of it.
Both clients were close to my size so they could try on hats from my collection to see what worked for them, dimensionally and proportionally. That was a big help for them getting to see how it actually looked on them.
They are both thrilled to now have hats made from their own hand....flaws and all. One of them wants to now be my 'shop boy' in his spare time.
We could only do the 3 days in a row as that is all the time they manage due to work. The final day will be scheduled for one day next weekend.
I will post some pics later today.
- Messages
- 11,714
Well that was quite cool! What a great idea Robert.
- Messages
- 10,855
- Location
- vancouver, canada
It was great fun. My shop has taken over my garage. I prefer to keep the big garage door open as the shop has no windows and is a bit claustrophobic with it closed. So with the door open and just two students we 'socially distanced and it was very much like working outside. So we didn't bother wearing the damn masks. We each had our own work stations and I had blocks/flanges and equipment for two so they worked separately from each other.
- Messages
- 10,855
- Location
- vancouver, canada
Two weeks ago one of the clients emailed me to ask about the "Covid protocols" in place for the weekend. Upon reading it my heart sank....as I thought here might be a stickler. I explained the set up, distancing, open door etc. And that my plan was to not require masking over the weekend. I braced for the reply and shouted for joy when I received his response, Thanking me for setting it up so he didn't have to wear a damn mask the entire weekend.....for him that would have been a potential deal breaker......and I would not have blamed him.
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I could see where that coulda gone either way. Environment is a big factor along with common sense. Sounds like your plan with an. Open air environment was a great choice.
- Messages
- 10,855
- Location
- vancouver, canada
On the Sunday a storm arrived and the temp dropped some so towards the end of the day it got a bit chilly. I had a heater on hand but we never turned it on.
Rmccamey
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 5,872
- Location
- Central Texas
I want to share a small parade today. Also, I decided to do the parade here in the Wolfbrae thread to give credit where credit is due. Robert @belfastboy did a great job cleaning, blocking, resizing and generally reworking these hats to bring them back into working order for some very discriminating young hat wearers!
First is Abby sporting an old Knox (if my memory serves) bowler purchased originally at Radio City Music Hall in NYC.
First is Abby sporting an old Knox (if my memory serves) bowler purchased originally at Radio City Music Hall in NYC.
Rmccamey
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 5,872
- Location
- Central Texas
Next is Brook sporting a nice Adam Executive with a cowgirl crease and an open crown. Many thanks to Joe @Blare for the hat.
Rmccamey
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 5,872
- Location
- Central Texas
- Messages
- 11,714
What a lovely job Robert did on this and the other two. Your grandkids are looking quite the spiffy bunch in their new hats!
- Messages
- 10,855
- Location
- vancouver, canada
Thank you for this, what a great way to start the week.....with a big smile on m face.
Rmccamey
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 5,872
- Location
- Central Texas
Thanks, Joe. I'm sure these hats will be tested for durability in the coming years 
but their proud papa wanted to give them some good hats to start things off right!
but their proud papa wanted to give them some good hats to start things off right!
Scooterz
Practically Family
- Messages
- 847
- Location
- The Great Plains
Thanks to Robert, I now have a rich dark green and very nice Nutria hat! It is a Winchester felt. Really soft to the touch. Crown ribbon is in serpent color I think. I will try to get some photos in the sunlight this week. It is just an excellent felt. I feel the pull of trying to see if it will hold some pronounced side dents. If so, it will have a bit of a Fed IV or raiders vibe. I will be thinking about this hat on Thanksgiving.
Scooterz
Practically Family
- Messages
- 847
- Location
- The Great Plains
Here is a pic with some deeper side dents and a more down turned front brim. Spritzed it with some distilled water to shape it, so its still got a little water on it. The felt has kind of a suede finish on it.
- Messages
- 10,855
- Location
- vancouver, canada
I had just 2 of these Winchester Nutria felts that I purchased from Art's retirement sale. I kept one for myself and was going to keep the second as well because I love this felt.....a lot. But decided that I really didn't need two moss green nutria hats. It was great to work with. Has a soft, plush feel to it yet still has that beaver felt like density and a beaver like sheen as well. I would like to have more of these felts to play with as I wanted to pounce it further but it started to mottle and I didn't want to risk ruining such a great felt.
Scooterz
Practically Family
- Messages
- 847
- Location
- The Great Plains
Here are some outdoor shots. Really like this hat. Thanks Robert!
It looks like a rich darker green in person. Kind of dark moss or a dark forest green shade. The underside of the brim showing in one of the above photos is best representation of the color.
It looks like a rich darker green in person. Kind of dark moss or a dark forest green shade. The underside of the brim showing in one of the above photos is best representation of the color.
- Messages
- 10,855
- Location
- vancouver, canada
I have been both busy and lazy about posting pics. Here is one that went out the other day. A black Tonak rabbit felt made up into a 1960's style stingy. The ribbon work is vintage European grosgrain with silk content. The client gave me a pic of Sean Connery in an early James Bond movie and asked me to replicate. Here is my version. My next goal is to find a way to to snap better quality pictures
- Messages
- 19,001
- Location
- Central California
My latest Wolfbrae! This is a 220g western weight 100% nutria felt from Sunrise Hat Supply. The color is “Rain Cloud,” and it’s a light grey with strong blue tones…or a light blue with strong grey tones? There are times when it decidedly looks blue and others when the grey is dominant. In any case, it’s a dynamite color! Slightly under six inch open crown and 3 1/2” bound brim. The tone-on-tone binding and ribbon were a great choice by Robert! Sunrise nutria felt is very inconsistent. This felt is about 3/4 as stiff as the hats made from the same weight by VS and Phoenix. It’s a great substantial western weight hat and fits a different niche than my more fedora-like westerns made by Gannon from this same weight felt. The construction is spot-on! Robert makes great hats for great prices!
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Looks great Brent! I assume it has a silver lining. Congrats to you and Robert.
