Wouldn't wear it on a rainy day, but ...

[tonyb]

I love this color, but man, talk about a hat that shows dirt! I had to touch it up some even as I was putting it together. (Geez, I THOUGHT my hands were clean.)

 

[Dinerman]

what color is that? Looks like an undyed beaver or a silverbelly. Kind of difficult to say from my computer screen.

 

[BobC]

Very sharp, tony. And the ribbon on it is great. I'd like to know what color it is too. You're really doing a fine job with these hats you're turning out. We should probably get a hall of fame thread started for you too.

 

[carter]

That's a beauty! The choice of ribbon color and the bow are very sharp. What are the dimensions of the crown and brim if you don't mind my asking? Is the brim a raw edge? :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[AlanC]

Great shape to the hat and the bow work looks sharp.

 

[tonyb]

Thanks, guys. I am kinda fond of this one. It manages to be both ordinary and distinctive at the same time. It hasn't been far from my noggin since I finished it today, even though it is a touch too dressy to be worn with blue jeans and cowboy boots.

To answer your questions ...

The felter calls this color "bone." The way it looks on my monitor is quite close to its actual color. It's a warmer, creamier color than silverbelly, and "natural." But again, it has such a rich look that it could overpower less-dressy attire.

This is a variation on what is becoming my standard theme -- a 6-inch tall, relatively straight-sided crown; a 1 1/2-inch ribbon; and a raw-edged brim, in this case one about 2 7/16 inches wide.

What's most remarkable about this body color is how well it pairs with a wide variety of ribbon colors. Both warm and cool colors look right with it.

 

[handlebar bart]

That is one sharp looking lid. I think you have mastered the double bow and that 'bone' color is fantastic.:eusa_clap

 

[carter]

What is that ribbon color? Is it cranberry? Whatever it is, I like it!

 

[tonyb]

The people I get it from call it maroon. If I were marketing it on a finished product, I'd certainly consider calling it cranberry, or perhaps the name of some wine variety.

It is fortunate that rayon/cotton blend grosgrain ribbon is still being made. It isn't as good as the vintage stuff, but provided you aren't looking for wider widths, it's available in an array of colors at a quite reasonable price, provided you buy it by the 50-yard roll, which isn't really all that much ribbon, considering that when I make a double bow, such as the one on this lid, I use something like 46 inches. And I tend to screw things up and waste material, so that just adds to my ribbon consumption.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

That's a great color for a summer lid. Great job!

 

[Heather]

Very nice! Bet you look sharp in it!

 

[Feraud]

Another great looking hat Tonyb!
I bet it would look equally well with a navy, dark green, or rust colored ribbon.

 

[Hoss & da Posse]

Another great looking hat Tonyb!
I bet it would look equally well with a navy, dark green, or rust colored ribbon.

Man, I would love to see that hat with a rust or copper ribbon...in fact, I'm thinking that something like that is going to have to be in my "future hat collection"...
Great hat, Mr. Tony; I've appreciated the opportunity to watch as your skills progress and you post more of your hats. As a woodworker, I appreciate and enjoy improving and honing my skills as much as anything I produce. Keep posting new hats

 

[Levallois]

TonyB,

Just an outstanding look for a hat! My problem with it is the same as me wearing white or lighter color shirts - I'm too much of a slob - it would get dirty and that would be a travesty.

John

 

[tonyb]

Thanks again for the kind words, gents.

Yes, Feraud and Hoss, a rust-colored ribbon (Nu-rust, the supplier calls it) does indeed look sharp against the bone-colored felt, as do the blue and brown ribbons I considered using. I'd imagine some other colors would as well. Deciding which of those ribbon colors to use was a happy dilemma, seeing how they all had something to strongly recommend them.

Levallois, your observation gave me a chuckle. I'm such a klutz that I avoid ordering red sauce, for instance, when I'm out. I swear, even after all these years I still haven't figured out how to eat spaghetti without getting little red spots on my shirt.

Hoss, your comment reminds me of what Steve Delk (he of Adventurebilt fame) told me a couple of years ago. Steve is an essentially self-taught hat maker. He had been a custom cabinetmaker. He didn't say that hat making was easy, exactly, or that experience didn't count for a whole lot, because it does (an experienced hatter to easily point out "problems" with the hat shown in this thread, for instance). But next to cabinetmaking, it's no big challenge. For another example of this, check out that fabulous Open Road-like hat our own MarkG made. Mark is a guitar maker, so he's well accustomed to meticulous hand crafting. The skills may or may not be directly transferable, but the mindset and fundamental sensibility are.

 

[Jerekson]

This is a variation on what is becoming my standard theme -- a 6-inch tall, relatively straight-sided crown; a 1 1/2-inch ribbon; and a raw-edged brim, in this case one about 2 7/16 inches wide.

Hmm, honestly those are all my own personal favorites for hat dimensions.

Interesting

 

[RBH]

Very nice!!!

 

[fedoralover]

Tony, that hat looks great. I guess you won't be needing that one I sold you anymore.

fedoralover

 

[scotrace]

I've seen this thing, and it's quite a hat. A really wonderful hat.

I immediately thought of this hat.

This is one Marc Chevalier once devoted an homage thread to. A Disney hat from the '30's. It may well be the perfect hat, and Tony's hat comes close when you see it.

 

[Craig Robertson]

Superb, Tony! I have many light colored hats. Occasionally they get dirty or smudged, then I clean them. You just have to have a more careful mindset when you wear them.
It is, however, a color that is rare in good vintage hats.