I was really surprised with the sweat DM. It's super soft, not those thin flimsy sweats you usually see. I knew it was good leather as soon as I opened the box, because that's all I smelled, was leather.Dinerman said:
I also agree with you about the color. I thought it was a bit unusual too, but then I thought maybe it was just me. I thought it was more unusual that because nobody was going near it....I mean like you said, that band really stands out on it, very nice contrast. 
:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clapflylot74 said:
AdmiralTofu said:
bolthead said:Great job Alphie....:eusa_clap
I dig that phone you have as well.
No question you hit the jackpot on that gamble. I'd love to find one like it.bolthead said:
Zowie! That is one sharp looking ribbon!!bolthead said:
Delthayre said:Late last November I commissioned a bespoke fedora from Mister Fawcett. It traveled along a slightly troubled path before it came to my hands. First it came up in the queue just before Mister Fawcett closed his shop, as scheduled, for maintenance and improvements, then in January some misfortune befell Mister Fawcett, which of course delayed his work. The next problem arose when the normal hat body proved no match for the dramatic dimensions that I had specified, so he had to order a larger hat body and work the stiffener out of it. The final, and least, troubles came when it was shipped, the postman attempted to deliver it on Thursday the twenty sixth while I was attending a lecture, as could not leave the package at my door without a signature, but he also did not, contrary to the United States Postal Service's tracking and confirmation, leave a notice. I waited until Monday, by which time he had made no second attempt to deliver, until I did what I probable should have as soon as I had surmised the situation: call the post office to inquire as to the status of the package and arrange the second delivery attempt. At last, on Tuesday, March fourth, the hat was delivered to me.
It was a three month odyssey, but I at last have my bespoke fedora and am very well pleased.
While the hat was never given any official name, I have taken to referring to it as The Sesquipedalian, in honor of one of my most inveterately practiced and often remarked upon traits.
The hat is made with black felt. It has a center creased crown with side dents that is six inches when open and a twenty two ligne dark steel grey ribbon. I had always envisioned the ribbon as pleated, not unlike the Route 66, rather than as it is in the photographs, but I must have forgotten to mention that to Mister Fawcett. That's no bother, of course, because it looks splendid regardless. The brim is three inches at the front and back, but dimensionally cut to two and three quarters of an inch at the sides and trimmed with charcoal grey edge binding.
Have said all of that, I shall present what we always excitedly seek in these threads: Pictures!
This is the rather splendid box that the hat was shipped in.
From the front, sitting upon the hat box.
From the side, again sitting upon the hat box.
From the rear, yet again atop the hat box.
From above, still sitting on the hat box, but with the hat box on my bed rather than my reading table.
This is the ventral side of the brim and interior, displaying the sumptuous red liner and my initials punched into the sweat band.
This is, of course, a picture of I wearing the hat.
It is I again, but from the side.
It is an excellent hat. Yesterday I wore it out in the rain and was quite pleased by how well it withstood the elements. Today whilst walking down Lark Street here in Albany I was able to conclude that while it is even more given to being caught by the wind than my previous hat, there is also more of it to grasp, so I can easily catch it before it flies off of my head.
This is an photograph of me wearing my old hat, which I provide for contrast. (also: here, here, and here)
My old hat, a five year old Village Hate Shop Cagney that was manufactured by Biltmore served me quite well, but I like my new one that Mister Fawcett created far better. The old one had thicker, oddly fuzzy felt, a thin sweatband, glued-in liner, and some rather obvious stitches visible on the outside slightly below the ribbon.
I certainly hope to order another hat from Mister Fawcett, but not for quite a while. I adore it, but a three hundred and thirty five dollar investment (if one include shipping) is not something that one of modest means commits to frequently. I have an idea already for a grey fedora with a slightly odd variation on a teardrop crease...
DOUGLAS said:
