So many questions....

[MK]

(Sultry saxophone music)

It was a late night?¢‚Ǩ¬¶.so late it was early. The red neon sign out side my window with the bad buzz wasn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t having much luck getting me to eat at Joe?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s.

I had been setting there so long; it was hard to tell where the leather chair in my office ended I began. The problems with this case weren?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t getting any clearer and the half empty bottle of Woodford Reserve bourbon didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t have any answers for me.

I had been lucky so far. The pieces I had been collecting came easy. I never had to wait very long before they came to me. The trace I had done on that leather jacket went smooth. When I showed up at that Botwright fella?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s shop, he opened up like a can of tomata soup. He didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t want any trouble. He coughed up the goods licitly split.

Joe in Texas was just waiting for me to walk through that door. He knew the answers before I asked the questions. The look in his eye and the knowing smile as he took the goods out of the box told me he had planned this all along. That guy had brains. He wanted to see this played out as much as I did. He had it to me in just a few days.

I knew Marshall was working with the G-men, but that didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t bother me. I had it on good information that he would deliver if you asked him nice. He was smooth?¢‚Ǩ¬¶..maybe to smooth. Dave knew what he was doing and he knew his stuff was the best. I had to trade him some information, but it was worth it. He delivered the goods and was pretty quick about it. His boys had the package on my desk in a week.

Yeah?¢‚Ǩ¬¶.I had been lucky so far.

The big question mark was?¢‚Ǩ¬¶..the guys in Chicago. They were playing it cool and weren?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t saying much. Were they bluffing? They sure weren?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t in a hurry. Kevin liked to talk?¢‚Ǩ¬¶but I knew all along that graham was the brains in that organization. I had never seen them do one quit like this, but the word on the street was that these guys were the best. That seemed to be the case, but it could be all a front. Perhaps they were getting their stuff from the guys in Australia and just putting name on it.

Another guy asked them for something like this. It didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t look right to me, but then again?¢‚Ǩ¬¶.he didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t ask them the way I did. I had a friend who could be persuasive?¢‚Ǩ¬¶..but they didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t make me pull him out of the holster. They knew the score.

This was the first piece that was taking some time?¢‚Ǩ¬¶?¢‚Ǩ¬¶too much time. Maybe I was just feeling this way because this one was different from the others. My previous hats and jackets were just better versions of Indy gear that I already had. This was not just another brown fedora with a center dent and a tight pinch.

This would be a very different hat. A grey fedora with an up-welt brim with a.......what was it called? It is kind of like a teardrop crown......I think it is called a "C" crown. Anyway.......

Could Graham do it? Can he really nail the Bogie fedora from The Maltese Falcon? Would he just keep it for himself and skip town? Could Agent 5 get there first and spoil the whole deal?

So many questions....and all I could do was wait and see how it played out.

 

[Pyroxene]

Did you write that? That was great. I think I could make a day at work sound interesting if I could write like that.

Good Work,
Pyro.

 

[Pen Collector]

It's ironic, but I was listening to smooth jazz at the time that I starting reading MKs story. The music added a lot to the effect. Good piece of writing.

Gabe

 

[BD Jones]

Great writing MK. Very creative. I can't wait to see how it "plays out".

 

[Andykev]

Dem Chicago Boys

Listen here bud..ya, I'm talking to you. Wanna make somethin' outta it" No? That's better. Now listen, I've seen this joint, the hideout in Chicago. It's tucked away real sweet like...has one of them fancy awnings...kinda like the corner store. Keeps the cops away... Well inside,.see..., they got this big machine..and I'm telling you, it can make a mug talk. It's big, green , has long fingers, and it's moider to dem heads that they bust up in it. Hey, Mack. I spilled too much already, and mum's the woid. Them sanders and cutters, make my fingers bleed just think'in bout it. Ya, them Chicago boys can really bust up good so you 'll really felt it. Dem guys is the best...I knowz you'll chime in, or else.

 

[MK]

I talked with that guy from Chicago today. Kevin said my package will ship this week. He talked me into an underwelt instead of the overwelt. Either way, the welts don't hurt as much as the waiting.

A hundred things could still go wrong. Agent 5 could kill the whole thing. Then there is that new guy at The Club that is trying to move in on my action.

I got to keep my eye on that Andy guy too. Anybody that has that much pull with Chicago could be dangerous. He didn't get that big a piece of the action by just being a nice guy.

If I wasn't just a small time operator getting $25 bucks a day plus expenses, I would go to Chicago myself.

It is obvious that sleep will keep eluding me until this case is solved. No rest for the wicked, as they say.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Underwelt should be fine.
Bogart wore a "Mode/Cavanaugh/Self felted overwelt" edge.

I have one stitched overwelt in my collection and several Cavanaugh edge hats. but no underwelts.

I hear the underwelt reacts more like an Cavanaugh edge than the stitched overwelt, so when yours arrives I need to take a look.

 

[Pen Collector]

Overwelt/Underwelt

Sorry, gentlemen, please explain or show what overwelt/underwelt mean. Just trying to get educated.

Thanks,

 

[Andykev]

Welt's the matter, Huh?

"Like a ribbon binding, a welt edge on a hat brim gives firmness to the edge and helps it hold its shape better and longer. It also makes the edge thicker and better able to withstand the daily handling to which it is subject. And, of course, like a binding, it dresses up the hat and adds a note of distinction. Fundamentally a welt edge is simply part of the brim turned on itself and so fixed as to stay in place. The turned back part may be either on top of the brim, in which case it is called an overwelt,or it may me on the underside of the brim, when it is termed an underwelt.
There are numerous kinds of welts. Some of the principal varieties are: the oridnary welt, the hand felted, the imitation hand felted. the balloon welt, the bound and the partly bound welts, the shallow edge, the stitched welt, and the two-tone welt"
Except fo the hand felted welt, all welt edges are formed by approximately the same production steps. First the hat brim is curled, then a zinc plate of the proper dimensions is laid on the brim and the curled edge is turned back and ironed flat over the upper side of the plate to get the exact welt shape desired. The welt then must be stitched down, following which the surplus fur extending beyond the stitching is cut off using a rounding jack.."

(Knowing Your Trimmings - Hat Life, 1983)

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Re: Welt's the matter, Huh?

Originally posted by Andykev
"Like a ribbon binding, a welt edge on a hat brim gives firmness to the edge and helps it hold its shape better and longer. It also makes the edge thicker and better able to withstand the daily handling to which it is subject. And, of course, like a binding, it dresses up the hat and adds a note of distinction. Fundamentally a welt edge is simply part of the brim turned on itself and so fixed as to stay in place. The turned back part may be either on top of the brim, in which case it is called an overwelt,or it may me on the underside of the brim, when it is termed an underwelt.
There are numerous kinds of welts. Some of the principal varieties are: the oridnary welt, the hand felted, the imitation hand felted. the balloon welt, the bound and the partly bound welts, the shallow edge, the stitched welt, and the two-tone welt"
Except fo the hand felted welt, all welt edges are formed by approximately the same production steps. First the hat brim is curled, then a zinc plate of the proper dimensions is laid on the brim and the curled edge is turned back and ironed flat over the upper side of the plate to get the exact welt shape desired. The welt then must be stitched down, following which the surplus fur extending beyond the stitching is cut off using a rounding jack.."

(Knowing Your Trimmings - Hat Life, 1983)

Where in the world did you get that information? Is Hat Life a book or periodical? I'm impressed.

 

[Andykev]

IT's

A trade industry directory.

 

[MK]

The phone rang.

The voice in my ear said it was shipping out today and that he was sending it fast. He said I would have it tomorrow.....then the phone went dead.

I wasn't getting too excited just yet. A lot of things could happen between Chicago and LA. There were several guys wanting to get their hands on this one. I hoped that the guy bringing it had a rod.

Now all I had to do was lay low. It should have been easy....but waiting is like little slices of death.

 

[MK]

Tracking says it will be to me by noon.

 

[MK]

They have updated it to be here by 10:30. :clap :clap

Me? Excited?

Come on!

Never!

Well....maybe just a little bit.

 

[MK]

Well.....All that excitement just to be disapointed. It is a good, well made hat.......but not the one I ordered. I wanted the Bogie hat from The Maltese Falcon. This is not it. Take a look:

I had lunch with Rundquist and he agreed that it would never be the hat I wanted....but he felt the fedora looked good on me. The crown is too tapered. He thinks that Optimo could do it with a light weight felt. I think he is right. The problem is most of their felts are very dark and on the cool side. I favor warmer tones and don't like hats on me that look almost black.

I don't know if there is a felt I want to try but this one is going back regardless. :cry: :cry: :cry:

On a happier note....I just got this on E-bay for $16.50!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2875509474

 

[BD Jones]

Sorry to hear (and see) your disappointment. I know how you feel. During the summer, I placed an order for a custom-made hat (not one of our normal vendors) and it was NOTHING like I wanted. I sent pictures, detailed specs, and diagrams and the only thing they got right was the color. For a month, I waited with anticipation for it to arrive, only to be heart broken. That?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s when I decided to stick with Joe Jr. as my hatter.

Good job with the EBay hat.

 

[MK]

It IS a hard thing. Optimo is a good hatter......as well as Joe.

Each has their strengths. I will get my Bogie hat in the end.

 

[Andykev]

OUCH

A STINGY BRIM>>>>NO NO NO
Hey the Optimo has light gray colors...you should check them out. My mouse gray is great!@ and I sent a photo....love it. Sorry about the hat, but I agree the crown sucks....not the correct shape.

 

[Marc]

Sorry for you MK.

But I think you made the right decission in sending it back, as you'd get disappointed any time you'd look into the mirror with it, if you keep it. Better being disappointed once for all.

Good luck on your hunt.

Regards,

Marc

 

[Renderking Fisk]

Sorry, MK... but that's just not the lid. I think you should send it back with those pictures.