"Toffee" Optimo Signature Line

[Nathan Flowers]

This is the nicest hat I have ever held. The felt is a sort of grayish brown.... it's hard to describe. The ribbon is a dark dark brown, and has a trolley cord. The felt is superb...very tight, extremely dense, and slightly stiffer than the nutria/beaver blend. The finish is very very smooth... again, it's hard to describe. I can't say enough about the color, and yet I don't know what to say about it.

This hat has been through Graham's "preblocking" process. I am not sure exactly what it goes through to be preblocked, but it is an old process that is supposed to relax the felt, causing it to hold up to the elements better over the years. This preblocking is done after the regular wet hand blocking, and the hat is dried (if I am not mistaken).

The block is not quite an Indy block, but it is very close. The sides of the block are just ever so slightly tapered, while the front and back are ramrod straight. Popped out, the crown measures 5 3/4". The brim is 2 3/4", with a wide binding.



Now down to the styling... This hat looks "tapered", just like my Park Avenue in the "natural nutria" color. This is in fact because of how the crease is made. The side creases go WAY back towards the rear of the hat, and the center dent is very deep, causing the sides to slope inwards somewhat. When I pop the crease out, I can reshape it to be more of a traditional teardrop, like Andykev's new "Midnight Blue" Optimo, and my gray hat from Art Fawcett. I like both of these styles, but to be honest, I think I may like the tapered style better, and every person that has seen me in these two styles in person agrees. Then again, the squared off style is cool as well.
I have pictures here of both of the hat shaped in both of these styles. When it is in the teardrop style, there is no taper at all, and the hat looks very squarish.
Sorry for these bad pictures... I had to take them in the bathroom because it is difficult to find time where my wife can take the pictures now that we have a baby.


Specs:

100% clear beaver

5 3/4" crown

1 3/4" dark brown ribbon w/ trolley cord

1" binding

2 3/4" brim

deep, rich brown sweatband

white lining

untapered next to hat from Art

tapered, next to hat from Art

tapered, next to "Natural" nutria/beaver blend Park Avenue (the PA has about 3/4" lower block.

untapered

tapered

untapered

tapered...notice how the taper is not in the front/back.

Crease popped out, next to hat from Art.

 

[fedoralover]

A gorgeous hat there Zohar, I've always liked the tighter pinch in front myself and think you look great in it that way. But by golly you paid for it, so you'd better wear it the way you like. Variety is a good thing.

regards fedoralover

 

[Andykev]

Smashing

Wow! Excellent hat my frined. I am envious. I really like how you have complared the hats from before to your newest. I bet the felt is supurb.


I just may have to order one meself!!

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Variety is a good thing

You're right... for variety's sake, I am going to make it untapered... Now that I have looked at it, this picture sealed it for me.

That's two hats, of similar colors, with the same style; one is just larger than the other. While in my opinion, tapered looks good on me, it's too much to have two like that.

Thanks for the comments guys, this is what I was looking for.

 

[MK]

Oh Man!

That is one sweet lid. Is it the light weight felt?

 

[Kentucky Blues]

Beautiful! Great hat, Nathan, makes me want one...

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Thanks MK and Daryl!

Well, it's hard to describe how thin the felt is.... it's quite thin, like their lightweight felt, but the felt is so dense that it feels more substantial. It's definitely not a heavyweight, but it's not their lightweight either... I'd say it's probably in between. Not stiff, quite pliable, but substantial.

It feels exactly like my brother's vintage 30's Stetson open road styled hat.

 

[gcollins]

Hey Zohar,

Very nice. The toffee color looks a little lighter than I had thought it would be--pleasantly surprised. But I'm sure pics and light have a lot to do with that.

I too like you in the tighter pinch. Looks cool.

I like the hat profile too.

You know, the stiffer felt. I have a new 100% beaver hat I'll review soon that has that stiffer, more body to the felt. I quite like that better than a floppier felt--just a personal preference. Feels more combat ready and substantial--better protection from flying objects for when the attack begins.

Lookin' good, my man.

G

 

[Matt Deckard]

Good looking.
Like it came off the shelf of a department store in the 30's.

Keep us updated on how the felt takes punishment. I am particularly interested in if the crown shrinks any in the future.

So far the only hats i have that do not taper are my vintage.

Looks like a hat that deserves a good suit and tie... We need to get you togged to the bricks.

Congratulations.

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Thanks guys,

Yes, is sort of light... i'd say it's about 3 shades darker than the Natural nutria blend.

I have weird lighting in my house... those fluorescent/incandescent bulbs give off a strange glow. The lighter shots aren't quite correct, as the flash makes them look a tad lighter than normal.

Here's four shots, two with flash, two sans flash. And, this is what the hat looks like now. I put a c-dent/teardrop into it.

Matt,

Yeah, I really need some new threads. I am stuck in a khakis/shirts/ties rut, and need some good suits.

 

[Fedora]

Nice! If it is beaver, it has got to be good! I will own nothing but this sort of felt, modern felt that is. Now, some of the vintage blends were something special. I fully believe if you want vintage quality felt nowadays, you have to buy beaver. IMHO. I have yet to see a modern rabbit blend that was worth a hoot. Hard to believe the same fur was used on the vintage rabbit blends. The difference is night and day. Fedora

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Thanks Steve,

One of your hats is going to go on my list, after you get through the initial rush. I don't want to add more fuel to the fire before Christmas

Perhaps the good hare blends back in the day were the result of the preblocking that all of the hats went through. That is something I will have to test.

One thing that surprised me about this hat was the density of it. Being 100% all beaver, I guess it is just denser or something that makes it feel more substantial. It's slightly thicker than my other Optimos...the closest thing I have to match the feel of the felt is a vintage Champ fedora from the early 40's, and my brother's 30's Stetson.

I will get my micrometer out of the shop sometime today, and measure the thickness of all of the different types of hats I have to give you guys a better idea of what it's like.
If I have time, I'll take a video with my camera and upload it so y'all can see the pliability and suppleness of the felt.

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Zohar,
Now thats a very nice hat in fact its so nice that i saw the same pictures of your hat on the net and you just made your post.

I guess they needed a nice quality pure beaver hat to go by. I'm glad you and Optimo are able to help others!

I've heard of P envy but hat envy?

I know its hard to describe the felt on a pure beaver it almost feels oily and is so so soft. If you have a scale weigh the hat please. I know you will enjoy your new Optimo for many years to come

 

[Gershomite]

Zohar, I must say that is the most comfortable looking new hat I believe I've ever seen. It looks very soft and...well, friendly.



Gersh

 

[gcollins]

Very cool, Zohar. That last pic shows a very sexy color on my monitor! I want to eat it! Looks like pumpkin pie.

I know what you mean about that pliability and density factors of the beaver. Mine at least is so smooth, like velvet, but pounced thin and dense...and with steam very easy to shape the hat in any shape.

Like Fedora, I'm my last couple of hats (all 100% beaver) have blown away the Optimo nutria natural felt of my travel hat. That substantial feeling of the body--depends perhaps on stiffeners, preblocking, etc--seems a completely different class above my Optimo natural. I wonder if Optimo customers might start wanting more if they start to wear the clear beaver or belly beaver hats?

I still don't know why Graham was strongly steering me away from 100% beaver and toward the nutria? The former is a much better hat, and you've just shown that the hat you received is one of the best you've felt or worn.

Wait till you see this black belly beaver I'll post this weekend, but at least Zohar and Fedora will understand. Extraordinary. A pic cannot do justice though. Wish you could just hold it in your hands.

Good pics, Zohar.

G

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Thanks Sharpetoys, G, and Gersh.

I think the "friendliness" of the hat comes from the look of the crease I put in it. Those crinkles in the c-dent make it look like the hats in old pictures.

As for whether it's better than the blend, I don't know. The blends are nice for everyday wear. They may be more comfortable, due to the malleability of the felt. However, the beaver feels more like vintage

I don't think this hat will make me want to never own another blend. All beaver is really really nice. However, to me, the blends are no slouch.

 

[Fedora]

Perhaps the good hare blends back in the day were the result of the preblocking that all of the hats went through. That is something I will have to test.

You know, I am still trying to figure out what the pre-blocking is. Follow me on this. The hat, after it comes out as a cone is put on the initial block, in the back shop and blocked in the right sizes. Normally one block size, from the back shop, fits two hat sizes. i.e. the same body off of one of these blocks is used to make a 7 1/4 and 7 3/8. Another block is used to make the 7 1/2-75/8. One block for two hat sizes. Then, when this hat goes to the front shop, it is blocked on the correct sized block, and the hat is then made. Where does the pre-blocking come in? And for what purpose? If you block a hat in the front shop on the right sized block, and then pull it off, and then block it again on the same block, where is the advantage of doing so? It just fits down nicely over the block, so no new blocking is going on at this point. Now, you could steam the hat again, to loosen up the felt and then let it tighten up on the block again as it dries, but I don't see the advantage here. What I have done to try and slow down the taper/shrink factor is to block the hat up one size, and then after it dries, block it down to the finished size. I have not done this long enough to determine if this helps.

So I am just in the dark on the pre block deal. Does not make much sense to me at all. And, I find absolutely no info on it in the books that I have read. The normal series of events for making a hat is as I have noted above. Raw, back shop block in the sizing, followed by the front shop finish block. Perhaps someone has an alternitive source for this info. Fedora

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Yeah, I'm not sure. And the way I'm thinking it's being done, it should actually be called "post blocking".

Perhaps I have it all wrong. I'll try to nail down from Graham what exactly it does.

I know it involves a machine that relaxes the felt, and it cost him a bunch of money to get it up and running. It's supposed to be the same machine that the old timers (stetson, cavanagh, maclachlan) used, but his is on a smaller scale.

 

[Brad Bowers]

That's a beautiful hat, Zohar. The felt sure looks like it behaves like the vintage felt of my Borsalino.

Brad

 

[Andykev]

Preblocking is a mystery

I am not sure what the "pre-blocking" is either. I find no reference to it in any of the hat books, vintage, from the 40's, etc.

Graham just told me that the process somehow makes the hat more dense, and thus more "stable?" if that is what he was describing...I don't know.

Graham has also told me that on reason the vintage hats are so nice, is that over time, a quality felt "ages" in that it gets tighter with the passage of time. Is that the secret? The hairs of felt, as I read, want to knit tighter and tighter, which is what the felter tries to achieve in the manufacturing process.

As opposed to the Nutria hat and the Midnight Blue.....the latter is supposed to be beaver (majority of it). It is very dense and "weighty". The Nutria hat I bought earlier this year really is a super hat, and I find myself wearing it more than the others. The natural color is spectacular.

Maybe Fedora can find some natural pure beaver bodies...I'd bite on one of those!