Recent content by Mark Elliott

Idaho’s Randy Priest is 79 years old, and the oldest active hatmaker in the country today. I learned this week, however, that due to failing health his days as a hatter are over, but that his shop - the SILVER TIP HAT CO.-will pass to a younger hatter. Here is the bio that I wrote on Randy for...

That’s verrrrry helpful. I guess I didn’t think through the navigation problem as carefully as I thought. I’m curious: did the book introduce you to the witk of hatters other than the ones you knew?

Hi Frunobulax. I considered an index, but chose to do alphabetical, state-by-state, country-by-country listings for their efficiency. If you get (ir download) the book, you’ll see how quick it is to locate hatters and shops.

Hey Bill. Thanks for keeping the faith. Actually, the eBook version of my book has been available on Amazon for a few weeks now.

Frunobulax, the Batsake profile was based on reporting from Cincinnati Magazine, WCPO-TV Cincinnati, and other Ohio/based periodicals … all found online. So, yes, a lot of the basic research for the book was via the Internet and one-on-one conversations over a period of 11 months. And, as you...

Thanks for your post. According to Shudde’s web site, they only sell ready-to-wear hats, but do restore and shape existing hats. As for Batsake’s, I’ll revisit that. I got the feeling from the website that Gus wasn’t doing custom any longer. -Mark

Following up on my first set of Oldest Hat Shops in the US: (1911) JJ’s HAT CENTER (New York City) – The city’s oldest hat shop is a cathedral to the fedora. How could any hat lover walk through the doors of this old-school Manhattan shop and not buy one (or more) hats? Open six days a week...

Gus is undoubtedly the oldest hat shop owner in the US. But the oldest active custom hatter in the US today is a 79-year-old in a small town north of Boise, Idaho. He told me he got into the hat business in the late 1950’s by buying second-hand and pawn shop hats for a dollar, then restoring...

Hats and American history go hand in hand. And while researching my new book (The Brim and the Crown), I wanted to give a shout out to some of the oldest hat shops in the US. They are: 1. (1883) HENRY THE HATTER (Detroit, MI) – The oldest hat retailer opened its doors in 1883, and the...

Yes the iBook should be available at the end of the month.

As the author of The Brim and the Crown, I wanted to jump into the thread that Art started. I spent 11 months researching and tracking down the best hat makers -- dress and Western -- in the US and abroad. I scoured urban metros, small towns, and suburbs. I believe I found the best hatters in 39...

Hey Mike. I'll jump into this thread. Here's a pgh I have on Northwest Hats for my hat book. "Hatter Mike Miller makes a highly regarded Indy fedora … but so much more. A self-taught hatter with an obsession for quality and detail, Miller began re-engineering hats years ago, and finally set up a...