The Cap Faction

Thanks, I seen those & discarded them because they look too much like baseball caps to me.
I have seen something similar to the "Dockman" style that I like is what is sometimes called Irish newsboy style.

Essentially what I'm looking for is a not so full width 6 or 8 panel newsboy.

The Wiser Hatter said:

Maybe this would do.
https://www.bostonscally.com/products/hat-4

Don’t really wear this style. [emoji3]

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dkstott said:

Thanks, I seen those & discarded them because they look too much like baseball caps to me.

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That's my opinion of that style, too. There's a ton of those available online now and outnumber what I condsider more traditional styles. I think those are intended to be what you imply, a hybrid with baseball caps, so that men who wear the latter won't feel weird buying a cap since it's a halfway point. No thanks.

Essentially what I'm looking for is a not so full width 6 or 8 panel newsboy.

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Because of the way they're constructed, those 6 or 8 panel caps will always be kinda "round" in shape and likely stick out on all sides. If you want a narrow-sided cap, then you have to go for the traditional British flap cap which is one large piece with two small triangle pieces on the front quarters.

dkstott said:

...I have seen something similar to the "Dockman" style that I like is what is sometimes called Irish newsboy style.

Essentially what I'm looking for is a not so full width 6 or 8 panel newsboy.

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Take a look at Hat People's website to see what you think, and be sure to click on the "Newsboy Cuts" link near the top of the page. I have three of their "Full Cut" caps, like them a lot, and think they're well made for the price, but you might prefer their "Deep Cut" or "Medium Cut". Oh, and no plastic in the brims.

Ooh! I like hat people newsboy medium cuts!!! Thanks!!

The latest cap Keith Lo Bue made for me. It"s on its way to Texas. I specifically asked for it to be a little pointy.

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Sad to see a favorite cap getting old. Had this Cordova for a few years and wear it a lot. Such a well made cap. Aside from the sweatband falling apart and surface wear the material is solid. It is my Old Dependable.

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dkstott said:

hi, I've been a member for a while, but life got in the way & haven't been active in a long time.

I'm a big fan of what Bailey calls their "dockman" style caps... My favorite being the "Butler" for summer and the "Seddon" for winter. The Butler is an 8 panel slimmer newsboy made of linen and cotton. The Seddon is a wool blend that is warm during the winter.. Both have very flexible brims.

https://www.baileyhats.com/butler-dockman-cap.html

I just can't seem to like the caps with plastic brims.

I wish I could like the wider style newsboys, but they just look clown-like on my head. My father wore the "ivy" style flat caps & for a number of reasons, so I tend to stay away from them.

Looking for suggestions on other brands in the style that I like.

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I'd call the shown style a flat cap. It does look like 8 panels without the button. But the look to me looks like a variation on an ivy.

After going on an excessive binge, I've tried a bunch of different caps from larger companies and even a few more from the mom and pop type hatmakers. This is what I've found that might appeal to you:

http://www.hatswithapast.com/
Bonnie makes a wide and thin cut in both ivy and newsboy.

EDIT: didn't see a few posts with this suggestion...
http://www.hatpeople.com/cuts/tourcut.html
These guys make a custom cap in Medium and Deep cut that might suit your needs.

I tend to like caps with more body and have that drape that you don't like. However, there is such thing as too much drape or flop.

drmaxtejeda said:

The latest cap Keith Lo Bue made for me. It"s on its way to Texas. I specifically asked for it to be a little pointy.

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Wow! Amazing fabric. Ballsy too!

Feraud said:

Sad to see a favorite cap getting old. Had this Cordova for a few years and wear it a lot. Such a well made cap. Aside from the sweatband falling apart and surface wear the material is solid. It is my Old Dependable.

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Damn! That is one used cap. You could prolly have him refurbish it for you. It's canvas, no?

I may do that eventually but took the opportunity to order one with a leather brim. I love the light color but the brim gets dirty quickly from handling.

I enjoy wearing this Aussie made cap.
Jacaru drivers cap, Kangaroo leather, colour Rust/Claret.

I like that cap a lot, Nico!

Gamble & Gunn cap kinda a day.

That's a lovely cap @Nico. It suits your look. I believe I have a few more reviews to do -- about 5 or 6 I reckon. Been collecting, but not posting about them.

So this is the first of 5 or 6 or 7 reviews... I'm going to start with something interesting -- at least for me. There's a moment where you see some fabric and think that would make a great cap. That moment was last winter when my wife bought what was supposed to be dish towels at Ikea. Instead of using them as dish towels they became arm rest protection on our couch. They had maybe been there for maybe a month or two and one day I looked at it and was like hrmmmmm... I said to my wife... "do you really want that fabric? I have an idea for it." She asked... "what for?" I said "I have a brilliant idea hon!... it's a secret!" Lo and behold several months later... maybe in April or May or so I had my completed cap. I decided to go with Cordova. I had bought a cap on a whim from him and thought he'd be perfect to commission for a 8 dart...

This is the fabric I chose... Cotton with gold, purple, green, and maroon.



...and this is the after...




So how is the cap?

Well. Gotta say Jonathan Cordova works wonders. We all know this already. But I gotta say it again. The fit is great. It's spot on. The shape. I love it or shall I say I have grown to love it. The colors - super cool. I like how the cap works with a maroon, reddish, purplish color scheme. It's in the top 5 caps I own or at least it's one of my current favs.

What are my distastes? So more on the shape... This is a slight buggaboo, but ultimately is fine. I've checked and measured and everything seems to be symmetrical, however the way the cap falls straight down the center, it doesn't look quite right. So, I've decided it just looks better when tilted or draped to the side. Is it a deal breaker? no way. It's just is what it is. In terms of wearing this cap in the heat of the summer, because of the leather band and the lining and the thickness of the fabric it's a tad bit hot on my head and causes some sweat. It doesn't even have to be the hottest day. I'm thinking this is best as a spring and fall cap vs. straight up summer cap.

Overall, I'm pretty stoked how it came out and as always I'd buy from Cordova again...

Happy hatting!

Soooooo... after reading through this thread for a bit from the beginning I saw a common cap maker mentioned and thought I'd give it a shot. The look of the cap in pictures looked very close to what I was looking for and the price was very reasonabble. $50 shipped for a custom cap from AmiCharnel? Done!

soooooooooooo ordered the cap... and...


wait...







wait...











wait a bit more...



you get the idea.

I started contacting the shop keeper. No response. Contacted again... same... then eventually after almost 3 months of nothing contacted PayPal to create a dispute. Then BAM!!! got the cap within a few days with a note stating health issues were the cause of the delay. I can sympathize. However, a bit more communication would have been appreciated.

Here are some pics...



So what do I think of the cap? Well... It's one of my least favorites. The pictures to others might tell one story, but the shape and feel just seems off to me. For the style, I feel like it's too stiff and dome-like. I know others have bought a cap from AmiCharnel and loved the product and subsequently bought a few. For the price, sure, it seems like a great deal. But I'd rather spend more for a better design. Is the cap bad? No. It's just not worth the time and hassle to me.

Do I like anything about it? At first, I thought I gotta sell this and I still might. I haven't worn it more than these pics taken. I do like the inner lining. It's a nice satin like fabric. Also I like the wool. It's a shetland sheep wool. I love the color scheme of the fabric - a varying blue and brown houndstooth. The leather band inside doesn't need to be as wide as it is. It's wider than what B! Wear offers in his hats and it creates the shape that I'm not a fan of. I'd say between this, B! Wear and the Hat People, I'd pick the other two over this. They are all in the same price range. If I keep it... will I dig it at some point in time? Time will tell.

I've been buying caps from bespoke makers as of late and I wanted to see if I could find something similar in style to the 20s-30s 8 panel, but from a larger hat company. From reading these forums, I've been seeking out a Jonathan Richard cap because I've read about the quality, etc. One day when scanning Etsy, I came upon a cap that looked to fit the bill from Lands End. I know the wife likes their wares, so for $35 shipped -- new old stock with tag -- I hit buy.





The fabric is a harris tweed in a grey/green herringbone. Quality is quite nice for a larger brand. It seems like this cap might sell for maybe $80-100 new? The comfort is good. It's a large cap in size and seems to be somewhere between 59-60cm. I've had caps that are advertised as such and seemed larger. So this one is spot on. The sweatband is cotton flannel like. I prefer gros-grain, but beggars can't be choosers. The peak is bendable and seems to hold its shape when bent. Not sure of the material here. If I were to guess I'd say this cap was new in the 80s or 90s. Although, I can't really tell.

So while I like how the hat tries to go for the 20-30s shape and look, I don't feel like they got it exactly right. It's very close though and for some, it'd be good enough. You can kind of flop it to one side, but to my eyes it doesn't fully capture the essence of that look. Straight on like I have it, I think it looks best. Overall, for $35 shipped it's a worthy contender for the blisteringly cold weather of the winter months.

Keep on pumpin' 'em out...

Next up is...

During last late winter, when I was initially selecting fabrics from Simonds for a summer based 8 panel, I couldn't decide what to go with for a few weeks. I was going back and forth and actually got the wife involved in the selection process. I usually try and keep the cap buying habit to myself as to prevent any kerfuffles. Surprisingly, she seemed to be into the process at the time and I went with a dotted stripe cap, which is one of my personal favs. At that time there was another indigo plaid canvas fabric that I was completely into, but the wife wasn't so keen on it. I knew at some point I'd have to have a cap made in this fabric. So a few months back as I was communicating with Barry about possible designs, I mentioned I wanted something that had more drape or flop to it. He said he had the perfect design/pattern that was new for him. This is the result...



I absolutely love this fabric. Barry added in a leather band (normally cotton for this design) and it just has cotton tape. No lining. Perfect for the summer months. The crown is ridiculously large. It has so much flop and allows one to complete shape it to your hearts desire. This cap probably has the largest crown of any I own. It seems almost clownish like in its proportion. I'd think that most wouldn't like it because you have to "own" it when wearing this cap.

What else is there to say about it? Another top notch cap from Simonds. It's for those who want to live it large. Downsides? Maybe seems over the top at times? Otherwise, it's a keeper.

ScottyD said:

Soooooo... after reading through this thread for a bit from the beginning I saw a common cap maker mentioned and thought I'd give it a shot. The look of the cap in pictures looked very close to what I was looking for and the price was very reasonabble. $50 shipped for a custom cap from AmiCharnel? Done!

soooooooooooo ordered the cap... and...


wait...







wait...











wait a bit more...



you get the idea.

I started contacting the shop keeper. No response. Contacted again... same... then eventually after almost 3 months of nothing contacted PayPal to create a dispute. Then BAM!!! got the cap within a few days with a note stating health issues were the cause of the delay. I can sympathize. However, a bit more communication would have been appreciated.

Here are some pics...

View attachment 177201
View attachment 177200
So what do I think of the cap? Well... It's one of my least favorites. The pictures to others might tell one story, but the shape and feel just seems off to me. For the style, I feel like it's too stiff and dome-like. I know others have bought a cap from AmiCharnel and loved the product and subsequently bought a few. For the price, sure, it seems like a great deal. But I'd rather spend more for a better design. Is the cap bad? No. It's just not worth the time and hassle to me.

Do I like anything about it? At first, I thought I gotta sell this and I still might. I haven't worn it more than these pics taken. I do like the inner lining. It's a nice satin like fabric. Also I like the wool. It's a shetland sheep wool. I love the color scheme of the fabric - a varying blue and brown houndstooth. The leather band inside doesn't need to be as wide as it is. It's wider than what B! Wear offers in his hats and it creates the shape that I'm not a fan of. I'd say between this, B! Wear and the Hat People, I'd pick the other two over this. They are all in the same price range. If I keep it... will I dig it at some point in time? Time will tell.

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This one makes head look big. Not a good look. [emoji3]

Let's do another... I've got like 3 or 4 more to do...

So in the past I've had some issues with communication with Monsivais and Co. However, I just love his 8 panel design - The National with associated fabric options and had been wanting something in denim for the warmer months. I discovered via trial and error that the best way to communicate with him is via Instagram PMs. After a bit of back and forth, I inquired about The National made with herringbone twill denim. Nothing came of it. I decided I didn't want to go in that direction. Then a few weeks later he was having a summer sale. I decided to pull the trigger on an indigo selvedge denim cap along with a charcoal chambray cotton cap that is actually still currently on sale. A few days later, I got both caps in the mail, except there was an issue with the denim cap. One of the seams was loose. After some more back and forth, I sent the cap back to get it fixed. When I received my apparently fixed cap... what did I find in the box? A herringbone twill cap that I never ended up ordering. I was a little annoyed none the less, but in the end realized I liked the look more than the previous selvedge denim cap. Such is life when dealing with Monsivais... So here are both caps in their glory...

Monsivais' The National herringbone twill denim -



Monsivais' The National in charcoal chambray cotton -



The National - herringbone twill

So... I have to say even with the screw up... This is my favorite summer cap. I don't want to be unfair to some of the other caps so let's say Top 5 for good measure. I've mentioned this before, I feel like Monsivais' sizing is a bit off. The leather sweatband is a tad tight, but after wearing the cap for a few weeks it has come into its own. In this end, this is ok because it fits to a T. The drape of the cap is just right. The build quality is like a B+. There is a tiny bit of sloppiness in a few parts of the hat, but it's only noticeable if you're looking for it. I'm not even bothered by it. My takeaway is that when dealing with this company, you won't get the same attention to detail as provided by the other milliners like Simonds or Cordova or Keith Lo Bue.

The National - charcoal chambray cotton

Who can pass up a good deal? Since the cap was on sale and I wanted to fill out my summer collection with something in a greyish tone, I decided on the impulse buy. I had never seen or felt chambray before so I figured I'd give it a whirl. The cap is similar to the previous cap in that it is an 8 panel design of the same name, but it's definitely different. First and foremost, it doesn't have a lining. It has the taped seams with small piece of satin-like fabric at the top of the crown. The crown seems a little smaller as well. The fabric has this interesting coarse feel to it that I wasn't expecting with cotton. It must be the different weave that creates this texture. This one was as tight as the other cap and has stretched with some wear. The drape isn't as good as the previous cap, so I just wear it straight on my head. No flop. I could, it has enough fabric. I think if if had a lining it would add more weight to it like in the other cap and provide a better drape. The build quality on this cap is actually quite good. I'd give it an A. No imperfections or anything. It's definite more of a go to cap on those hotter days because of the lack of lining. Overall, I'd say this is a solid cap.