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What hat do you wear most (and why)?

Bushman

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,138
Location
Joliet
I think I'm gonna have to start saving up for one of these. I'm not happy with how my Penman turned out at all. In fact I got it several months ago and have yet to take it out of the box. Between what Ive seen between you and @jlee562, I should have gone with the "OG" to begin with. Impressive hats!
I highly recommend them. I actually got mine on a steal from eBay due to a "blemish" on the brim that I've yet to confirm exists. The seller's photos on eBay advertised it open crown, but it came creased. I ended up recreasing into a more accurate Raider's Turn anyway.

What I love about it is how soft and supple the felt is. I wouldn't call it "floppy" but it's thinner than most replica Poets I've found. That makes it better for an everyday kind of hat, I think. I can wear it longer into the Summer than most of my other felt hats.
 
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Tukwila

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,382
Location
SW of Antifa Central (PDX)
I think I'm gonna have to start saving up for one of these. I'm not happy with how my Penman turned out at all. In fact I got it several months ago and have yet to take it out of the box. Between what Ive seen between you and @jlee562, I should have gone with the "OG" to begin with. Impressive hats!
Which hat did you get from Penman? Have you posted it here?

I have the Indy Everyman hat from John and a custom steel beaver felt. I'm having Mike Miller at NW Hats remake the Everyman into a more useable dress type fedora (the felt on the Indy Everyman is really great felt IMO), and the custom steel was re-creased by Mike at the break between the crown and brim... it made a world of difference. I think it looks better than when it was brand spanking new. It always seemed to look sort of dumpy before - for lack of a better word - and I couldn't put my finger on it, but Mike knew exactly what it needed and I am pleased to death with it now.

Not to take away your plans for a Poet. They make a great hat at HJ and their customs are sweet, too.
 

Just A Hat Rack

Practically Family
Messages
619
Location
Buckeye Nation
So I learned on COW this week that I probably paid a VAT unnecessarily when I bought my HJ, and that they can invoice international customers without a VAT by request, but this is not done automatically by their shopping cart.

Whoops.

Anyways, still nice hats. They are definitely collecting a brand name premium price (and, uh, VAT I guess), but they're using FEPSA felts for all their hats, so it's kinda hard to go wrong. Still wish they came with a hat box.
Pardon my ignorance, but what is VAT?
Also, I remember you telling me that they were going to release a new version of the Poet this summer. Any info on this?
Which hat did you get from Penman? Have you posted it here?

I have the Indy Everyman hat from John and a custom steel beaver felt. I'm having Mike Miller at NW Hats remake the Everyman into a more useable dress type fedora (the felt on the Indy Everyman is really great felt IMO), and the custom steel was re-creased by Mike at the break between the crown and brim... it made a world of difference. I think it looks better than when it was brand spanking new. It always seemed to look sort of dumpy before - for lack of a better word - and I couldn't put my finger on it, but Mike knew exactly what it needed and I am pleased to death with it now.

Not to take away your plans for a Poet. They make a great hat at HJ and their customs are sweet, too.
I got the handmade Raiders. I posted about it, and possibly my experience in getting it, back when I received the hat. I think it was in the Post New Hats Here thread. I'll look for it and post a link when I get more time. I also PM'd my experience to you some time last year I believe when the process was ongoing.
 
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Just A Hat Rack

Practically Family
Messages
619
Location
Buckeye Nation
Which hat did you get from Penman? Have you posted it here?

I have the Indy Everyman hat from John and a custom steel beaver felt. I'm having Mike Miller at NW Hats remake the Everyman into a more useable dress type fedora (the felt on the Indy Everyman is really great felt IMO), and the custom steel was re-creased by Mike at the break between the crown and brim... it made a world of difference. I think it looks better than when it was brand spanking new. It always seemed to look sort of dumpy before - for lack of a better word - and I couldn't put my finger on it, but Mike knew exactly what it needed and I am pleased to death with it now.

Not to take away your plans for a Poet. They make a great hat at HJ and their customs are sweet, too.
Post New Hats Here!
 

jlee562

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,047
Location
San Francisco, CA
Pardon my ignorance, but what is VAT?
Also, I remember you telling me that they were going to release a new version of the Post this summer. Any info on this?

Value Added Tax. Like Belfastboy said earlier, I didn't even think to ask about it. I got mine when they were doing a 10% off sale, so I guess I'm 10% less irked about it :D

Something something death and taxes.....

Anyways, the 40th Anniversary Poet is a Streets of Cairo Poet in their proprietary deep sable rabbit felt that actually comes with a box!
https://herbertjohnson.co.uk/pages/the-streets-of-cairo-poet-a-raiders-collectors-package
 
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Tukwila

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,382
Location
SW of Antifa Central (PDX)
IMO, that hat was not taken apart and reblocked to remove the previous lines. It looks to me like John tried to remove the old crease lines without taking the hat apart and putting it on the block again... and the attempt failed.

I've had hatters claim they never received my emails before. I didn't believe them. They sure enough received all my emails regarding payment, and the hatters I continue to use have NEVER missed one of my emails in 5 years of business deals.

I also like the Indy look of the hat and the worn, adventurous vibe it exhibits, but if it's not what you asked for then that's on the hatter, not you.

I once did like the look of my Indy hat, but over the years I changed the bash and now I'm having it completely rebuilt into a dress hat with maroon ribbon done up with boxcar and sharks gill treatment. It should be done this week.
 
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Just A Hat Rack

Practically Family
Messages
619
Location
Buckeye Nation
IMO, that hat was not taken apart and reblocked to remove the previous lines. It looks to me like John tried to remove the old crease lines without taking the hat apart and putting it on the block again... and the attempt failed.

I've had hatters claim they never received my emails before. I didn't believe them. They sure enough received all my emails regarding payment, and the hatters I continue to use have NEVER missed one of my emails in 5 years of business deals.

I also like the Indy look of the hat and the worn, adventurous vibe it exhibits, but if it's not what you asked for then that's on the hatter, not you.

I once did like the look of my Indy hat, but over the years I changed the bash and now I'm having it completely rebuilt into a dress hat with maroon ribbon done up with boxcar and sharks gill treatment. It should be done this week.
Your summation is the same as mine. There's no way the hat was re-blocked.
Its not so much the "missed emails" that bother me. It's the lack of overall communication. I may be expecting too much, but a simple correspondence stating that my hat was about to be worked on, are we still on the same page, it would have avoided any future problems. Especially after a six month wait.
 

Hats Matter

One of the Regulars
Messages
210
Location
Oakland CA
This is my "Go To" hat that I wear about 80% of the time. It is an Optimo Manhatten in Canyon Grey that I have had for about 18 years and was one of the first four hats I purchased at Carolyn Busch's Fino Fino hat shop in Menlo Park, CA. Graham Thompson used to come out once a year and take orders for hats. He had his "Conformer" and did the measurements to my head. I now have about 23 Optimos. As to why I wear it, I guess because it can go with the clothes I wear in a daily basis which are extremely casual.


IMG_1303 (2).JPG
 
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T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,600
Location
Central Ohio
For me, it's been this Resistol Ridgetop that I sized up, restyled, and restored. I blocked it on my RA block and gave it a Cattleman crease. I trimmed the brim to 3 inches and gave it a slight curl. I like it because of its clean and simple profile, and for a Cattleman, the crown is nice and full.
Before:
IMG-20210430-100742621.jpg



IMG-20210501-081347639.jpg


IMG-20210505-082107742.jpg


Ridgetop-Refurb-10-A.jpg


Ridgetop-Refurb-9-A.jpg


Resistol-Ridgetop-8-A.jpg


Resistol-Ridgetop-2-A.jpg
 

jkingrph

Practically Family
Messages
848
Location
Jacksonville, Tx, West Monroe, La.
No one or exact one style at any time. Cool weather it is felt hats, fedoras and a few westerns, warmer to hot weather it's straw all the way, and really like the vented ones, and always in a light color, white to natural straw. I tend to like wider brims also, probably 2 5/8 to 3 1/4" due to some eye problems, so I can flip the brim down and even driving, tilt the hat to the side to protect my eyes from bright light.
 

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