Club Obi Wan

Indiana Jeff wrote:A conformer is the tool. It's more or less creates a 3D mapping of a customer's head. Very useful tool if a person's head is not symmetrical (none of us are, but some are more so than others). John has pointed out it would be ideal to have every customer use one to give him the best measurements, but many customers have a problem using the paper tape measure so using a conformer with 30 moving parts will create more problems than it solves. I did that myself with my first AB order. I ended up ordering a full quarter inch too big and had to sent it back immediately for a reblock to dial in my perfect size.


As for how to define 'custom' we can fine slice that to no end.

I see the general analogy like this.

1st option: I can go into suit shop, buy a suit in my size and walk out. Same as buying a ready made factory hat.

2nd option: I can got into a suit shop, buy a suit in my size and have it tailored slightly so better fit my specific body type. Same as buying a factory hat and then having it reblocked to take the size down slightly (for me I measure between sizes in hats).

3rd option: I can get my body measurements, send them to a tailor (Magnoli Clothiers being an example) and have a suit made for me. The suit did not exist before my measurements were sent and it is being made from scratch from a bolt of material. I would call this a custom made suit. Same as sending my head measurement to a hatter to have a hat made from the raw materials of a felt body, etc.

4th option: I can go to a local tailor, get measured, have a suit started, go in for a fitting for adjustments, and then have the suit finished. Again, this is a suit being made from scratch from a bolt of material. This is also a custom made suit. Same as going to a hat shop to have the hatter measure me, see my head and face dimensions, talk about what look I'm going for, etc.

Now, it is likely the 4th option will be the best fitting of the four. That doesn't mean the 3rd option isn't a custom made hat. To me, any hat order that starts out as raw materials (felt body, ribbon, sweatband, etc.) and is created solely for me is a custom hat.


Regards,

Indiana Jeff

BendingOak wrote:You can look at it this way. Just because the customer doesn't use all of the services of a custom hatter doesn't mean the hatter isn't. If you order from me and all you want is a Raiders hat. I can make it with you in mind and getting the fit and look just for you. Off the rack all the specs are the same no matter what your head measurements are ( except for the Henry they do vary). With a custom hatter (even though you buying a hat style like a Raiders hat) he can tweak the specs to make it for your face, your measurements. The more information the better I can get a hat that may not be optimal for your face, look better on you by tweaking those specs.

one other thing to think about. There isn't nothing new done in hats. No one is creating something that hasn't been done before.