Club Obi Wan

Hey gang,

since I've made myself so rare lately, I wanted to show you a few hats I've been working on lately.

From left to right: A brand new but totally beaten up pre-distressed Raiders Fedora for a customer in Australia, an AB-Legend (one out of four) CS style for my felter (see that felt surface there???), a light grey "classic meets modern" Fedora for my father (who's been bugging me for the last four years to please make a hat for him) - obviously not done yet, as it will have a matching navy blue bound brim and a two tone bow that I designed specially for this hat to match the unique design of the crown and last but not least an idol grap Raiders Fedora for a customer here in Germany (who's been kind enough to threaten me with his lawyer 'cause he couldn't wait any longer).





As always, critism - good and bad - is more than welcome.

Regards,

Marc

Looks good Marc, nicely done.

I hope that "nice" customer isn't one of us. Sheesh!

Awesome job Marc! I especially like that Raiders lid! What do you call the bash on the grey hat? I've never seen the top of a hat look exactly like that.

Super High Regards!

Travis

Wow, absolutley beautiful hats!

Thanks

Regarding the bash on the grey one... well, since I designed it for my father, I guess that it's creased "Eckart style"

Regards,

Marc

Wow, Those realy look great Marc I'm not a big fan of the third one myself, but I just know your dad is going to be thrilled by it.


Regards, Geert

That pre-distressed Raiders is perfect!!! What a beauty...

I like the first one best.

btw, what is a AB legend?

My advice, if he can't be patient like the rest of us, refund the 4th guy and tell him to find a hat elsewhere. The top crease of the third has fascinates me.

what is a AB legend?

VERY long story short: it's a felt that I had to beg my felter on my knees for, for over half an hour. He FINALLY gave up (I guess he was just sick of listening to my begging) and made four of these rawbodies for me. In return, he wanted a CS Fedora from me - made of one of these rawbodies - that should put ANY other hat he'd EVER seen or owned to shame. Comming from a FELTER who has seen and owned THOUSANDS of high end hats throughout the year, that challence almost made me gulp. So I've been working on and off this hat for two bloody years now... I'm still nervous as can be about presentating it to him...

My advice, if he can't be patient like the rest of us, refund the 4th guy and tell him to find a hat elsewhere. The top crease of the third has fascinates me.

Oh! Trust me old friend! If I wouldn't have been completely through with this hat (except for the sweatband that I was waiting on yet), I would have done JUST that. I know from my felter and others of my suppliers, that other hatters charge 2000, 3000 and even 4000$ for hats made from this beaver felt and I can't even make a bloody living from this, 'cause I refuse to rip off fellow gearheads. To then be threatened with a lawyer really saddened me in a way that I haven't experienced before in this "hobby".

Thanks for the compliment on the crease I invented Bink

Regards,

Marc

If this guy was a real gearhead, he'd know the wait. Too bad you couldn't tell him to take it like a man and wait -- then take exxxxxtttrrrraaaaa long to finish his hat juuuusssstttt riigggghhhtttt....

I can't believe someone would threaten with legal action over a hat. Those all look superb! I like the predistressed one best though.

Randy

Great as always my friend. You know how much I love your work. I can't wait to see the grey one finished.

The felt on that Legend has left me speechless. I don't think I've ever seen felt look that good. If it photographs that well, I can't imagine what it woul look like in person. How much do you charge for an AB Legend?

Dave

All beautiful hats Marc. Especially the first

Marc's felt is simply the best. I would love to have just one body to make myself a hat and to see what it's like working with it.

Marc,

Maybe one of us needs to learn the art of felt making...

Just a thought.

HJoe

if someone threatened me with legal action in a case like this I would opf sent him all the parts of the hat, not put together, & then added a note stating some assembly required...

Great hats Marc. A lawsuit?? Wow. I have had a few irate customers, due to the lead times, and used to just promptly refund the money, until I ended up with all of these extra bodies and parts(already bought for the existing orders) so I had to pick and choose after that. My mistake is I will pull up an order like that and make it as I cannot afford to refund now, which of course isn't fair to the folks who have been patient.

If I could do it over, I would have never made those last film hats with you my friend. I mean, it is wonderful to have become a small part of the Indy film, but it has also become some what of a nightmare as well. I just sold too many hats at the low price prior to the film coming out. I of course, hired a guy to help, but that went south and now its just me with a horde of orders. But I am not tempted to rush any order up, as my name is on the line here, and rushed orders are not in me. I got my principles, ya know?

Since neither one of us are really selling hats today, (oh a few, every now and then) at least when we do get caught up, our lead times will be really short!!! But if the economy is still bad, that won't help in sales.

So there is daylight at the end of this tunnel. For me, it will elicit a huge sigh of relief when I finally get there. It's the carrot dangling at the end of a stick. I know there is an end to this madness, but I am still aways off from that at present.

I felt sorry for many folks who lost their jobs and gave their money back, and have some coming in now with the same request. What they don't understand is I am in the same boat as they are! I have a surplus of bodies that are not sold, hence tying up my money. So, when I sell a hat today, I turn around and use that money for a refund! But, I can't do that forever. You end up with all of these bodies and sweats and liners that are no longer "for someone". Yikes!

I had one lady turn me over to the BBB. To keep them off my back, I had to pull her name up, over others and make that hat. This can be very stressfull. And unfair. It happens way too often too. And can get very confusing when you are forced off your system of handling orders.

But, at least there is daylight up ahead. I can't believe I am complaining about success!! But there it is. Time to head to the shop. Its covered with hats that need to be shipped out today. Fedora

people need to understand what they are getting. It's not a mass produced item and the hat that Marc and Steve make are one of a kind. If they want soemthing fast and quick turn around their are other options. In our soicty it's abot what can you do for me lately. I feel bad for Steve and Marc, I understand if you are unemployed but if you are just stompping your feet and just want your hat now, well just wait and what you get will be special. goodluck guys you make a fine product and your customers know it.

Marc wrote:

what is a AB legend?

VERY long story short: it's a felt that I had to beg my felter on my knees for, for over half an hour. He FINALLY gave up (I guess he was just sick of listening to my begging) and made four of these rawbodies for me. In return, he wanted a CS Fedora from me - made of one of these rawbodies - that should put ANY other hat he'd EVER seen or owned to shame. Comming from a FELTER who has seen and owned THOUSANDS of high end hats throughout the year, that challence almost made me gulp. So I've been working on and off this hat for two bloody years now... I'm still nervous as can be about presentating it to him...

so are you saying that there are only 4 AB legend in the world? wow, then the name sounds appropriate somehow but why didn't he want to sell you that type of felt, if I may ask? why did you have to beg?

anyway, if I were you, I would save those 3 rawbodies to make special hats for special persons. or are you going to sell them?

so are you saying that there are only 4 AB legend in the world?

Yes, that is correct.

wow, then the name sounds appropriate somehow

I had a few sweatbands made specially for these rawbodies:

The Adventurebilt Legend
To honor bygone Masters
To accomplish their quest

You'd think that's completely over the edge, but trust me, that is still an understatement.

but why didn't he want to sell you that type of felt, if I may ask? why did you have to beg?

Hmmm... I really don't want to make to much of a mystery around this, but let's just say that some things are so extremely time consuming, complicated and expensive to make, that it hasn't been done for several generations

anyway, if I were you, I would save those 3 rawbodies to make special hats for special persons. or are you going to sell them?

Wouldn't make sense to offer them for sale at all. I asked my felter what they're worth (round about). He gave me a number, I thought it was freakin' insane, devided that number by four and told him that this would be this and that per rawbody. Answer "the number I gave you IS per rawbody!" So, what I'll do with the remaining three is give one to Steve (I don't have to tell you why, do I?), one for my buddy John Grossmann - one of my very first customers who since became one of my very best friends in life and finally one for myself.

Regards,

Marc

You just can't please some people, no matter how hard you try. Both Marc's and Steve's websites say up front that the wait times are very lengthy, but in a world where waiting 5 minutes for a coffee seems to irk most people, i suppose a year is an eternity. People need to slow down and take in the air, sheesh. Id be more than happy to wait and be patient, its not fair to those in front of me, nor to the craftsman who actually takes pride in his work, which is very rare in these days.

Ok enough of my cynicism, to Marc's lids, they look great. I really want to see that grey lid on a head, and from all angles. Its very cool looking. That distressed Raiders is spot on.

Great hats. I love the pre-disstressed Raiders the most

Ok, rather than continuing to explore the heritage of said individual, let's return to the subject topic, if you please....

Regards! Michaelson

This is my hat and me at easter weekend's fire. (There are made so called easter-fires on easter holidays in our part of germany everywhere). Amanzing what you can do with a cam, a friend, a long exposure time and a LED as a whip

http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt81 ... G_0440.jpg
(Mod edit: reduced to link due to size)

Marc, you made your dad wait 4 years for his hat? Shame on you! LOL!
If that's the waiting time for a family member... I start worrying about MY delivery!

... although if I were you I would be more worried about that lawsuit

Erri wrote:Marc, you made your dad wait 4 years for his hat? Shame on you! LOL!
If that's the waiting time for a family member... I start worrying about MY delivery!

... although if I were you I would be more worried about that lawsuit

He really doesn't play favorites.

You can safely say that

Stefan wrote:This is my hat and me at easter weekend's fire. (There are made so called easter-fires on easter holidays in our part of germany everywhere). Amanzing what you can do with a cam, a friend, a long exposure time and a LED as a whip

http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt81 ... G_0440.jpg
(Mod edit: reduced to link due to size)

Light painting I believe it's called. A serious photgrapher friend of mine went through a phase where he did extensive experiments with it. It is pretty amazing. I love how the glow lights up your face and the front of the hat brim.

Randy

all very nice hats

Beautiful hats. Terrible about that lawsuit, though. Man, I must be more frugal so I can afford an AB in the future.

Fedora wrote:Great hats Marc. A lawsuit?? Wow. I have had a few irate customers, due to the lead times...

But, at least there is daylight up ahead. I can't believe I am complaining about success!! But there it is. Time to head to the shop. Its covered with hats that need to be shipped out today.

It's all about the wait, you just have to accept it. Getting mad isn't going to help one bit. I ordered mine in Dec 2007, and as of 09/09 was still in line. Tick, tick, tick.

I hope one of those hats is mine, soon.