Club Obi Wan

Just got my Delk AB Gray Fedora moments ago. You already know all the good things about Steve's work so I won't repeat the praise besides saying Awesome! This is my first "new, special ordered" Indy and I sure would appreciate comments. My main concern is that the pinch seems off center. I understand that in the Brown, but is this the way it should be in the Gray. I have tried to show what I mean in these photos. It seems a little off to me.

Also, the hat is just a bit snug. Will that form to fit better with time, or will it get tighter (Steve will make ajustments if I request)?

Thr brim is exactly the same size as my AB Raiders but it seems larger. Guess thats because of the color. Does that look right on me? You guys all have so much more experience with these, I thank you in advance for your input.

If it is off center, only very slightly. Honestly I cannot see what you are referring to here. It certainly is absent "the turn."

jlee562 wrote:If it is off center, only very slightly. Honestly I cannot see what you are referring to here. It certainly is absent "the turn."

It's more obvious in person. If you take a straight edge, like a piece of paper and put it in the center of the bottom picture, you'll see the pinch is decidedly on the left.

My crooked face probably masks some of it, lol

RayROnline wrote:

jlee562 wrote:If it is off center, only very slightly. Honestly I cannot see what you are referring to here. It certainly is absent "the turn."

It's more obvious in person. If you take a straight edge, like a piece of paper and put it in the center of the bottom picture, you'll see the pinch is decidedly on the left.

My crooked face probably masks some of it, lol

This may seem a stupid question, but the hat is centered on your head, yes?

The pictures make whatever asymmetry that may exist very hard to find, perhaps it is an artifact of the arm's length picture distortion (because it appears to me that you're also wearing the hat at a slight angle to your right side). Honestly I cannot really see it being really "off center," and I too am generally concerned with symmetry in my hat bashes. If it bothers you that much, it should not be too hard to simply "re-center" the pinch.

This is why most hat shops do not offer creasing services for open crown hats, because hand creasing is best done once the hat is actually on someone's head.

Unless you specifically TELL Steve NOT to put in the turn, he automatically puts one in.

He told me that once, and occasionally forgets I don't CARE for the turn myself, and yet I get hats from him with it installed. You get used to it.

That said, if it's too snug, let Steve know NOW! Let HIM fix it. Don't monkey around with it. He can make it right, and it should be a quick turn around too.

Regards! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:Unless you specifically TELL Steve NOT to put in the turn, he automatically puts one in.

He told me that once, and occasionally forgets I don't CARE for the turn myself, and yet I get hats from him with it installed. You get used to it.

That said, if it's too snug, let Steve know NOW! Let HIM fix it. Don't monkey around with it. He can make it right, and it should be a quick turn around too.

Regards! Michaelson

Thanks 4 that. I was thinking of trying something myself. I'll email him right away.

That gray hat looks kinda brown to me

Seriously, nice hat!

I see the off center crease, but I don't think it's a turn. The brim would look different. I find that hand bashed hat often end up off-center, and hand bashing somebody else's hat straight isn't easy.

My worry is the tightness. Send that puppy back for an adjustment. Take it from somebody who chose to ignore it and ended up selling the nicest AB I've ever seen after several years of denial. I will always miss that hat.

Chewbacca Jones wrote:I see the off center crease, but I don't think it's a turn. The brim would look different. I find that hand bashed hat often end up off-center, and hand bashing somebody else's hat straight isn't easy.

My worry is the tightness. Send that puppy back for an adjustment. Take it from somebody who chose to ignore it and ended up selling the nicest AB I've ever seen after several years of denial. I will always miss that hat.

Will-do CJ. I pushed out the bash and reformed it myself following Penmans video instructions.That's all it needed there. But, after wearing it out a while now, I believe you're right about the adjustment. Thanks!

BTW, jlee562, yes it is centered in the pics...and shot at arms length. Good call. I didn't want a mirror image like the pics of my Raiders on another post, lol.

Thanks for the advice!

Hand-creased hats are often not perfectly simmetrycal. If that worries you (and it does seem to be a minor deviation, in the pics) you could retouch it.

If you are going to send it back because of the size issue, then leave the retouching to Steve.

I think you are worrying too much. It looks great. Just wear the #### thing. If it is too tight, thats a nother story entirely. Let Steve know right away.

Dave

Dunno about anyone else, but I find it quite difficult to line the crease up perfectly...Quite often I'll notice that it's off to one side slightly...Seeing yours, I wouldn't have been bothered by that...It looks great on you!

Is the hat uncomfortable to wear? I remember getting my first custom and thinking it was too tight, but that was because I was used to the looser fit of my production hats...

Ian

OK, Steve said sometimes he makes the ribbon a little tight and I should give it a pull at the head-band and see if it loosens up (since it's just a little tight). After trying that, and re-comparing to the other Delk I have that fits perfectly, I have decided he made the hat perfectly as ordered and the size submitted was slightly off.

The Raiders that fits perfectly must have either been slightly stretched or miss labeled 7 1/8. Meanwhile, I ordered a hat-stretcher. I already own a Jiffy Steamer with the hat steam nozzle, so I will gently press it out till it's just right.

Anybody have any experience to share with doing this? Thoughts? Warnings?

Well, I think you should just send it to me then...if it's too small and all.

because personally, I think it's a GREAT looking hat (either on you or me)

RaidersBash wrote:Well, I think you should just send it to me then...if it's too small and all.

because personally, I think it's a GREAT looking hat (either on you or me)

Sure, I'll get right on that. Just keep checking the mail (thanks)

I still think I would let Steve look at it. It is worth the postage and peace of mind for what you paid for it. His turnaround time for something like that is quick too. I can say from personal experience.

Matt

RayROnline wrote:Just got my Delk AB Gray Fedora moments ago. You already know all the good things about Steve's work so I won't repeat the praise besides saying Awesome! This is my first "new, special ordered" Indy and I sure would appreciate comments. My main concern is that the pinch seems off center. I understand that in the Brown, but is this the way it should be in the Gray. I have tried to show what I mean in these photos. It seems a little off to me.

Also, the hat is just a bit snug. Will that form to fit better with time, or will it get tighter (Steve will make ajustments if I request)?

Thr brim is exactly the same size as my AB Raiders but it seems larger. Guess thats because of the color. Does that look right on me? You guys all have so much more experience with these, I thank you in advance for your input.

I think this hat looks really great on you! I personally love a snug hat but if there is something that you do not like then by all means tell Steve. He will take care of it for you!

GRAY Adventurebilt? Mind = blown. Do want. Do want so badly.

It's a great hat Ray. Definitely send it to Steve for any corrections if need be. I invested in a hat stretcher a long time ago and that has served me well many times. Honestly, it looks too tight to me, like it's riding high on your noggin. I don't see the off-center concern as a problem at all; it's a hand made, hand creased hat that will change as you wear and handle it.

I've been itching to get a grey fedora for a long time now, and that hat of your's only makes it worse.

Weston

I can't help but remember what John Penman always says about being careful to measure for your fit and don't go by some hat size chart like it did (sort of). I made the mistake of measuring myself...bad idea and always inaccurate, AND the mistake of thinking the OTHER hat I had would guide me.

The person who sold me a wonderful AB/Delk Fedora had it advertised as 7 1/8. It fits great! What I didn't know then is that Steve doesn't use designations like that. So the person had to have consulted a hat size conversion chart. Problem there is, hardly any of those charts agree with the other. They are usually inaccurate (Penman tells me)!

Learn from me...getting a hand made hat? Take time to measure and get the size right and save yourself (and your hat maker) a lot of grief