Club Obi Wan

Recently I received my first fedora, a rabbit Raiders Adventurebilt from Steve Delk. It was the hat I'd always been searching for, a hat I could truly commit to. I originally decided on the rabbit hat because I wanted my first hat from Steve to be truly 'the' Raiders hat, which meant it had to be rabbit.

But I found myself increasingly curious about the beaver hats given the universal reverence and enthusiasm for them in our little corner of the internet here. I had to know what I was missing. So when Steve posted a few months back asking for help in the form of a few immediate beaver orders, I went for it. The hat arrived yesterday and I'm basically speechless. Interestingly enough, on my head, the beaver hat actually looks more screen accurate than the rabbit. It seems to 'hold up' better and retains a stronger boxy look. Every detail is there, and it's nearly perfect. I'm just amazed.

The beaver feels incredible. I hate to say it, but my rabbit hat feels almost cheap now (not that I love it any less; in fact I think I'll appreciate its idiosyncrasies more). But, I am left with some questions:

• - The beaver felt is quit a bit stiffer than the rabbit. I knew this in theory, but the physical sensation is really striking. How will this change over time?

• - Despite having the exact (and I mean EXACT; Steve is so precise) same measurements, the beaver hat fits differently than my rabbit hat. What might be the cause?

• - The beaver hat is turned quite a bit less than the rabbit hat – it's much more subtle. And yet the brim warp on the beaver looks much more "accurate" than the warp on my rabbit hat. This particular point has left me a bit perplexed, but it's purely an intellectual exercise. Clearly there's a science to making these hats to measure, but it's clear to me now there's plenty of magic involved too.

It's amazing to me that two hats with identical measurements can appear so different from certain angles and in terms of certain details. For example, the front of the brim on my rabbit hat looks much bigger than the beaver, but they are exactly the same size – exactly 2.75 inches. Perhaps it's because the felt on the rabbit is so much more relaxed?

And finally - how do you decide what hat to wear once you own more than one? I'm afraid I have just stepped into the rabbit hole.

Anyway, I know I'll get yelled at for not posting photos. I'll try to take a few with a legitimate camera within a few days. Until then, I'll take any and all thoughts on the above as collateral.

Michael

Like any felt, beaver felt will soften over time. Although most people treat them with kid gloves, the truth is they are tough as nails and actually look better if you crush them, ball them up and roll them. Ordinary wear will get you there, though.

As for why they fit and look different - it's because they ARE different. Aside from starting out as different felt bodies made at different times by different workers from different fur and probably on different machinery, they were then blocked by hand, trimmed and finished by hand, and all the parts were then chosen or made by hand and sewn on by hand. There are subtle differences that make them "feel" and "look" different.

It's just like having an artist paint the same picture twice from scratch. The two might look the same, but the brush strokes and color at any given spot on the canvas won't be identical because they can't be.

I have two "identical" hats made by Steve a few months apart. In other words, I got one and then asked him to make another just like it. Same description of what I wanted with exactly the same measurements. Made about six months apart.

They both LOOK more or less the same - but not. The crowns are the same but different and the brims look different even though they measure the same. The felt on the second one is much softer and more "vintage" feeling, yet the thickness is the same and the bodies came from the same place. The ribbon on one is slightly more forward than the other and one definitely "fits" better than the other.

Does than mean one of them fits and the other one doesn't fit? No - and if you measure them they are exactly the same size. But one of them is definitely more comfortable and "fits" my head better.

The only reason I can come up with is serendipity. It just so happens that when the felt body settled into its new shape, and the parts came together the resulting shape mirrored the shape of my head with all of its idiosyncracies better than the other one. It wasn't planned - it just happened.

As for which one you'll wear more - that will sort itself out with time. You will just gravitate to one.

For me it's my second Penman. Not that the ABs arent great hats and don't get wear, it's just that the Penman has taken on more character with time and travel. I still wear the Adventurebilts along with the others, but I definitely have a favorite.

My advice is to avoid intellectualizing about it. They are both great hats and both of them can stand up to anything most people might throw at them. Grab whichever one you feel like on any given day and let your gut decide which one you wear most.

Very well stated. Just let me add that the turn plays a way on how it fits right out of the box. This is without having hats in hand but if one is more turn then the other they will fit slightly different even if they measure the same.

BendingOak wrote:Very well stated. Just let me add that the turn plays a way on how it fits right out of the box. This is without having hats in hand but if one is more turn then the other they will fit slightly different even if they measure the same.

Thank you both for being so helpful. I actually went ahead and put more of a turn in the beaver hat, and it looks/feels even better now. I was a bit nervous about moving the pinch over, but everything seems just fine so far.

And Mr. Penman, that reminds me – I'll be coming your way next! Can't say for sure when, but it's a near certainty.

Michael

Have you got any pics yet?

Still waiting for pics!!

Stones

Michael posted photos a while back on this page: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12649&start=2050" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

indy89 wrote:Michael posted photos a while back on this page: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12649&start=2050" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's my rabbit hat.

Work has been NUTS, but as soon as I find a moment, I will absolutely grab some photos of the beaver hat. It gets better every day!

Well I tried Regardless, your rabbit AB is a fine looking hat!

Apologies for the wait on the photos. I felt extra guilty today and snapped just a couple quickly with my phone. I wanted to take the time to make some photographs using my real camera (I do a lot of professional photography as part of my job), but I don't know when I'll have the time. So, these'll have to do.

You'll notice the crown on this hat is a bit taller than my rabbit hat (linked above). That's because I asked Steve to shorten the crown ever so slightly on my rabbit hat. It was my first hat, and I was afraid it'd look a bit 'off' on my head if it were truly as tall as the hero fedora. I made no such request with this one, and I love it. It has a slightly different character than my rabbit hat, which is great.

I. Love. This. Hat. (Hope you do too.)

Wow! That looks great!

I feel like i just finished reading your first fedora thread. Check yourself in somewhere, youre addicted. Wait, youre already checked in here. The first step is admitting to the problem, were all past that now. Its a 12 step program. 12 hats, 12 jackets.....etc. you get the drift.

Killer hat! Looks great, very natural on you.

...then after you go through the above stated 12 step program, throw out the book and do what ever you want. There's no 'end' to it until YOU say so. Believe me, we'll be no help.

VERY nice AB, by the way......now, as I've said before, wear it and make it take on YOUR personality. All hats do with regular wear.

HIGH regard! Michaelson

Michaelson, isn't that Wyatt Earp as your Avatar ?? He has a nice mustache... almost like... someone we know here... what's his name ??

Yep, taken in San Diego right after he left Tombstone.....and I have no clue who you may be talking about.

Lol !!!

Speaking of your avatar of Wyatt Earp- it has always bothered me that you have it reversed.

Sorry- I had to say it!

Reversed or not, Earp is interred up here in Colma, at the Jewish cemetary, Hills of Eternity. The Earps lived in San Francisco longer than anywhere else, and it was Wyatt's favorite city.

jnicktem wrote:Speaking of your avatar of Wyatt Earp- it has always bothered me that you have it reversed.

Sorry- I had to say it!

I didn't do anything to it. That's how it was originally posted, but you're right, it's flipped! I never really notcied that, thanks! I'll ask Mike or Dalexs and see if they can flip it for me.

Update: Photo fixed.

Yep, that's where Josie buried him, which was interesting, considering his family was buried in California.

Anyway, back to the AB discussion, already in progress......

Regards! M

That is one gorgeous hat.
Congrats and wear the heck out of it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Wyatt and Josie are in S.F. County, and, according to the Tefertiller biography, most are buried in Colton, by San Bernardino. Virgil is buried in Portland, beside his first girlfriend, not his wife. Not unusual for pioneers, I guess. San Francisco had in Earp's day two or three race tracks. His occupation, as listed, was sporting man. "Draw fast, but shoot slow," was his best advice.