Club Obi Wan

So I have and I am sure most of us know how a felt hat is made by hand (more or less). Adventurebilt, Penman and others have posted step by step shots of how it is done.
So I was looking at Gunner Foxx's hats and I saw his step by step tutorial and it confuses me.

https://schaeffersgarmenthotel.wordpres ... hat-shops/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I can understand the block and sanding for the first few steps. Then he spends 3 days shaping it? I thought you just bash it when you are done sanding? Is this a completly different way of making a hat? Just wondering what other members here think.

Here is some other pics of his stuff for other examples. He is heavy into the distressing I see.

https://instagram.com/mrgunnerfoxx/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just looking at his photos, instead of allowing a block to shape the hat by pulling a wet cone over the block and letting it dry to that particular shape, he's using a standard open crown type block that then allows him to hand form every crease in the crown after that shape has been formed on the standard block.

That's going to take time, and steam, to hand shape a hat, so yeah, I can see it taking longer to do.

Regard! Michaelson

So he just dry blocked a hat and sanded it down and popped it off and steamed in the bash and the flange? That seems time consuming and difficult for no reason. Do you think that is a better way to go about it? What would be the point?

Having shaped numerous open crown hats myself, I know it can take numerous sessions of work to get what I want... and to get it to stay. That's without going for the "lived in" look. Mr. Foxx seems to be trying to get a new hat to look broken in and stay that way. That does look like what he's selling. So it's worth the time and effort to get the result he wants. It's like us pecarding and wetting brand new jackets over and over to get the look we want, except he does "professionally" as it were.

Wow! I'll say this: If a person really wanted something 'right out of a movie/art exhibit/comic-adventure mag., etc. -- this is the guy for the job! These are truly works of art. Some of those hats look like bronze castings! Amazing work! W>

From what I see when reading up on him earlier. He IS the guy Hollywood goes to for making their hats.

erikgunnlugson wrote:From what I see when reading up on him earlier. He IS the guy Hollywood goes to for making their hats.

I can see why. I was looking at his web site and with some of the pics of him working, etc. it appears that he does make 'more normal' hats, as well. He is one very talented individual, this is for certain. W>

So, Mr. Conly, when are you putting in an order with the man?

Regard! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:So, Mr. Conly, when are you putting in an order with the man?

Regard! Michaelson

! Well not at the moment, that's for sure. I'm quite contently awaiting my ABL (SUPER FLOPPY INDY-HAT-THINGY) from John. This fellows hats are really cool, but you know I'm afraid some type of truly 'reverse psychology' would occur with one of these (at least with me). I truly think I would be more afraid of messing one of these up (which is already messed up to begin with), then I am with 'normal hats' ! Now, go figure this one . W>

You will love you ABL. Here is mine dry after a major soaking in a good old FL storm. Wish I took a pic wet cause it looked exactly like I jumped into a river after being chased by Hovitos.




http://i1323.photobucket.com/albums/u58 ... akrrbw.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://i1323.photobucket.com/albums/u58 ... bu4c1f.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jeremiah is it just the angle or is that hat slightly tapered now?


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Not my cup of tea, but I can see given the deep creases Mr. Foxx is putting in his hats, it would take several days to get the creases to stay.

Think of the sharp Raider's crease, it takes a while for it to set with that razor sharp edge.



Regards,

Indiana Jeff

ChrisMD wrote:Jeremiah is it just the angle or is that hat slightly tapered now?


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No taper. Selfies always seem to give that tapered look

Ok, guys, we're not talking about ABL's here. Let's get back to Mr. Foxx's wares.



Regard! Michaelson

The more I look at them the more I like this distressed look. That is not fullers earth though I dont think. Paint? Charcoal? Lacquer? Might try something with a cheap find off of e-bay.

Michaelson wrote:So, Mr. Conly, when are you putting in an order with the man?

Regard! Michaelson

I second this! OP you should order one..or a couple.


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erikgunnlugson wrote:The more I look at them the more I like this distressed look. That is not fullers earth though I dont think. Paint? Charcoal? Lacquer? Might try something with a cheap find off of e-bay.

I'd say all of the above! Ironically, a cheap hat probably would never look good with that level of distressing. You probably have to start with really high quality felt to beat it that badly and have it still survive.


Regards,

Indiana Jeff

erikgunnlugson wrote:The more I look at them the more I like this distressed look. That is not fullers earth though I dont think. Paint? Charcoal? Lacquer? Might try something with a cheap find off of e-bay.

From my viewpoint this guy is a variety of things here. He's a master hatter who makes hats that are art -- literally. Great handmade hats are indeed a work of art within themselves and he has this talent down well, but then he crafts the hats (almost like an artist working a clay bust into shape) to the shapes, depth, etc. he wants to achieve and then like a sculptor, fine tunes each with the additional hard, fast edges he wants and then like an oil painter turns the hat into a canvas, so-to-speak and finishes this painting, if you will. Shoosh ....I'm tired just attempting to put what I see here into words. Anyway....as said neat hats, artwork, sculptures, whatever -- very fine work. W>

ChrisMD wrote:

Michaelson wrote:So, Mr. Conly, when are you putting in an order with the man?

Regard! Michaelson

I second this! OP you should order one..or a couple.


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Nein...I'm quite happy with what I have and the new one on the way. I am serious though -- I would be afraid to try wearing one of these for the fear of ruining it. I wear my hats for what they are and wear them with gusto, all the while doing my best to take care of them, but with something like these works, I couldn't do this, as I would feel like I was abusing The Mona Lisa or something of that order! W>

I also remember when we were saying things like that when folks were buying HJ's for the first time.

Even Steve Delk and I used to kid each other 'back in the day' that we would NEVER EVER wear a hat that cost over $250 that could easily blow off our head down the street.

That's when he was experimenting with old Akubra's.

Now we're wearing beaver hats that we toss in the back seat like they were ball caps!

"Familiarity breeds contempt"?



Regards! M

Michaelson wrote:Now we're wearing beaver hats that we toss in the back seat like they were ball caps!

Yep. I'm wearing a $475 ABL today that I wear every day to walk the dog and wore while cleaning out the garage and hauling stuff to the dump last weekend.

What else are you going to do with them?

Exactly. I wear my beaver AB's every day, regardless of weather.

Regard! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:I also remember when we were saying things like that when folks were buying HJ's for the first time.

Even Steve Delk and I used to kid each other 'back in the day' that we would NEVER EVER wear a hat that cost over $250 that could easily blow off our head down the street.

That's when he was experimenting with old Akubra's.

Now we're wearing beaver hats that we toss in the back seat like they were ball caps!

"Familiarity breeds contempt"?



Regards! M

Oh, I fully understand you here M. and agree with you, but truly in this scenario, I think I would have the constant feeling as if I was showcasing a 'work of art' and be totally and completely uncomfortable with the setting. If I were an actor wearing one of his works on the screen, I wouldn't care -- it wouldn't be my responsibility for wear, but in the real world, I know I would be too uneasy with one, at all times. I honestly cannot recall an item of clothing (just seen, or in all other cases -- purchased and used) where I have had this strong of a feeling. Plus, I think I would find that I would see the hat as too overdone for daily usage. Perhaps if I just were to have the need to purchase for costume usage, I would feel differently.

It's not the potential cost for me, it's the item(s) that bugs me here.

Still say though -- neat looking headwear ! W>

I see a few that you could wear without being self conscious, but I'm not sure I understand the draw either.

Regards! M

From what i can see he is the best at what he does in the distressing department. There are others out there that got into it aswell. Westbrook. Nick fouquet. A few others that have done a few here and there. Havstadhatco and the like. But to make a hat with bullet holes and basically tarred and feathered and have it look that good is i suppose a work of art. I would be a bit self conscious wearing one too. Course i was when wearing my Penman/AB for the first while too and that wore off.


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Michaelson wrote:Now we're wearing beaver hats that we toss in the back seat like they were ball caps!

Throw them over my way instead!

I didn't say we were throwing them away.



Regard! M

Michaelson wrote:I didn't say we were throwing them away.



Regard! M

Keep him away from the back seat of the Pymouth !!!! ! W>

Michaelson wrote:I see a few that you could wear without being self conscious, but I'm not sure I understand the draw either.

Likewise. A few of the more "normal" looking examples are something I might wear.

But the "fell in a grease trap" - "mangled by a printing press" - "used for target practice" - "heavily shellacked" ones are definitely not for me.

WConly wrote:

Michaelson wrote:I didn't say we were throwing them away.



Regard! M

Keep him away from the back seat of the Pymouth !!!! ! W>

No problem. It now resides with it's new owner in Long Island, NY.

Regard! M