When I got up at 6:30 I walked out to the end of the driveway, got The Arizona Republic, came back to the studio, turned on the computer and had breakfast. When I got back out to the studio, the first thing I read was this email:
"First, I always enjoy the magazine. I have a question though. I have at times seen Mr. Bell around Cave Creek and am curious as to what style hat I always see him in, What is it? Thanks."
—W.
Mr. W.,
For many years (1977-2005) I wore what is generally known as a Tom Mix crease (see my photo, above). Some have also referred to this style as the "grab and pinch" and "the Gus" after Robert Duvall's crease in Lonesome Dove. After Dove took off, the style became so ubiquitous I decided I wanted to graduate to a more mature style lid that would usher me into old age with hopefully some style, but also with a smidgen of dignity, or, at the very least, something that would pass for maturity.
In the summer of 2005 I drove to Bisbee, Arizona and consulted with master hatmaker Grant Sergot of Optimo Hat fame. I told him I wanted something not quite as wide, and not quite as dramatic on the crease (Grant calls it "a long crease"). Grant developed two hats for me, one a business model with a six inch brim and one with a seven inch brim which I call my "performance" hat.
I guess we need to name this sucker. I called Grant this afternoon and he had the following suggestions:
• El Cabrone (The Old Goat)
• El Viejo Bozo (The Old Clown, Ha. Funny but where's the dignity, much less, the maturity?)
* The Bozeman (clever, but the town will be blamed, or get the credit, and if it was in Arizona, maybe)
• The Old Hand (that's kind of perverse, hmmmmm)
• The Triple B Crease (the most accurate, but a mouthful)
None of these seemed to grab me, so I told Grant, "Never fear, my blog readers are more creative than the two of us put together." So? Let's get creative.
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