I had the pleasure of hanging out with 72-year-old Robert Gault for about an hour as he worked on one of the custom fedora hats he crafts in the garage of his Port Coquitlam townhouse.
He bought his first hat when he was 13, but it wasn’t until he was looking for something to keep himself busy during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic he started making his own, learning as he went along.
Since gifting one to a friend, Gault’s gained a growing reputation amongst fans of fedoras, who now seek him out over the internet or through word of mouth.
Each fedora takes about 20 hours to complete and can cost hundreds of dollars.
And be sure not to call Gault a millener. They make women’s hats. Men’s hats are crafted by hatters.
MARIO BARTEL 