Its my first attempt at 3ds max.
I did manage to get it down to 1044 tris last night.
If I make the cheek flares into simple polys with a transparent texture, I should be able to get it down to the 800 limit for submission.
Hopefully I can get it done before my 30 day trial is up.
Even so, aren't some hats greater than 800 triangles? A hat like yours, as detailed as it is, would be fine at 1044 triangles. Plus it would be a great hat.