Indy hat post em up

[Blackthorn]

HarpPlayerGene, Tone, DanielJones, Dixon, JPBales, Not_Bogart, and scottyrocks, (and anyone else I forgot), those are all excellent Indy fedoras--well done! :eusa_clap

Here are a few pics in my Crystal Skull AB in different settings:

Qumran Cave 4 (where most of the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered):

Caphernaum:

Back on the family farm; and professor gear

best wishes,
Nebraska Schulte

Great pictures of Israel, Neb Schulte. I have been there 3 times and I love the place. There's no place like it in the world for history. I was there last year, in all the same places, except for the dig in J'lem. I was in J'lem, but not at that dig. I was just a tourist.

 

[Nebraska Schulte]

Here is my Fed IV which I have to admit I was shooting for something a la Crystal Skulls:

Kiltie: That's a sharp looking fedora and you wear it well. :eusa_clap I hope you have a chance to bring it out of "no-hat land" and sport it more!


Blackthorn: Thank you for the compliments!
fftopic: I really enjoyed my time in Israel quite a lot. Feel free to check out this link for a brief article I wrote from our dig experience:
http://www.bib-arch.org/e-features/scholarship-winners.asp

Anyway, hope I didn't derail the thread too much with this link. Keep those sharp looking Indy fedoras coming!

best wishes,
NS

 

[kiltie]

Keep those sharp looking Indy fedoras coming!

best wishes,
NS

Thanks, Nebraska -

I did a mini "show your collection" post a while back, intentionally leaving out my Indy style hats ( making a point about something...I forget [huh] ).
I figure they oughtta get their due here, so here's everything I've got, Indy-esque.

My first Indy style - David Morgan Akubra Adventurer:

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/safdkiltie/HPIM2151.jpg

Christys' Adventurer, round one ( 58 ):

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/safdkiltie/IMG_0305.jpg
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/safdkiltie/057.jpg

Christys' Adventurer, round two ( 59 ):

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/safdkiltie/HPIM2330.jpg

Adventurebilt Raiders Blk:

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/safdkiltie/HPIM2780.jpg

Adventurebilt CS Blk:

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/safdkiltie/IMG_0390.jpg

...and of course the Federation a couple posts up.

So that's what I got in that department. I think I got a little carried away, but they're all really good hats in their own ways. I need another "Indy" like a hole in the head, but I really, REALLY want to get a Penman, too. Then I'll be done. That's it. I promise.

 

[FurFeltFedora]

Federation IV Indy Bash

Okay, so I finally got my second Brown Fed IV ordered exclusively for an Indy bash (you know you're a hat nut when you buy the same hat just so you can have it in different bashes at the same time - I need help). Now I'm not an Indy nut (no offense intended to the Indy nuts) but I am an Indy fan and I wanted the hat to look right.

Many may already know that there are actually 4 Indy bashes each one based on the style in each of the 4 movies (in my mind there were only 2 Indy movies made - the good ones! "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "The Last Crusade" ). My favourite style was always the Raiders look with the high tight crease and so that's the one I went for.

I watched Raiders countless times, checked the web, checked the pics on Adventurebilt (even though they are mostly based on the the most recent Indy movie who's name I cannot bear to speak), Penman hats and any place else that had good pictures of Raiders styled Indy hats. While I don't normally take pictures of the hat while I'm bashing it, I thought I would this time as this is such an iconic style and there may be other folks out there who would like to see how I did it (all with steam BTW). So, here we go...

This first shot shows the Federation IV straight out of the box with nothing done to it:

I started by using a dowel (the one I use to make my hats a Long Oval) to put a nice straight centre dent and set the height at the back:

You'll notice in the picture there is a little fold of material at the back of the centre dent - once I noticed that in these pictures I steamed it out, just in case you thought I missed it.

I then started to rough in the side dents and bring the pinch in. The key to the Raiders look is the side dents are very triangular and quite long. Notice the end of the dent is about where the fold of the bow is:

You can see I've got quite a loose pinch here:

Now that I feel that I've got the length and shape of the triangular side dents where they should be, I begin to make them a little deeper (particularly at the top - otherwise you won't get the trademark shadows) and draw the center crease in tighter from the top of the ribbon straight up. I also swoop the brim down rather severly right at the junction of the brim and crown. Finally a little curl on the side brim (from the junction of the brim and crown rather than at the edges) and I'm done. I didn't adjust the back of the brim at all as that's how Indy wore it:

This shot makes me very happy - lots of shadows:

I'm afraid that I can't compete with excavations and genuine adventures yet - I just got the hat, it's night, and I've got to work in the morning, so a boring shot of me in the studio will have to do (although I couldn't resist dressing a little bit for the part):

So, how did I do? Am I in the Indy Bash Club?

 

[Blackthorn]

Cool!

Great pics, great bash, FFF! Keep up the good work!

 

[FurFeltFedora]

Thanks Blackthorn I'm quite pleased with myself with this bash and surprised how easily I got it. Not that easy meant fast, I spent 2 hours bashing and photographing. But I knew exactly what I had to do to get the look so that was what made it "easy". I just hope my step-by-steps help someone else out.

 

[Nebraska Schulte]

I haven't been on for a few days...

FFF: that's a great looking job on that fedora! :eusa_clap I think those photos will be a good help for others who would like to crease their hats in a similar Indy style.

Kiltie: Those are all sharp-looking Indy fedoras! :eusa_clap

Mulceber: I missed your link earlier--that Raider's AB looks great.:eusa_clap Do you have any pics wearing the CS AB?

Keep the pics coming, gents--they all look classy!

best wishes,
NS

 

[Tone]

(Read it all)

Yeah, Schute I agree with DanielJones; ever since AB came on board with shortening the crown, too, their "indy" hat has looked a whole lot better on more people by default; although you could pull off their pre '09 specs of 5 1/2" well, too, which not a whole lot of people can do short of displaying the hat. The wide-top CS crown is unmistakable and you actually pull it off well even with the shorter "Raiders" crown choice.
A great, unique, TRUE archaeologist fedora if there ever was one. A most definite, very Adventurebilt take on the "Indy hat".

FFF, great job on the bash and I wish they'd left the brim alone when they made the block change for the Federation IV. I'm not sure they were aware of how much the brim plays a part in the look back when they tried to fix it from their first interpretation of the "super tall" Indy hat. The clearer examples hadn't been shown quite then. Can you maybe steam the brim downward a bit? That's been the one constant that's kept me from moving forward with ordering one. The crown's never been the problem but the brim always seems to come up short.

That is certainly not a knock on your ability to shape the hat. Great job! The crown's just never been a question. The brim continues to be, however. It just isn't there on the Fed IV (for an "Indy" hat, Goose! For an Indy hat.)

It's interesting to see so many variants on the Indy hat, and getting back to your question about the details of the hat, Goose - there really isn't a whole lot to an Indy hat except the method in which it's styled.

Primarily, and for most outside of the few who've been taught this behind the scenes (you're welcome, btw) - to which they've kept this info to themselves and shared it only rarely for the sake of $300 a pop on an "accurate" hat - it mainly comes down to the sides of the hat:

Using the well-brimmed Akubra Adventurer as an example in this case:
One hand pushes the channel in from the outside, while...

Straight sides look:

The other hand pinches the 'channel forming pinch from the inside':

For the majority of fans this is the "goal" and main focus of getting the Indy hat right. You'll notice a lot of these indy hats with overdone side-channels to the point where the front of the hat looks like a billboard when worn; but to each their own at this point. The outlook being that a SUPER STRAIGHT, even "Mad Hatter wide" version viewed from the front as being movie accurate.

And while the extra volume wide hat version seems to be a popular version on fan forums you never actually see anything of the sort when watching the trilogy; especially "Raiders".

The degree and distance of where the channels are placed from the front pinch determine the difference between the "idol" hat and the "cairo" hat.

(Really, buy an inexpensive, relatively straight-sided fedora to mess around with and you'll see how easy it is to change them up. But the BRIM HAS TO BE THERE, TOO. )


The only real change and difference between the Factory hats and the custom hatters is that the custom hatters make their hats just a bit differently than the ones they actually designed themselves for the average fans like us who only want to spend about a hundred bucks on a good hat. The specs are just "off" enough on most that the customs will look all that much better in comparison - no matter how slight.

This is why I continue to like hats like the Akubra Adventurer; the Squatter; the Bushman; and the Campdraft, as they are traditional blocks and brim specs that don't short change the average consumer for the sake of sales.

As far as actual SCREEN ACCURATE CROWNS go, the Pierce Raven still remains my favorite hat block to work with as it allows for ALL variations of the Raiders hat. I know some are still trying to copy this one and they're getting much closer than ever before but the Raven had this nailed years ago.

But the ones mentioned above do just as well in terms of inexpensive ways to get a close hat. (Daniel, that includes the Jersey Jones Camptown - in which he's always kept the prices within what one SHOULD be paying for a hat like that.)

 

[Tone]

OF course we can't forget the Christy's.

And the Christys'. But considering they will build you the hat you request, it's less "factory" and more on the side of "custom".

 

[Nebraska Schulte]

Yeah, Schute I agree with DanielJones; ever since AB came on board with shortening the crown, too, their "indy" hat has looked a whole lot better on more people by default; although you could pull off their pre '09 specs of 5 1/2" well, too, which not a whole lot of people can do short of displaying the hat. The wide-top CS crown is unmistakable and you actually pull it off well even with the shorter "Raiders" crown choice.
A great, unique, TRUE archaeologist fedora if there ever was one. A most definite, very Adventurebilt take on the "Indy hat".

Thank you kindly.

bw,
NS

 

[Torpedo]

Hi,

I have another "Indy" hat, in addition to the Penman "Raiders" I presented some time ago.

It is a Viajero, by Steele & Jones. I do not remember having seen one in this forum, so I will give some details.

This is very much the "official" hat of the Spanish Indiana Jones fan community. It is a semi-custom hat, made by two Argentinian enthusiasts. They buy the bodies (made from Argentinian hare felt) from Argentina's premier hat manufacturer, Lagomarsino, then repounce, reblock and redetail them. They offer the usual colours, the brown which they call Explorador ("Explorer") and the grey which is the Viajero ("Traveler"); both are styled to customer's taste, in the well known movie variants. Mine is a Viajero 1936.

General views:

Details:

(BTW, the Explorador has a different liner, with a compass design instead of a plane.)

On my head:

(I will probably tweak the crown a little in order to reduce the overall height.)

Although not comparable to the custom Indy hats by John Penman or Steve Delk (apples to oranges), the Steele and Jones hats are a good entry in the semi-custom league.

Regards!

 

[Tone]

 

[Goose.]

Tone! Thank you so VERY much for the sylabus on the Indy gig. Really mean that. I looked around on the web before and have seen many descriptions. What you wrote is succinct.

Tried a high crown on my new Fed today. Doesn't work for me...so tugboat style it is.

 

[bendingoak]

It amazing to see how some of the facts have been told a bit out of whack here. The fed IV , the Canptown, keppler and JPD all got help with their crown and specs from Steve Delk. Lets see some 360 of all these hats.

 

[Nebraska Schulte]

Torpedo, that's a sharp looking fedora and it certainly suits you; wear it in good health! :eusa_clap

Just for fun, here's a side-by-side comparison for one of the CS Adventurebilts:

best wishes,
Nebraska Schulte

 

[bendingoak]

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

It's always nice to see Steve's work. Simple beautiful

 

[Tone]

It amazing to see how some of the facts have been told a bit out of whack here. The fed IV , the Canptown, keppler and JPD all got help with their crown and specs from Steve Delk. Lets see some 360 of all these hats.

Oh, there's no confusion of facts here. The Raven is on a different block from the others (don't think I explained all that previously when I first introduced the Christy's or the Raven so you may be referring to memory of the standard block JPD also uses for other hats. The standard fedora block looks very similar to the one you were using when you first started making hats. It's amazing you can't see the similarities as they're almost identical.)
The Raven was also NOT in the typical taller crown specs being used back then, either. Surely, you've noticed a change in the crown heights since?

As far as the crown specs; yes, I do believe Delk had a hand in spec'ing the new Keppler (which is a spitting image of the CS), and also the Camptown Legend, too; in addition to the FED IV - which just needs a bit more brim for that crown but it is probably the best deal for the money if one wants to do the CS bash.

Blockshapes aside (we've seen that bashing a variety of them correctly works very well - even on the taller 5 1/2" crowns.)

No, I'm talking about the specs themselves. The subtle, yet shorter, crown height of the Raiders version. Whether it's the squarer, wider, thimblelike block shapes or the slightly tapered film version, they both look great in the shorter specs.

If you're still not sure how that works, go ahead and pop one of your original 5 1/2" ABs up here for us and I'll explain it more clearly so you can see the difference a slightly shorter hat makes in terms of looking 'more like the Raiders hat'.

Torpedo that hat looks pretty good in terms of block! If you can get word back to those guys have them try a few of their hats at 5 3/8" open crown. Roughly 13.7 CM tall.


Goose, I'm glad it helped. The tutorials out there have been stagnant in terms of specifics like that. I'll have one changed so that the details are clearer for anyone wanting to do this on a variety of hats.

 

[scottyrocks]

Tone! Thank you so VERY much for the sylabus on the Indy gig. Really mean that. I looked around on the web before and have seen many descriptions. What you wrote is succinct.

Tried a high crown on my new Fed today. Doesn't work for me...so tugboat style it is.

I dont know if its asking too much, Goose, but would it be possible to see you in your high-crown-bash, and then in your tugboat bash?

 

[bendingoak]

Your wrong about the block for keppler, fed 4, camptown. It was not the CS but his first Raiders block. Far as JPD didn't have a decent block shape until Steve gave him one. He might have tweaked it but it started with Steve. Before Steve came along and starting making hats. The offerings for a Indy ( Raiders ) hat was just not there.

 

[Tone]

Your wrong about the block for keppler, fed 4, camptown. It was not the CS but his first Raiders block. Far as JPD didn't have a decent block shape until Steve gave him one. He might have tweaked it but it started with Steve. Before Steve came along and starting making hats. The offerings for a Indy ( Raiders ) hat was just not there.

Sure there were. The details of putting the Raiders bash in one had not, however. Then again, there was a time when the official "Indy hat" specs were said to be 5 3/4" so they were all churning out tall versions of an Indy hat for a time. Amazing what shaving even about 1/4" off of 5 1/2" does, too, isn't it?


Really, it doesn't matter - there are just a ton of hats out there that style nicely.

Still, it'd be interesting to see how one of those Argentinian hats turn out in the right specs, though. They might as well start making the same specs as the rest are now doing.

What does an Explorador go for anyway? Pricewise?