Penman Hats

[Garrett]

I'd like to share my experience with John Penman and the Raiders Rabbit fedora that almost wasn't.

Ordered my first indy hat from John back in September but lost my job on January 1st of this year. When I told John that I needed a refund (end of January) he said that I was only two weeks away from receiving my raiders rabbit after 5 months of waiting. Contacted my folks for a loan to get the bills covered but to also secure my hat from John. Upon the activation of my COW account I was reading through all of the raiders fedora threads and started to get really nervous about the dimensions being correct for a small headed guy like myself (21 3/4" or 6 7/8 + 1/16th Round Oval) and immediately started to email John about how accurate the hat would look on my with the crown height dropped slightly under 5 1/2" Open with brim being 2 3/4" X 2 1/2" - John assured me that this would be fine on me and I was still in doubt thinking that it should be 4 3/4" crown with 2 5/8" X 2 3/8"

Upon arriving today to receive my hat, I'm ashamed to say that I was still kind of skeptical that the specs would fit me but as soon as John put this thing on my head I knew HE WAS RIGHT. Learned today - ALWAYS TRUST YOUR HATTER! I'm sorry John, it won't happen again

This rabbit felt has the perfect pounce job and is extremely responsive to bash. Definitely the best Raiders fedora that I've seen to date (Apologies to Steve & Marc however I will be submitting an order with those gentlemen soon). John remarked that this hat may be his best Raiders Fedora to date but definitely secured the title of his best rabbit to date and the pics show why.

Also, the Bengaline hat box that John commissioned from Sarah's hat boxes is a work of art in and of itself - sturdy chip board construction (Acid Free) with a ribbon-esque sheen to it. The carrying rope handle on this hat box is stunning!

Thanks for a great fedora and a lesson learned

 

[Garrett]

 

[Garrett]

Forgot to mention that I specifically requested for John to stitch the ribbon in such a way that it would eventually ride up for a good SOC effect.

On the hat box front, I forgot to mention that the box insert was cleverly crafted to avoid the "ring" marks typically associated with vintage hat boxes which have the cardboard in direct contact with the felt, thus embedding the "ring" over time.

 

[Aureliano]

just beautiful, Garrett. Hat and box. The block they used to shape it is AMAZING!:eusa_clap

Now I want one... Wonder if they'd make it in grey. Didn't he wore a grey hat in one of the movies?

 

[bendingoak]

Indy's travel hat is granite grey.

Thank you garrett for hanging in there.

 

[cookie]

The hat is beautifully made and fashioned. But I have to ask...isn't the Indy thing a bit "been there done that" aka passe for 2010?

 

[Garrett]

The hat is beautifully made and fashioned. But I have to ask...isn't the Indy thing a bit "been there done that" aka passe for 2010?

Not for me, just look at this beauty -

 

[Aureliano]

The hat is beautifully made and fashioned. But I have to ask...isn't the Indy thing a bit "been there done that" aka passe for 2010?

What an 'interesting' question...
I guess then the question, isn't the Bogart thing been there, done that?
Or the Capone thing, or the Clint Eastwood/unforgiven, or the John Dillinger thing or any other film from where people take hats as reference for what they want on their heads?
I might be over-reacting here and I apologize for, sort of, creating tension but the above question rubbed me in the wrong way because it sounds a bit dismissive.
I, as I've stateted it a number of times, totally dislike the Indiana Jones films. But if this film (or any other) is helping the art of hat making to survive then I support it and encourage it.
Again I apologize for the rant. Guess I got out of bed with the wrong foot. Better wear my tricorn today.

 

[bendingoak]

I agree with you. Indy has helped kept fedora's alive. Who cares as long as people start to drop wearing baseball caps and pick up a fedora.

 

[Aureliano]

I agree with you. Indy has helped kept fedora's alive. Who cares as long as people start to drop wearing baseball caps and pick up a fedora.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[bendingoak]

I just notice your from NYC. Where in NYC are you? I lived there for 33 years before coming out west.

 

[Aureliano]

PM sent.

 

[djgo-cat-go]

Garret, I'm sorry to hear you lost your job, I hope things turn out well for you in the future.. I'm glad the Indy-hat worked out for you. Beautiful lid man!

 

[Aureliano]

Garret, I'm sorry to hear you lost your job, I hope things turn out well for you in the future.. I'm glad the Indy-hat worked out for you. Beautiful lid man!

Oh my! I was so fascinated with the hat that completely missed the part about your job, Garrett. All the best, man. Hope something comes up for you soon.

 

[Aureliano]

Forgot to mention that I specifically requested for John to stitch the ribbon in such a way that it would eventually ride up for a good SOC effect.

What's an SOC effect? SOC stands for?

 

[Matt Deckard]

Pretty cool packaging. Evokes an Prisoner feel... Great show by the by.

 

[Garrett]

What's an SOC effect? SOC stands for?

SOC = Streets Of Cairo - referring to the dramatically weathered/distressed effect. In this case, I'm only wanting the ribbon to be stitched higher than usual so the ribbon will eventually ride up on the crown (above the brim break).

 

[Aureliano]

Ah! :eusa_clap

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I have to ask...isn't the Indy thing a bit "been there done that" aka passe for 2010?

Nope. I'm with Oak and Aureliano on this, for starters. But even with the "promotion of hat wearing" thing aside, the Indy hat is incapable of being passe in the same way that fastback Ford Mustang can never be passe. It may wax and wane in popular culture, enjoying (or enduring) surges in interest, but it's a classic.

If you measure the Indy hat by it's "currentness" in popular fashion (shudder), then I suppose it is "so 2 years ago." But this doesn't strike me as a community that can concern itself with "been there, done that" without being hypocritical. [huh] I mean; are we not members here because we recognize in the old something that should be kept alive and cultivated?

 

[Sam Craig]

Following this train of thought to its final conclusion, wouldn't we all eventually be dressed like the jetsons?

Except we couldn't do that, because even the Jetsons or Star Trek or whatever ... has a particular point in time

There are some of us who may not "get" spending $600 on a copy of a hat from a movie, but that probably speaks more to economic reality than taste

Certainly, whether you enjoy a classic fedora or a western hat, there is often a motion picture connection ... so what?

I have a beautiful 1940s Champ in lemon ... I know, that's a rare color for that era ... and I take very good care of it, but I do wear it once in a while and will, if I am wearing it with a suit, invariably get the Dick Tracy comment .. less now than back when the movie was out.

I stopped trying to explain to people that the hat predated the movie by a generation ... and then I gave up and just said "thanks"

I know why I like the hat, whether they do or not

Same goes with my Indy-inspired hats, my Bogart looking hats, my John Wayne-style westerns

They will never, in my taste, be passe