Club Obi Wan

Ridgerunner58

I have a horse hide A-2 from Cockpit in size 40. I measure just under 40 and the jacket fits fine. I have a couple of others from them that as S M L sizing and a medium fits me, so a large would probably be good for a 42-43" chest size.

Ridgerunner58

I used to take scissors to a worn out necktie and put a piece from the narrow end behind the sweatband to reduce the size slightly.

Ridgerunner58

SFGiant wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 10:01 pm I have a new Akubra Fed IV and boy so I swear a lot in it. I don’t remember this happened with my last fed Iv but that was 2008. This new one is about half a size loose. And I usually never sweat.

Only when it’s over 90 degrees

Ridgerunner58

I generally use either a spray bottle with some distilled water to dampen and reshape things I don't like, or light steam from a kettle.

Steam usually is not an issue, although I had an early 2000's HJ that shrunk really badly from being steamed. Good felt should be okay, however.

Ridgerunner58

I've been wanting a Brent Black hat for years. Wondering how they hold up. I've had some cheap Panamas over the years and they all break down after 2-3 years. I'm sure a BB panama is great but I don't want to spend $500 on something that may crack in a short while .. :-k If you take care of them th...

Ridgerunner58

Brent Black is probably at the top of that game. His website has lots of information.

https://www.brentblack.com/

I have 6 or 7 from him (no $25,000 hats) that are incredible.

Ridgerunner58

The only thing I can offer is having "inherited" hats that were worn by older relatives who passed away in the 1960s, the older "fishing" or "yard work" hats had a tight front pinch, while the current "church" hats did not. I assume from that, that the owners ...

Ridgerunner58

First, 80 degrees isn’t hot. Where I live it reaches 115 in the summer. I’ve never left a hat in a vehicle at those temperatures, but I’ve worn many fedoras in those temperatures with no ill effects. Second, I have good hats that are decades older and they don’t all of a sudden act up like that. The...

Ridgerunner58

I have not worn a pair of 405s out to the point of needing restoration but I send my shell cordovan dress shoes to them and they come back as good as new every time. I wouldn't hesitate to use them, and even though the restoration is pricey, it's nothing compared to replacement. especially since oth...

Ridgerunner58

Ok, do y’all really want to know how to get a true Raiders look with out resorting to all this minutiae? Buy a hat. Wear the @#$% out of it. Wear it in the rain, Wear it wet, sweat in it. After a year or so, get it reblocked by someone that knows a couple of key factors. There you have it, the perf...

Ridgerunner58

That’s strange and concerning at the same time. I have somewhere around 14 hats from John and the dates always coincide closely with shipping dates. The most recent was 8/4/20.

Ridgerunner58

I like the look of the well worn hat, but (for me anyway) it needs to get there somewhat honestly. I think it’s just the look of something that’s been used and not pampered that appeals. I own a Penman Cairo, and it’s a great hat, but my every day ABL looks better in my eyes. It’s not a forced repli...

Ridgerunner58

Kungaloosh wrote:
IJJTM wrote: Kungaloosh, would you mind saying what you had on order?
I just wanted a Adventurebilt Legacy Collection The Raider, but I guess I'll just have to settle for a Herbert Johnson Raiders Sable Beaver Turn Poet instead.

Not sure that counts as “settling,” but I admit the ABL is a very cool hat.

Ridgerunner58

I remember him specifically pointing out differences in how he flanged the hat and sewed in the sweatband (his are further in so the bottom is inside - and his stitching is better) And of course the bow was different as was the finish on the felt. He described differences in the block shape and whil...

Ridgerunner58

What are the differences between HJ's currently adopted Poet block versus Penman / Delk versions from a few years before HJ changed their specs over to match? Don't they all share the same general flat-top, straight-sided block and shape at this point or is someone actually out there making somethi...

Ridgerunner58

On the excellent write-up on the fedora on the gear page, it says Todd's Costumes offered the option for people to put the Herbert Johnson label into their hats, and that it used the white Herbert Johnson liners. I am probably wrong on this, but I thought the hats sold through Todd's were called Ch...

Ridgerunner58

The shape and proportions are good. The color needs to be much, much darker. I assume it’s not that light in real life otherwise it will be Sahara color in 3 years. Steve Delk and Penman always used a dark chocolate felt that listened to the right color after a year or so.

Ridgerunner58

25% interest on business loans and 12% -18% mortgages had a lot to do with it.

But if you talk to the 30 something geniuses that run everything they’ll tell you it could never happen.

Ridgerunner58

Now that you mention Borsalino I remember seeing that somewhere.

Thanks for all the history. Helpful to know things.

Ridgerunner58

I know that Stetson made hats for Temple of Doom as a merchandising tie-in. There are people on this forum that own the Stetson version and if I recall correctly there are stories of the dye used dissolving and running down peoples' faces when the hats got rained on. I am not certain, whether any of...

Ridgerunner58

I can’t remember whether it was Steve Delk or John Penman, but one of them told me the color of the felt they used was intentionally darker brown so it would fade to the right color. It’s subtle, but my older hats have a more mellowed tone to them.

Ridgerunner58

They used to be some you tube videos that john penman did around 10 years ago that showed how to do it, but the description above is accurate. Put it on your head, rotate clockwise into the brim looks the way you want, which usually puts the note just in front of your left ear, then crease the top, ...

Ridgerunner58

Pretty sure John will not do an ABL in beaver felt. I own 14 or 15 Penman’s and 2 ABLs. I ordered a Portuguese beaver raiders last year and tried, without success, to get him to use an ABL liner. Admittedly I didn’t ask him to also use his ABL block, but my sense is the answer would have been the s...

Ridgerunner58

Pretty sure John will not do an ABL in beaver felt. I own 14 or 15 Penman’s and 2 ABLs. I ordered a Portuguese beaver raiders last year and tried, without success, to get him to use an ABL liner. Admittedly I didn’t ask him to also use his ABL block, but my sense is the answer would have been the sa...

Ridgerunner58

It’s not bad as is. If you want to add more shape you can either spray the brim lightly with water (distilled water preferred because it is less likely to discolor the felt) and then gently shape it to what you want, or you can lightly steam the brim using a kettle to get the same result. You don’t ...

Ridgerunner58

My own 2 cents is to just wear the hat and let it evidence it’s own life story. If you start with a really good hat and unless you attack it with sandpaper, acid, oil or fire anything you do can pretty much be fixed, but artificial distressing pretty much looks . . . artificial. I have an AB Legacy ...

Ridgerunner58

Penman is reasonable and serve you an e-mail when it’s your turn. I think my last one was 14 days from leaving my hands to opening the box on return.

Ridgerunner58

Measure your head. A 58 is right at 22 3/4”

If your head is bigger than that you could consider a reblock rather than buying a replacement.

Ridgerunner58

Good looking hat!!

Ridgerunner58

I live in central California where summer temperatures routinely exceed 100 degrees for days at a time. I don’t find the regular Orvis Bush Shirt to be too heavy or uncomfortable even when it’s over 110. They also make (or have made) a linen version that’s very cool in the summer.

Ridgerunner58

I have not had a pair of boots restricted by Alden, but I’ve had a couple of pairs of Shell Cordovan shoes done and they came out perfectly. Solar like new.

I understand with Indy Boots, unlike other footwear, they don’t restore the uppers unless you ask.

Ridgerunner58

I would say not. I don’t own a current HJ, but I have two older ones including one of the Magnoli hats that Steve Delk re-blocked. The ordinary HI shrunk and tapered for the point it was unrecognizable. The Magnoli is a nice hat, but has not seen much use. I have several Adventurebilts, a Garrison, ...

Ridgerunner58

I’ve been using fountain pens on a pretty much daily basis since 1970. I used to have a couple of Parker pens that were castoffs from relatives, and over the years I’ve acquired a few Watermans, a couple of Pelikans, a Porsche Design pen that looks like a braided steel brake line, a Montegrappa and ...

Ridgerunner58

Michaelson wrote:97 here, so, no felt today!

Regards! M

99 here and I wore one anyway.

But it’s a “dry heat.”

Ridgerunner58

The hat brim is asymmetrical. It’s oval (like the hat itself) but slightly longer front to back (2.75”) than side to side (2.625”). The hat is blocked in the usual way (i.e. the crown is not blocked off center) so if the wearer puts it on his/her head in the usual way the longest part of the brim wo...

Ridgerunner58

Fluctuating between the upper 70s and low 100s. It’s supposed to be 99 on Sunday but who knows. Likely an ABL even at that temperature.

After all. It’s a dry heat.

Ridgerunner58

The crown height and brim look good to me. It’s a tall hat. Takes some getting used to, but if you wear it eventually it will seem completely normal.

Ridgerunner58

That’s about right. I have a panama I bought from Banana Republic in the early 80s that’s a dead ringer other than the ribbon.

Ridgerunner58

Without pulling up a photo and comparing my mind says it’s closest to Brent Black’s Panama Hat’s of the Pacific) Havana Fedora.

Ridgerunner58

Based on the link provided the leather used by Wested and most other reputable manufacturers would be the first on the list - "full grain" or "top grain." The 5th item on the list where the words "genuine leather" appear is also called bonded leather which is not an ani...

Ridgerunner58

[A recent pic with my most recent object of desire. I had a 1978 Z1000 back in the 80s. Now there is a new-old classic .... resist .... resist ....]

Resistance is futile . . .

Ridgerunner58

I have two of the original Levi's Vintage Skyfall jackets. By far my favorite leather jacket. Part of the reason the jacket looks as cool as it does is its light weight. It's almost like a leather windbreaker. The original is made of fairly light weight and VERY grainy sheepskin. The bottom panels o...

Ridgerunner58

Yep. Pretty much a waste of $55 unless all you want is something brown and “hat-like” to wear once or twice as part of a Halloween costume. For twice the amount you can get a standard Federation IV that you can actually use AND that actually looks the part.

Ridgerunner58

Nice to see a well cared for piece of equipment like that. Someone obviously valued it highly.

Ridgerunner58

Penman’s website does not say the actual dimensions, but it does say: “Instead, Indy’s signature costume piece features a slightly smaller brim, and the crown, ever so much shorter, also features a very slight, yet noticeable taper. Additionally, the front pinch is now much looser, and would stay so...

Ridgerunner58

I tend to lean the other way. I think the dimensional brim and the turn are what make the hat an Indy hat.

Plus I kinda think it looks cool.

I have several from various makers and always get them turned.

Ridgerunner58

Honestly, to me it looks like anything you'd find by typing in "Fedora" into a search bar. I'd be shocked if it was anywhere near snuff for a Indy hat. For the price and shipping, I'd just save up a few more months for an Akubra. We're talking 80 bucks plus shipping versus 115 bucks plus ...

Ridgerunner58

From the website. “The Fedora is a very iconic style of hat. It's made of 100% fur felt or wool felt with a satin lining and a leather sweatband. Crown Height: approx. 4,72 inches/12 cm Brim width: 2,75 inches/7 cm Color shown in photos: Blue/Blue ribbon Quality in photo: Fur felt All the available ...

Ridgerunner58

As a bit of trivia, the owners of Avirex sold the name about 12 years ago and now operate as Cockpit USA. They made, and still do make some pretty nice jackets, many of them being US made. I have a few old Avirex jackets. Don’t think they ever made and Indy style jacket. As Cockpit they make a jacke...

Ridgerunner58

Just wear the tar out of the thing and save up for an akubra. Or if you are really feeling in the mood, save up for a penman or one from Northwest hats. I have looked at their website and have been unable to find it. The northwest one, not penman Northwest’s version is their Cairo hat. It’s shown i...

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