I've been deciding for the right time to buy a new hat for a few years now. I've been dorfman bound for about two years now since I bought it from disney world (beside the huge stunt show! ). Well even after I got the hat I knew it wouldn't do for long. Well wearing it was pretty short lived since it shrunk after about a month (or my head got bigger). I wore it anyway for a while since it fit just a bit snugly.
So I finally made the decision this summer that I will get an AB in rabbit, turned, with some reverse taper. I didn't really specify a scene but I really just wanted an all around Raiders hat. But if I had to specify a scene I think it would be the Streets of Cairo hat. I will most likely baby that hat like a first born child! So soon I'll be in the AB club! As soon as I get my hat I will post pics!
Next a Wested!
Last edited by Colby on Wed Oct 05, 2005 12:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Colby wrote:So I finally made the decision this summer that I will get an AB in rabbit, turned, with some reverse taper. I didn't really specify a scene but I really just wanted an all around Raiders hat. But if I had to specify a scene I think it would be the Streets of Cairo hat.
I just had a little unexpected windfall myself, recently, so I finally gave in to this temptation as well.
Funny thing is, w/ the exception of ordering a beaver instead of a rabbit (insert Daffy Duck face there), I basically gave Steve the same request! Turned, w/ a Temple/Raven/Cairo kind of mixed look - basically a general Raiders look, understanding that it would probably end up Cairo over time.
The amazing part to me is Steve understands us when we say this kind of stuff!
Thats great! I really wanted to opt for the beaver but I just couldn't afford it at the time. Actually right now I may be able to afford one since I got a new job right about the time before he started on my hat (great timing ).
I may just buy a beaver hat from him sometime in the future but that depends on if I get too attached to my hat. Kinda like how I have a pair of J. Crew ruggeds that naturally distressed beautifully and are extremely comfortable (although a bit dark). I know Aldens are more accurate but I'm just too attached to my J. Crews to change over now and get a pair of those.
I would have probably gotten a Wested sooner but I'm just too paranoid about the sizing! I would probably go insane waiting for a jacket that may not fit properly. I think I'll get one of those once I feel comfortable with the sizing since my arms are so long and my chest is so small.
Thanks for the advice Michaelson but about a week ago he sent me a message saying it was drying on the block so its a bit too late. But I'm happy with the rabbit! He said he will take the hat off the block this weekend and finish it then ship it out!
Great decision, you know by now you will not be disappointed. Isn't it a great decision when you finally decide to commit and actually place the order? I am anxious to see pics of your 'turned reverse taper'.
I have another AB in gray in the works, so my pics will follow yours. Although, I will keep them out of your thread, and maybe even find a way to put them into Prairie's...
I havent seen Fedora around for a long time, i bet he's full! Hats are eating him alive!
Glad that your business are going great my friend, you really deserve it!
Colby wrote:
So I finally made the decision this summer that I will get an AB in rabbit,
Congrat's with the decision, You won't regret it
After some of the talk that's been in here about the beaver version I was afraid I wouldn't like my rabbit. But when it arrived I could see and feel it was a fine quality Fedora that lacked nothing compared to the Akubra Fed. DL and HJ that allready was on the shelf.
Good luck with the Wested - It wont let You down either.
But when it arrived I could see and feel it was a fine quality Fedora that lacked nothing compared to the Akubra Fed. DL and HJ that allready was on the shelf.
I agree. Nothing wrong with the rabbit felt from Winchester, and it is better than most blends that you see coming from the factory made hats today. Thanks. Fedora
Hahahah...I can picture that...everyday, this guy dressed sorta like Indiana Jones (but without the hat) peeks out the door at the mailman as he comes up the drive...
...the mailmain spends a few days being spooked by this...
...but on the last day he brings a big box, and this Indy-looking-guy opens it up and puts on his hat. Ahhhh!
I thought the exact same thing as I hit the submit button! I suddenly got images of being just like you said! hahahaha! Or even better!
*sees a UPS truck drive by*
*he jumps on his horse and rides up beside it then jumps onto the side of the truck as it barrels down the road then slowly moves to the front and jerks the mailman out then grabs his package and puts on his hat then drives the truck home!*
He shouldn't have been wearing brown! I mistook him for a nazi in my insanity!
If I had been geard-out when the post(woman) showed up with my hat and put the hat on right then, I would have looked like a Prairie Jones. This is a Prairie hat.
Ha-HA! I already figured out a way to get a picture of my hat in your thread.
Last edited by prairiejones on Wed Oct 05, 2005 1:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I recieved my hat yesterday! I took a lot of pics of it and it is the best hat I've ever seen in my life! Unfortunately it seems that it is a tad bit too small. It fits on my head but it kind of makes my head pound a bit after wearing it for ten minutes. I may need to go up a size or a half. Anyway pics!
I'm not sure really. I was wondering that also. I was thinking that maybe if it broke in tight it would still be tight and not really stretch. It would just kind of "form" to my head tightly. Which is bad, but I could be wrong. I sent Fedora a few messages about it but he hasn't come online yet. I may call him this afternoon.
OK, it looks like your wearing that hat not far off your ears & quite low on your forehead.
Try having it further back on your head, so the bottom of the front of the sweat band is little further than just past your hair line (providing you don't have a receeded hair line!) That should take the tension your feeling off your head & is actually more accurate to the way HF wore his hat in Raiders
Personally I found the sweatbands in these hats are so soft, that after I jammed the hat down hard to wear riding <--- & then sweated in it alot, it loosened off. Now the hat is too loose & I'm looking at a re-block a size down from the original size I got.
Ahh thanks! Fedora sent me a message saying I should try to stretch the sweatband a bit and maybe it should be fixed. If not I could send it to him and he would fix it.
Skippy wrote:Personally I found the sweatbands in these hats are so soft, that after I jammed the hat down hard to wear riding <--- & then sweated in it alot, it loosened off. Now the hat is too loose & I'm looking at a re-block a size down from the original size I got.
Exactly. Once I sweat my AB down, it stretches a bit and becomes a little loose. To compensate for this I carry a piece of folded paper towel tucked into the lining. When the hat stretches and gets loose, I place the paper behind the sweat band. Once the hat dries out it return to normal size and the paper go back into the liner until next time.
Colby,
your hat looks great.my AB felt a little snug when I first tried it on but now after a couple weeks it fits me like a glove but, if it feels too tight then you should send it back to steve.BTW- if you do make a list of Rabbit AB owners, ad me to it.
Best Regards,
Joe
I fixed the sizing problem I think! Fedora told me to try to stretch the sweatband by grabbing the front and back ends of the sweat and pull it hard and see if it helps. After doing that a couple times it fit like a glove. Plus I took Skippys advice about wearing my hat!
Glad to read this. From what I can see in your photo, that size works with your face and head shape perfectly. To go up size wise, you'll risk having it feel looser, but it will tend to fall down on top of your ears (a pet peeve of some of MY hats ), which I personally find VERY uncomfortable.
Now, wear it. You'll find (as Skippy said) it just gets better and better in comfort as it takes on your head shape and wear practice.
Regards! Michaelson
Last edited by Michaelson on Thu Oct 06, 2005 5:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Don't worry, I have many more pictures that were taken then. I have one high resolution version of the one above so you can see the hats details better. The rabbit definetly isn't very responsive to any tweaks I try on it. I was curious to how prairiejones got that beautiful reverse taper on his.
EDIT: Got the close pic!
Last edited by Colby on Thu Oct 06, 2005 6:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I really like the way my hat looks now. It has reverse taper although not as much as prairies. I haven't taken my hat off since I got off work! I got my paycheck yesterday, so I just ordered a new 44R wested before the cold winter comes.
Mine is beaver, so it responds well to whatever I do. If I want reverse taper, I just pinch in the sides at the top of the ribbon, and it holds for a while.
). Well even after I got the hat I knew it wouldn't do for long. Well wearing it was pretty short lived since it shrunk after about a month (or my head got bigger). I wore it anyway for a while since it fit just a bit snugly. 
So soon I'll be in the AB club! 
As soon as I get my hat I will post pics! 
). 
), which I personally find VERY uncomfortable. 
