Fedora material

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 8:40 am

I've read many different things about Indy's fedoras in the three movies...shape, height, brim width, etc...I've also read from different hat vendors about the various materials they use for their hats. My question is-what were Indy's hats actually made from in the various movies?

I know movies don't always follow real-time continuity, but I noticed in Raiders, when he swings out into the river, his hat basically winds up nothing more than a glob of fabric on his head. Based on what I've read about rabbit fur hats, that could be the material used.
In LC, when he escapes the boat with the cross, his hat maintains a much better shape while he's treading water. Could it be beaver? Could they both be beaver?

I'm just curious about this. I have a very mundane job...I have TIME to think about these things.

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 10:46 am

The bodies were probably made by different felt companies. That is one difference. The other is the amount of stiffener in the hat. The Raiders hat had less. Regarding HJ, it is my understanding that the current HJs are sub contracted out of some other hat factory and HJ receives them already made and ready to sell. When, HJ stopped making their own hats is not known, but perhaps it was between Raiders and TOD. Perhaps later. When I look at the 3 film hats, the Raiders hat seems to be different not only in felt, but in block shape as well. Fedora

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 10:54 am

So Fedora:

When the Raiders hat that went into the river dried out, would it have been saveable, or would it have tossed into the trash bin?

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 11:11 am

When the Raiders hat that went into the river dried out, would it have been saveable, or would it have tossed into the trash bin?
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Well, unless they had a hat block to use, it would be a trash ready item. That hat would have to be reblocked. Since these were the last scenes filmed, I doubt it they would have saved it. Fedora

J_Weaver · Post by **J_Weaver** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 7:26 pm

Fedora wrote:
When the Raiders hat that went into the river dried out, would it have been saveable, or would it have tossed into the trash bin?
_________________
Well, unless they had a hat block to use, it would be a trash ready item. That hat would have to be reblocked. Since these were the last scenes filmed, I doubt it they would have saved it. Fedora

Could the that have been saved and used as the cockpit hat in ToD?

Scandinavia Jones · Post by **Scandinavia Jones** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 8:26 pm

Yes, that's actually one theory around here; the tapered Tri-Motor fedora could indeed be a re-used Raiders hat.

Indiana Jimbo · Post by **Indiana Jimbo** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 10:25 pm

Excuse me for my ignorance, but I have a question that might fit into this post. Beaver and rabbit hats... are they really made out of beaver and rabbit. Is it the whole hide, Just the fur; just the leather? I, not owning one (yet), do not know this. Sorry if I am kind of stealing your thread though.

James

raindog · Post by **raindog** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 12:05 am

Hi James,
yes, it's real beaver and rabbit fur (a lot of people, me included) didn't know about that until I started studyuing felt a bit).
They use the thick soft fur that's closest to the body of the rabbit of beaver (can't remember the exact name of it) and remove the thicker 'guard hairs', which I assume to be the outer coat we can see.
That's why Beaver is so prized for it's waterproof qualities, because the animal lives in water a lot of the time and it's fur is excellent at keeping it warm and protected.

Jeff.

Indiana_Zach · Post by **Indiana_Zach** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 1:24 am

Funny this should come up becuase we were just doing a thing in my English class about fur trading in the North West and its affects on the economy and we study about the fur to and it is the fur that is closest to the body and the fur is accually like vel-crow and it is pressed into felt I found it very interesting.

IndianaGuybrush · Post by **IndianaGuybrush** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 1:25 am

It's real fur, but there is no leather involved, excepting the sweatband. The fur is effectively shaved off of the pelt, then spun around in a machine to make felt. This felt is what is used for the raw hat body. A grossly oversimplified way of explaining it, but it works.

raindog · Post by **raindog** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 2:15 pm

Indiana zach wrote " the fur is accually like vel-crow and it is pressed into felt I found it very interesting."

Yes it's interesting stuff

That vel-crow quality is what holds it together so strongly, actually producing the strongest cloth made.

Nice to know when you're wearing your felt!

Jeff.

Kaleponi Craig · Post by **Kaleponi Craig** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 5:08 pm

IndianaGuybrush wrote:It's real fur, but there is no leather involved, excepting the sweatband. The fur is effectively shaved off of the pelt, then spun around in a machine to make felt. This felt is what is used for the raw hat body. A grossly oversimplified way of explaining it, but it works.

That's interesting, I never new how they did that...KC

Indiana Jimbo · Post by **Indiana Jimbo** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 11:23 pm

Thank you guys for enlightening me.