The saga of the dog hat

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 1:34 pm

For those who are curious, the blocked hat body that the dog chewed up was one that had been given the "Marc Kitter Treatment" that an old German hatter was kind enough to share with him. Since this body was ruined already, I figured it might be a good test canidate to see how it holds up being outside 24 hours a day. I think it has been sitting out for a couple of weeks now, and has been rained on heavily twice, with the first rain lasting for over 10 hours. It then dried on its own and was wet once again, with a less lengthy rain this time. I just took a coupe to show the effects the rain has had on the hat, as well as the damage the dog did to the brim. The dirt seen on the hat is yellow clay, compliments of the dog, but most has been washed out by the rains. I figure it might be interesting to follow this test. Wish I had a webcam so I could get a live stream going.

Anyways, if anyone is interested in this here are the pics. I will update from time to time so we can see how the hat is holding up. Fedora

Doctor_Jones · Post by **Doctor_Jones** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 1:45 pm

Oh my God.

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 1:49 pm

This is not the first time this has happened!! Dogs love beaver, so much that they want to eat them. I would be afraid to leave my hat around any dog. And, now, I never do!!! Fedora

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 1:55 pm

Oh my God.

You should have reserved that for this one.

Texas Raider · Post by **Texas Raider** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 2:20 pm

My dogs are completely indifferent to my hats. (other than the fact that when I put it on, they know it might be time to "go outside!" and start getting excited

) They don't treat it like it's some kind of snack or food or anything, including the AB. Of course, I have really good dogs

.

TR

GCR · Post by **GCR** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 2:27 pm

Texas Raider wrote:My dogs are completely indifferent to my hats. (other than the fact that when I put it on, they know it might be time to "go outside!" and start getting excited ) They don't treat it like it's some kind of snack or food or anything, including the AB. Of course, I have really good dogs .

TR

I hear ya. My dog's the same way. Very well behaved...heck, I have a hard enough time getting him to eat FOOD and play with TOYS...he'd never so much as sniff one of my hats the wrong way. But he's sort of indifferent to things, I guess. My last dog might have munched on a fedora or two, if the opportunity arose, but my current dog? No chance.

Then again, if I had a SQUIRREL-felt hat, that might be a VERY different story!

Anyway, Fedora, it looks like the crown on that AB has kept its shape very well after all the exposure its had to the elements. Was the hat bashed before or after this experiment began?

-GCR

IndyParise · Post by **IndyParise** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 2:42 pm

Texas Raider wrote:My dogs are completely indifferent to my hats. (other than the fact that when I put it on, they know it might be time to "go outside!" and start getting excited ) They don't treat it like it's some kind of snack or food or anything, including the AB. Of course, I have really good dogs .

TR

My dog does the same. First time I wore my Akubra by him, he didn't know it was me at first though. He started running away and barking like he does to strangers. Now he just knows it means I'm going outside or going to school.

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 2:58 pm

It must be something with Mississippi dogs.

This is the second time this has happened to me. It may be like that old saw about "will this dog bite?" The first dog was a pit bulldog, this one here was part collie and part golden retriever. Perhaps the breed of the dog enters into the equation? I dunno. I just don't trust ANY dog anymore.

Not when it comes to hats, anyways. I guess I would trust a toothless dog though. All he could do was gum the hat to death? Fedora

Doctor_Jones · Post by **Doctor_Jones** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 3:07 pm

Fedora wrote:
Oh my God.
You should have reserved that for this one.

OH MY GOODNESS!!

Texas Raider · Post by **Texas Raider** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 5:02 pm

Fedora wrote:
It must be something with Mississippi dogs.

Michaelson, you gonna let 'im talk about you that way?!

TR

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 6:10 pm

nice TR!

if my dog was there, there wouldn't be a hat to take pictures of....he will eat anything, chew anything.......as long as it doesn't have my scent on it. he will mangle my wife and kids stuff but has left my stuff pretty much alone. thats him over there <---------------. guess he knows that daddy is the only one in the house that knows how to use the whip.......

hey fedora, i think you should offer that bash to your customers as the 'EXTREME SOC' bash.

cheers!

Post by **Michaelson** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 7:15 pm

Texas Raider wrote:
Fedora wrote:
It must be something with Mississippi dogs.

Michaelson, you gonna let 'im talk about you that way?!

TR

Sure, I'm in Tennessee. May there IS something with Mississippi dogs...

Regards! Michaelson

Russ · Post by **Russ** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 9:06 pm

A long time ago our family dog would suddenly attack people whenever they put on gloves. This was because the only time we put on gloves in his presence was so we could play rough with him and let him bite our hands as hard as he wanted. What fun memories...

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 11:31 pm

That hat shows very little taper! That's wonderful, and it gives me a lot of confidence to not worry about my AB if the fog is heavy that day or it rains. Did this hat dry in the same position it was in when it got wet, or did you turn the crown upside down to let it dry?

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:00 am

That hat shows very little taper! That's wonderful, and it gives me a lot of confidence to not worry about my AB if the fog is heavy that day or it rains. Did this hat dry in the same position it was in when it got wet, or did you turn the crown upside down to let it dry?

I just left it on the brim while it was outside. I need to sit it on top of an old hat block to keep it off the brim. It was just hanging on a fence post. The ideal would be to have someone just sit outside 24 hours a day, but I doubt anyone would volunteer for such a task.

The next best thing would be just using a hat block as the head. Fedora

Texas Raider · Post by **Texas Raider** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 2:46 am

Michaelson wrote:
Texas Raider wrote:
Fedora wrote:
It must be something with Mississippi dogs.

Michaelson, you gonna let 'im talk about you that way?!

TR
Sure, I'm in Tennessee. May there IS something with Mississippi dogs...

O.k., so he got his states mixed up, you still gonna let him talk about you that way?!

TR

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 5:07 am

Fedora wrote:I just left it on the brim while it was outside. I need to sit it on top of an old hat block to keep it off the brim. It was just hanging on a fence post. The ideal would be to have someone just sit outside 24 hours a day, but I doubt anyone would volunteer for such a task. The next best thing would be just using a hat block as the head. Fedora

That just bolsters my confidence even more!

Post by **Michaelson** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 8:06 pm

Texas Raider wrote: O.k., so he got his states mixed up, you still gonna let him talk about you that way?!

TR

Sure. He's family.

Regard! Michaelson

Paul_Stenhouse · Post by **Paul_Stenhouse** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 2:14 am

Steve,

Those don't look like 'screen-accurate' teeth marks. I think they need to be bigger by about 0.005 of an inch.

Do you agree?

Paul

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 9:50 am

Those don't look like 'screen-accurate' teeth marks. I think they need to be bigger by about 0.005 of an inch.

Do you agree

Let's make them bullet holes. Fired by a Thompson submachine gun. No wait, wrong caliber for Nazi's. Michaelson will know the correct caliber.

Fedora

darthjones · Post by **darthjones** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:45 am

Wow, thats great to see. Beautiful crown shape still.

Is the new felt that Marc had specially made for his new hats or prior felt that he, like you said, "treated?"

IndyParise · Post by **IndyParise** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:47 am

Fedora wrote: Michaelson will know the correct caliber. Fedora

Well I could tell you that one, 9mm. Doesn't take a genius like Michaelson

VP · Post by VP » Sun Nov 26, 2006 12:03 pm

MP40 technical details:

Weight: 4 kg
Caliber: 9x19 9mm Parabellum
About 450 shots per minute
32 bullets per magazine

jeboat · Post by **jeboat** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 12:24 am

Fedora,

Are you still feeding those Mississippi dogs expensive beaver? You know you can buy really good dog food for less than $1.00 a can at the grocery...

jeboat

Texas Raider · Post by **Texas Raider** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 12:52 am

Sure. He's family.

Regard! Michaelson[/

quote]

Yeah, I guess you're right

!! Move along, move along....

TR

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:23 am

Great idea my friend!!!

the "Marc Kitter Treatment" that an old German hatter was kind enough to share with him.

Hehehe!!! I like that... the "Marc Kitter Treatment"

"Watch you tongue pal, or I'll give you a Marc Kitter Treatment!"

Not to brag, but actually I was discussing this technique with two old time hatters here in Europe (one of them being in Germany) and both of them agreed to, that it SHOULD work, but it is a new technique that I came up with (after reading various scientific written pages on hair structures etc. etc. - what a head ache) in opposite to something that was re-discovered (and I guess that's why you won't hear other hatters talking about it

).

Good to see how well this technique performs! And don't forget: it's an Adventurebilt exclusive folks

Regards,

Marc

darthjones · Post by **darthjones** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:27 am

Sounds great, Marc. Is this hat though an example of the fur bodies with which you are working now and for the forseeable future?

I hope to order one of yours in a few months and am wondering if there will be any difference between gorgeous now and incredible later...

Thanks!

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:34 am

No Sir, this is one of the rawbodies Steve got from his felter, but treated with that socalled "Marc Kitter Treatment"

(too funny really, I hope nobody ever does that to me though), which is supposed to "kill" the felt, to make it more taper resistent (similar to a vintage felt) - obviously with very good results.

I have a few plans for the next months (years?), but that will hardly have any influence on the felt (unless of course I can talk my felter into a limited edition of seal fur felt - but that stuff is INCREDIBLY expensive and as if that wouldn't be enough, it takes an entire seal for a single rawbody). In regards of pure beaver felt, I really feel that I've come to an end by now and a liner can easily be replaced later on

Regards,

Marc

darthjones · Post by **darthjones** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 5:02 am

Right on, Marc. Thanks. I was just soooooo happy to see the taper-resistant behavior here. I am one of those who spent way too much money on HJ's in years past and am excited about everything that Steve and yourself are doing.

Still saving up for one of yours but currently enjoying one of Steve's.

The AB is by itself ressurecting the height of hat making it seems.

Again, thanks for the response.

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 5:37 am

I am one of those who spent way too much money on HJ's in years past and am excited about everything that Steve and yourself are doing.

Sounds familiar

Steve and I have spent literally thousands of Dollars (and Euros) on Indy Fedoras over the past years, before we figured that we could do at least as good for way less. So we're saving you bucks and us a bad Karma for not ripping you off

Regards,

Marc

Texas Raider · Post by **Texas Raider** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 5:14 pm

Hey Marc, spare the seals, my friend. Speaking of bad karma,,I think making a hat out of seals that have been clubbed to death isn't the best idea one could have..

Don't mean to sound like your local leaf-licker here, but that's a little extreme, IMO, just for an Indiana Jones fedora.

TR

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 6:43 pm

i think TR is right. i just couldn't bring myself to do it.....baby seal is just a little past my comfort level. i mean i have no problem wearing calfskin alden boots or getting a kangaroo bullwhip.....but i've seen how they club these little guys and it just doesn't look right....

i'd "shoot a man in reno, just to watch him die" but i can't justify sporting seal fur apparel.

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:24 am

I extra paid 50% extra to get a seal skin from Greenland in opposite to Alaska or Canada. The seals from Greenland are hunted traditionally by the Inuit for their living and not for the felt alone and each family may only shoot (NOT club) so and so many seals per year - with EXTREMELY harsh restrictions. Due to electricity and hightec clothes, the oil for lamps and the skin for coats are not longer as demanded as they were a hundred years ago, but the meat still is. I give you my word, that the seal which skin I bough would have been shot (again: not clubbed) no matter if someone would have bought the skin or not. - I do have a conscience too after all.

And it's certainly not a baby seal, for two little reasons: too little meat and it's forbidden to shot them.

Regards and thanks for your honest opinion - which will always be valued from me,

Marc

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:23 am

I can't believe some ASSUME the seals were, (1 baby seals, and (2 that they were clubbed to death. You know the old saw about ASSUMING anythng. Give Marc some credit here.

These seals are a food source for the native people. What is left over is the skin. You can throw them away, or sell them. But even the feltmaker had qualms about using the skins, but his curiosity got the better of him as he too wonders what sort of felt the fur would make. And, he told Marc he would only do this once.

Personally I see nothing wrong with it. No more than harvesting deer, eating them, and then using the hides to make buckskin. Now, if the adult seals were being killed just for their skins to make hats, that would put them in the same category as beaver being killed just for their skins. I know of few folks who eat beaver so............get the whole story before you start pointing fingers. Fedora

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:05 pm

i stand corrected and i apologize marc/fedora. its just that the majority of the population will envision the whole clubbing ritual when you mention that something is made from seal fur/pelt.

this stems from ignorance and i thank you for educating me on how these seals are harvested. that being said, its harder to educate others who choose to cling to those images from hunting baby seals....i.e. TR's "leaf licker" populas (hee hee..thats funny). some of them just won't listen as their beliefs stem from emotion and not logic (those of you out there that are married will understand what i'm talking about).

with this new info on the table, i would sport something of that nature, but i would definitely keep it on the down low so that the animal-rights people don't jump to conclusions like the way i did.

McFly · Post by **McFly** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:24 pm

Yeah, and if you cross the seal your house will fall apart!

That sounds like it would be a very interesting experiment, that seal felt. Would you be able to get the same color out of it? Would it be made exact same way? I think seals have pretty slick fur, don't they? But MAN would that stuff be water resistant!

Anyway - Steve: that AB looks like its holding up great! Can you refresh my memory though on what exactly the Marc Kitter (MK? Whoa!) Treatment is? I can't seem to remember.

Looks great though - very encouraging.

In Christ,
Shane

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:51 am

would definitely keep it on the down low so that the animal-rights people don't jump to conclusions like the way i did.

Well, I didn't plan to have "Handcrafted from pure seal fur" on the sweatband

I was rather considering something like:

The One
Handcrafted
at The Adventurebilt Hat Co.

The one, as there'll probably only be one hat made ever. PERHAPS(!!!) I might be able to offer a highly limited edition of 3-10 hats or so, but that is far from guaranteed and I reckon that most people couldn't even afford the skin itself, let alone the processing of the fur, the specially made sweatband etc. etc. etc. It's just beyond good and bad and was rather though of as an experiment to see if I could create the finest hat that has ever been made of animal fur felt.

Would you be able to get the same color out of it? Would it be made exact same way? I think seals have pretty slick fur, don't they? But MAN would that stuff be water resistant

Probably all of it

However I'm not sure if I'd want to have it died at all, as the fur is supposed to have a silky silver color as it is naturally (should arrive today or tomorrow).

Can you refresh my memory though on what exactly the Marc Kitter (MK? Whoa!) Treatment is? I can't seem to remember.

The MK Treatment deals with the collar on Indy Jackets and has nothing to do with this

The "Marc Kitter Treatment" is a technique I developed after talking to a couple of old time hatters and people who've been in the hat industry for decades and after talking countless hours with Steve about how we could "kill" the felt of modern rawbodies, to make them behave like vintage rawbodies (more taper resistent). It's a technique that is only used from Steve and me and as you can see, the results speak for themselves.

Regards,

Marc

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 4:14 am

The skin of an outgrown, un-clubbed seal just arrived here at the office. They left the skin that was formerly over the head on, and there are neither blood stains nor clubbing holes nor anything alike. It has a seal of aprovement stamped on the underside, that it is indeed from Greenland as well.

The fur is soft and silky - but being from an outgrown animal, it is not entirely silver colored, so I might have to have it died nonetheless. We'll see how it felts.

Regards,

Marc

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 4:24 am

Marc wrote: The "Marc Kitter Treatment" is a technique I developed after talking to a couple of old time hatters and people who've been in the hat industry for decades and after talking countless hours with Steve about how we could "kill" the felt of modern rawbodies, to make them behave like vintage rawbodies (more taper resistent). It's a technique that is only used from Steve and me and as you can see, the results speak for themselves.

Is this practice done on all AB and AB Dlx hats?

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 4:46 am

Yes, ever since it was developed (ca. mid October).

Regards,

Marc

3thoubucks · Post by **3thoubucks** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 4:47 am

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 11:35 am

The fur is soft and silky - but being from an outgrown animal, it is not entirely silver colored, so I might have to have it died nonetheless. We'll see how it felts.

Marc, is there a thick coat of underfur under the top fur? Like on other felt producing animals? Fedora

VP · Post by VP » Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:04 pm

Marc wrote:The skin of an outgrown, un-clubbed seal just arrived here at the office.

Hmm.... I wonder what your co-workers thought in the cubicles around you.

Got any pics?

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 4:06 am

Marc, is there a thick coat of underfur under the top fur? Like on other felt producing animals? Fedora

Well that's what puzzled me... There IS no underfur!!! - Or rather, the entire skin is ONLY underfur, without any guard hairs

I'm EXTREMELY curious about what the rawbody will be like!

Hmm.... I wonder what your co-workers thought in the cubicles around you.

Well, I DID get some very stupid comments like "murderer", "child eater" etc. etc. and had to educate a couple of collegues (those with the lamb hide skin jackets and bags, you know

) on where I got the skin from, why it was shot to start with etc. etc. etc. :evil: After I had explained it a couple of times, people overcame their "disgust" and were rather fascinated about the density and softness of the fur.

Regards,

Marc

Indiana Blooze · Post by **Indiana Blooze** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 10:00 am

Marc wrote:

Well, I DID get some very stupid comments like "murderer", "child eater" etc. etc. and had to educate a couple of collegues (those with the lamb hide skin jackets and bags, you know )

It's like that all over, Marc. IMHO it seems that those that most adamently stand up for the rights of those that can't, be they animal or man, are often the most hypocritical. A man I work with will not shop at a large home improvement store, or a really large 'buy anything under the sun here' store because they use 'slave labor' and are anti-American worker. Then he gets in his little foriegn made sports car and drives off

Keep up the good work Marc. I can hardly wait to see what you can do with seal skin fur.

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 10:45 am

Don't you worry, Blooze. I tailgate folks like that, driving their itty bitty cars, in my chunk of 1950 MOPAR Detroit iron every chance I get.

Not really, but it's neat to know that if I DID drive like that, they'd just be a speed bump to my monster car.

Regards! Michaelson

Antone · Post by **Antone** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 4:08 pm

Marc wrote:I give you my word, that the seal which skin I bough would have been shot (again: not clubbed) no matter if someone would have bought the skin or not. - I do have a conscience too after all.

And it's certainly not a baby seal, for two little reasons: too little meat and it's forbidden to shot them.

Does this mean I can't ask about the new "pre-bashed" ABs, or whether there literally is an "AB club?"

Sorry, I'm all for humane treatment of animals, but I just couldn't resist...

Antone

WConly · Post by **WConly** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 5:00 pm

Wow it just hit me -- I can see the trailer as if I was in a theatre -- The Man with the Hat is back and this time, it's not going to go down easy for him! Yes, the Man with the Hat -- staring Steve Delk as the intripid hatmaker with an eye for adventure. Stunts like you have never seen. Action beyond the human imagination. Yes! The Man with the Hat is back and larger than life! Steve Delk is 'Fedora -- the Man with the Hat' as the trilogy continues with his greatest adventure of all -- 'Raiders of the Lost Canine'! Coming soon to a theatre near you....not yet rated.

W>

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 5:36 pm

Be very careful suggesting that, W. Steve's been watching my collection of 1930's/40's 'serial adventures', and is currently watching my boxed set of Crime Film Noir movies.....you might give him ideas to try some of the stuff he's been watching lately.

Regards! Michaelson

WConly · Post by **WConly** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 7:11 pm

By the by....the origial working title for this project was....'Fedora and the Streets of Bow Wow'

!!!!! W>

The saga of the dog hat

The saga of the dog hat

Still feeding those dogs?