hj raiders becomes tod...now in line for an AB makeover

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:07 am

evening all,

my first HJ was a whole size too big. i wore it on my wedding day and had lots of pictures taken with it. every picture i saw myself in showed me that the current HJ from todd's CAN make a decent raiders hat but i wanted to see if it can be done with one that fits.

with that in mind, i ordered another one in the correct size and open crowned, and got the kettle going again. i bashed her in the 'idol grab' bash because this is where i feel the raiders hat started out as and then can transform herself into SOC and WOS over time.

i thought that i got pretty close:

and a side by side:

though the brim could be matched easily to the screen hat, there's just not enough "junk in the trunk" in the crown to get that nice deep pinch, the nice camel humps, and the nice gradual side profile that slopes back to the rear kicker slant.

i am quite happy with the outcome despite the crown. today's HJ block can still make for a decent raiders hat IMO if you are not too fussy with the crown.

the whole project has made me realized that i look better in the TOD fedora though. i am considering selling this. i have only worn the hat twice. if there's any interest, i can let her go for $200 plus shipping. lemme know.

GCR · Post by **GCR** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:49 am

Not too bad, G! I definitely see what you mean about there not being enough "volume" in the current HJ block shape to produce the right results in the crown (and that's even with the turn!)

A valiant effort none the less! While it might not satisfy a Raiders "purist", I think that hat still has quite an Indy look to it. Nice work!

-GCR

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 1:08 am

tone, GCR,

compliments from you guys just upped the sentimental value to me. much appreciated coming from gents like yourselves.

cheers

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:59 am

I agree, you got it pretty close there, buddy. I wouldn't sit on it or beat it up, because that hat likely won't ever be able to be re-blocked. I really really like that left side view, as the brim noticably flips up and down. I wish I could get that out of some of my hats.

Indiana Cromeens · Post by **Indiana Cromeens** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 4:47 am

be very careful with your front pinch, as it can tear at the top very easilly on a HJ, I know this one from experience,Treat it like a fragile child, otherwise it won't last, get an AB, Aukbra, or a JP design then beat the #### out of that one, you will thank yourself in the long run, "Trust Me."with aHJ you just buy a pretty looking hat and a name but no durability.
P.S. did you try folding the sweat over on the HJ that was to big, you can achieve a boxier effect on your hat that way ala the $3g bucks method.

Swindiana · Post by **Swindiana** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:25 am

Awesome brim swoop!

Regards,
Swindiana

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 1:25 pm

thanks swindiana!

cromeens, the HJ is not that fragile....or maybe i baby my hats more than you

the only hat that i really took it to was my fed reg and i was really impressed by its resiliance. the HJ felt is thinner granted but with my experience on the previous 2, theres nothing there for me to worry about. all 3 HJ's took a **** of alot of steam with no tapering......about the same as the fed reg and there was some shrinkage with the akubra. i contemplated doing the $3thou treatment on the old oversized HJ, but i just can't stand a wrinkled sweat in a hat...don't like the feeling of that when you wear it.

anyways, i steamed the brim some more (sorry tone

) and i think i got a keeper now. i managed to get a higher side on the right by creasing the brim a little....something that i observed on marc's predistressed AB deluxe in his avatar.

cheers

Indiana Kev · Post by **Indiana Kev** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 5:03 pm

That's a good looking lid you got there!...it is a keeper for sure!

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 5:48 pm

right you are tone. i never steam the crown to excess. thats just asking for trouble.

prairiejones · Post by **prairiejones** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:13 pm

Looking good.

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 3:11 pm

"looking good".....as he taunts me with his hat in the avatar

i remember when i ordered my AB (it was my second hat)....i gave steve a description of what i wanted it to look like using examples from the "post your adventurebuilts here" thread. i recall mentioning...."and i want it to look like the hat prariejones has in his avatar on page so and so....."

thanks for the compliment prarie and the rest of you guys. it means more than you know.

cheers

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 4:45 pm

I remember requesting the "Prairie Jones bash" at one point, too! Looks like you're setting trends, PJ!

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:40 pm

my quest for another TOD fed:

i was originally looking at a stetson temple but joe peters at peter brothers scared me away from it, stating that the stetson temple cannot be made into the movie hat with the way its made today (please someone post if they beg to differ).

i also considered baron's cliffhanger but the price tag and wait time was not very attractive to me.

with my reblocked AB coming in, i don't really need my latest HJ styled in a raiders bash so i decided to throw her over the kettle again. i had nothing to lose so i put more steam on this hat than any of my other hats knowing very well of the taper horror stories that i've heard on the board. i bashed it at least a dozen times, as i didn't like the outcome. i decided to iron the brim and buy some stiffener as i know by now that most of it must have steamed out of the hat. i have to give credit to this hat as she took at least 3 or 4 kettles of steam, not only on the brim but on the crown too (ha ha tone!). i thought this hat would get ruined (maybe hoping for an excuse to give baron hats a call...

). in the end, i was quite pleased with what came out......a perfect match for my incoming TOD wested.

GCR · Post by **GCR** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 11:14 pm

Lookin' good, G! How many HJ's is that, now? Is this one from Todd's or is this the one from SAB? I must say, some of these ToD hats really have me itchin' for a more relaxed pinch in one of my new hats...I'll have to see what strikes me when the hats I have on order out there start to trickle in. Anyways, excellent work, it's not always easy to convert a hat back to a more relaxed pinch look after having spent time with a tight Raiders pinch. You sure did good this time around, G, though I fear you may be flirting with disaster with all the steam on those HJ's!

-GCR

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 11:47 pm

thanks tone, GCR,

this was the 3rd HJ, not the SAB HJ, and not the oversized wedding HJ. i had nothing to lose on this as i saw the hat dissolving from my circulation....now she's no. 1 again!

i've come to like TOD and the gear. i know many members here hate the movie, hate the hats, hate the elephants

...but i like 'em all! it seems to be the movie for me now which is why i wanted to bash the hat in this manner. the SAB bridge hat just didn't have the right colour ribbon for my taste but i still love the hat.

i did shrink my smithbuilt hat, shrank it somethin fierce! but since that, steam has been my friend. i can erase crease lines and mold felt quite nicely with it.......don't think i can give it up. i won't recommend it and i know awesome bash jobs can be done without it (case in point, tone's HJ)....but i like smoothing the lines of warm pliable felt, something about it keeps me off my meds

oh and the NEW HJ offerings will definitely be in my closet soon. i want to see what IM comes up with before i decide on who to buy from (first

).

happy bashing all (with or without the kettle).

GCR · Post by **GCR** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:38 am

Indiana G wrote: i've come to like TOD and the gear. i know many members here hate the movie, hate the hats, hate the elephants ...but i like 'em all! it seems to be the movie for me now which is why i wanted to bash the hat in this manner. the SAB bridge hat just didn't have the right colour ribbon for my taste but i still love the hat.

You know, if I had to pick a least favorite Indy movie, it would be ToD. BUT, I still love the movie, just not as much as LC (another one many people tend to dislike) and no where near as much as I love Raiders (but, Raiders is my favorite movie, period. So trying to measure ToD against Raiders just doesn't work out in my case). Because I love Raiders, my gear quest has always been centered around primarily Raiders gear. And being a fan of the fedora, my gear quest has always started there. I always had the idea in my head that I'd eventually have three sets of gear, one for each film, but every time I get another hat, it always ends up Raiders style. I just can't seem to help myself. Hopefully I'll finally have the Raiders hat I've been after all these years when one of my new purchases arrives. I've got a total of 5 hats coming my way in the near future (3 AB's, 1 JPD and 1 HJ by Marc). One of them is BOUND to be the Raiders hat I've always wanted...chances are they will all look great. Maybe then I can FINALLY move on and get me a nice ToD "bridge hat" and a swell LC "seagull beach" hat. Here's hopin'.

-GCR

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 1:41 am

GCR,

your quest for the perfect raiders hat should be drawing to an end with
both marc and IM, "our top men", working on it right now

just remember though....from june on tll 2008..and beyond..all of us here are going to be looking for the new movie hat. so our hat spending days have just begun....HA HA!

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:41 pm

oh yeah....found this old thread....good. the pictures are in tact. this is one of my HJ's that went from a raiders bash to a TOD bash. this hat has endured alot of fiddling and alot of long hours in the mirror and over the kettle. this hat pretty much confirmed for me that todd's HJ's can take a fair amount of abuse.

now, for my next trick with this hat, i'm going to change it back to a raiders hat.....with an accurate crown shape. she's got an appointment with one of steve's blocks. i wish her good luck on her travels and most of all, good luck on the reblocking process.

stay tuned true-believers.....i'll post pics if she survives the process!

GCR · Post by **GCR** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 7:08 pm

Indiana G wrote:oh yeah....found this old thread....good. the pictures are in tact. this is one of my HJ's that went from a raiders bash to a TOD bash. this hat has endured alot of fiddling and alot of long hours in the mirror and over the kettle. this hat pretty much confirmed for me that todd's HJ's can take a fair amount of abuse.

now, for my next trick with this hat, i'm going to change it back to a raiders hat.....with an accurate crown shape. she's got an appointment with one of steve's blocks. i wish her good luck on her travels and most of all, good luck on the reblocking process.

stay tuned true-believers.....i'll post pics if she survives the process!

Sounds like a cool idea to me! THE authentic hat with THE correct blockshape...it's the holy grail for the hat-wearing purists out there. I wonder how this will work out, though...isn't Fedora using a size larger to create the Magnoli HJ's, because his block is too big to use the correct size? For instance, in order to make a 7 3/8ths hat, he would start out with a 7 1/2, to get the extra room in the crown so it'll fit on the block, and then shrink it down. If that's the case, would he be able to block your old HJ effectively? Don't mean to rain on your parade, G, I'm just genuinely curious. Perhaps you should send him that other, older HJ that is a size too big? Just a thought, either way, I can't wait to see the results!

-GCR

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:11 pm

oh.....i did not know that GCR. hopefully fedora can chime in and give us a low down?

that is a very valid point and i was wondering that myself....perhaps i was relying on the hat making magic to carry her through. it may just end up with a shorter crown like in magnoli's first pics...i'm not sure. in any event, it will at least give the ol gal another turn in the rotatioin cycle of daily headwear

...cross your fingers for me.....steve, any advice???

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 12:05 am

that was definitely a good point...title change....no need to run from that tone

since i've got a fine tod hj hat for daily wear...i figured i can take my older one and try to turn it into a real raiders hat (no punn intended). i figured that with my nice tod collection already in hand, i could go 'slumming' and sport a raiders bash for a bit......

NOW THATS ONE WHERE YOU HAVE TO RUN FOR YOUR LIFE

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:52 pm

just an update folks....the hat survived the reblocking process. steve said it turned out quite nice actually so i don't have to worry anymore. GCR, you are right, a current HJ will turn out to be a perfect raiders hat if it is a size up so that steve has enough felt to play with.

this hat was always a little roomy (not much) but i guess there was enough play there for steve to work his magic. i should be getting her back next week so i will post pics then.

the funny thing is that my AB that steve sent back to me already after a reblock is MIA still.....it's been 2 1/2 weeks en route. i think it'd be funny if the HJ got here before that one

GCR · Post by **GCR** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 4:15 pm

Indiana G wrote:just an update folks....the hat survived the reblocking process. steve said it turned out quite nice actually so i don't have to worry anymore. GCR, you are right, a current HJ will turn out to be a perfect raiders hat if it is a size up so that steve has enough felt to play with.

this hat was always a little roomy (not much) but i guess there was enough play there for steve to work his magic. i should be getting her back next week so i will post pics then.

the funny thing is that my AB that steve sent back to me already after a reblock is MIA still.....it's been 2 1/2 weeks en route. i think it'd be funny if the HJ got here before that one

Glad to hear it, G!

Can't wait to see the pics!

-GCR

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 5:19 pm

thanks to steve, my todd's hj has been 'stovepiped'

this pic shows how much more 'junk' the raiders block put in the old hj 'trunk':

and finally:

thanks for the great work steve!

Kaplan · Post by **Kaplan** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:30 am

wow, that looks great! So...are you going to turn it into a LC hat next?

Wrightknife · Post by **Wrightknife** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:49 am

Hat looks great! Keep up the nice work. I am trying to decide which hat I want to get next. With all the new offerings out there I can't decide whether an AB or a new HJ from Magnoli??

Have a great day!

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:24 pm

I surprised myself that this reblock turned out as well as it did. Generally, once a stock HJ shrinks, you can't get enough crown height out of it. I sweated bullets over this one.

I said it before, but it stands worth repeating. The current HJ felt while not the best felt out there, is very close to what I think the film hat was. Also, this felt shares much in common with the vintage HJ I sold. It has the same characteristics, and the exact same feel. I really think they may have went back to the same supplier as they had for the Raiders fedora. It is just too close in looks when compared to what HJ used during the 90's. Looks like I may have to make myself one if I ever get the time. I don't see that happening this year!

Fedora

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:20 pm

I sweated bullets over this one.

come on steve, you know i didn't want to stress you out.....i stated precisely that if this thing didn't survey the reblock, i would have taken full accountability on it so you shouldn't of worried so much.

that being said, your attitude is a true testament to the success of your craft my friend.

getting this hat and my reblocked beaver back from fedora has done more harm than good now. i thought this would have been it for getting anymore hats but now i'm quite curious as to how steve is making the magnoli hats. i actually prefer the rabbit to the beaver from my experience. though the beaver will withstand the test of the elements and time itself, i love the way the rabbit's texture feels in your hands and the way it ages.....must...cut...up......credit...card......