It truly does remind me of Raiders....

In-depth discussion of the Fedora of Indiana Jones and all other hats appearing in the Indiana Jones movies

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It truly does remind me of Raiders....

Post by IndyFan89 »

The KCS Fed really does remind me of the Raiders fed:

Image

WOW :shock:
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Post by airforceindy »

Where'd you find the pic?
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Post by coronado3 »

indianajones.com
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Post by Indiana G »

looks like ford wanted to have an indiana G SA AB, IMHO of course :lol:

my hat was bashed like that in the brim long before that pic (i think)....anyways, i heard he contacted indy magnoli to get an accurate indy G pink towel made :lol:

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m212 ... closed.jpg
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Post by whiskyman »

Just looks like another gearhead posing with his Ab in the garden. That just isn't Indiana Jones to my eyes, more like Harrison Ford as an indy fan :(
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Post by Dutch_jones »

whiskyman wrote:Just looks like another gearhead posing with his Ab in the garden. That just isn't Indiana Jones to my eyes, more like Harrison Ford as an indy fan :(
AMEN!!!! BRING back the HJ LOL :D
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Post by ob1al »

whiskyman wrote:Just looks like another gearhead posing with his Ab in the garden. That just isn't Indiana Jones to my eyes, more like Harrison Ford as an indy fan :(
Well, I guess that shows how good everyone's gear is these days. :wink:

The filmakers can't turn back the clock and have the same resources to hand as they did 30 years ago - lord knows, we've all been trying for years to replicate the nuances of the original Raiders fedora and other cosume parts, with some success too, but ultimately the gear used in the first film is unique to that film and that moment in time.

This is a continuation of the Last Crusade style Indy, to my eyes - a little different to LC even, but that's cool. It's a unique look for this particular movie. It'll still be great to see Ford back on the big screen doing the whole Indy thing.

I also think the character is more than the sum of his clothing. Ford is still Indy when wearing a professor costume or a dinner jacket...it's not about us geeking out on the subtle nuances of the action pleats or hat brim, it's about how well the part is acted by the man, that's the thing to watch.

Just my humble opinion on the matter.

Regards

Al
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Post by Fedora »

Just looks like another gearhead posing with his Ab in the garden. That just isn't Indiana Jones to my eyes, more like Harrison Ford as an indy fan
Well, I am glad Steven Spielberg's eyes picked the hat he wanted. Sad to say, but HJ was NOT up to the challenge this time around. They skipped over it, and never gave it any consideration. Plus, HJ of today is not the HJ of yesteryear. Swales is long gone. We took his place.


But on a more positive note, Fords head is warping the brim!!!! And that is a Raiders feature, that WAS NOT present on the HJs used in TOD and TLC. At least we got the softness back in the hat so his head could do its thing! And to me, that is a good thing, regardless of what anyone thinks about the crown. :wink:

Perhaps some would prefer this sort of hat.


Image


This is the sort of hat that hardly anyone wants as an Indy fedora.


This is an HJ, that got wet. I can assure you from my communication with the costumer,that when Indy takes a dunk, you won't see this sort of AB on his head. :wink:

So, if HJ would have made it, this is what we would have to look forward to. Not a pretty sight to most of us.

Also, the statement that it looks like another pic of a fan in his AB is not very well thought out. 99.9 per cent of all previous ABs that folks post pics of have the Raiders crease. If you will notice, this one does not.....a small point, that is huge. And it is not even the exact same block that previous ABs were made from!!

Nuff said. Fedora
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Post by Dutch_jones »

Raiders crease or not,t
his still looks like the other AB's
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Post by Jens »

Dutch_jones wrote:Raiders crease or not,t
his still looks like the other AB's
But isn't that exactly the point? :-k Keep in mind that the AB is a climax (if not - for some - the end) of a development to the Indy Fedora, we were looking for.

How could Ford seem like "just another Indy fan", if he indeed is Indy? I'm not sure, if I am getting the point, but if there is a hat considered by some (yes, I'm guilty, too) to be the best and most accurate Indiana Jones Fedora available - what else should Indiana Jones wear?

I guess, our eyes are just a little bit too saturated by the hundreds of AB pictures we saw ... :wink:
In my eyes the material I saw of the new movie so far, really brought back the spirit of Indy - and that's what is most important for me - the spirit of Indy. And Ford wearing a hat like that is Indy.
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Re: It truly does remind me of Raiders....

Post by Magnum Jones »

IndyFan89 wrote:The KCS Fed really does remind me of the Raiders fed:

Image

WOW :shock:
I always liked the tighter pinch on the front of the raiders hat.
Image
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Post by Fedora »

Let me add a little inside info. That hat pictured above, the AB, has a funny story behind it. It is NOT the same dimensions as the other 40 odd ABs in the film. I will tell that story later on. I will say it is shorter by 1/4 of an inch than the other film hats, for now.
I always liked the tighter pinch on the front of the raiders hat.
Trust me, both Marc and I tried to get Raiders creases back, but that was NOT our decision. Every pic we were sent, to use to copy the creases, was from TLC. They liked that crease job, but wanted the taper out that other offerings from other hatters came with. Since we both specialize in the Raiders fedora, that was an easy criterion to meet.

But there is another hat in the film, my LC blockshape was used to make them. They wanted it different in block from the brown hats. Or as they put it, it did not have to match the brown hat in looks. But they did send a pic of a particular scene for me to copy. Hence, we used my LC block to make the hats.

I know that everyone will not be pleased with the new CS fedora, for various reasons. And, I am under no illusions that any minds can be changed. But, lets wait and watch the film, before we draw any hard and fast conclusions. I may hate the hat myself when I see the film!! And if so, you can bet your sweet.......well, er, you can bet I will say so, if that is what I feel. I call em as I see em, and always have. Gets me into trouble, but at my age, I don't really care. :lol: Regards, Fedora
Last edited by Fedora on Sat Nov 03, 2007 12:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Jens »

Ha ha - and that just when I started to compare my hat with the one pictured and becoming paranoid how tall my crown looks (I was thinking it is something with my - or Ford's - face). :lol:
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Post by ANZAC_1915 »

Fedora wrote:Let me add a little inside info. That hat pictured above, the AB, has a funny story behind it. It is NOT the same dimensions as the other 40 odd ABs in the film. I will tell that story later on. I will say it is shorter by 1/4 of an inch than the other film hats, for now. Fedora
Crown height or brim width? (assume you meant crown)
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Post by Jens »

Looks like "crown height" to me - judging by the other pictures we have of Ford wearing fedoras ...
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Re: It truly does remind me of Raiders....

Post by Indiana Blooze »

IndyFan89 wrote:The KCS Fed really does remind me of the Raiders fed:

Image

WOW :shock:
Looks kinda like my DP, without the taper :twisted: :wink:

Just kiddin' :D
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Post by Fedora »

Looks kinda like my DP, without the taper
Now that cuts, and it cuts deep. :lol: Fedora
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Post by Fedora »

Crown height or brim width? (assume you meant crown)
Shorter hat, and the brim is not the same specs as the other hats. I will let it go at that for now. But the story behind it is a good one, that is, how it got there to start with. It was a mistake!(channeling Indy). Fedora
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Post by IndyFan89 »

I love this hat and i think you and Marc did a great job Steve.

I REALLY like the raiders crease but what i like more is the kind of mushroom block shape with NO taper. I like the LC crease as well so when you mix the two it looks awsome.

Plus it looks more fitting to the 50's wich will make more sence in the story.

This fed is slowly becoming my favorite.
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hat

Post by BendingOak »

I always thought ind wuld do his own thing. He would stick with his hat even if the style changed on him.
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Post by IndyFan89 »

We all know a hat dosn't last forever, so maybe each time he needed a new one and couldn't get the same exact hat, he would look for one that was simaler. :-k
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Post by IndyFan89 »

Fedora wrote:But there is another hat in the film, my LC blockshape was used to make them. They wanted it different in block from the brown hats. Or as they put it, it did not have to match the brown hat in looks. But they did send a pic of a particular scene for me to copy. Hence, we used my LC block to make the hats.
Could that explain this :?: :?: :?:
http://shop.starwars.com/catalog/produc ... d1=;pcid2=
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Post by Fedora »

Could that explain this
The black hat? No, I can't. He wore another colored hat in a scene, but it was not black. Unless he wore a black hat that we did not make! Perhaps DP just had some requests for a black Indy fedora and finally added it to their selection. Fedora
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Re: It truly does remind me of Raiders....

Post by fedoralover »

Image

I love that style as you can see. I can't wait to get mine. Steve, this is the Optimo that you reblocked for me several years ago, no wonder they are similar.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v683/ ... CN0374.jpg


fedoralover

(Moderator edit: Please either resize your image or leave it as a link to click on. Thanks! :wink: )
Last edited by fedoralover on Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:53 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by Fedora »

Yeah Fedoralover, you will be right at home with this hat. High regards my friend! Fedora
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Post by airforceindy »

Wow, those are almost identical! Nice lid, Fedoralover.

Steve, I feel compelled to ask one more stupid question here, so please forgive me: will this bash be pre-formed on hats that were ordered to be made with the actual film-used materials? You did say "clone" at the time you and I were talking about it, I just wondered if you were still going to be trying to keep the bash under wraps (albeit the last layer of 'wraps') by the time my hat is finished.

No more pestering from now on, I swear!!! :oops:

Regards, Andy
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Post by Fedora »

Steve, I feel compelled to ask one more stupid question here, so please forgive me: will this bash be pre-formed on hats that were ordered to be made with the actual film-used materials? You did say "clone" at the time you and I were talking about it, I just wondered if you were still going to be trying to keep the bash under wraps (albeit the last layer of 'wraps') by the time my hat is finished.
Oh yes. If you ordered the CS fedora, you will get EXACTLY what we made for the film.

The promos have pretty much shown us the bashes so that is no secret. I will just not show any pics of the hat myself, until the film is released. I promised Bernie he would not be looking at everyone else wearing the CS hat, before we saw Indy wear it. He was a bit concerned that it would be all over the net, my pics, before the film came out. And of course, he did not want that, and I am respecting that out of my respect for the man.

I have talked about the hat, but only the gear heads here pay any attention really to the details. The general public would have no idea what I am talking about! The knowledge is pretty much limited to this forum, which is good. The interest in the hat, from outside this community will come after the film I would imagine. Fedora
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Post by airforceindy »

Sweet, thanks Steve. I'm getting really anxious to get my hands on that thing, though! So anxious, in fact, that I had to go and buy Indy-K's Fed Dlx to tide me over!!! I think I've heard that somewhere before, buying a Fed to get through the AB wiating time :lol: At least I'll have a hat for Christmas time back in Maine....

Oh, and... the KotCS bash DOES look great! Nice RotLA/LC hybrid look to it; it's the 'jack-of-all-trades' Indy Hat! :wink:

Regards, Andy
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Post by 3thoubucks »

Fords head is warping the brim!!!!
That IS something. If Karen Allen is in this film, it's an nice touch to get some Raiders brim warp. But I wonder if there isn't a tiny bit of turn, say a quarter inch, involved? If you put a straight edge on the front pinch, the hat seems to be turned about a quarter inch. 8) ........................The crown looks like it could handle a tighter pinch without tapering. Ford's features have softened. I think this hat is kind of a likewise softened Raiders hat. ... Excellent looking hat!
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Post by TomTom »

If you ask me, I'm happy the KCS Fedora hasn't the raiders bash! Why? - We are all looking for the right raiders block for several years. Some of us has more raiders tight pinch fedoras than shoes or t-shirts. What sense did it make for a hat afficionado if the KCS Fedora would have the tight front pinch and the warped brim.

Would you buy another Indy Fedora that has the temple or SOC bash? You already have. Nothing new. But nobody has an original Indiana Jones hat. Coming from the original block, the original hatmaker.

I think Steve and Marc did a great job. They made it happen to get a high quality hat that's not only screen accurate because it is the screen hat. And they give us the chance to add a new look in our collection.

I like the raiders bash very much. And I can't await to receive my AB rabbit from steve which has the raven bar bash. But I also can't await my beaver which I might have in the new KCS style. And this hat, I know, will look awsome as the raiders hat. Because I ordered an ABD from Marc in februar this year. I asked Marc to put in the LC bash. And from my opinion it was a good decision. Just follow the link.

http://s240.photobucket.com/albums/ff179/agroice/
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Post by Dutch_jones »

TomTom wrote: But nobody has an original Indiana Jones hat. Coming from the original block, the original hatmaker.
Herbert Johnson never changed their blocks, so wouldnt that leave every person to buy a HJ hat from swales, in the category original block orignal maker?
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Post by Fedora »

Herbert Johnson never changed their blocks, so wouldnt that leave every person to buy a HJ hat from swales, in the category original block orignal maker?
You are kidding, right" Do you think the Raiders block and the TOD and TLC are all the same? Trust me, they are NOT!

The Raiders HJ has about as much in common with what followed as a homburg does to a bowler. They are both hats yes, but there the similiarities end.

And this does not just pertain to the block shape. The Raiders fedora was different felt, the sweatbands were not attached in the same manner, the bows and ribbon were TOTALLY different, with TOD and TLC sharing the same basic bow design.

In fact, if any hatter who knew nothing of the Indy fedoras were asked if he thought the same company made all 3 hats, he would say NO!! The Raiders fedora has nothing in common with the later film hats. It is an anomaly!!

And this is part of the mystery that surrounds the Raiders fedora. I think the difference is this. Mr. Swales actually made those Raiders fedoras, in his shop, with his own hands. The TOD and TLC hats were made at a factory, and that could be whomever HJ was using to subcontract their hats out to. I doubt Mr. Swales even touched those other hats. The giveaway is the bow work. Factory bow work, which means no mods were ever done by Swales in his shop, which would require ribbon removal. I think the flying v is the way he makes bows, and you see this sort of bow on vintage HJs, the same type of fold in the middle and the absence of the 4 external tack points.


On the hats that were bought from Swales before he retired, I saw many of those hats. They were sent to me later on to reblock, or refurb. Let me tell you what I saw.

Every Swales HJ from this era, 1990's was nothing more than a factory hat, that he handcut(and not very well) the dimensional brims. It had the 4 point tack bow. His contribution to this hat was the dimensional cut, otherwise, it was just an off the shelf Poet.

Now, I got in HJs from him that had different crown heights. They ran from 5 1/4 open crown, all the way up to 6 inches!!!! In the world that I live in, there is something wrong with this picture. So, he did not send out consistent factory hats. I think he just grabbed what he had on hand, myself. And it did not have to be a Poet. What else would explain the difference my own eyes have seen? I could go on and on about this, but I feel I am spinning my wheels here. I will let each person here judge all of this for themselves.

That IS something. If Karen Allen is in this film, it's an nice touch to get some Raiders brim warp. But I wonder if there isn't a tiny bit of turn, say a quarter inch, involved? If you put a straight edge on the front pinch, the hat seems to be turned about a quarter inch. ........................The crown looks like it could handle a tighter pinch without tapering. Ford's features have softened. I think this hat is kind of a likewise softened Raiders hat.
Ah, yes. Karen and a bit of a warp in the brim. I never thought of it in that way 3M$.

I also think you are right about the little turn going on. He is wearing the hat with the front pinch off center and that is doing the warp. You are right. I will post a pic of an HJ I did for Magnoli, that I think I still have, with the same block we used for the film, and let you decided if we sent the right block. Stay tuned. Fedora
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Post by IndyFan89 »

Hopefully at one time in the film HF grabs his fed by the front pinch to hard and we see a Raiders fed for just a sec.
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Post by Fedora »

Here is what the CS block was meant to create. Looks practically the same as my old Raiders block. Just a nuance here, and a nuance there. But, personally, I like this new block better, over the old one. Both will always be available though.

Image

Image

Image

Image


That ought you give you an idea of what we started with. The CS block was the results of my most recent modifications of my old block. And, they picked this block.

The firt two pics are of one hat, and the last two are of another hat. Just some different nuances I put in each hat at the time per customer request. Fedora
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Post by fedoralover »

Well at least if I don't get my KCS fedora by the time the movie comes out I can wear my Optimo that was blocked by the guy who made the movie hats. It will look pretty close.

Steve, since there are some pretty good pics of Ford wearing it now, are you at liberty to tell us what the crown height and brim width is on the KCS fedora?


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Post by prairiejones »

To me, the original block shape makes the hat, no matter what the bash ends up as. The CS hat has that "fat, straight" AB block that I love. It looks GREAT!!!! It's nice to have the "block" back, no matter what they did with it.

PS Fedoralover, good to see you again, you classy SOB.

Just when you think you look good in a fedora, he posts a pic!!!!!
Last edited by prairiejones on Sun Nov 04, 2007 6:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by dr. tyree »

I think the hat looks awesome.
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Post by Indiana Kev »

Fedora wrote:Here is what the CS block was meant to create. Looks practically the same as my old Raiders block. Just a nuance here, and a nuance there. But, personally, I like this new block better, over the old one. Both will always be available though.

Image

Image

Image

Image


That ought you give you an idea of what we started with. The CS block was the results of my most recent modifications of my old block. And, they picked this block.

The firt two pics are of one hat, and the last two are of another hat. Just some different nuances I put in each hat at the time per customer request. Fedora
I want that first hat!
Last edited by Indiana Kev on Sun Nov 04, 2007 9:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by fedoralover »

prairiejones wrote: PS Fedoralover, good to see you again, you classy SOB.

Just when you think you look good in a fedora, he posts a pic!!!!!
Wow Prairiejones, what a compliment. Nobody has ever said I had class before. I've been called an A** and that's about it.

Steve really rescued this hat for me. I had steamed it to shape it and it shrunk up worse than a dunce hat. Had he not reblocked it for me, I would never had worn it again and I would had flushed $350. down the toilet. Now it is a pretty decent Last Crusade and maybe even close to the KCS.

MODS: sorry about the big pic. I resized it several times and it never took. I had to recopy the pic and start over.

Image

fedoralover
Last edited by fedoralover on Sun Nov 04, 2007 9:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Fedora »

Image


Yeah this are good pictures to show what a straight sided hat can end up looking like. Hats get banged up, pressed on the sides, the dents get put in deeper in the top, etc.


I just spent an hour with my new dvd player, freezing frames from all three films and discovered something that I had NEVER noticed before. I think my eye is getting better, I think. It has been awhile since I revisited the films to compare hats again, and I got an eye opener today. And it changes a theory of mine about the hats.


In Raiders, every hat that I see is the same blockshape, although it can be distorted easily due to the very soft felt this hat was made from. And it is a rather straight-sided hat.


In TOD I see a totally differently blocked hat. Totally different. Not the same hat as used in Raiders, and it also features that peculiar factory attached HJ bow. No continuity with the Raiders hat at all.

Now, in The Last Crusade, I saw something that I had never noticed before. There are two differently blocked hats in that film. One, looks very similiar, if not the same as the TOD fedora, in the taper department. The other hat, the one you see him wearing whiling chasing and fighting in the tank chase scene is the Raiders block, but with LC creases, and the felt while soft, is not as soft as the Raiders felt, which can add a nuance to the final look.

So, there seem to be 2 block shapes used in TLC.

The HJs I have seen were by and large the TOD blockshape. They had quite a bit of taper in the open crown state. I think Swales sent out both models.........over the years. I was only lucky to see one that had the Raiders/LC blockshape.

A big mystery to me is why the costumer for the second film did not get copies of the 1st Indy hat. That is a puzzler there, that leaves a vacuum for conspiracy theories. :lol: Fedora
Last edited by Fedora on Sun Nov 04, 2007 11:49 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by Indiana G »

nice write up ac....and coincidentally, with this weekend's activities, i may just venture off with you on this conspiracey theory.....well maybe just a bit :wink:

i was playing with my very first hat this weekend, my "wedding hj" as i wore it at the reception of my wedding. i didn't know an AB from a DP when i ordred it so i ordered it 2 sizes too large (a size 59). as my experiments were on smaller HJ's, which led me to the conclusion that there was just not enough "junk in the trunk" on these poets to make a raiders fed, this one had quite a robust and workable crown.

in playing with this hat, i think i could of gotten very close to a really good raiders look if i went to town on the mods (3 thou style :wink: ). i would have had to glue the pinch in so that it would stay tight on the loose rabbit felt and THEN would of either had to cinch up the ribbon or stuff the sweat to make it sit where its suppose to. now if i am to believe that deborah, back in the day, did all this stuff to THE hat then i could perhaps believe that the poet block is unchanged.....but if i believe that, then i truly believe that the AB block was conceived to mimc this HJ AND fit your head properly.....guess there's a give and take there :wink:

i didn't really want to go to town on my beloved hat that started all the insanity so i guess i'll just leave it as speculation. one thing for sure, when i took off the HJ and then put on my AB.....it was like night and day for sure....as soon as i saw the AB on my head, i instantly thought i was suppose to be walking into a cairo bar with a monkey on my shoulder :lol:
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Post by Fedora »

So the Poet is coming off of two different blocks then? One that is the Raiders straight and the other the TOD tapered? And both versions of that hat have ended up in all three films?
No. The Raiders block was used in the first film.

A totally different, more tapered block was used in the second film.

In TLC I can see two different blocks. One very similar to TOD and one similar to Raiders.
But - the debate has been whether or not the Poet block has changed over the years and I don't think it's a correct assessment to play down the Poet based on the idea that the block has changed. The Poet is a significant piece of Indiana Jones history and it'd be a shame to see it ruled out - especially in light of newfound information. If the hat block were different for Raiders, there should be no instances of it looking very much like the Poet of today. In any Raiders scene. Yet it does.
Of course I disagree. :lol: I saw alot of HJs made my Swales in the 90's. I would guess 25 or more. Only one came with what I would consider the Raiders blockshape. The rest were TOD-ish and varied in crown heights from 5 1/4 to 6 inches!! That should be a red flag to you Aeris, right off the bat.

I can take a fairly straight sided hat and make a fine tapered hat out of it. But I can't take a TOD hat and turn it into a Raiders fedora, without cheating.

A great example of what the Raiders block looked like is this hat here.

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And most Raider hat fans, want the hat nice and straight on the sides like this one is. This hat looks to be undistressed, as if they just pulled it out of the box. You can see it in the old Making of Raiders video,where Ford does the commentary. It looks just as barrel shaped in that video as he passed Spielberg, as it does here.

To me this is the the quinensential(sp?) blockshape. What it looked like befoe the distressing, and crushing, and shrinking from heat, etc.
But in terms of accurate historical observation and fact, each new piece of info leads closer to a conclusion that the Poet was not so different back then as it is today; had a slight amount of taper, and indeed may just have been the actual Raiders block this whole time
Of course I see it as impossible that todays HJ is the Raiders hat. The first thing is it has the wrong crown height today. The sample HJ I used, and the other HJs measured to get the original height I was to make the hats, was 5 1/2 inch open crown, and not the current 5 3/4. So, there is one huge mistake there. As a quarter of an inch can look like a mile when it comes to hats. The brim width of my sample film HJ was 2 7/8 by 2 5/8.
The current HJ sample they had was too tapered to match what they had. The rest of the hats they had samples of, were too tapered, compared to the film sample. And that pretty much cinched my opinon of the old vs current HJ argugment. I am positive the original Raiders block is not what has been used for decades, with a rare exception here and there, like Mike's HJ he bought from Lee, back when Lee was importing the HJs from Swales. What I am not positive of, is how the tapered Poet got into TOD. And how it got into TLC. But, after my experience with this new film, I can understand how the hat changed. That the costumer for the 2nd and 3rd film had no clue what the original hat looked like does not come as a surprise after some thought.

You have never been able to buy an HJ, to my knowledge that came with the Raiders styled bow. The TOD and TLC came with factory bows that are completely different from the Raiders.

Back many years ago before I knew the hats were different, I was driving my local western hatter nuts trying to get him to find me an accurate Indy fedora. But, I was so dumb, that I thought each film had the same hat. Exasperated after spending a few hundred bucks on different hats, I took all 3 VHS tapes to his store and I showed him all 3 films, in bits and pieces, highlighting the hats. He sat patiently and watched them. When I turned the player off, his first remark was, "well, your biggest problem is, you are looking at different hats, and trying to combine all 3. You can't do that. You either go for the square block, or you go for the taper block. You decide, and we will see what we can find for you.
Knowing the conditons regarding the KOTCS fedora, and the burden of commitment to a line of thinking from this point on, your stance on the hats will remain as it is, I'm sure. But somewhere....somewhere, there's a part of you that still admires the Raiders fedora for its true self...and that involves the Poet. I've seen quite a few done wrong, but I've seen quite a few that look too right to be coincidence, also. Modern, not vintage
And boy are we at odds on this one! :lol: I have yet to see a modern HJ that I can get the Raiders look from. And I already seen 24 new ones in a row. I can't get it any closer than I could say, a Federation. And I think I can style a hat as good as anyone. Oh, I can cheat, and get it closer, but cheating is cheating. A 360 view of any stock HJ I have ever worked with comes up way short. But that is my own experience. Maybe there is some magic that can be pulled out of the hat, pardon the pun, but I can't do it. I worked with this stock HJ here, for quite some time after I took this pic, and could not get it to look any better.

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I just can't see these being the same block. Apples and oranges to me.

somewhere, there's a part of you that still admires the Raiders fedora for its true self...and that involves the Poet.
Oh yes, I have a love affair with the Raiders hat. Don't know if it was the Poet or not though. I see such a difference I think the Poet is the TOD fedora, and the Raiders is something else entirely.


On this old HJ catalog, I think the Poet is in the 4 oclock position, and the Raiders block is at 8 o'clock. I think most folks can easily see the difference between those two hats. But, I enjoy talking this stuff. Regards, Fedora
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Post by VP »

Fedora wrote:quinensential(sp?)
Quintessential.
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Post by Dutch_jones »

Actually the poet is the one in the middle,
It was the same hat Tom Baker wore in the twelfth Doctor Who Season.

It's the exact same shape as his. I had a friend ask him if it was the Poet model HJ, he said he believed so.
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Post by Dutch_jones »

BUT! its not tapered all the time,

Maybe its not the block!!!!!! What if its just the way its bashed?
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Post by WeeMadHamish »

Dutch_jones wrote:Actually the poet is the one in the middle,
Nope, Fedora is right. It's the one at 4 o'clock. If you really squint, you can see that it says 'The "Poet"'. Either are definitely tapered hats.

I dunno, I can see Fedora's point. Are we really 100% certain that the Raider's hat was really a Poet and not some other HJ offering? How do we know? Because Mr. Swales said so? I mean, if we've learned anything in the history of the quest for the ultimate gear, it's that neither the costumers nor the suppliers ever have total recall...
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Post by Fedora »

Nope, Fedora is right. It's the one at 4 o'clock. If you really squint, you can see that it says 'The "Poet"'. Either are definitely tapered hats.
The one in the center is the McAlpine. You can make that word out, and Indy Mag used to own one.

It will be hard to change my mind that the 8 o'clock hat is not the Raiders block. Not the degree of taper as the others have. And that is what I see on screen.

But, we can't forget HJ is not the same folks they used to be. Since they don't know which brim flange to use, that makes them suspect on everything else to me. Look at the flange job on my above posted pic of a stock HJ from SAB. You ever see that sort of atomic flange on the film hats? In fact, the flange jobs are pretty consistent from film to film. Unlike the blockshape that was not consistent from film to film, at least to my old eyes. Fedora
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Post by Indiana G »

these are good discussions ac which nurture (sp?) the education of the history of indy's fed. i don't foresee much "attacks" on opinions here as people just want to learn and form opinions on their own......now if mr. swales chimed in with his perceptions, perhaps there will be some factions developing and we may find ourselves on oppisite sides of the fence but since that's not going to happen, i really enjoy your take on this even if it is different than my own :D
Extra junk in the trunk? You going off memory? Please show me a few screencaps showing all this extra room that is supposed to be in the Raiders crown all the time.
i've got a IMHJ on the way. when it comes in, i'll do a nice comparison of this with the HJ poet that i got from todd's (oversized one).

cheers,



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Post by Flash Gordon »

Whichever hat is the Raiders hat is the exact same one that Hugh Laurie wears as Bertie Wooster in the old "Jeeves and Wooster" series. It's unmistakable!
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Post by whiskyman »

Ah yes, I once posted a whole lot of pics from Jeeves and Wooster!! The grey hats he wore were unmistakably Raiders (and one in particular that had a brown ribbon and brown hint to the grey felt a la seaplane)- but some of the brown ones looked more like Lock&Co or some other fedora

Anyway, my initial comment was not so much about the hat ( great hat, as we know) as about Ford. I don't look at him and see Indy - I look at him and see Harrison Ford in indy gear. Perhaps it's the way his gear has been primed for the film. Indy's hat used to look like a "well loved hat". So far, for the new film, it doesn't.
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