Dorfman vs. Stetson

swcrazyfan · Post by **swcrazyfan** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:38 am

I know that both the stetson and the dorfman are not that good from what people say, but it seems to me that the stetson looks better. I have searched around and cold not find any direct comparison between them. Any help would be great.

Indy_Werner · Post by **Indy_Werner** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 2:01 am

If it were me, I'd go with the Stetson. You don't have to deal with that pesky pin and when someone asks you what kinda hat it is, you dont have to confuse them by saying its a dorfman lol. I'm sure someone else on here can get into technicalities though.

eazybox · Post by **eazybox** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 3:05 am

It depends on how much you are willing to spend, but I'm assuming you want to keep your cost as low as possible.

If you are just going to use it as a one-time costume item, you might try doing a search on eBay for old used Stetson or Dorfman wool frlts.

There are basically 2 types of Stetson wool felt Indy hats from 1984: one was very dark brown, almost black, with a tall crown & matching shiny ribbon: and the other had a totally different shape & color scheme, looking more like the film hats with a tall untapered crown in a medium brown color with darker brown ribbon.

There were variations of these 2 basic types, particularly in crown height and side taper.

The only ones I've seen offered for sale on eBay are the less accurate, darker colored ones, and their grey counterparts from 1984-'85. I haven't looked for them that much, though-- I'm sure the better-looking ones turn up from time to time as well. The grey wool Stetson was the first Indy hat I ever bought.

In 1989, Stetson sold another dark brown version in a thicker wool felt, and this was also the first official hat that had the brim curled up on the sides a little.

Dorfman also sold wool felts around that time that looked similar to the better wool Stetsons of several years earlier.

You should be able to find a good old Stetson for between $30-$40. The Stetson fur felts of that period tend not to look as accurate as their better wool felt counterparts, at least from the front, in my opinion.

The pins on the old Stetsons are no problem at all-- they just slide right off. That's one more reason to look on eBay for used, reasonably priced examples.

On the newer hats, if the choice must be between Stetson & Dorfman, I would go with Dorfman and just live with the pin. That way, if it is something you are only going to wear a couple of times at most, at least you'll have an officially licensed collectible to justify the money you spent.

Hope this helps.

Jack

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:21 am

has anyone had any longterm experience with one of the DP 'official fur felt' models? I've read a couple posts here about them, but no one seems to have any actual first hand experience with one. I wonder if it got wet would it instantly shrink into a dunce cap?

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:28 am

Minnesota Jones has a fur felt Dorfman he's had for ages. As I recall from seeing it some years back, I was plesantly surprised by it.

Minnesota Jones · Post by **Minnesota Jones** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:34 am

Yeah, it's my wife's. I HAD to get her a fedora. It's not bad. Removed the pin, rebashed it a bit too. It only has a single bow, not a double bow, and the felt is a little thick, but for $100, it's a fairly decent fur felt for the money. And you can probably score one for less than $100 on eBay.

inexpensive_jones · Post by **inexpensive_jones** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:18 am

I recommend a Stetson furfelt. You can pick up a Temple from the Stetson Factory Outlet for about $50 plus shipping and handling. Their # is 816-233-3286. I've been happy with mine.

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:55 am

Minnesota Jones wrote:Yeah, it's my wife's. I HAD to get her a fedora. It's not bad. Removed the pin, rebashed it a bit too. It only has a single bow, not a double bow, and the felt is a little thick, but for $100, it's a fairly decent fur felt for the money. And you can probably score one for less than $100 on eBay.

Has it seen any rain?

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:57 am

inexpensive_jones wrote:I recommend a Stetson furfelt. You can pick up a Temple from the Stetson Factory Outlet for about $50 plus shipping and handling. Their # is 816-233-3286. I've been happy with mine.

That's one of the few positive comments I've heard about the Temple! What kind of wear has it seen? Others have said it's a nice 'dress' hat, but doesn't do well as an everyday worn hat.

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:06 pm

I still have my dorffman. My kid plays with it. It has shrunk so much and fast my son can fit it and he's 7. I would say go with the Stetson but either way you go don't get it wet and don't mess with it to much. Just wear it.

rebelgtp · Post by **rebelgtp** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:22 pm

if you are willing to spend the $100 on the fur felt dorfman i would honestly say save up a another couple bucks and order a regular akubra federation from hats direct. its a great hat that will without a doubt stand up to the elements.

JulianK · Post by **JulianK** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:35 pm

if you are willing to spend the $100 on the fur felt dorfman i would honestly say save up a another couple bucks and order a regular akubra federation from hats direct. its a great hat that will without a doubt stand up to the elements.

I kind of agree. Fifty bucks for a wool hat vs. a hundred for a Fed?!?!? I know it's a no-choice if you simply dont' have the money but trust me, the diffrence is day and night! If it were me, I'd save up the extra and have a hat that I'll own for years...oh wait, I do have one!!

inexpensive_jones · Post by **inexpensive_jones** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 4:56 pm

That's one of the few positive comments I've heard about the Temple! What kind of wear has it seen? Others have said it's a nice 'dress' hat, but doesn't do well as an everyday worn hat.

I must admit that I think I got a rare one. I've been hiking in the AZ desert mountains with it, been caught in the rain in WI and no tapering or color run. Also, I've heard others say that their Stetson Temple came with a cardboard sweatband, mine isn't. It's some kind of vinyl that doesn't crack.

Anyway, Swcrazyfan is looking for cheap

I am trying to put together a semi-decent costume for when the 4th film comes 'round. I am 17,so I don't have lots of money right now.

and with a little rebashing I think a Stetson furfelt is a good deal at the outlet price. If I were paying around a $100 I would definately go for the Akubra Federation.

IndyFrench · Post by **IndyFrench** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:52 pm

I have owned two Dorfmans and a Stetson Indy (from their Sovereign Collection back in the day) and the Stetson was worlds better than the Dorfmans.

Don't believe me? Check out these pics...

The two on the right are Dorfmans, my second and fourth Indy hats respectively. Both were only worn for around two years each - both shrank to nothing. Both started out brown and then went, well, green and purple respectively. I've never owned a fur felt Dorfman so I can't comment.

Onto the Stetson...

The Stetson is the one that's actually BROWN on the left. On the right - a Peters Bros and the bane of my entire Indy fedora legacy. The Stetson was always a great TOD-style Indy hat, often doing the "close enough" thing. The crown did tend to taper if you didn't watch it carefully though. Ultimately, a shrinker, but for your purposes a good bet.

inexpensive_jones · Post by **inexpensive_jones** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:42 pm

Indyfrench,
I also have the same hat that's on the far left of your top photo.
I thought I was the only one to buy such a strange immitation.
Anyway, I lost the Indy pin and the info on the inside that says what kind it is. Can you tell me please?

Indiana Green · Post by **Indiana Green** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 10:52 am

I just got a fur felt DP for Christmas and I love it. I rebashed it into a Raiders bash very easily and I think it looks great. I think the DP's get a bad rap on here because people mostly buy the wool but the fur is worth the 100 bucks if you ask me. I'll post pics of it later on when I post pics of my gear (I'm a new member/long time visitor and actually, this is my first post).

Oh, and it took me a whopping 15 seconds to get the pin off which I think is a cool souvenir to put on a backpack or something. I put it on the bookmark in my Raiders novelization.

Minnesota Jones · Post by **Minnesota Jones** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 12:22 pm

citRon wrote:
Minnesota Jones wrote:Yeah, it's my wife's. I HAD to get her a fedora. It's not bad. Removed the pin, rebashed it a bit too. It only has a single bow, not a double bow, and the felt is a little thick, but for $100, it's a fairly decent fur felt for the money. And you can probably score one for less than $100 on eBay.
Has it seen any rain?

Nope. She's worn it a couple times and it's remained in her hat can since.

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 7:01 pm

Indiana Green wrote:I just got a fur felt DP for Christmas and I love it. I rebashed it into a Raiders bash very easily and I think it looks great. I think the DP's get a bad rap on here because people mostly buy the wool but the fur is worth the 100 bucks if you ask me. I'll post pics of it later on when I post pics of my gear (I'm a new member/long time visitor and actually, this is my first post).

Oh, and it took me a whopping 15 seconds to get the pin off which I think is a cool souvenir to put on a backpack or something. I put it on the bookmark in my Raiders novelization.

You need to post some pics of it!!

Indiana Green · Post by **Indiana Green** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 2:31 pm

Moderator edit: viewtopic.php?t=14735

As promised, here's my fur felt Dorfman. It came with weird corner "dents" that made it look sort of like a Temple bash. Unfortunately it also had a teardrop crown (AGH!) so I wet down a washcloth, dampened the hat and began to work the hat like fine putty. A simple pinch on the front and the top and BOOM...Raiders bash...(at least to ME, please feel free to voice your opinions). I think the last picture especially does the hat justice. Keep in mind, the hat was still drying so there's a little discoloration here and there but it dried beautifully. There was no shrinkage because I dried it at room temperature overnight. Oh, and it's definitely not that light either, It's a nice brown color. Enjoy!

Indiana Green · Post by **Indiana Green** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 2:40 pm

Here's the top-view. For some reason I posted the front-view twice and forgot this one.

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh12 ... 0_0019.jpg

swcrazyfan · Post by **swcrazyfan** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 2:40 pm

If you email me your photo I can resize, upload, and post it.

Indiana Green · Post by **Indiana Green** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 2:51 pm

Nevermind, I'll just put the links on here. Sorry for being such a rookie everyone.

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh12 ... 0_0025.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh12 ... 0_0021.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh12 ... 0_0024.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh12 ... 0_0022.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh12 ... 0_0018.jpg

swcrazyfan · Post by **swcrazyfan** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 3:01 pm

That fedora actually looks pretty nice.

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 3:15 pm

Indiana Green wrote:Moderator edit: viewtopic.php?t=14735

As promised, here's my fur felt Dorfman. It came with weird corner "dents" that made it look sort of like a Temple bash. Unfortunately it also had a teardrop crown (AGH!) so I wet down a washcloth, dampened the hat and began to work the hat like fine putty. A simple pinch on the front and the top and BOOM...Raiders bash...(at least to ME, please feel free to voice your opinions). I think the last picture especially does the hat justice. Keep in mind, the hat was still drying so there's a little discoloration here and there but it dried beautifully. There was no shrinkage because I dried it at room temperature overnight. Oh, and it's definitely not that light either, It's a nice brown color. Enjoy!

Man, I swear the moderators on this forum must have no life, or at least nothing better to do.

Indiana Green · Post by **Indiana Green** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:19 pm

Thanks, I really like it. Like I said, it was super easy to bash. It's not quite as tall and straight on the sides like the higher priced hats so it would probably look really good with a Temple bash or an LC "Venice pier" kind of bash.

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:35 pm

You're right, Citron, we do have nothing better to do with our time, which is probably why IndyGear and the forum exist in the first place. We don't ask much here but to follow some basic rules, and we've been lax enough on them for a very long time. You don't have to like them, but you do have to respect and follow them, as siging up for membership requires that you agree to them. If you have issues with the rules, feel free to bring it up in the Feedback section where it belongs.

IndyWannaBee · Post by **IndyWannaBee** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 3:54 pm

Indiana Green wrote:Nevermind, I'll just put the links on here. Sorry for being such a rookie everyone.

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh12 ... 0_0025.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh12 ... 0_0021.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh12 ... 0_0024.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh12 ... 0_0022.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh12 ... 0_0018.jpg

When you "re-bashed" your DP how did you get around the lining material on the inside? Did you just work the wool felt from the outside? I just received my DP today and will be attempting the same process. The original pictures from my purchase makes the bowl of the hat look much taller than the actual item. I was a little disappointed but it is a much better "good enough" Indy hat than the Burlington Coat Factory version.

Pin removal took 2 seconds!

Indiana Green · Post by **Indiana Green** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:08 pm

The liner really wasn't a problem (it's a cheap one anyway, so it didn't matter if it got messed up...which it didn't) I just dampened the hat with a washcloth and pushed up from the inside of the hat and then worked in the new bash while still wet. then I kept pinching while it dried to make sure the bash stayed. It's not the absolute best hat in the world but I'm satisfied with it. I might get a new Fed when they come out but until then my Dorf does me just fine!

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:41 pm

Indy Green, if I may ask, where in Ohio are you located?

Regards! Michaelson

PyramidBlaster · Post by **PyramidBlaster** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:49 pm

I bought a Stetson Fur felt WAY back in the day ('89)...Never again. It fits my five-year-old now.....Went all 'Hobo-Dunce', as we like to say around here...I ought to dig up a picture of that one. Oh, and colorwise, it looks like it got trampled by your average medium-size circus. Blecch.