Official Factory Produced KotCS AdventureBilt Fedora (Henry)

indiana smith · Post by **indiana smith** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:57 pm

What felt will it be made out of?
edit1

Indakin · Post by **Indakin** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 4:34 pm

Alan wrote:
Indakin wrote:...i do want a AB, but have avoided one because i thought it would make me never wear my Fed anymore...
:

You avoided AB because you were afraid it would be nicer than your Fed, nicer than you deserved somehow? I don't follow your thinking here.

its pretty simple thinking. I know the AB is nicer, I've felt my friends before. The fact is i like my Fed Deluxe from using it for these past 2-3 years, its become and awesome indy hat. But i know if i bought an AB i wouldnt wear my Fed anymore probably, which would be a waste. Need for another hat, and the price of the AB just made me say " nah just keep what you have its a great hat." But still id like an AB, because , well it is nicer, so if these factory ones happen, id be more likely to buy a new hat, maybe ill just put a different bash in it.

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 5:33 pm

That's exactly what I'd do. A hat as nice as the AB I'd want to have forever. Not to say that the Fed isn't a nice hat, but it's more... expendable. That would be the hat I'd use for a SOC bash. Sit on the Fed, cover it with Fullers earth, kick it around the room, and wear it on your own adventures. The AB, I think, is too nice to trash like that. Keep it looking nice and wear it around town, cause you know you won't be able to wear the Fed with a suit anymore if you do that. It's what I'd do.

Indakin · Post by **Indakin** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 12:46 am

yea thats a good way to put it man. MY Fed Deluxe i have given a beating too, and bashed it nicely, added the tape under the ribbon for the SOC ribbon look, and i always have a bit of fullers earth on it for character, its just not indy without it.

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:04 am

Ok, been doing some calls, researches, e-mails, calls and then some again this morning. Steve and I are rather tired of the slowmo of the factory and with the movie comming closer and closer and still nothing happening, we're about to look into alternatives.

Anyway, I "found" a factory over here in Europe (by reference, reference and reference again) that is producing the private labels for the high end hats over here, so we'd be in good company

I spoke to the owner of the company who's a real nice guy and made a big impression considering his knowledge (which unfortunately isn't common nowadays, as most of the few hat factory owners are mainly business managers, but don't know beans about hats). He immediately started discussing the beaver content, block shape and a few other things, that made me feel comfortable. So I'm gonna discuss a few details with Steve today and then send a sample hat to him.

Regards,

Marc

Alan · Post by **Alan** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:28 am

^Sounds great, Marc. It's puzzling why your original factory isn't moving with more haste. This seems like a cash cow falling into their lap. Their feet dragging may be your gain in the long run, though. The new place sounds like just the thing. Good luck!

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:14 am

The key is this. A factory accurate hat that IS competitive with other factory hats. With Marc making less on his hats at his much higher price than I make at my lower price means any hat produced in Europe is gonna be expensive. What we don't need is factory AB that is priced like Optimo! His are factory hats, remember that.

The American project is NOT DEAD. In the end, I am somehow gonna get a factory hat that is competitive, so you may end up with one from Marc and one from me. If it takes longer so be it, but any hat that comes from me is gonna be price competitive. Otherwise, what is the point? I want a good factory hat that sells right above the Federation, and I would be shocked if Europe can produce such a hat. The shipping alone is around 60 bucks to ship from Europe! I can ship to Europe for less than 20 bucks.

What I personally want is a factory AB that is priced in the sweet range, otherwise, I don't see the point of even offering one. I don't want to be another Optimo.

It would take me about 18 grand to get into a factory AB. That's alot of money!! I can only tremor with what it would cost to have a hat made in Europe! I just don't think they could provide a factory hat for what I want to sell them for. I could be wrong, but I don't think so. Look at what the rabbit HJ goes for from SAB!! And it is the lowest costed out hat I have ever seen complete with split cowhide sweats, a no, no in hatting.

A factory Ab needs to sell for 185.00 tops. Beyond that, you are no longer competitive. And I am not interested

My main issue is still with the ribbon. The factory is ready to go right now IF we had the right ribbon. So, I don't feel we are being slighted in the least. It is just a matter of ribbon, everything else is set. I am not surprised by this ribbon issue. Afterall, you don't see this ribbon on any other factory hat right now, as you may have noticed on Baron's so called fedora he made for the film. His ribbon is too light!

I am in no hurry on the factory hat since I want it priced competitive. If it takes longer to finally get it, then it will just take longer. It took me 3 years to learn how to make hats. I have only been working on this factory hat for around 6 months, and I have patience. But, once I finally get what I want, the AB factory hat will be around for a very long time. To rush up something as important as this is NOT the right thing to do. I know I will eventually have one. And it will be priced to sell. That is so important to me personally. Fedora

theinterchange · Post by **theinterchange** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:22 am

I can understand your hesitation. Thank you for an update.

randy

Mulceber · Post by **Mulceber** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:31 am

A factory Ab needs to sell for 185.00 tops.

I didn't know you were starting a quest for the Holy Grail, steve.

Seriously though, I'm glad to hear you're putting such care into the creation of this factory hat - I have no doubts that by the time the factory AB is ready, it'll be the best non-custom hat on the market. :junior: -M

Argonaut · Post by **Argonaut** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 4:49 pm

Thanks for the news. As much as I'd like it to be available before Indy 4, I completely agree that rushing it is not the way to do it. Take your time. When it finally is available, it will indeed be the holy grail of Indy hats for the collector on a budget, like me!

Johnny Fedora · Post by **Johnny Fedora** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 2:10 pm

Glad to hear that the American arm of the project isn't dead. Any news on this front?

Johnny

rjallen70 · Post by **rjallen70** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 3:09 pm

####...I'd buy one with no ribbon at all.
R

swcrazyfan · Post by **swcrazyfan** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 7:41 pm

rjallen70 wrote:####...I'd buy one with no ribbon at all.
R

i would too!

Argonaut · Post by **Argonaut** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:22 pm

I agree. Even an unfinished Adventurebilt would be worth it to me over anything else. But either way, it will be worth however long a wait it will be.

Indakin · Post by **Indakin** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:39 am

yea i somewhat agree, i can deal without a ribbon for now lol. But yea rushing is never a good thing, so getting it right is more important.

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:53 am

Amen and thanks

Regards,

Marc

Chewbacca Jones · Post by **Chewbacca Jones** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 9:42 pm

Having only just read Fedora's last post on this thread; I, for one, am glad to see that not one ounce of integrity or attention to detail will be lost in this factory hat project. And the price sounds nice when you consider that other factory hats don't receive this level of attention. This promises to be a most worth endeavor.

3thoubucks · Post by **3thoubucks** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 12:56 am

My main issue is still with the ribbon.

I like Reg Fed ribbon. My cheap Jaxon Iconoclast had excellent ribbon too. Exactly 1 1/2 in., soft and thin. Maybe you can find out where these vendors get theirs?

indiana smith · Post by **indiana smith** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 5:53 pm

Any news on this?

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:28 am

I've send a CS Fedora in Ford's size to a manufacturer who seemed reliable and very interested (based on a good amount of conversations) the other day. I'm awaiting his call any day now

Regards,

Marc

DR Ulloa · Post by **DR Ulloa** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:25 am

What is going on with the factory ABs? Any news on the ribbon issue Steve, or that manufacturer you wer supposed to hear from Marc? This project needs to go through. There is a giant market for you guys that you need to capitalize on. Don't rush it, of course; and I'm glad you guys are doing this right by not wavering your attention to detail. It would be nice to have soething ready in time for the film. If not, it may make more sense to release a factory AB to coincide with the DVD release.

Dave

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:45 am

Ok, I really think we've found the right guy to speak to this time!!!

We're currently awaiting an open crown and creased sample from a manufacturer here in Europe. It should arrive within too long (1-2 weeks, I'd assume) and I'll then gladly share pictures and an honest review.

This gentleman here has been making high end factory made hats for MANY, many years and somewhere between the amusement it obviously causes to listen to my picky specs.

he's REALLY up to the "challenge" (his word). In fact they're willing to sew the liners into the hats BY HAND

We haven't negotiated the extra costs for this icing on the cake yet and I'm not sure if this will find it's way to the final product or not (has to be affordable after all), but alone the POSSIBILITY thrills me quite a bit

So, stay tuned. We're getting closer and closer!

Regards,

Marc

Pitfall Harry · Post by **Pitfall Harry** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 9:55 am

That sound great, Marc.

So this is still a joint effort between you and Steve correct? I remember reading somewhere that Steve was still looking for someone to produce the factory hats over here in the US.

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 10:27 am

Of COURSE it's a joint venture!

It's just a new / different supplier then originally planned

Regards,

Marc

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 10:38 am

I had a bit of a snafu in regards to me having the hats made in America, one that I won't go into. But Marc picked up the ball and is moving along with it. From what I have been told offline, IF anyone can pull this off for Marc, it is the folks he is talking to currently.

And as always, we found out info in regards to who makes what, that floored the both of us.

Marc MAY have found the original feltmaker for the Raiders fedora, and it ain't South America!! That always puzzled me, as I never saw any felt out of S.A. that was even close to the Raiders felt. We may take that same felt, and add 20 per cent beaver to it for a better quality hat, or we may eventually offer the original felt as an option. The possibilites are rather nice to dream about.

But the big thing is this factory that makes some upper end hats ALREADY has our ribbon in stock! We are hoping to be able to buy from these guys for our own hats so we don't pay such high prices for this ribbon.

And, if I am not giving too much away here, it seems this company ALREADY has our reverse engineered blockshape!!!! Both of us think this is what happened to the Raiders block. It never was at HJ!! It was with this small factory all along. The ones HJ used to use many years ago. Yeah, we are excited, but we have to wait to see the samples. The proof is in the pudding, but we found it strange that when he looked at one of our CS fedoras, he immediately said, they have that block on file. How weird is that? When asked if they made hats for HJ in 1980, the current guy did not know because he took over the operation AFTER that date, and doesn't have the old records of whom they sold to during this time period. But since these folks supplied many private labels for all of their history, it may very well be the original makers of the Raider fedora. The hat business is NOT what we used to think that it was. It is astounding how it works today, 2008. Fedora

swcrazyfan · Post by **swcrazyfan** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 10:43 am

Since the manufacturer is in europe, will you ship some stock to steve so that he can send it out to us in america and canada to maybe keep the costs down? just an idea if that would work at all.

theinterchange · Post by **theinterchange** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 10:59 am

swcrazyfan wrote:Since the manufacturer is in europe, will you ship some stock to steve so that he can send it out to us in america and canada to maybe keep the costs down? just an idea if that would work at all.

I was thinking along the same lines. Possible, or no?

DR Ulloa · Post by **DR Ulloa** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:35 pm

This is exciting news. Not if, but when this goes through, you can put me down for one of these ABs to go along with the CS AB I should be getting some time late this year. I also think swcrazyfan's idea is a good one, for what its worth.

Dave

Pitfall Harry · Post by **Pitfall Harry** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:56 pm

Wow! It sounds like Marc may have hit the jackpot with this factory. It sounds very promising and the thought that this factory may have made the original Raiders hat is astounding.

I REALLY hope this pans out for you both. Regardless of the cost I'm definitely interested in getting one.

eazybox · Post by **eazybox** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 1:16 pm

First Indy 4 becomes a reality, then AB gets chosen to make Ford's hats, then some of us actually get to witness the filming in New Haven. Now, perhaps, the original Raiders fedora is at long last unearthed, and at a price everyone can afford. If this is all just a dream, I don't want to wake up!

Jack

The Aviator · Post by **The Aviator** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 1:34 pm

Marc MAY have found the original feltmaker for the Raiders fedora

This is huge news!!

...even if it doesnt come through as the origional felt maker you still seem to have found the right people for your product...you guys are a credit to your craft you know

Cheers

Alan · Post by **Alan** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 2:27 pm

Iowa · Post by **Iowa** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 2:30 pm

High quality factory hats. Great!
The right ribbon, cheaper than you currently get it. Great!
Possibly the original Raiders block and felt.

I think it goes without saying that if this is indeed the case, you will have guaranteed sales to most of the members of this forum.

swcrazyfan · Post by **swcrazyfan** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 2:39 pm

Iowa wrote:High quality factory hats. Great!
The right ribbon, cheaper than you currently get it. Great!
Possibly the original Raiders block and felt. I think it goes without saying that if this is indeed the case, you will have guaranteed sales to most of the members of this forum.

I agree!

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:29 pm

We really put a lot of hope and effort into this project. This is - as always - something we REALLY want to see come true as this would not only bring back THE very Raiders Fedora for an affordable price from AB, it would also be a commitment to quality that has been neglected on factory made hats for decades. "Time is money and the cheaper the better" is NOT the route we chose here and the supplier is well aware of what we desire. To read that they're able to hand sew the liners into the crown speak VOLUMES to me. I haven't seen that on factory made hats for a LONG time. I was also offered a more exclusive leather for the sweatband, which of course is something I want. Since not all details have been negotiatet as of now, I can't give you a final price yet, but we want it to be affordable for pretty much anyone who really wants one.

The name of this particular hat? - The Henry

Regards,

Marc

Spatterdash · Post by **Spatterdash** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:47 pm

The Henry...

That's just all kinds of classy.

swcrazyfan · Post by **swcrazyfan** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:54 pm

Marc wrote:We really put a lot of hope and effort into this project. This is - as always - something we REALLY want to see come true as this would not only bring back THE very Raiders Fedora for an affordable price from AB, it would also be a commitment to quality that has been neglected on factory made hats for decades. "Time is money and the cheaper the better" is NOT the route we chose here and the supplier is well aware of what we desire. To read that they're able to hand sew the liners into the crown speak VOLUMES to me. I haven't seen that on factory made hats for a LONG time. I was also offered a more exclusive leather for the sweatband, which of course is something I want. Since not all details have been negotiated as of now, I can't give you a final price yet, but we want it to be affordable for pretty much anyone who really wants one.

The name of this particular hat? - The Henry

Regards,

Marc

Are you still planning on trying to make it at under or around your original $175 you quoted earlier?

I just want to know so I can start saving up!

Christo Jones · Post by **Christo Jones** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:54 pm

I'm getting butterflies in my stomach reading this thread. This really is starting to sound like you have found the Holy Grail. And the best part is we all can get one.

THANK YOU Steve and Marc for all you have done and are continuing to do.

Alan · Post by **Alan** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 4:15 pm

swcrazyfan wrote:I just want to know so I can start saving up!

Oh, you might as well start, anyway.

This is a hat I certainly want to get.

IndianaChris711 · Post by **IndianaChris711** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 4:19 pm

I am just impressed with the amount of hard work you do over there Marc. This is just amazing, not only have you maybe found the block, but the very felt used on the original movies.

Then to bring it to an affordable price for us fans and fellow COW members, is just awesome. I thought it was great news when K found the guy who supplied the belts and that you guys put the groove on the belts to rest as there were grooves on the belts. Keep up the great work over there Marc and K, you too Steve you guys are just amazing. Kind of strange though to walk in that place and for them to say oh we have your block.

Just is awesome, I can't wait to see the some samples of this hat.

IndianaChris

Vegeta · Post by **Vegeta** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 4:57 pm

I'm holding out for this.

Indiana Kev · Post by **Indiana Kev** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:48 pm

Wow. This is great news! Just to throw another question out there, any chance in landing the raiders grey, or offering a grey version?

IndyFan89 · Post by **IndyFan89** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 6:19 pm

I"m gonna buy 5!

I can't wait to get my hands on one of these! I'm looking forward to this more than Indy 4!

Great job Steve and Marc!

Pitfall Harry · Post by **Pitfall Harry** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:21 pm

Oh...geez......Now I'm trying to figure out if I should still go ahead and get the Fed. Deluxe IV or cancel my order and wait for the Factory AB.

OR

I could just get the FDIV and then get the Factory AB too. That last option though would most likely have my wife trying to kill me in my sleep.

Castor Dioscuri · Post by **Castor Dioscuri** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:46 pm

This should make things real interesting! I've been planning on having a wall of Indy stuff, with the holster, whip, bag, and a Fedora hanging near each other, but was too afraid of using my future AB as a permanent wallhanger, for fear of distorting the felt, bugs, and just not being able to wear it in general. For a minute there I thought that this factory AB would be a pipe dream, and was almost going to pull the plug on a DP, but this really changes things!

Tron7960 · Post by **Tron7960** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 9:49 pm

Pitfall Harry wrote:Oh...geez......Now I'm trying to figure out if I should still go ahead and get the Fed. Deluxe IV or cancel my order and wait for the Factory AB.

OR

I could just get the FDIV and then get the Factory AB too. That last option though would most likely have my wife trying to kill me in my sleep.

Sleep with one eye open.

DR Ulloa · Post by **DR Ulloa** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 11:40 pm

I may wear the factory AB even more than the one Steve is making for me! And I am with you too IndyFan89; I am a just as excited about the factory ABs as I am about Indy 4!

Dave

eazybox · Post by **eazybox** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 12:06 am

It almost feels as though we've gone down the rabbit hole-- but Easter is over, Alice is nowhere in sight and we're way past April Fools Day, so it must be real.

I realize it's not final yet, but if it all works out it would be an incredible achievement for Marc & Steve-- to cap off everything they've already done. I definitely must have one of these!

Jack

McFly · Post by **McFly** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 12:06 am

Indiana Kev wrote:Wow. This is great news! Just to throw another question out there, any chance in landing the raiders grey, or offering a grey version?

Good one! I wouldn't want to buy a factory AB after having a rabbit and a beaver, but if there were a gray one... that might be very tempting.

Shane

DR Ulloa · Post by **DR Ulloa** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 12:16 am

I would buy a factory AB even if I had one hat from every vendor here at COW. I am with eazybox: I must have one of these!

Dave