After some years, I've decided to part with this, but I'm looking for help determining it's value. Any help is appreciated!
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Found this at an antique store today. I'm no expert on the Fedoras, but I thought it had a pretty decent Raiders-ish look to it. Unfortunately it's way too small for my head, but I figure I could get a new ribbon put on it and it'd make a nice display piece.
Last edited by Mutt Williams on Wed Feb 03, 2016 11:58 pm, edited 3 times in total.
My friend, don't change a thing until you've heard from some of the hat collector/guru types here. That's one FINE looking original Herbert Johnson!!!!!!
Yikes you may have found quite a treasure! Try adding that it's an HJ to your subject and see the responses you'll get. Meantime, do not do anything to the hat! :!:
gabrielle wrote:Try adding that it's an HJ to your subject and see the responses you'll get.
Done!
I wasn't planning on changing out the ribbon anytime soon, but I'm glad you guys said something. Sounds like doing so might have been a mistake As I said, I'm no expert on the hat. I just saw a brown HJ fedora that had some Raiders-like features to it and picked it up.
I truly hope it turns out to be a treasure, but there are others here that know a whole lot more than I. Good luck with it, seems in really fine condition.
I'm hoping Steve or Marc see this pretty soon. I know Steve has made a real study of the HJ's and their liner labels, as has Marc, and they should be able to pin down an approximate date.
From what little I can read, it was apparently a hat made for a store in San Diego by special order at HJ .
I'd like to see the bashes popped out, and get a side view of the block shape, the camera leveled half way up the crown and about 5 feet away. Love the dark brown reddish color- looks like Screenused's.
That is an awesome find!!!....With the large brim you could salvage some felt to go up a couple of sizes ...I have a vintage HJ and I plan to do that when I can get around to it, what is interesting to me is the ribbon which looks more like a poet type bow to me than my HJ. It has a resemblance to the bow of the Young Indy fedora in many ways
I can see the argument for leaving it 'as is' and I'm sure there's a lot of sense in doing that...but if it were mine I'd be sorely tempted to send it for a Raiders reblock and change the ribbon to something SA!
It'd make such a unique Indy hat! How strange too that it's already got an Indy bash, being a 1970's model and all...interesting.
Whatever you decide to do well done on the find - I'll bet you had to do a double take when you spotted it!
The "Poet" has been around since the 1890's, but I wonder just how old the "Indy bash" is. There really is no reason to think it was invented for/by Swales/Nadoolman. So how old is that particular "look"?
Anyway, I do think the hat looks splendid, and I particularly like that wide ribbon. Fabulous though the Indy hat may be, the design is exaggerated for a film performance and not true to period. So it just a matter of what one is looking for. Also, I take it this hat does NOT have a dimensionally-cut brim.
As I was [slowly] typing the brim question was answered. OK, so this is the hat Henry Jones could buy -- remember guys, the brim wasn't cut back in the 1930's.
It's that most elusive of all hats, the "THE AMISH POET". Reveled and sought after by many people from Lancaster and nationwide. Worn and made famous by Harrison Ford in Witness...
YARVTON wrote:As I was [slowly] typing the brim question was answered. OK, so this is the hat Henry Jones could buy -- remember guys, the brim wasn't cut back in the 1930's.
Yes. And remember this was a special order adjusted to the store's specifications. Apparently with brim added for that terrible San Diego weather!!
Honestly, with the current ebay atmosphere in light of the new movie I'd be awfully tempted to throw it on ebay with an absurdly high opening bid/reserve and see what happened. You can't wear it at that size and I (personally) wouldn't want to alter it. You could sell it and order an AB.
Oklahoma Jones wrote:Is that the one they called the 'McAlpine', or somethng like that?!?!?
Yes - looks like a HJ McAlpine indeed. If memory serves, it's basically a Poet with a wider brim. Good find! I wouldn't alter it, especially if it won't fit me anyway - I'd keep it as a piece of hat history.
Thanks for popping the bashes Mutt, didn't expect you'd do it. Looks like an AB, Fed 4, whathaveyou, I guess. If it was mine I'd use up the extra brim and reblock it to my size, since the felt is probably of an non reproduceable quality, possibly the same quality and color as the Raiders hat.
I believe the color and block used to be the "real deal" however it is hard to tell 100% due to a little shrinkage over the years. Still it's fascinating how this block shape is STILL less tapered and more Raidersque then what they're using now (claiming it's the very same ).
You must be thrilled by the quality of this rabbit felt right?
Regarding the date, I cannot remember out of my head when they were located where, but I assume this is a pre-Raiders era. Dakota would be THE man to ask here.
The sweatband is something I've never seen before. Where is it sewn it??? - I can't see a reeding tape nor any stitching at the bottom. Any more pictures of how the sweatband is installed would be highly appreciated.
Marc wrote:The sweatband is something I've never seen before. Where is it sewn it??? - I can't see a reeding tape nor any stitching at the bottom. Any more pictures of how the sweatband is installed would be highly appreciated.
Marc- I'd certainly trust your eye on that more than mine. The only sweat I've ever seen like that (in an HJ) was a "special" or modified for a particular store (and I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it). But the sweat was silk and the felt was quite a bit lighter than their standard felt- sort of a summer weight. At that time, I had heard nothing of their use of Borsalino felts. Does any of that ring a bell here or are my 50+ year old eyes and guest room computer monitor playing tricks? (I also have a 26+ year old Stetson that was made for/spected to Eddie Bauer's catalog that has a silk sweat- no reeding tape but it was stitched at the bottom and folded back on itself. I've been surprised that for light summer use it has held up remarkably well- duh- silk's pretty tough!) Any ideas? This is a fascinating HJ!!
Jup! That they were using Borso felt once DOES ring a bell indeed. I've hear that quite a few times, however I've never gotton a direct confirmation from HJ on that one.
The label is pre-1965, the year HJ moved to Old Burlington Street, though from what Mr swales told me, they used liners and sweats from old addresses after they moved. Was the white paper tag under the sweat? The last number after the slash would be the year. It fits the general discription of an original Poet. HJ was in 38 New Bond for most of the 20th century. Not sure what year they actually moved there. Great find!
OK, so the 2 could mean 1972 with older liner and sweat or 1962 or 1952 or......? The color of the sweat with the plastic underneath would suggest and older year, though.
Giving this a bump after a long while (3 years O_O) because I was wondering if anyone could help me in valuing this hat? After a few years I've finally decided to bite the bullet and do an Indy costume and so now I'm going to need a hat that actually fits me. And as much as I love this one, I'd rather it go to someone who would wear it an enjoy it and not let it sit on display as I have.
So any help coming up with a value on this particular hat would be greatly appreciated!
It's a great piece and I would love to add it to my collection as it is my size. If you decide to sell it, I for one would be interested. I've been wanting an HJ.
(Thankfully, I'm a 59LO!!)
That is an awesome find!!!....With the large brim you could salvage some felt to go up a couple of sizes 
...I have a vintage HJ and I plan to do that when I can get around to it, what is interesting to me is the ribbon which looks more like a poet type bow to me than my HJ. It has a resemblance to the bow of the Young Indy fedora in many ways 
). 
The only sweat I've ever seen like that (in an HJ) was a "special" or modified for a particular store (and I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it). But the sweat was silk and the felt was quite a bit lighter than their standard felt- sort of a summer weight. At that time, I had heard nothing of their use of Borsalino felts. Does any of that ring a bell here or are my 50+ year old eyes and guest room computer monitor playing tricks? (I also have a 26+ year old Stetson that was made for/spected to Eddie Bauer's catalog that has a silk sweat- no reeding tape but it was stitched at the bottom and folded back on itself. I've been surprised that for light summer use it has held up remarkably well- duh- silk's pretty tough!) Any ideas? This is a fascinating HJ!!
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