Fixing up a cheapy wool Dorfman Pacific "official"

[maboot38]

OK, so I picked up a real cheap Dorfman Pacific "official" indy hat (what a laugh), which is obviously nothing like the real thing, but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to how I might mess around with the thing a bit to make it look like the SA.

I know I should probably just spring for the HJ or Adventurebilt, but right now that isn't an option.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Maboot

[DR Ulloa]

Check out Indy Falco's thread on rebashing a Dorfman. It will help alot. My suggestion: Don't make the pinch too tight, it'll make the hat taper more than it already has built into it.

Dave

[Kentucky Blues]

To be honest, there's really nothing that can be down with one, especially the wool, to make it screen accurate. It's basically not even the same kind of hat. I know with the furfelt, being furfelt, you can work with the shape a bit to make it more similar, but won't really achieve screen accuracy. A wool felt could probably be re-worked a bit, but I'd say with either hat, the best thing to do would just to make it look like a nice hat, and settle for indyesque rather than screen accurate. To be honest, I think the dorfman would be a nice "regular" hat if it weren't for the poor quality, if you weren't planning on really exposing it to the elements, it'd be fine to wear just the way it is

-KB

[JC1972]

OK, so I picked up a real cheap Dorfman Pacific "official" indy hat (what a laugh), which is obviously nothing like the real thing, but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to how I might mess around with the thing a bit to make it look like the SA.

I know I should probably just spring for the HJ or Adventurebilt, but right now that isn't an option.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Maboot

I actually like the Dorfman I bought. Sure if I had $300 I get a HJ or Adventurebilt, but after I spent almost $500 for a G&B Expo Lamb, I couldn't get one of those hats. Spending that much for a fedora just wouldn't be practical .

[maboot38]

So I've taken out the bashing for the Dorfman and now have a dome style hat. I plan on doing my best to bash it in the indy style, although I know that the hat just plain isn't made for it. I think it will at least look better than the factory Dorfman.

Why couldn't Dorfman just make a screen accurate indy hat. I just don't understand why someone feels that they can make a hat that is nothing like the screen version and call it "official".

At any rate. I've been taking photos throughout the process, and will share when I'm done, in case anyone else wants to give it a shot.

Maboot

[Mulceber]

The best way to fix a dorfman wool involves a can of gasoline and a match...

If you can't afford an AB or HJ, why not go for one of the cheaper (but still very good) options? Fed IV, Christy's, all of them make very nice hats for a very good price. :junior: -M

[Zombie Jones]

Why couldn't Dorfman just make a screen accurate indy hat. I just don't understand why someone feels that they can make a hat that is nothing like the screen version and call it "official".

Two reasons, in my opinion:

1) Manufacturing a screen accurate hat takes more time and effort; this increases production costs and decreases Dorfman Pacific's profit margin.

2) Most people wanting to buy an inexpensive "Indiana Jones" hat wouldn't know the difference anyway.

[maboot38]

So here is an update on my el-cheapo Dorfman Pacific "official" Indiana Jones 100% wool fedora...

After having taken out the bash to a dome, I have now found a creative use for some chip-clips to re-bash the hat to an acceptable form. Of course there is no way to increase the hight of the had, but considering what I've started with, the hat is coming along GREAT!!!!

I'm actually very happy with the way it looks all things considered. Now the final touch is to replace the ribbon, and then I will post all photos with a detailed description of how I pulled it off.

Of course I'll be looking for opinions on the work as well.

Later,

Maboot

[JimL]

Sounds good!

Standing by for photos...

[maboot38]

OK, the moment you've all bee waiting for. I finally finished reworking my 100% wool Dorfman. First, here is what I started with:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/dan.madore/SKHZvvM ... imgmax=512

And here is the end result:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/dan.madore/SKHZwur ... imgmax=512

And finally, here is a collage of the steps in the process. The top row is the start, and the bottom row is the finish:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/dan.madore/SKHZyJ5 ... imgmax=512

The first thing I did was to get the crown of the hat wet and punch out the bashing. I did this using only my hands and the top of a Yankee Candle (apple scent if you must know) because I didn't want it to be perfectly round. I desired a couple of imperfections (and I was being lazy).

Next, after drying and setting, I splashed the crown with water to dampen it again and, used a couple of Doritos chip clips to pinch the front and the inside to create the desired shape.

Once that was dry, I carefully removed the ribbon and bow, and created new ones out of a ribbon I got from Todd's costumes. The ribbon was by far the most challenging part, but it just required some patience.

As you can see, it is still by no means screen accurate, but at least it is a ton of improvement over the DP "official" fedora.

[laughograms]

OK, the moment you've all bee waiting for. I finally finished reworking my 100% wool Dorfman.

Good job! I did something pretty similar with mine, with very similar results (I did not want to spend the time and money on a new band, though, as I will soon be ordering up a Fed IV anyway). The first thing I noticed in your "after" pic is that you have the same little "lumpy bumps" as I do in the rear part of the center dent. That stupid bash just does NOT want to come out, does it? And it is really hard to get a decent center dent-style bash just because the crown is so low. I managed to get a little more taper out of mine by forcing a large round bowl into the top of the crown and pushing and rotating it around so hard and for so long my arms hurt the next day.

So overall, a good improvement! I felt pretty much the same about mine -- it is in the same hemisphere, if not neighborhood, as a proper Indy hat now.

That said, I wish I still had the 35$ I spent on my wool DP to put toward a Fed. As another poster said, I couldn't believe the hat was as bad as everybody said. But it is. Better than no Indy hat at all, OK for a real basic, entry-level hat, much improved with a lot of elbow grease, but really not a hat built to last.

[jason10mm]

I have one of these Disney hats as well, top teardrop bash and all. Need to rebash it for a Halloween party this weekend.

So let me get this straight. I get the crown wet, push out the dent, let it dry.

Get it wet again and pinch down the top front, clamp until dry?

Sound about right? I'll start tonight!!

[maboot38]

That is correct! Make sure the old bash is gone before starting the new one.

[maboot38]

you'll need to pinch in two places. The crown needs a center crease, and the front needs to be pinched. For the crown, I pushed it down in the center (not too far because the hat is too short and your head will push it back up) and then clipped it until dry.

[jason10mm]

Cool. Did you guys incorporate the little "turn" to get the brim to warp, or does it naturally dip in the front and back with the Indy bash? Cause my brim right now sorta swoops UP all around unless I wear it a little off the center (turned on my head, not cocked gangsta style

[maboot38]

All I did was give the front in a good curl downward and the let it settle. I haven't had to mess with wearing it at different angles or anything.

[JimL]

Yes, the brim it shipped (on an open crown hat) turned 'up' all around the hat. You simply pull the front down, and it sort of 'snaps' into the downward position.

The 'turn' causes the brim to distort on one side (get that weird 'wave' to it). This is why some "Do the turn" first, and then set the center crease and finally the front crease per the tutorials in the hat section. I didn't do this, but I think the brim distorts ever so slightly anyway...

BUT, if the brim does not have the slight 'curl' up at the outer edge, it may not 'snap' into the downward position, and therefore might need a bit of further coaxing...

Finally, once you get the brim as you want it, you have to be careful with it! If you set the hat down crown up, it will flatten the brim and it will get really weird on you. You are supposed to set a hat crown down.

I set mine crown up; however it is on the edge of the table so the brim is not touching anything... A Manequin head or hat stand is best of course...

[maboot38]

Yes, but Jim, we are talking about the DP wool here, which comes pre bashed. That has to be undone first.

[JimL]

That is correct...

I was answering in general.

[maboot38]

Ah yes, then you are correct on all points!

[jason10mm]

####, you guys were NOT kidding about the poor design of the hat for the Indy bash! Got the teardrop bash sorta out ok, but after doing the front oinch and crown pinch the hat slopes back at an overly rakish angle and now the hat looks like a point from the front

Did get the brim looking better though!

I'm gonna play with it some more, maybe reduce the front pinch a little. Still, it fits a bit better (was a little too large) and has REALLY whetted my appetite for a real fedora. Lets hope the Aus$ stays low for a while longer

Took pics, so I'll post them a little later, if only to serve as a warning about those DW hats!

[maboot38]

If I had to do it all over again, I would have never bought on in the first place. Although I enjoyed the challeng of turning that piece of junk into something that resembles an Indy hat, I could have gotten a Fed IV for just under twice the cost, and wouldn't have had to rebash and change the ribbon, not to mention I bet it is tons more comfortable.

[Restless Dreamer]

If I had to do it all over again, I would have never bought on in the first place. Although I enjoyed the challeng of turning that piece of junk into something that resembles an Indy hat, I could have gotten a Fed IV for just under twice the cost, and wouldn't have had to rebash and change the ribbon, not to mention I bet it is tons more comfortable.

eh...at least you bought the DP knowing what to expect from it. let's say you wasted intentionally your money (good for you you can afford that!). think about all the people who spent 100 bucks expecting ad Indy's fedora and getting that piece of @#$% instead -- me, for exaple --- my bad, yes, but for a non-expert those pics you see of the DP really look good.

AND I also spent 50 € in Disneyland Paris to buy a Crambes -- if you don't know it, there's a topic I opened some days ago that could interest you.

The point is: one spends so much by buying hat after hat... Adding the cost of the Crambes + the cost of the DP + its taxes + its shipping, you get the cost of an AB Henry

[Jedirun]

OK, the moment you've all bee waiting for. I finally finished reworking my 100% wool Dorfman. First, here is what I started with:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/dan.madore/SKHZvvM ... imgmax=512

And here is the end result:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/dan.madore/SKHZwur ... imgmax=512

And finally, here is a collage of the steps in the process. The top row is the start, and the bottom row is the finish:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/dan.madore/SKHZyJ5 ... imgmax=512

The first thing I did was to get the crown of the hat wet and punch out the bashing. I did this using only my hands and the top of a Yankee Candle (apple scent if you must know) because I didn't want it to be perfectly round. I desired a couple of imperfections (and I was being lazy).

Next, after drying and setting, I splashed the crown with water to dampen it again and, used a couple of Doritos chip clips to pinch the front and the inside to create the desired shape.

Once that was dry, I carefully removed the ribbon and bow, and created new ones out of a ribbon I got from Todd's costumes. The ribbon was by far the most challenging part, but it just required some patience.

As you can see, it is still by no means screen accurate, but at least it is a ton of improvement over the DP "official" fedora.

Thanks,

I just rebashed mine using your technique with similar results. That will get me through Halloween this year, I may get it really dirty try to pull off a ToD look.

I can't be too mad at DP since buying the hat at Disneyland is what got me into this hobby in the first place, but I am going to try to buy a better hat next month.

[maboot38]

Wow, what a blast from the past. I forgot about this thread.

Glad I could help!

[theinterchange]

deleted

[Travelsonic]

Why couldn't Dorfman just make a screen accurate indy hat. I just don't understand why someone feels that they can make a hat that is nothing like the screen version and call it "official".

Two reasons, in my opinion:

1) Manufacturing a screen accurate hat takes more time and effort; this increases production costs and decreases Dorfman Pacific's profit margin.

Really?

I wonder, how much more effort and cost would it really take to 1. not have a teardrop crown, b. have somewhat less taper, and c. have the pinch fixed up a little - and have something with a LC or TOD look?

How much would it REALLY cost to have an open crown option with somewhat less taper than the current fur offerings for the DP?

'scuse me, I just ramble when my skepticism meter goes off.

[DR Ulloa]

Well, it would mean overhauling their whole Indy line production and that costs time and money. Also, these hats are not geared to the gear freaks like us. These hats' targets are folks who want "that hat that Indy wears." They won't want to crease a hat themselves to get an accurate look. They want something that looks like his hat. Well, it is a brown fedora isn't it? Then it is "like" Indy's hat. For Pete's sake, there are guys on these boards afraid to crease their hats and they are gear freaks. The average Joe will not want to do that. It just wouldn't make sense financially to do that.

Dave

[Travelsonic]

I mean, the Adventurer* and the Federation IV [standard]** [though they are both open crown] have that basic shape, and quality construction, and still cost less than a fur DP

*depending on the fluctuation of the GBP
**depending on the fluctuation of the AUD

[Jedirun]

Notice that before the most recent post, the last post was 22 October 2008.

Halloweeners methinks.

Randy

Yep, but this year I am using Halloween as an excuse to sell what would be a completely incomprehensable hobby to my wife.

I do not think I could have even got away with buying the DP without Halloween. With Halloween, I have a WPG shirt, and Todd's shoes, whip holder, gun belt, and bag with strap.

The only regrets are the DP Fedora and the JRZJOE whip that I bought before finding this board, but even these are not that bad. I will pass them onto my son when I get more screen accurate versions in the coming months.

[Jedirun]

I mean, the Adventurer* and the Federation IV [standard]** [though they are both open crown] have that basic shape, and quality construction, and still cost less than a fur DP

*depending on the fluctuation of the GBP
**depending on the fluctuation of the AUD

Yeah, I think I will be going with a Fed IV in a couple of weeks.

[darthinvictus]

Ah Halloween, Gets me nostalgic for my first sucktacular Anaconda Jones costume which led me here good times.