Todd's new Downtowner Fedora with pics!

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:29 pm

alphared6 wrote:What does the lining look like? Would someone please post a picture?
I like what I'm reading here, I leaning hard towards a purchase.
Mike

Vaderbreath posted a picture of the liner on the first page:

alphared6 · Post by **alphared6** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:44 pm

Thanks. Don't know how I missed it.
Yup. I'm gonna have to have one.

indyclone · Post by **indyclone** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:21 am

well i am really liking this hat, the height of the crown did throw me at first i thought wow it is extremely high , but it was only five inches , and according to specs that is what the indy hats are , right? maybe cause i am so used to the dorfman ( the only fedora i had )the only officially licensed hat , that i was a bit thrown by the height? in these pics you can see the difference between the dorfman and the downtowner

and this pics is taken at arms length so i will have to have someone take a pic so you guys can get a better view of the hat

NJIndy · Post by **NJIndy** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:40 am

While there are a number of opinions comparing the Downtowner to the DP line... what about the Downtowner compared to the FEDIV?

Also, there is a a hint early in the thread to an Uptowner... was that a joke or something else to look forward to? If it is real, what will the differences be?

Thanks, Pete

Scott63 · Post by **Scott63** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 10:08 am

Don't know about the status of the Uptowner, but here’s a quick snapshot of my Downtowner (left) next to my Fed IV Deluxe (right).

The crown height on my Downtowner is now approx 4 ¾” (base of brim at ribbon to front bash crease) compared to 4 ½” on my Fed IV-D. The crown on the Downtowner was a little too high for me when I received it, so I took the height down about a ¼” with a little steam. The brim width on both hats is about the same; approx 2 ¾” front/back, 2 ½” sides. I’d say the felt on the Downtowner is very similar to the Regular Fed in terms of appearance and smoothness, however the Downtowner is very stiff right out of the box.

Scott

crismans · Post by **crismans** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 10:11 am

I had a Dorfman before I got a Fed IV and the difference in crown hat was a mind blower at first.

Russian Raider · Post by **Russian Raider** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:04 pm

Recent pics made up my mind. I gotta have one of those. As a loyal fan of Fed i still want to try more stiffer hat with higher crown and Downtowner looks great for that matter. And for the price you cant go wrong.
Puppetboy i cant find your shop at Ebay, are you still there?

indyclone · Post by **indyclone** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 8:17 pm

Russian Raider wrote:Recent pics made up my mind. I gotta have one of those. As a loyal fan of Fed i still want to try more stiffer hat with higher crown and Downtowner looks great for that matter. And for the price you cant go wrong.
Puppetboy i cant find your shop at Ebay, are you still there?

best way to go is just the todds website to order the hat , i got mine within five days ---- i live in chicago and it came from california , so not bad and the box it comes in is the best looking box i have seen --- reminds me of the good ole days of the thirties, just my opinion tho $\:D/$

Bartram · Post by **Bartram** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 9:52 pm

Indyclone - that hat looks good on you!

Does it come dirty?

B

Russian Raider · Post by **Russian Raider** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:29 am

indyclone wrote: best way to go is just the todds website to order the hat , i got mine within five days ---- i live in chicago and it came from california , so not bad and the box it comes in is the best looking box i have seen --- reminds me of the good ole days of the thirties, just my opinion tho $\:D/$

Thanks man. I will buy from website, just wondering whats happened to Ebay store. BTW that hat looks great on you)

indyclone · Post by **indyclone** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:35 pm

thanks russian ---- i do love the way it looks , i have worn everyday since i got it on thursday and have people say they like the hat, even wore it to the "music box theatre" for their screening of "Raiders of the lost ark" on july 4th and people asked to take pics of me and my son in our hats , my son has my 1984 indiana jones stetson hat. and many people said how they liked them .its nice when you can make people smile . $\:D/$

indyclone · Post by **indyclone** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:37 pm

Bartram wrote:Indyclone - that hat looks good on you!

Does it come dirty?

B

no im sorry it comes nice and clean and in a cool hat box , which reminds me of a hat box from the thirties. not like i'm old enough to know , but i'm sure that was the look they were going for ,

indyclone · Post by **indyclone** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:39 pm

here is a pic with my gear and new downtowner

Russian Raider · Post by **Russian Raider** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:54 pm

Looks stunning! Tell me, how do the ribbon looks in a daylight? Is it too, hm, silky?

moses · Post by **moses** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:03 pm

I still think the crown looks much too tall - especially in ratio with the brim width. Reminds me more of the Coneheads than Raiders

Dr._J · Post by **Dr._J** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:32 pm

Scott63 wrote:Indyclone, your hat looks great. I think you'll really like it.

I've had mine for about a month now, and I have to say I really like this hat. It's lost some of it's stiffness over time (and with some light abuse), and I reshaped the brim and took the crown height down about 1/4 of an inch. I mainly bought it to wear, abuse and display. So far it's been left in my car all day in 100+ degree heat, soaked in a rain storm, and steamed and reshaped at least 3 times. I really like the way it holds its shape, and I think I may actually prefer the taller crown (compared to my Keppler, HJ and Feds).

Here are a couple of pictures I took today:

IMO, this is a really good hat for the money.

Scott

This is by far the BEST pic of the Downtowner I've seen so far. This may be the hat I buy to modify and distress for a great looking Streets of Cairo hat! Thanks for the pic Scott! Todd should add these photos to his site!

Regards,

Dr. J

indyclone · Post by **indyclone** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 5:31 pm

how is the best way to steam the hat to lower the crown?i like the way it looks but my wife says it looks ridiculous --- i think shes just used to seeing the old dorfman on my head and she just needs to get used to it on my head?
scott63 will it lose most of its stiffness within a months time ? would like to know how to reshape it without ruining it .

Scott63 · Post by **Scott63** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:07 am

indyclone,

When I steam my hats, I use a tea kettle on the kitchen stove. I heat the water to a boil, take the top off the tea kettle, hold the part of the hat I want to reshape in the stream of steam, and once the felt becomes pliable I reshape it. However, using steam to reshape a hat can be tricky. If you haven’t done it before be careful how long you hold the hat over the steam and how you handle it during the process because you can easily cause the hat to taper and loose it’s shape since the felt becomes soft and moves in any direction you push it. Over the years, I’ve ruined the shape of a couple of hats trying to reshape them. Also, some felt will shrink when steam hits it (although I didn’t have that problem with this hat). If your Dorfman is "expendable", you might want to practice on it first. Also be careful not to burn your hands by getting them too close to the steam.

Don't know if there are any western wear stores that sell hats in your neighborhood - “just south of Chicago”, but if there are you can also take your hat to them and they should be able to alter it for you. Around here a lot of them don’t even charge to do it.

In terms of getting rid of some of the stiffness, I didn’t do anything extreme (i.e. I DID NOT sit on the hat, DID NOT crunch it up in a ball, or DID NOT run over it in my car). Using those methods will ruin this hat. I just worked/pushed the felt back and forth with my hands and it loosed up a little. I did that each time I handled it for a couple of weeks.

I hope that helps.

Scott

indyclone · Post by **indyclone** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:31 am

thanks scott i'll keep all that you said in mind ---- i most likely will just keep the hat the way it is --- i am happy with the way it looks --- so i guess thats all that matters .

Mountaineer · Post by **Mountaineer** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:29 pm

indyclone wrote:thanks scott i'll keep all that you said in mind ---- i most likely will just keep the hat the way it is --- i am happy with the way it looks --- so i guess thats all that matters .

Exactly! Next time she gives you grief about your hat, just tell her to pound sand.

Well maybe not exactly in those terms. You could maybe be more diplomatic about it; but if you like the hat, then leave it as is.

Perhaps the more she see it on you, after a while it may look less extreme to her.

davidd · Post by **davidd** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 5:53 am

I dunno where I've been -- living in a cave or something -- 'cuz I was completely unaware of the Coyle's Downtowner hat until a few minutes ago. I just saw DeWayne's pics over in the 2009 Full Gear Shots topic, including his awesome Downtowner hat! A search led me to this... er... rather enthusiastic discussion about the Downtowner.

I really appreciate Scott63's comparison photo with the Fed IV. That's exactly what I was hoping to find as I searched the forums for Downtowner info. My Fed IV doesn't look tall enough for a Raiders hat on my apparently fat head. My Fed is a 62, which was initially just a tad bit too loose; after a bit of steam and some time, it snugged up enough that I could remove the sizing tape I'd put in. But after I tried to bash the Fed, it ended up looking somewhat tapered. It also doesn't have a deep enough top dent to get the "camel humps" effect. Apparently my head is pointed as well as fat, because the top of my head contacts the top dent, rendering it even less deep.

I guess this is a rambling, roundabout way of saying I'm pretty excited to discover the Downtowner. I'm liking the pics I'm seeing, and loving the "complaints" about the "too tall crown." I think the "too tall crown" should look just about right on a large diameter (size 61) hat. That is, "right" in a "larger than life" sense. After all, isn't that what Indy represents, "larger than life" adventures? An "Indy hat" isn't a conservative Sunday-go-to-meetin' hat!

I already have the Todd's Costumes site pulled up in another tab, and I'll be placing an order there shortly -- well, maybe, after I check my bank balance. I'm still stuck in the mindset, as well as the fiscal reality, where a hundred bucks is kind of a lot of money, especially for something that's not exactly a necessity. But then again, a hundred bucks for something that will last for years, or a hundred bucks for a month or so of cell phone service? Which reminds me, I need to see if I can get a better phone plan.

Anyway, I'm glad to find out about this hat, I think the tall crown should work well for what I like to see in a Raiders hat, and I'll be ordering one shortly.

While I wait for it to arrive, I might have to punch out the bashes I put in my Fed IV and see if I can fix it. It's not tall enough, it's tapered, and that really bugs me!

Thanks for this entire discussion, the pros, the cons, the comparisons, the disagreements, and the photos. You've helped me find what I expect to be my perfect Indy hat!

indyclone · Post by **indyclone** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 10:33 am

well i love my downtowner --- it a nice hat for the cash --- can't do wrong by it.

Scott63 · Post by **Scott63** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 12:48 pm

Hi davidd,

I'm with Indyclone. I think you’ll like the Downtowner for the price. It’s also a pretty durable hat. Plus, if you’re looking for a hat with a taller crown, then the Downtowner should work. Just to give you some perspective, mine’s a size 59.

Scott

davidd · Post by **davidd** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 12:47 am

Here you go: Coyle's Downtowner fedora from Todd's Costumes, straight out of the box. No tweaking at all; this is what you get:

I'm not sure which is the Coyle's (Todd's) Downtowner topic:

Picts of Todd's Downtowner

Todd's New Downtowner Fedora with Pics

Downtowner Fedora Any Information?

Coyle's Downtowner Fedora

Perhaps we should have a standard Show Us Your Coyle's (Todd's) Downtowner topic; and a similarly titled thread for the Uptowner.

Mitch LaRue · Post by **Mitch LaRue** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 4:48 am

davidd, that looks really wonderful... really natural on you!

I hope you're saying that YOU like it, too... I can't imagine that you're anything less than really pleased with the way that hat looks and fits on you.

Lookin' good!

davidd · Post by **davidd** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 5:50 am

Thanks, Mitch. Yes, I am delighted with the Coyle's Downtowner! This is the look I've been... well, looking for in a fedora! It's also the first hat in the Indy / fedora style I've found that seems to work halfway decently with longer hair.

Indiana Bugs · Post by **Indiana Bugs** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 2:49 pm

I am seriously considering a downtowner, but, I would like to get some input on it vs the uptowner. I know the up is 50% more $$, and the felt is not stiff. Is it the same dimensionally? Is the felt sourced from a different place? If the felt quality is the difference, is this why the up doesnt have stiffener, and the down does? Does the up hold its shape? How does it compare, stiff-wise, to the Fed IV (standard)? Thanks for any input.

Gringo · Post by **Gringo** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 7:31 pm

Ok, that is it! Santa is bringing me a Downtowner for x-mas. Thanks guys for all your imput. I am forwarding Santa this post tonight. At least he will have all your names for his nice list. Thanks again and take care.

djd · Post by **djd** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 3:37 am

scottyrocks6 wrote:I am seriously considering a downtowner, but, I would like to get some input on it vs the uptowner. I know the up is 50% more $$, and the felt is not stiff. Is it the same dimensionally? Is the felt sourced from a different place? If the felt quality is the difference, is this why the up doesnt have stiffener, and the down does? Does the up hold its shape? How does it compare, stiff-wise, to the Fed IV (standard)? Thanks for any input.

I can only really comment on the Uptowner as I don't have a Downtowner. The Uptowner is fairly stiff but came with a very good Raiders bash. Certainly stiff compared to my Henry which is very soft and floppy in comparison. The crown of the Uptowner is lower than the Downtowner and it's overall a more SA looking hat. Side by side with the Henry it's very hard to tell them apart. A very good hat for the money I'd say

Uptowner on the right in both pics

Indiana Bugs · Post by **Indiana Bugs** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:10 am

Any pics of it on your head, djd?

djd · Post by **djd** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:59 am

Here's a link back to an old thread

http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=43466

and

ajocampo · Post by **ajocampo** » Sat May 15, 2010 4:23 am

might have missed the thread already...but...what makes todd's hats stiff?

Indiana Bugs · Post by **Indiana Bugs** » Sat May 15, 2010 8:18 am

ajocampo wrote:might have missed the thread already...but...what makes todd's hats stiff?

Oh BOY is that an open invitation or what . . .

Dr._J · Post by **Dr._J** » Sat May 15, 2010 1:08 pm

scottyrocks6 wrote:
ajocampo wrote:might have missed the thread already...but...what makes todd's hats stiff?
Oh BOY is that an open invitation or what . . .

I'll bite. Hat stiffener.

ajocampo · Post by **ajocampo** » Sat May 15, 2010 8:06 pm

LOL

no comment hahaha

indyclone · Post by **indyclone** » Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:56 am

hot girls at comic conventions?

Texan Scott · Post by **Texan Scott** » Fri Jun 04, 2010 11:03 am

This Indy gets around!

The uptowner is worth the extra $50 compared to the downtowner.

ajocampo · Post by **ajocampo** » Fri Jun 04, 2010 2:37 pm

Where was that comic convention? and which one was it?

indyclone · Post by **indyclone** » Fri Jun 04, 2010 3:23 pm

ajocampo wrote:Where was that comic convention? and which one was it?

it was in chicago in april ---it was the c2e2 and it will be the newest comic convention to hit chicago , while the old wizard world convention will be held this august , (probably for the last time , too)
i also have the uptowner hat , and both hats are nice ,

ajocampo · Post by **ajocampo** » Sat Jun 05, 2010 11:05 pm

indyclone wrote:
ajocampo wrote:Where was that comic convention? and which one was it?
it was in chicago in april ---it was the c2e2 and it will be the newest comic convention to hit chicago , while the old wizard world convention will be held this august , (probably for the last time , too)
i also have the uptowner hat , and both hats are nice ,

Yeah I agree, both do look nice

I was wondering because there was a comic con recently here in toronto...looks real similar to the convention center here