This is a great Raiders fedora, and I should have snapped a side pic to show off the hat, but did not do so.
Recently I went down to my rental storage building to pull out another 30 bodies to use for hats, and looked at my stacks of vintage hats that I never get to wear. Many are from the era that I would take a vintage hat and turn it into an Indy fedora. While some, are left "as is" like the Knoxes and the Cavanaghs. Even I could not bear to Indy-ize these fine old hats.
Who would ever cut off a Cavanagh or Mode Edge? A now extinct brim treatment. But if the hat was a Stetson, or other old brands, even with bound brims, they were canidates for the Indy treatment. The above hat was one of those. I think it started life as a Stetson Whippet. I used to keep 7 hats in rotation, changing to another one, each day. But, that was when I had the cabinet shop and worked in my hats. Today, I find that 3 or 4 is plenty to rotate, and never get to wear many of the vintage hats I Indy-ized. I currently wear an AB on rainy days, if the rain is heavy, and if light, I go with my vintage Stetson, tan Raiders fedora. On nice days, I wear either the AB, the Henry, or the vintage Stetson. Bout twice a year, I put back a couple of these hats, and pull out my Deluxe and another hat, a rabbit Raiders fedora, and give the other two a rest.
But, I have two new hats in my future. Marc is still to make me the world's rarest hat, a beaver with the max amount of mink that a hat body can take. And a rabbit Raiders fedora made as a test hat on the new rabbit felt I will be using.(yep, I test out any new hat I offer for sale) Now, will I wear that world's rarest hat, or just save it?
I figure I will wear it, as often as I can! I am also gonna snatch me up this new Mag HJ, with the thicker felt, and am working towards rotating, the world's rarest hat,(the beaver/mink hat, creased Raiders style) an AB CS, a Mag Raiders HJ, and a new rabbit felt Raiders fedora, SOC look. For me, that will be my set up from here on out, once I get all of those hats in hand. And when Spring and Summer come around, I will swap one of these out for my future camel colored hat, like I made for Michaelson. It's a great summer color. I am contemplating, making the camel hat an adventure looking hat, without doing the Indy creases that I always tend to use on my hats. Maybe I will create a new and different adventure looking hat, using old adventure films as a reference. A combo of several looks, that still screams adventure, tombs, and grave robbers. Maybe influened by Secret of the Incas, and other films like that. I think the camel color would fit right in with a hat of this kind. ONE day, I will have the time to indulge in things of this nature. Right now, its just a dream. Then, only for special occasions will I pull out a vintage Knox, or Cavanagh, and will treat them with kid's gloves. They belong in a museum!!!!
Fedora
....so don't just make one to wear for warm weather. It's works regardless of season! 
So, I just sold a hat I did not plan on selling!! Well, the buyer will be very pleased. I gotta watch what I put up for sale from here on out. 
That really is a shame. I'd love to own a Cavanagh edge someday, but due to my large head size and the high demand for them, it's almost IMPOSSIBLE to find them on eBay - at least for a half-way decent price. -M
. Believe it or not, there is quite a bit of difference between the Hero CS I ordered from you Sept 08 (#43) and the Raiders I ordered in April 09 (#129). You can especially notice it in the pouncing. Oak continues to master his art of hatmaking