Which of these hats should I buy?

Texan Scott · Post by **Texan Scott** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:48 pm

The offer on the table is for a Fed IV Std. which is a step up from the DP. Let's wait to hear back from our friend.

maboot38 · Post by **maboot38** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:55 pm

DR Ulloa wrote: No, and I think your argument is absurd. You are comparing a costume to a hat. It may not be a good hat but is a felt hat that is blocked and lightly pounced (albeit by machine) with a proper ribbon and cloth sweat band. The DP is a hat, though not a very good one, in my humble opinion. You are comparing apples and oranges, as my friend and yours would say. Lets not go into the realm of the rediculous to make our arguments, my friend.

Dave

I'm stepping in what you're dropping, friend, but I don't think I'm comparing apples to oranges because the way I see it, the DP IS a costume hat. It is a GOOD costume hat, but a bad Fedora. I don't see it as an Indy hat. To me, it is something people buy when they want to throw together an Indy costume for Halloween.

I guess that is where we got off track here. Those of you who are considering the DP to be a legitimate Fedora take issue with my claim that it is not. In that case consider whether back in the heyday of Fedoras, if any serious hat wearer would wear such a hat, or even if they would make them as such a hat. I guess to me that is the difference. A wool or wool blend hat reminds me of those cheap cowboy hats they sell at the rodeos. Wear them in the rain once, and you have a completely different hat!

I see the DP as a $40 toy. If it wasn't for Indiana Jones, nobody would ever buy one, no? Anyway, the DP is the lesser of the two hats the original poster posted, so if he has to choose between the two, he should go with the other, although it was important to me that I stress that I don't believe he'll be satisfied with either.

Let's table this discussion for now (since I'm sure it will come up again and again! Yeehaw!), and see if the original poster accepts the generous Fed IV offer. I hope he does.

beaverlid · Post by **beaverlid** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:58 pm

I purchased as I said above a Wool felt Indy fedora as my first fedora. When it came out of the box it was a good looking lid. It was very stiff and I wore it a bit around town and while driving. Nothing major. I also went on a week long trip to disney with the hat and again it held up fine and even looked much the same at the end of the trip. This hat was a fine hat for light wear around town and as a shade for my head and it looked decent to boot. Where I went wrong was deciding to take it on a weel long canoe trip. It was subjected to rain storms and dunks in the river and that was all it took. The color faded very badly, it had serious shrinkage and taper and it does not even fit my head anymore.

So yes the hat will not hold up very well to harsh elements. If you wear it around town or out on the town it should hold up for a while. It may satisfy you just fine. I wouldn't go for the crushable wool but that is just me. The fedora Todd'S Costumes sells with the hat pin is blocked and bashed and has the pin you want. It is 49.99 which is in your price range and will suit the purpose of wearing as an around town sort of hat.

I remember getting mine and loved it. It was my first Indy fedora and I was also very upset to see it didn't look good or fit well after some abuse.

Post pics when you receive whatever you choose.

maboot38 · Post by **maboot38** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:02 pm

beaverlid wrote:Where I went wrong was deciding to take it on a weel long canoe trip. It was subjected to rain storms and dunks in the river and that was all it took. The color faded very badly, it had serious shrinkage and taper and it does not even fit my head anymore.

Yup, a canoe trip down the Saco river in NH is where my tolerance for wool in my hats ended as well!

DR Ulloa · Post by **DR Ulloa** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:03 pm

I don't believe he'll be satisfied with either

Oh, I agree fully. Thats why I said I cannot recommend a DP. I also agree that it is a bad fedora, but it is a fedora, the picture you posted is a costume. Wool hats were made back in the golden era of hats. Not everyone could afford a nice rabbit or beaver hat back then either. You just never see them because none survived. They were all destroyed because wool is horrible to felt and make a hat into. But they are hats none the less. I guess I'm either not explaining myself well or your not understanding. Either way, I'm not gonna lose any sleep over it. We both agree its a bad hat.

Dave

beaverlid · Post by **beaverlid** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:04 pm

Gwyddion is a soothsayer.

maboot38 · Post by **maboot38** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:06 pm

DR Ulloa wrote:We both agree its a bad hat.
Dave

That's what's important here.

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:19 pm

beaverlid wrote:Gwyddion is a soothsayer.

With the current breakthru's in modern medicine, I believe that can be fixed now.

Regards! Michaelson

djd · Post by **djd** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:22 pm

I think your description of the DP hats a 'toys' was a good one. The link to the movieshop hat looked much better (in the picture at least) and is still within the price range if you can spend up to $100 the options become much better and some real hats are available. Ultimately it's your choice - I guess you asked for advice and you got it. Up to you what you now decide but I hope you're happy with whatever you opt for

gwyddion · Post by **gwyddion** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:23 pm

beaverlid wrote:Gwyddion is a soothsayer.

Well, lets just say I know the guys I hang out with

Let just hope Texan Scot's offer will be noticed among all that banter

Regards, Geert

maboot38 · Post by **maboot38** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:24 pm

Let's have someone PM him the offer. I feel bad because my strong response may have drowned the offer. My bad.

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:33 pm

Considering it's about 3 a.m. there now, I doubt he's aware all this has been going on.....yet.

Regards! Michaelson

maboot38 · Post by **maboot38** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:37 pm

Michaelson wrote:Considering it's about 3 a.m. there now, I doubt he's aware all this has been going on.....yet.

Regards! Michaelson

So much hullabaloo on his behalf, and he isn't even aware

Lucky guy.
Sleep well new friend, I hope you don't log in until after your second cup of coffee.

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:42 pm

Nah. We'll just wait until everyone has gone....nuke all the responses, then he can come in and post 'doesn't anyone have an opinion of any kind?'

Regards! Michaelson

gwyddion · Post by **gwyddion** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:43 pm

Regards, Geert

maboot38 · Post by **maboot38** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:44 pm

But there's so much good info here!

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:47 pm

Not after WE get through with it

.....er, was this microphone on?

Regards! Michaelson

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:54 pm

I just read the contents label on this thread. There's a lot of polyunsaturated stuff in here!

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:56 pm

Lard! It does a body good! $\:D/$

Regards! Michaelson

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:57 pm

Uh, oh. There's also olestra in here, too!

maboot38 · Post by **maboot38** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:59 pm

OH MAN! Olestra makes you have to make extra trips to the bathroom.....which brings us right back to the Dorfman Pacific.

A.J. Cairo · Post by **A.J. Cairo** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:17 pm

It's funny how many of us hate the DP's... especially when you consider that most of us still have ours. ( I've got like three of 'em).

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:21 pm

maboot38 wrote:OH MAN! Olestra makes you have to make extra trips to the bathroom.....which brings us right back to the Dorfman Pacific.

OH man. If this thread needed locked, this was the one to close it out on!!!

HIGH regards! Michaelson

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:31 pm

Well, we clean up enough messes around here, Michaelson, that maybe we need to start passing out diapers at the door.

Maybe we should wait to see what fenris has to say at this point before we go further down the, er, tubes.

jlee562 · Post by **jlee562** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:18 pm

Call me crazy, but I don't think the DP is a bad looking hat.

maboot38 · Post by **maboot38** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:23 pm

There needs to be a smiley that is just a tongue being bitten.

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:24 pm

That's as close as we get around here.

Regard! Michaelson

jlee562 · Post by **jlee562** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:31 pm

Hey, I said a bad looking hat. It's a fedora! Sure, it's wool and not accurate as an Indy hat, but I don't think it's an ugly hat.

To address the original post, if your budget is really set at $100, I would go for the wool Adventurer from themovieshop.com or look for a used Fed IV as Dave suggested. Although the regular Fed IVs are just over $100 USD and they ship from Australia which surely can't be too expensive to the Philippines, no?

fenris · Post by **fenris** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:21 pm

gwyddion wrote:
Texan Scott wrote:I just did an internet search on "Indiana Jones fedora" and the first thing that popped up was the IJ licensed hat, oil hat, and crushable wool fedora. People are used to paying less than $50 for what they perceive to be a 'good' hat. Not necessarily an IJ styled hat, but any hat or baseball cap. This is simply a mindset going in to a first purchase. Also, if you do a search and it appears at the top, then you tend to go for the most hits, most popular, etc., thinking that it will lead you to the 'best'. One of the first things to overcome is the mindset, to some degree, and this only happens through, educating yourself, as Bink would say, using the 'search' function.

Even in this forum, you can find a reasonably SA hat in fur felt for about $100. Again you get what you pay for, but the ones that come to mind in that price range are the Christy's Adventurer and the Fed IV Standard, and if I were going for the Raiders look, (with the straighter block shape) I'd recommend the Fed IV standard over the Christy's.

http://www.hatsdirect.com/cgi-bin/produ ... Federation
Yes but that would still break his $100 including shipping budget and doesn't have a pin Now if someone is willing to play good Samaritan and pay the shipping costs for him, and I would send him my pin it would fit his criteria. Otherwise we just need to pick one from his original post

Regards, Geert

HA!!! I'm awake! I just got overwhelmed by the responses... whew!

I actually like the Fed IV. As for the pin, I already have one from another hat. The shipping is the only thing that bites... I wonder how much it costs to have it shipped to the Philippines.

Oh, wait... I have 2 PM's... Anyway, I'll post this message first. Hehehe.

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:25 pm

Oh, hi fenris ! Good morning over there!

Did you have a question, by the way?

Regards! Michaelson

maboot38 · Post by **maboot38** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:27 pm

fenris wrote: HA!!! I'm awake! I just got overwhelmed by the responses... whew!

I actually like the Fed IV. As for the pin, I already have one from another hat. The shipping is the only thing that bites... I wonder how much it costs to have it shipped to the Philippines.

Oh, wait... I have 2 PM's... Anyway, I'll post this message first. Hehehe.

Yeah, after you check your PMs, you'll see that your shipping problem has been solved!

fenris · Post by **fenris** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:33 pm

maboot38 wrote:
binkmeisterRick wrote:I saw several kids with Dorfmans on their heads at the Queen Mary Summit this past weekend who adored their hats. Are those kids ignorant, then?
Well, according to Mr. Webster, if those kids think their hat is just like Indiana Jones, then yes, they are ignorant. Ignorant isn't a bad word, nor is it an insult. It simply means they don't know. I'm certainly not trying to insult anyone. I'm just saying buying a DP thinking you are getting a hat that looks like Indiana Jones's hat is an act done in ignorance. I speak from PERSONAL experience on this.

Anyway, I think you know what I mean Bink. I'm not calling anyone names. I'm saying that if he wants an Indy hat, and he chooses the hats he's mentioned, he's not getting an Indy hat.

Tell you what, fenris, I have a nice straw fedora with a blue ribbon on it. I'll take the Indiana Jones pin off my DP, put it on the straw hat, and sell it to you for $25. That's some significant savings, and you can have the Indiana Jones pin.

I don't think this discussion is off topic at all. Here we have a new member, who is asking us for guidance, and I'm giving my opinion. He doesn't have to take my advice, but I'm pretty sure I haven't said anything "incorrect" or even "misleading". If this guy didn't care about getting the right hat, he wouldn't have posted the question at all.

My intention is to help. I think I am doing that. You can't assume that he is going to be turned away because I am trying to tell him that in my opinion the hats he is looking at are no good.

So, that's all I have to say about that.

I understand your point. I've actually given that advice to other people before (but it pertained to car audio, as I'm an admin for a car audio forum here).

fenris · Post by **fenris** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:05 pm

Ok... I've narrowed it down to 2 hats based on your replies. Both which aren't on the list.

The Fed IV and the Christy's Adventurer (offer from Texan Scott).

I like the Federation IV a lot based on the pics, but the shipping will still put me over budget.

The Christy's Adventurer that Scott offered is just on target with my budget, but I still haven't measured my head yet to know if it will fit. I'm assuming right now it's gonna be bigger since I'm a small guy. But I've heard that it's better to get a bigger hat than a smaller one, right?

Anyway, anybody here with pics of their Christy's Adventurer? I've seen a lot of posts for the Fed IV already.

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:08 pm

There's a huge thread on the Christy's right here:
http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f ... Adventurer

fenris · Post by **fenris** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:09 pm

Yep. I just saw it. I like!!!

Texan Scott · Post by **Texan Scott** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:12 pm

Either way, just let me know. The offer still stands. If the Christy doesn't fit, then that's ok. If you want to order the Fed., I will help with postage.

fenris · Post by **fenris** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:15 pm

I just PM'ed you, my head is around 58 - 59. Will the hat fit?

gwyddion · Post by **gwyddion** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:50 pm

Do you have a tape measure? If so, measure your head and pick the size or the one above it that's closest to the measurement. If you don't know how to measure just tell us and we'll help you.

Regards, Geert

fenris · Post by **fenris** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 7:52 pm

I've done the measurement. It came out between 58 and 59.

beaverlid · Post by **beaverlid** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:53 pm

beaverlid wrote:I purchased as I said above a Wool felt Indy fedora as my first fedora. When it came out of the box it was a good looking lid. It was very stiff and I wore it a bit around town and while driving. Nothing major. I also went on a week long trip to disney with the hat and again it held up fine and even looked much the same at the end of the trip. This hat was a fine hat for light wear around town and as a shade for my head and it looked decent to boot. Where I went wrong was deciding to take it on a weel long canoe trip. It was subjected to rain storms and dunks in the river and that was all it took. The color faded very badly, it had serious shrinkage and taper and it does not even fit my head anymore.

So yes the hat will not hold up very well to harsh elements. If you wear it around town or out on the town it should hold up for a while. It may satisfy you just fine. I wouldn't go for the crushable wool but that is just me. The fedora Todd'S Costumes sells with the hat pin is blocked and bashed and has the pin you want. It is 49.99 which is in your price range and will suit the purpose of wearing as an around town sort of hat.

I remember getting mine and loved it. It was my first Indy fedora and I was also very upset to see it didn't look good or fit well after some abuse.

Post pics when you receive whatever you choose.

Here are the pictures I said I would post. I posted the faded tapered wool hat next to a beaver felt FEDORA.

Beaverlid

Texan Scott · Post by **Texan Scott** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:54 pm

yep. thats a cone dome allright!

jlee562 · Post by **jlee562** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 9:01 pm

I have both the Christy's and a Fed IV, and I really do like my Christy's, the felt is a great color and really soft....but that having been said, since you live in the Philippines, I would save just a bit more and get the Fed IV, it's going to be a much more resilient hat to the heat and humidity than the Christy's.

fenris · Post by **fenris** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 9:17 pm

I'm going to get Texan Scott's Christy's Adventurer.

Well, the picture that beavelid posted looks just like the Dorfman hat being sold in a mall here. Even brand new, the dorfman already has a taper that's why I didn't buy it (that and the price here is more than $100). Surprisingly enough, the costume Indy hat I have looks better in terms of shape to the Dorfman. I thought it was just too small for me that's why it looked... well... small. After reading through the forums, I conclude that it was the taper.

Real hats are very hard to come by over here. This Dorfman is, as far as I know, the only existing Indy style fedora which is for sale where I live. There used to be 3 of them, but somebody bought the the other 2 (the other was the oil cloth hat or something).

beaverlid · Post by **beaverlid** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 9:22 pm

to Texan Scott for giving this man a better choice than the DP.

Enjoy your New Christy's when you get it. Welcome to the fine world of Hat snobbery and post pics.

Beaverlid

Texan Scott · Post by **Texan Scott** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 9:40 pm

Hey, he's a good guy when he is sleeping! I've already hit him up for posting pics when it arrives.

He'll be getting a new Christy's that has custom features, including brim dimensions and the ribbon has moved down to the brim break.

fenris · Post by **fenris** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 12:11 am

Thanks, Scott!

Check your PM... sent the payment already!

$\:D/$ i'm so excited...

and I just can't hide it... $\:D/$

davidd · Post by **davidd** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 3:36 am

Just read through this entire topic. You guys... are awesome!

darthbish · Post by **darthbish** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 4:24 am

This is a non-contest..

Fed IV for quality, style and price

gwyddion · Post by **gwyddion** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 6:09 am

darthbish wrote:This is a non-contest..

Fed IV for quality, style and price

Bish, your understandable love for the Akubra Fed IV is noted, but he already chose Texan Scott's Christy's

Fenris, Congrats on your new hat

I off course would also like to see pics when it gets there. Wear it in good health!

oh, and welcome to COW

Regards, Geert

fenris · Post by **fenris** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 6:59 am

Thanks everyone. I'll post pics here as soon as I get my new hat.