just had my first, "that's not Indiana Jones' hat" moment

Andy Buse · Post by **Andy Buse** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 1:34 pm

I just got my Fed IV Deluxe hat last month. I bashed it LC style.

At work, a co-worker has a black wool outback style, short crown, pinch front, hat with a braided leather strap around the brim and a small steel concho/bead on the rear brow. He and I were standing close together chatting when another co-worker said she liked our hats.

We said, 'thanks.'

She followed (pointing at his hat), "I like yours, it looks like Indiana Jones, especially that leather band." Then she points at mine and says, "And yours is very gangster."

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 1:36 pm

Makes you want to scream don't it?

Nicolas Jones · Post by **Nicolas Jones** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 1:39 pm

Errrrrrr!

Yep, why not....

Print a picture of indy in venice, show her and ask her again.

Regards,

Nico

VP · Post by VP » Fri Jan 08, 2010 1:48 pm

One of these should do the trick:
http://indyville.fi/villen_muut_tiedost ... -156_R.jpg
http://indyville.fi/villen_muut_tiedost ... A-22_R.jpg

Andy Buse · Post by **Andy Buse** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 2:08 pm

Thanks.

Here's his hat (taken with my blackberry).

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 2:42 pm

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 2:49 pm

Even the color's SA!

DanielJones · Post by **DanielJones** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 3:43 pm

Some peoples kids...

Cheers!

Dan

indyclone · Post by **indyclone** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 4:47 pm

maybe she got his hat confused with romancing the stone , cheap indy rip off

fenris · Post by **fenris** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:54 pm

maybe more of us should be carrying a lighter like the one I made. when someone says our hat is not an Indy hat, we just show 'em the pic on the lighter.

...or just take a cue from the officially licensed hats and stick an IJ pin on the ribbon. $\:D/$

(I can't believe I was so naive and actually wanted to do this... just so people would stop giving me the "cowboy" comment)

Garzo · Post by **Garzo** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:56 pm

VP wrote:One of these should do the trick:
http://indyville.fi/villen_muut_tiedost ... -156_R.jpg
http://indyville.fi/villen_muut_tiedost ... A-22_R.jpg

Great stills there VP! Nice high res. Makes me want to throw in the DVD. . .

VP · Post by VP » Fri Jan 08, 2010 7:06 pm

Garzo wrote:
VP wrote:One of these should do the trick:
http://indyville.fi/villen_muut_tiedost ... -156_R.jpg
http://indyville.fi/villen_muut_tiedost ... A-22_R.jpg
Great stills there VP! Nice high res. Makes me want to throw in the DVD. . .

Too bad those are over five times higher res than the DVD.

More here: http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=44212

WyoWilliam · Post by **WyoWilliam** » Sat Jan 09, 2010 11:24 am

That has happened to me SO many times! I usually wear a floppy, wide-brimmed, crushable hat in the field. So I've gotten the "Idiana Jones" comment a number of times. But when I wear the actual hat no one says anything. Ha!

Goes to show that often times our perception/ memory is not reality. And that's also why eye-witnesses are often so unreliable.

Chewbacca Jones · Post by **Chewbacca Jones** » Sun Jan 10, 2010 5:35 pm

Maybe you are all missing the point. Sure, it's really weird when you have a hat that is WAY of base, like a porkpie or a stingy brim or something that looks distinctively dressier. But this sort of thing?

It's not about accurate duplication for the "average person." It's about "the spirit" of Indy. That hat with the leather band in the photo does look "very Indiana Jones" if you step outside the Gearhead mentality. It says "adventure," it has a swooping brim and outback bash. The LC hat says "brown vintage dress hat," unless you know your stuff.

Go ahead, throw flaming stones at me if you want. But let us not forget that "the spirit of Indy" can be as important (and much more enjoyable) than precise gear cloning.

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Sun Jan 10, 2010 7:39 pm

Chewy, I absolutely agree with you on the "spirit of Indy" thing. How many people have heard about how Indy's hat is made of leather? If it were leather, it would certainly hold up better on his adventures than the felt one he wears. Still, Andy's hat was brown - that's gotta count for something. What was she thinking?

On a sidenote, a friend once saw me wearing my first fedora years ago. He commented on how it looked like an Indy hat, except for the ribbon (he was under the impression there was no ribbon on Indy's hat). I informed him that Indy's hat did have a ribbon, to which he said "Okay, maybe. But it definitely didn't have a bow!" Again, I corrected him, but in the end we agreed to disagree.

crismans · Post by **crismans** » Sun Jan 10, 2010 10:18 pm

When I first started wearing an Indy fedora, the kids at my kids swore that Indy's hat didn't have a bow. Only a woman's hat had a bow.

backstagejack · Post by **backstagejack** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 1:04 am

VP wrote: http://indyville.fi/villen_muut_tiedost ... A-22_R.jpg

I've been in LOVE with the swoop of his brim in this scene and the LC hat in particular since the moment I saw it when I was 13

And as for some how mistaking the other hat for indy and your blatant indy for mobster......i mean, you don't even have to LIKE indy to know he wears a brown hat, much less a child of 8 could easily pick out which one was more Indy.....oh well...

I was wearing my brown leather golf cap the other day and was told I looked like someone from the "packrats"...

I asked, "the who"

"the guys on a CD I saw..."

"You mean, the Ratpack?"

"whatever..."

I asked if she knew who Dean Martin, Sammy, or frank were and she said no. 24 years old....doesn't know the Rat Pack.Or even Frank Sinatra...who doesn't know at least the name Sinatra...

Dang. I'm getting old.

Chewbacca Jones wrote: Maybe you are all missing the point. Sure, it's really weird when you have a hat that is WAY of base, like a porkpie or a stingy brim or something that looks distinctively dressier. But this sort of thing?

It's not about accurate duplication for the "average person." It's about "the spirit" of Indy. That hat with the leather band in the photo does look "very Indiana Jones" if you step outside the Gearhead mentality. It says "adventure," it has a swooping brim and outback bash. The LC hat says "brown vintage dress hat," unless you know your stuff.

Go ahead, throw flaming stones at me if you want. But let us not forget that "the spirit of Indy" can be as important (and much more enjoyable) than precise gear cloning.

You are right and I agree....I just know that when I was in HS and even today when I wear my brown PB Indy straw ...people give me indy comments. Heck, they sang the indy theme the other day when I came into work. So....I dunno.

I can see how a muggle would mistake the "outback" hat for Indy but I just don't see how they could mistake a Brown Fedora for anything but

A.J. Cairo · Post by **A.J. Cairo** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 1:17 am

backstagejack wrote: Dang. I'm getting old.

We're not getting old, they're getting stupid.

backstagejack · Post by **backstagejack** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:04 am

Freemason wrote:
VP wrote: Dang. I'm getting old.
We're not getting old, they're getting stupid.

HAHAHAHAHAHA Something I've been saying for years...which sadly they are (seen "Idiocracy"? Bad movie but makes a great point within the first 5 min. of the film.) but thats another topic not for COw I reckon....LOL!!!

Post by **Indiana Jeff** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 7:07 am

Chewbacca Jones wrote:It's not about accurate duplication for the "average person." It's about "the spirit" of Indy. That hat with the leather band in the photo does look "very Indiana Jones" if you step outside the Gearhead mentality. It says "adventure," it has a swooping brim and outback bash. The LC hat says "brown vintage dress hat," unless you know your stuff.

I agree with the "spirit of adventure" vibe, but I have had many more "hey, Indy" comments when wearing a brown, leather Aussie Drover hat (nearly a 4" brim all around) than I've ever gotten wearing my Penman. I've come to think it's because the Drover is pretty rugged looking and the Penman is shiny new and so doesn't put off the same adventuring vibe. That and I wear the Drover when I'm camping or otherwise in outdoor settings and I wear the Penman with street clothes.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 8:26 am

I can get the spirit of Indy thing but when you get nice cowboy hat or nice top hat. People are just ..........................................

A.J. Cairo · Post by **A.J. Cairo** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 8:31 am

BendingOak wrote:I can get the spirit of Indy thing but when you get nice cowboy hat or nice top hat. People are just ..........................................

Yeah the most irritating one I've gotten (from a group of high school dropouts hanging out in the local Wal Mart) was: "Look it's Abraham Lincoln!" If I weren't in the army I probably would've punched the kid, but I have a career to worry about.

Indiana Blooze · Post by **Indiana Blooze** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 9:20 am

As the saying goes, "Perception is reality, not necessarily the facts." I would, however, rather have an outback style hat complete with leather band and conchos called an Indy hat, than have one of my AB's called a cowboy hat. That just makes my skin crawl when I hear "Hey there Tex," or "Howdy pardner."

VP · Post by VP » Mon Jan 11, 2010 10:11 am

Freemason wrote:
VP wrote:Dang. I'm getting old.

I didn't say that.

A.J. Cairo · Post by **A.J. Cairo** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 10:24 am

VP wrote:
Freemason wrote:
VP wrote:Dang. I'm getting old.
I didn't say that.

Sorry!

I'm doing this on my blackberry storm touchscreen keyboard. Editing gets a bit tricky with it. I'll fix it when I get home. Sorry about that.

enigmata_wood · Post by **enigmata_wood** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:00 am

I don't really care any more who people think the hat makes me look like, as long as it's someone famous!

generalFROSTY · Post by **generalFROSTY** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:34 am

The average fan won't know an Indy fedora from a regular fedora. Exactly why the licensed hats are big sellers - unless you are a real fan, who owns the DVDs, seen the movies a hundred times - you really have a vague idea of what the Indy hat really is.
Me, being a fan, the first time I laid eyes on a Dorfman Indy, I knew instantly - even from a distance - it was NOT the hat at all. An average movie fan would say 'Hey, its the Indiana Jones hat! And only $50!"
We know better...

inexpensive_jones · Post by **inexpensive_jones** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:36 am

It's a universal phenomenon. I had a 13 year old kid tell me Indy's hat had a leather band, not a ribbon. Like an idiot I tried to correct him. But he didn't want to be bothered with facts, his mind was made up.
It seems you can't change people's perception with facts anymore. People today think that if they believe something to be true then it is, for them at least, regardless of logic, data, evidence, etc. And I'm sure we all do it to some extent, they're called biases. They just seem more prevalent today...or am I just being biased?

backstagejack · Post by **backstagejack** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:47 am

True, people will believe what they want to believe and to be quite honest....how many kids out there are watching Indy like we did? Truthfully.....kids are now watching movies like (egh!!) Transformers, 5 times in a week, instead of watching Indy 1-3 or even star Wars 4-6 (GL himself stated that feedback on the originals with the new generation has been lukewarm to dislike...).

and I understand someone seeing a DP officially licensed Indy hat and thinking, "Man, that looks JUST like it!!"

But at least its a brown fedora like hat......again I understand someone thinking Indy with a outback styled hat with a leather band....but to not even think an actual replica indy fedora is an indy hat is kinda beyond me.....I mean in my experience before I had Indygear.....whenever I wore ANY fedora with a decent brim thats brown I ALWAYS got Indy comments....but again, Indy was more in the conscious of people back then I suppose (see above about my old comment). I thought CS would make a re-emergence of Indy interest and comments on Indy gear....but sadly, it did not.

At least I still get those nice nostalgic smiles from the old women and some of the old men who see a fedora and give me a good compliment on it......

indyclone · Post by **indyclone** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:01 pm

well i drove thru my local mcdonalds today and i was wearing my todds uptowner hat and the guy in the drive thru told me i looked like a "mexican indiana jones" he then said that the hat looked awesome , i was glad he noticed the hat , but then i told him i was italian/mexican , he shrugged his shoulders and said it still looked sharp.

nicktheguy · Post by **nicktheguy** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:21 pm

Ahhh you just have to love the observations of the ill-educated. It's what keeps this world a constantly crazy and wonderful place.

jlee562 · Post by **jlee562** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:30 pm

I was actually reading something the other day which helps to explain all of this.

I was one of those who bought a wool felt DP at a Disney park. I was always a fan the Indy films, but before I landed here, I wouldn't have been able to tell you what was "wrong" about the DP's other than the bash (see, I was cognizant of the real deal to know that the shaped bash didn't match an open crown hat bashed by hand). But other than that, for all I knew, the DPs were a fair estimation of the Indy hat.

But there is a real phenomena that shows that our minds can kinda trick us. It's called the Rashomon effect, named after the Kurosawa film. If you haven't seen the film, it basically chronicles the re-telling of a crime by four different witnesses, all of whom seem to contradict each other.

We've all seen the same Indy films, Raiders is no different in my home than any other home. But we all recollect the details differently. It's not an intentional ignorance of the films, but just a demonstration that everyone's mind works a little bit differently.

So sure, we may get those comments about the jacket not having elastic at the wrist, or asking why our Indy hats aren't leather...but hey, it's human nature!

rigor · Post by **rigor** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 7:18 pm

I can completely sympathize, Andy (and everyone else too). Last week I was wearing my AB when going to get coffee and ran into a co-worker I don't see often. He said to me, "Hey, Inspector Gadget." I got a kick out of that.

The real headscratcher was when I wore this hat while kayaking and got called Indy:
http://www.sunhat.com/BuyersGuide/Dorfm ... rimHat.php
The description in the url tells you all you need to know....

nicktheguy · Post by **nicktheguy** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 7:33 pm

My Indy hat has been regarded as a bogart hat, a crocodile dundee hat, a cowboy hat, a 10 gallon hat (go figure), a blues brothers hat (can you believe it), a goonies hat (I can see that), an outback hat, and a newspaper reporter's hat. It's been correctly identified less than it's been associated with the other types.

generalFROSTY · Post by **generalFROSTY** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:59 pm

It's depressing.
Back when I wore my Matrix 2 Neo coat, everyone said it was a priest coat. Needless to say, I stopped wearing it.

enigmata_wood · Post by **enigmata_wood** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 4:46 am

last night I was out in The Hat and a long black wool coat. As I returned to my front gate, a complete stranger hailed me with "hey, how's things?" I asked if he meant me: "yeah, you're Martin's son innit - You look just like 'im - spittin' image o' James Cagney." Martin is my neighbour, He's a lumering bear of a man, taller even than my 6 ft, never wears a hat, and would have to have sired me when he as eight to be my father! He looks nothing like James Cagney at any age, albeit a very big one.
Conclusion:
Seeing hats bring out the surreal gene in people!

Andy Buse · Post by **Andy Buse** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 8:35 am

I love these stories.

I was happy I got a comment and the lady I work with is a good enough person, but the gangster comment threw me. I mean, I am way too nerdy for anyone to call me gangster, even if I had been toting a tommy gun! I have a Star Trek calendar in my cube, I read three books at a time, and my badge dongle actually says 'GEEK' on it in pixilated font for goodness sake! She's known me for over 5 years!

Oh well, I still am pleased with all the comments I get from my Fed, but this is the first time anyone has used the words 'Indiana Jones' while I was wearing my hat, and they weren't even talking about mine.

Man, did I ever just paint a crappy portrait of myself... hah!

Andy Buse · Post by **Andy Buse** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 8:45 am

See? This is how nerdy I am. This is my every-day attire. Those are BSG, DS9, and Firefly patches and pins...

(Sorry for the quality - took the pic with my BlackBerry)

agent5 · Post by **agent5** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 8:49 am

Here's his hat (looked at with my own eyes).

Sorry, but I had to. It was stupid and nobody else will probably get it, but I had to.

BaptisteTheFool · Post by **BaptisteTheFool** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 9:01 am

Andy Buse wrote:See? This is how nerdy I am. This is my every-day attire. Those are BSG, DS9, and Firefly patches and pins...

(Sorry for the quality - took the pic with my BlackBerry)

What sort of bag is that? Love my MKVII, but let's face it-- it's not exactly large enough to be convenient for everyday schlepping. I'd like something with the general vibe of an MKVII but that's a bit bigger.

Restless Dreamer · Post by **Restless Dreamer** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 9:14 am

this topic can be resumed in one word:

Nechturebillin.

Andy Buse · Post by **Andy Buse** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 9:18 am

My man purse is what has become known as the 'Jack Bauer bag.' I bought mine before the season of 24 where this bag was Jack's handy bag-o-tricks for next to nothing on-line. Now you'll likely pay more for it these days.

I went through a bunch of those cheap canvas messenger bags before I came across this back then. It's large, has a good strap, is a good OD color that fades well, and seems like an actual bag for holding things and not falling apart immediately, rather than a crappy little look-at-my-fake-army-surplus-shoulder-bag.

I'd like to buy another to have for when this one wears out, but I just can't bring myself to shell out the $ for it now when I know what I paid for it before FOX made it 'cool.'

fenris · Post by **fenris** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 9:21 am

Andy Buse wrote:I have a Star Trek calendar in my cube, I read three books at a time, and my badge dongle actually says 'GEEK' on it in pixilated font for goodness sake!

Wow! A fellow Trekker and Sci-Fi fan... as well as Indy Gearhead!

Live long and prosper, my friend. We share the same interests (well, star trek and indy, anyway...).

DR Ulloa · Post by **DR Ulloa** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:00 pm

Restless Dreamer wrote:this topic can be resumed in one word:

Nechturebillin.

That is my greatest contribution to this community. I should have left COW after mentioning that and leave on a high note.

In a related story, I wore my AB to work the other day and someone commented, calling me "Kemosabe."

Dave

enigmata_wood · Post by **enigmata_wood** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:59 pm

Andy Buse wrote:
Man, did I ever just paint a crappy portrait of myself... hah!

false modesty, the sign of a true hero

JulianK · Post by **JulianK** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 3:05 pm

BaptisteTheFool wrote:
Andy Buse wrote:See? This is how nerdy I am. This is my every-day attire. Those are BSG, DS9, and Firefly patches and pins...

(Sorry for the quality - took the pic with my BlackBerry)

What sort of bag is that? Love my MKVII, but let's face it-- it's not exactly large enough to be convenient for everyday schlepping. I'd like something with the general vibe of an MKVII but that's a bit bigger.

Ooooo....a USS Defiant fan! Always thought that was the best ship in the fleet!!! Love the patch!

lantzn · Post by **lantzn** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 4:00 pm

I'll bet it was all the dust on his hat that made her think that way. When you think of Indy he's always in the dirt beating his hat up and then putting it back on. Even though yours was the accurate hat it was probably clean and therefore the gangster came to her mind.

JC1972 · Post by **JC1972** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 9:57 am

Actually you can get them kinda cheap these days compared to what they used to go for. I know since I used to sell them. The bag is made by Rothco, who's based on Long Island, NY where I used to live. At the time I sold them back in 2005-2007, the bags would go for on ebay $25-40+ before shipping; the cost of the bag at the time was $10. Now you can get them for $25 shipped. I stopped selling them since so many more people started to sell them and the market got flooded which the prices went down naturally. Great looking bag!

I have one of my own and so does my wife.

Andy Buse wrote:My man purse is what has become known as the 'Jack Bauer bag.' I bought mine before the season of 24 where this bag was Jack's handy bag-o-tricks for next to nothing on-line. Now you'll likely pay more for it these days.

I went through a bunch of those cheap canvas messenger bags before I came across this back then. It's large, has a good strap, is a good OD color that fades well, and seems like an actual bag for holding things and not falling apart immediately, rather than a crappy little look-at-my-fake-army-surplus-shoulder-bag.

I'd like to buy another to have for when this one wears out, but I just can't bring myself to shell out the $ for it now when I know what I paid for it before FOX made it 'cool.'

KingHamlet · Post by **KingHamlet** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:02 am

I had two in the course of this week. Sunday I was working in the sunday school room for the 5-7 year olds and the teacher looked at my adventurebilt, grabbed it, put it on his head then made a tommy gun gesture and hollered "Nice gangster hat", one of the kids who knew me corrected him that it was an Indiana Jones hat and he said, "Nah, this looks more like a gangster hat. Indiana Jones wears a cowboy hat."

Then yesterday one of my professors told it was a nice looking hat, it 'almost' looked like Indy's but the ribbon was all wrong. One of my friends rushed up to correct him.

Most people get it though. And have gotten several compliments on the hat. It gives me great joy when an elderly gentleman is excited to see the hat and compliments me on it.

backstagejack · Post by **backstagejack** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:35 am

fenris wrote:
Andy Buse wrote:I have a Star Trek calendar in my cube, I read three books at a time, and my badge dongle actually says 'GEEK' on it in pixilated font for goodness sake!
Wow! A fellow Trekker and Sci-Fi fan... as well as Indy Gearhead!

Live long and prosper, my friend. We share the same interests (well, star trek and indy, anyway...).

As I read this, I'm wearing a command gold star trek shirt......lol.