AB Deluxe Pics! Post 'em up!

[viper80134]

I sent Marc some pics of my face and he's brain storming about what would look best for me. I'm not getting a specific style either but i like the raiders turn and the tall crown is some of my fave features.

[jnicktem]

I have a large head (24 1/4") so I require a little taller crown. I just put in my order for a Penman Raiders Grey a little while ago and he is thinking making it a tad bit over 5 1/2". I am going to leave it to the experts.

[Erri]

Are old pictures still good? This is my input, someone might remember it from Marc's old website I think




and freshly bashed...

[Restless Dreamer]

the brim seems VERY wide in the first pic

[Erri]

It was but it was later cut down to the regular size. This hat was one of the first ABDs, Marc has corrected the size of the brim since

[DanielJones]

Man, that thing looks super soft, like a 1940's Borsalino. Do you have any current images of it in action.
Looks great!

Cheers!

Dan

[Erri]

It was quite recently completely reworked by Marc so it's almost another beast now, but an absolute beauty of quality nonetheless. He redid everything on it... put a new sweatband, custom crown height and lots more... but I'm ashamed to say I haven't bashed it yet and it's still in the box. It's awaiting for some extreme adventure which will come during summertime hopefully (when I wear an Adventurebuilt I want to KNOW that it's going to get distressed!) and I'm considering making a bash tutorial video to put on youtube. Also I haven't decided yet what bash to put on it but it will end up a Raiders again no doutb. Marc knows me, it's Raiders or nothing LOL, I'm sure he agrees too

I do have however plenty of pictures of that hat in action before its rework but I didn't want to bore everyone again with my albums

[jnicktem]

Honestly, I really like how wide that brim is (I am NOT one of the SA guys). How wide is it?

[DR Ulloa]

Erri, that has to be one of my favorite Raiders hats I've ever seen. Oak's AB is up there too. I want to own an ABD but don't know that I can justify three Indy hats. I have a Penman and an AB on order and think that a third would just be overkill. Now, having Marc make me something different is an option I am totally up to.

Dave

[Erri]

Honestly, I really like how wide that brim is (I am NOT one of the SA guys). How wide is it?

Well it depends on your face, I don't really remember how wide it was (3" perhaps?), maybe Marc remembers it. Anyway it's all about your facial shape, on mine it didn't work well, shorter brims suit my face better, but on others it might just aswell look good. By the way, the brim is a normal Raiders size now.

Erri, that has to be one of my favorite Raiders hats I've ever seen. Oak's AB is up there too. I want to own an ABD but don't know that I can justify three Indy hats. I have a Penman and an AB on order and think that a third would just be overkill. Now, having Marc make me something different is an option I am totally up to.

Dave

Thanks for the compliment DR Ulloa, I can invite you to check older threads for more pictures of me with it. As for justifying more hats... I'm the wrong person whom you should ask that question

[jnicktem]

Erri, I think I am going to ask Marc if he could bash my hat the same as yours... ever since I saw that first pic of yours I knew that is what I wanted!

Hopefully just a few more months!

[Erri]

That's very flattering, thanks

[Speedster]

Ordered my ABdL from Marc in May 08 and still waiting patiently...

Best regards
Speedster

[jnicktem]

I wanted to resurrect this old thread of mine because I have since received my AB Deluxe!

I actually received this awhile ago... but work and a hospital stay slowed down a report and pics from me.

So without further adieu;

My initial reaction was: The first thing I did when taking it out of the box was inspect every inch of it. The felt is second to none. It is by far the softest and smoothest felt I have ever felt (pun intended). Fixing up the bash was remarkably easy... that just shows how soft the felt is. I love it! And the sweatband,... the sweatband!!!! I can't believe it's leather... it's so soft! When I put it on not only was the fit SPOT on but I didn't even feel the hat on my head! That's when you know that the hat is perfect in every way!

Here are my thoughts as of today:

So there's not much more that I can tell any of you about this hat besides how great it is! And even that will not fully inform you unless you have one of Marc (and Stefan's) masterpieces in front of you! I have been wearing my AB Deluxe pretty much everyday expect for a few days where I decided to wear my Penman Raiders instead.

John Penman used to tell me that once I received my AB Deluxe that I won't want to wear his hats very much anymore because Marc's felt is just that great! I thought that was just absurd! John makes some REALLY FANTASTIC hats! Well when I got my AB Deluxe I knew what John meant. Marc's felt is simply to die for! It's as soft as the felt that John and Steve use, but it feels more substantial, and Marc pounced the felt into a velvet-like finish. It's so incredibly smooth that I just keep running my hands across it. It's a problem.

I would just like to say that I am not knocking John and Steve's felt. Not at all. The felt they use is GREAT- and I will not hesitate to order more hats from them in the future (I even have a hat on order from BOTH of them!).

I just got back from Winona, Minnesota today with my fiancee and while we were at a park she decided to snap a couple of pics of me wearing my other pride and joy (the AB Deluxe!). I then got the idea to have my bride-to-be sport this fine lid while I took some close up shots of it in the sun. So here ya go!







http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/j ... G_5201.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/j ... G_5202.jpg

[Noah]

Nice pictures! The felt looks really soft and smooth. And like it's been said many times, women look great in fedoras.

[Ian]

Looks great Nick!!

It looks a little big on your fiancee though..

Ian

[djd]

Nice!

[Digger4Glory]

Another testament that the AB Deluxe is worth the wait! New lid, New Avatar, New Nick! Wear it in good health Nick! That hat was meant for you!!!

Now someone get me a bucket for all this drool! That lid is too cool!

[MurdocXXL]

Just wanted to share what arrived some weeks ago at my doorstep

Marc, thanks for this beauty. Love it

[DR Ulloa]

Nice pics, gentlemen. That felt looks absolutely scrumptious! It's good to see some of Marc's work back on here. There was an ABD drought for a while. Glad to see that he and Stefan are hitting it full force and getting these hats out there. I still want one but they are still just out of my price range. One day...

Dave

[Stefan]

Took some time to finish the second ABD for myself but the result is very nice imo.
It's black felt with dark grey ribbon + black highlights on the bow and as additional trimming it has a bound brim edge.
The result looks like this:

[BendingOak]

very, very nice Stefan.

[jnicktem]

Wow Stefan! Great looking fedora! It suits you nicely!

[Stefan]

Thank you for your comments Gentlemen!

[Michaelson]

If it's a size 7 3/8, I'll be forwarding you my mailing address shortly.

Beautiful hat!

HIGH regard! Michaelson

[Mitch LaRue]

WOW... that's a LOVELY lid, Stefan... WELL DONE!

[rcinlv]

A picture of my ABD "Aviator" on it's recent trip to Florence. It was resting on my head outside the Palazzo Davanzati when my wife spied it...



Cheers,

RC

[jnicktem]

My newest AB Deluxe:

[fifthchamber]

Lovely Nick...Really classy..

The Jacket's great too! I'd love one of those for winter, but Japanese winter's aren't so bad enough to need one...Very cool!

Regards.

[jnicktem]

Thanks Ben! I love this hat!!!!

And the jacket is actually Marc's. It is an Eastman ANJ-4. It is on my must-get list!

[Stefan]

Here's my nearly 4 years old ABD in the Egyptian desert. We had a horseback ride from a farm near Saqqara into the desert and back but the light was already very low when we started to take pictures, My ABD has been with me in Egypt for a year now and I loved to wear it on any trips outside of town. It came with me to most destinations in Egypt including Siwa Oasis, White and Black desert, Aswan, Sinai and many more places. One time I even had to put it in my suitcase where it was squeezed for 12 hours. Shame on me for that but it was very simple to get it back in shape. But for sure it will get some work once I'll be finally back in Germany in mid September. Marc and I were trying to keep up the work over the past year and with me in Egypt and him becoming a father, it was definitely a challenge for our Adventurebilt venture. The more I'm exciting to get back to the workbench together with Marc. Best Regards, Stefan

[david_h]

Stefan, if I had to sit on a bloody horse, I'd be happier with a crash helmet.

Your ABD looks great!!

[indyrocks]

That looks beautiful!!