First (?) SPF Autographed AB

[Castor Dioscuri]

*UPDATED AS OF MAY 2, 2011: Scroll down to the middle of this page for the 'revelation'

Hi all,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but here goes...

I'm planning on using a sharpie marker to personalize the inside of one of my ABs (long story), but I am not sure how best to go about this. One of the problems is that I plan on leaving a permanent mark (no pun intended) on the inside of my sweatband, but I'm afraid that since the sweatband is obviously a high traffic spot, I am at a loss of how to go about doing this.

Does anyone have any advice for what marker I should use for the leather? And how would I go about making sure the mark stay on the leather? I've thought about using nail polish or a clear coat on top of the leather, but is this the right way to go?

To be honest though, I'm not sure how much a concern the 'wearing' of the hat is a concern, as I rarely (if ever) get the chance to use it. I've only worn out once in the three years that I've had it. However, I still plan on wearing it on the day of the writing, and maybe once every few years, but I want peace of mind in knowing that during these events I won't wind up wearing off the marking on my own head.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!

[Bruce Wayne]

I am a little confused. Do you want to write it on the side that touches your head or the back side?

[Castor Dioscuri]

Hi Bruce, I am leaning towards writing it on the side of the sweatband that touches your head- i.e: the exposed part of the sweatband.

On a related note, does anyone know if the mid-2008 AB sweats are vegetable tanned? I'm trying to decide how best to 'seal' the leather after writing on it... or even if it needs to be sealed.

[Indiana Jeff]

If you're going to wear the hat as infrequently as you have so far, you'll probably be fine with a regular Sharpie. I wouldn't start putting nail polish or varnish over it since that could really damage or dry out your sweatband. To be safe I'd write toward the back of the hat rather than the front where the hat would contact your forehead. You wouldn't want to have magic marker transfer a message to the midde of your brow!

To be double safe, flip the sweatband out and write on the backside. Steve does that with what looks like a regular ballpoint and the writing doesn't fade or transfer. In fact, members have said that after cleaning their sweatbands the writing that has faded will become readable again.

And, unless for whatever reason you are writing in your hat in the first place is a one time thing, you could always retrace whatever you've written if it fades.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[Castor Dioscuri]

Thanks Jeff! That really makes me feel alot better about it about the durability of writing on a leather sweatband! And you really saved my back on this one, as I was almost dead set on varnish in preserving the writing!

The writing will indeed be a one time thing, more on that later though!

[VP]

I'm thinking an autograph?

[Michaelson]

If that's the case, a permament marker like a fine tip Sharpie is the ticket. That ink ain't going NO where.

Regards! Michaelson

[GeneParmesan]

I've never had the privilege of handling an AB hat, so I'm not familiar with the texture of the headband. But I figured I should chime in, because I do know a bit about baseballs. It's relevant, trust me!

When you get an autograph on a baseball with a leather cover, like an MLB ball, you never want to use a Sharpie. While it's true that the ink will be there practically forever with minimal fading, it will begin to bleed over time as it's absorbed into the leather. It may take a couple of years, but it will happen eventually. That being the case, the best thing to use to autograph a baseball is an ordinary ball point pen.

Again, I don't have any experience with the AB headbands; but if I were getting an autograph on a natural leather item, my instinct would be to stay away from a Sharpie.

(Says the unfamiliar member with no posting history. )

[Michaelson]

The side he's wanting to have signed is a smooth surface that is essentially non-absorbant. It's tanned that way in order to keep perspiration from soaking through the band and into the felt, and eventually on through to the ribbon on the outside.

If we were talking about signing the rougher inside of the band, I'd agree....but not in this case.

I've seen autographed sweats in hats that were over 40 years old using felt tip pens and no problem of bleed through when signed on the outer side of the sweat. The only reason Sharpie is mentioned is it's permanent ink.

That said, though, the advice from GeneParmesan is good. Just bear in mind that if you use a ball point pen, it will also emboss what ever is written INTO the leather, as it takes pressure on the pen in order to make the ball point work. That is not the case with a sharpie.

So, it's 6 of one, half a dozen of the other.

Regards! Michaelson

[Castor Dioscuri]

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for their advice! Though I had tried to keep my intentions on the down low, it seemed my plans were 'unearthed' a bit too early!

Yes, it was for an autograph! Perhaps the first of its kind! For my very first Indy CS AB that I had acquired in 2008, I knew that I had to do something special with it. And that opportunity presented itself when a chance opportunity to visit a convention (my first) in Texas came along.

Yes, Texas. The home of the cowboy hats. Fitting, in a way. There, Sean Patrick Flannery was present as part of the Boondock Saints. Young Indiana Jones himself. So why not? Harrison Ford signing my AB seemed out of the question, so why not go for the only other man that has held his own as Indy?

Last Friday, I couldn't help but grin as I politely asked Flannery if he minded signing something for me. His reaction was priceless as soon as he saw the hat.

"Woah ho!" He exclaimed, seemingly genuinely surprised as he picked up and thoroughly examined the fedora. "Nice!"

Here, I must admit that I perhaps may be justified in stating that mine may very well be the very first SPF autographed Adventurebilt... Let alone the first AB Flannery had a chance to personally check out!



He initially wanted to write on the felt itself, but in a wink and a nod to a certain CS hat, I had him sign somewhere... special.

Now this is certainly one for the books!

P.s., and it didn't hurt matters any to have Cary Elwes remark that it was a nice hat as well!

[Indiana Jeff]

Very cool! And a great way to collect signatures.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[fenris]

Awwww... now you can't wear it. Time to put it in a glass display! Cool!

Did you take a picture of him signing the hat? Or at least a picture of you together?

[Joeyeah_right]

Very cool!!

Joe

[Michaelson]

P.s., and it didn't hurt matters any to have Cary Elwes remark that it was a nice hat as well!

Yeah, if you had asked HIM to sign it, he would have probably said, 'As you wish!'


I, too, hope you had a photo made at the time of the signing. It just adds to the provenance!

HIGH regards! Michaelson

[Mitch LaRue]

VERY COOL, Castor... my sincere Congratulations!

[tekors]

Awesome, congrats!!

[Michaelson]

Let me add, this was a great thing for you to do FOR SPF, as it shows we DO appreciate the work he did on the YIJC series!

He is NOT the 'forgotten' Indy.

WELL done!!!

HIGH regards! Michaelson

[whipcracker]

I agree, he is not the forgotten Indy. I think he did a fine job.

Great story CD!

[Castor Dioscuri]

Thanks everyone! It's really an amazing hat, that really is collecting some amazing memories! I did manage to get a photo with Flannery, however I do wish I had done so with him signing the hat! On the bright side, there was a professional photographer that wandered by and snapped a shot of him pseudo-tipping the AB. I really regret not asking for a copy! But ah well, it's definetly all about the memories!



Unfortunately, you can barely make out the fedora in this picture, as it is seen clenched in my hand. The provenance of the item, however, is something I am a little less concerned about. I never plan on selling any of my Indy gear (I mean, I still have my first and every subsequent Indy jacket clogging up three closets!), and most (if not all) of my friends don't even care about Indy! This is essentially something that I'm doing just for me, and I'll always have Dallas!

Indiana Jeff- If you like that, then you should see my Phantasm sphere! Speaking of which, I found it hilarious that I can say that Michael Baldwin actually donned my AB! Talk about some cool times! ...just hope he doesn't have lice! Kidding!



Fenris- I would, but fortunately, I already have one of the SA liners in a glass box taking up my shelf space! Not to mention that would rob it of displaying the signature!

Joeyeah_right- It certainly is, yeah? Right?

Michaelson - Thanks for the compliments! However, I'm not sure if this is a great thing for me to do for Flannery, as it was a great thing of Flannery to do for me! But it does beg the question of what he really does think of his time under the hat!

Mitch LaRue- Thank you Mitch! Talk about rare sightings; where have you been?!?

Tekors- Thanks Tekors!

whipcracker- You know, this is sacrilege, but I've only ever seen one YIJC episode. Maybe more if you count the ones that I vaguely recall watching in my forgotten youth. This whole episode makes me want to go dig them up!

[Castor Dioscuri]

Aww, no comments on the pictures? No Phantasm phans?

*Nope, not fishing for compliments... Really!*

[Baldwyn]

LOVE it, Castor! Yeah, great pics, I appreciate you at least giving yourself expressions SPF looks great! And so does that AB.

Funny, this thread was very appropriate as I was considering where to get a jacket signed (tonight!), and with what. Decided on the inner pocket facing (where it won't wear too much). The conversation went like this:

"Hugh! Can you sign my Wolverine jacket please?"
"What? Sure!" Goes to sign the front in black.
"Maybe with silver, and here?"
"Oh, on the inside?"
"Yeah, so I can still play dress up."
"Yeah, yeah!"

He put some effort in making in neat.

[Castor Dioscuri]

Cheers Baldwyn!

That's a beautiful jacket, I read the story about it on that other jacket forum! You gotta love how the little things in life thrown at you end up being perfect, eh? But I'm ridiculously jealous! I'd trade my fedora for a chance to see Jackman sing and sign a jacket! Well, maybe not my fedora.... Unless Ford is the one on stage!

But that's ridiculously cool! You gotta wonder if maybe the reason why Jackman was so nonchalant was perhaps because he had one just like it in his closet? Or maybe he was disappointed you didn't want it scrawled on the back of the jacket! Which reminds me, I kinda felt a little bad asking Flannery to sign the inside of the fedora, when he was all poised to sign on the felt itself!

However, you gotta show us a better pic of that signature like you did on that 'other' forum! Otherwise folks here won't know what they're missing!

Awesome jacket man! Makes one wonder though... do you think these guys use the same signature on checks?

P.s. Guess Phantasm gets no love...

[Baldwyn]

Yeah, sorry, no love for Phantasm, don't know what it is! Will look it up now though!

Seriously, I was reading this thread leading up to seeing Hugh, trying to decide where to get the signature, and with what, and it was great to see how the sweatband autograph turned out, and despite a brief moment where I considered to go with a ballpoint pen as discussed, I decided the Sharpie was easier for Hugh. Non-table signing autographs are fun! My first one was Ben Burtt who happened to be sitting beside me for a showing of Star Wars in 30 minutes at Star Wars Celebration II. I've tried for George Lucas twice now, and not succeeded; the last time he looked me in the eye and shook his head, as everyone around laughed and groaned (I totally understand, no one had tried for Francis Ford Coppola who was being celebrated at the evend, and had just walked by just by). Anyways, thanks for your timely thread!

And here's the other pic!


I love the idea of a Sean Patrick Flannery autograph on your Adventurebilt, though!

[tekors]

That's awesome (the wolverine jacket)

[Castor Dioscuri]

A little late in coming... Okay, a LOT late in coming, but regarding the picture mentioned earlier in this thread that a passing photographer had taken of Flanery posing with said fedora that I had regretted not asking about? I happened to stumble upon it just the other day...



Just thought I'd throw that out there

[shade88]

I loved SPF's acting in YIJ, (Just not most of the writing...) and he was great in the Dead Zone. Nice pictures!

[The Librarian]

Cool bit of TV trivia. SPF recently played a Henry Jones on an episode of "Breaking In". the short-lived Christian Slater TV show on Fox.