Howard Hughes hat the Spruce Goose

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 10:07 am

Hey everyone. Just wanted to share a big thrill for me. Yesterday I delivered a hat I made for the Evergreen Museum for the Howard Hughes H1 or as better known as "The Spruce Goose" exhibit. It was an honor to make this hat and a big thrill to say the least. I spent months working to get this hat as accurate as possible and had access to parts of the plane that no one has been in for over 9 years. I have to give a big thank you to Brian aka Squidkidd for coming along to take some amazing photos. I'm sure he was thrilled too because he got to take shots that you usually can't take. A big sound out to Stewart and Wayne from the museum. Easy guys to like and work with. I had a blast and now on to the pics.

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Texan Scott · Post by **Texan Scott** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 10:27 am

That must have been a treat! Always wanted to see the SG.

Post by **Michaelson** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:10 am

The moved it from Long Beach the year before I went to my first QM summit.

Congratulations, John!!!

Regards! Michaelson

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:40 am

Thanks guys. I still can't believe it's going to be sitting there in the cockpit for every visiter to see for as long as the Spruce Goose is housed there. I would like to say it's a dream come true but I couldnt have dream such a dream. A real treat I must say.

DarenHenryW · Post by **DarenHenryW** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 12:40 pm

Great work, John! It's a high honor, and you deserve it! It's sweet when passion and hard work pay off! Well done!

Daren

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 1:45 pm

Thanks Daren. I think I'm even more excited since it's behind me now. I was excited working with them and working on the hat for the exhibit but I am beside myself with what's this means for me on a personally and as a hat maker.

Post by **Michaelson** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 3:08 pm

Then again, you may get swamped.

Good news....bad news....

Regards! Michaelson

raider 57 · Post by **raider 57** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 3:42 pm

John.

And very cool. You sat in Howard's pilot seat.
My brother has that same angle/pic of Mr. Hughes hanging in his garage.

indydude18 · Post by **indydude18** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 4:30 pm

Suh-weet! Looking good John!

The hat looks awesome, but I'm loving your suit jacket.

Smith · Post by **Smith** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 4:30 pm

Very cool opportunity, John! That type of recognition is definitely a result of your hard work.

Really like the hats.
What color felt are those?

jnicktem · Post by **jnicktem** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 6:07 pm

WConly · Post by **WConly** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 6:46 pm

Incredible! Great work on your part John and the honor speaks for itself. I read a story once about Hughes' in his later years calling up one of his 'men' and telling them to get a plane ready for him he wanted to fly again (when this was and what plane I do not recall) and that he needed a hat for it. And, it had to be 'such and such a hat,' etc. Apparently in the panick for the hat the Hughes' people called Stetson and made them open the plant in the middle of the night to make the hat for Hughes. Now, I don't know if any of this is true or not, but sounds (strangely enough) like something Hughes' would have done. Just a little side bar story. Again...great looking hat and congrats! W>

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 7:14 pm

Don't know anything about the story but he was a Stetson and HJ man for sure.

Everyone can pay to go to the cockpit and sit in that same chair. The museum wanted a much better hat for people to handle and take photos just like the one of me. The places you can't go is in the belly and the very back where the ladder is to climb up the tail fin ( not sure if that's what they call it).

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 7:21 pm

Well done, John!

Post by **Tennessee Smith** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 7:24 pm

That is beyond cool!!!

Congrats!!!

-TS

Hollowpond · Post by **Hollowpond** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 7:39 pm

Very cool opportunity!

Ohio Jones · Post by **Ohio Jones** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 8:02 pm

Very nice John!! Incredible looking hat. You may just be a national treasure someday!

fifthchamber · Post by **fifthchamber** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 8:04 pm

Great shots John...

And that is a great hat too....Good work!

Flyderf · Post by **Flyderf** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 9:25 pm

Great work John. Now we can say " you belong in a museum!!!"

InexorableTash · Post by **InexorableTash** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 9:32 pm

Nice! The SG is terrifyingly impressive in person, isn't it?

Now you just need to slip a fedora into the passenger section of the Ford Tri-Motor they have there.

APL · Post by **APL** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:39 pm

Just like The Kane, and The Penman before it, I want this one! (Of course I also want your Casablanca, Crusader, and Eno hats as well)

Are you adding it to your lineup? You certainly have quite a talent there!

Mulceber · Post by **Mulceber** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 1:08 am

APL wrote:Are you adding it to your lineup? You certainly have quite a talent there!

+1 That's a gorgeous hat, I definitely think it could sell. -M

Georgia Steve · Post by **Georgia Steve** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 5:58 am

Congrats

John great job.

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 7:10 am

APL wrote:Just like The Kane, and The Penman before it, I want this one! (Of course I also want your Casablanca, Crusader, and Eno hats as well)

Are you adding it to your lineup? You certainly have quite a talent there!

It's not a bad way to launch a new offering.

There will be two offerings. One offering using the same block, flange and specs. Then one offering where it's a exact replica of this hat. Reason being that the ribbon is vintage and I have a very limited supply.

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 7:33 am

Smith wrote:Very cool opportunity, John! That type of recognition is definitely a result of your hard work.

Really like the hats.
What color felt are those?

Sorry, I almost missed seeing your qeustion. It's called whisky.

fedoralover · Post by **fedoralover** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:14 pm

Makes me proud to be an Oregonian. Great job John. I still want to drive up and visit your shop. Are there set days and times you are there??

fedoralover

Indiana Bugs · Post by **Indiana Bugs** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:49 pm

Great images there, John. You're sort of a living history. Looks great!

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:52 pm

Fedoralover, you are always welcome most days during the week around 6am -2:30pm but I'm a one man shop and do go out time to time so best to call when driving up to make sure I stick around and work my time around so I can give you my attention.

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:47 am

I put this on my Christmas 'want list', John.

I know I'll never GET one, but I think highly enough of it to want one.

HIGH regards! Michaelson

DR Ulloa · Post by **DR Ulloa** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 2:41 pm

Awesome! Congrats, John. I've always thought Hughes had a great sense of style. He was always wearing a pretty nice looking hat. I think you did a bang up job. Beautiful color felt too. Hope all is well.

David

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 5:14 pm

thanks buddy. I agree, I always like Hughes style.

Canyon · Post by **Canyon** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 8:23 pm

Many congrats, John!!! Must have been an absolute blast!

Indiana Croft · Post by **Indiana Croft** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:55 pm

I want to throw my congrats into the ring John, Bravo, nicely done. Thats a nice lookin lid and you should be proud.

Maybe if and when they do make an Indy V, maybe they'll come find you. Hmmmmm.

Croft

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 12:04 am

Indiana Croft wrote:I want to throw my congrats into the ring John, Bravo, nicely done. Thats a nice lookin lid and you should be proud.

Maybe if and when they do make an Indy V, maybe they'll come find you. Hmmmmm.

Croft

Only with Steve and Marc at my side.

Indiana Croft · Post by **Indiana Croft** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 9:51 pm

Naturally.

Croft

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 11:11 pm

I really should have said " only if I'm
By Steve and Marc. It's their show.

Solent MKIII · Post by **Solent MKIII** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 3:23 am

Great pics with a great hat! Congratulations on a fine job in recreating such a classic lid from history, and the fact that it gets to reside in a piece of real history!

( now I want to fly up to Oregon and the SG just so I can try it on ) I like the interior pics looking toward the tail from inside - very cathedral-like, but I think my favorite shot is the pic of the empty seat with the hat hanging on the controls - that just looks so....right.

DanielJones · Post by **DanielJones** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 2:39 pm

Well done John!

Great looking lid. One cannot grasp how immense that aircraft is until they are standing right next to it or in it. It dwarfs any other aircraft in that museum including the B-17.

Cheers!

Dan

DR Ulloa · Post by **DR Ulloa** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:21 pm

John, how much are you charging for the Hughes hat? I might want to pick up a new hat soon and this is most definitely a contender.

Dave

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:32 pm

Prices are on my site http://www.penmanhats.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;