Ok, kiddies, here are some shots of my HJ McAlpine. The first 4 were taken by Fedora (I had it reblocked by him). The others are not that great, but I am still learning digital photgraphy.
I absolutely love this hat. A little on the thick side, but very floppy and very LC, IMO. The sweatband, however, is a piece of @#$%.
What do you think about the ribbon? I ordered some of Pyro's ribbon, because there is not very much contrast between it and the felt. The photo of it on Fedora's porch makes it look green.
I like it ! It does look very LC but the color of the hat looks perfect for that. The Ribbon looks OK to me and I don't know what to tell you about the sweatband. Thanks for the REAL liner though, HJ.
Looks good, but it also looks as if it wants to taper a bit. That is the thick felt doing that. The block looked real square when I pulled it off the block, but the thick felt has a way of pulling the hat inward toward the top when styled. Pull out the sandpaper and by my calculation, you could hand pounce it down to around 1.5 to 1.7 mm in roughly..........2 years. Good looking hat though and makes a dandy LC hat. Wear it often. Fedora
Fedora wrote:Looks good, but it also looks as if it wants to taper a bit. That is the thick felt doing that. The block looked real square when I pulled it off the block, but the thick felt has a way of pulling the hat inward toward the top when styled. Pull out the sandpaper and by my calculation, you could hand pounce it down to around 1.5 to 1.7 mm in roughly..........2 years. Good looking hat though and makes a dandy LC hat. Wear it often. Fedora
Yeah, I didn't want to include that head-on shot, because the right side is beginning to taper. That makes me feel better. I thought, "I haven't worn it in any rain or snow yet, what gives?". 2 years, ya say? Well, best to get to it!
Thanks all. We will see what the new ribbon will look like.
I always kinda liked your Alpine. The colour can't be guessed out of the pictures but on most of the ones that show HJ's it's just what I link with Indy. It also seems to have a little structure into itself.
IndianaJames wrote:Looks great, and a nice brim swoop!!
As you are mentioning that some odd bashing questions come to my mind.
Is it actually easier or more difficult to shape thicker felt? Will it hold up better?
You got that swoop without curling the brim at its end backwards. On the sides it's even a little bit less than 90 degree to the crown which I like. How did you achieve that?
Is Johndy's method to curl the sides up before taking front and back down the only way to get that? http://www.whyaxis.net/Indy/Hatshaping/Hat_N_Scout.jpg
Flexing bow is just fine with me but I have no additional stiffener exept the stuff that's cooked in in my FedD. I hope there is a 'mechanical' clue.
Yes, in my experience, it is harder to shape a thick felt. As Fedora stated, it wants to go back to its orginal shape. I use water and a little steam, but it took me awhile to achieve what I wanted. I still want the pinch to be sharper. Now, I haven't taken it out in the elements yet, but I know that thicker felt holds up better in inclement weather than thin felt does.
As far as the brim swoop, that is Fedora's blocking/brim cutting. The felt, while thick, is VERY floppy. That is just how it is. I want a curl on the sides ala Last Crusade, but it is just so hard to get it to do that. I may need to invest in some stiffener.
I personally think the best way to acheive that look in your Fed Deluxe is by using John's tutorial, since he is working with a Fed Deluxe himself. He can answer this question much better than I can, of course.
I too have been looking for a mechanical clue (good word btw) to get the Venice look in my HJ. Perhaps another COW member knows.
Sorry I couldn't be of better help bro. We'll need the "experts" on this one!
From your saying that the pictures on the porch make the ribbon look green, I am assuming that in person it does not appear that way. I agree that from what I see on the monitor, it doesn't have as much contrast as I would prefer. That doesn't necessarily mean that a hat has to have so much contrast in the color of the felt and the ribbon. But, for an Indy hat, I think it does need more. Great looking lid, though. I really like the lining.
you just said it - the venice look. Thats what we're looking for. The side ares exceptionally 'high' here - particularly for the back part. This makes the hat looking like a dress hat in the best sense of this word.
It also has this sharp cut which is smaller than 90 degree above the ears - more like 80. Did you ever try to push the sides of the brim up? At the front the brim should go down then. That's the tension I am looking for and it should also work the other way around which isn't the case at the moment.
That's a mechanical clue. The brim behaves like it should not because of its shape but because powers that are forcing it to do so. And that has nothing to do with Jedis.
Thats the only way it could work because a shape doesn't hold up the brim very long - at least mine. Guess Fedora has to give us some of his legendary wisdom for questions like that where we (or at least me) are developing complex models of a thing thats as simple as swinging a whip. #
Yes, it is a Herbert Johnson, and I think the GBP for the McAlpine is 145 Pounds. The Poet is 165 Pounds, which is another reason I liked the McAlpine better (besides its shorter crown).
Fabian,
I can push the sides of the brim up to get that curl I am wanting, but of course it doesn't stay, as this felt is real floppy. I can't acheive that tension due to its lack of felt stiffener. I try steaming it, and it loses that curl after a few hours (that may also be the thick felt).
And I agree, this should be simple, but as for me, I don't have the vocabulary . Oh well.
).
Good looking hat though and makes a dandy LC hat. Wear it often. Fedora
How did you achieve that? 
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