Is Herbert Johnson the holy grail of indy fedoras now?

backstagejack · Post by **backstagejack** » Fri Mar 26, 2021 12:43 pm

thecoolmiester wrote:My Herbert Johnson came in! I only had to modify it a bit but #### it’s crazy good.
Definitely would agree it’s the new holy grail ......

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This is spot on. Wow. Congrats!

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Fri Mar 26, 2021 4:15 pm

My best guess is that it will be comparable to Penman’s normal Raiders compared to his ABL. Like, more accurate material and some extra goodies.

thecoolmiester · Post by **thecoolmiester** » Sat Mar 27, 2021 6:03 pm

IndianaJustin wrote:
thecoolmiester wrote:
Indiana Croft wrote:That does look awesome.
Now I’m on the fence. Was looking into a aDvintsge SoC, he has a nice mushroom look.

But you have a winner.

Croft
Thank you!
I love this hat and would recommend. I did have to make minor tweaks and the way I put in the dent on the bow side gave it more mushroom.
I will soon have the advantage SoC with a shortened crown that I ordered in December so I could do a side by side for ya

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Please do as this is a comparison I'd like to see. AdVintage is so much more reasonable in price...is the HJ better, that much better? I look forward to reading your thoughts.

I got the advantage and wow it’s a sexy hat.

I’m going to do a thread comparing and reviewing this hat, Herbert and even a Hufvud I recently received later this weekend.

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IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Sat Mar 27, 2021 7:50 pm

Looking forward to it.

thecoolmiester · Post by **thecoolmiester** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 3:18 pm

IJJTM wrote:Looking forward to it.

The big 3; a short review of Herbert Johnson, Advintange and
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic? ... source=app" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is the thread I made for the comparison

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thecoolmiester · Post by **thecoolmiester** » Sun Apr 04, 2021 5:05 pm

I’ve been messing with the brim a bit and breaking Herby in and #### the Herbert Johnson is really starting to look the part perfectly with accurate but not exaggerated features

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IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Sun Apr 04, 2021 5:49 pm

Nice, what color and felt is it?

thecoolmiester · Post by **thecoolmiester** » Sun Apr 04, 2021 6:10 pm

IJJTM wrote:Nice, what color and felt is it?

It’s the regular sable. Not the deep sable.

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Ranger36 · Post by **Ranger36** » Sun Apr 04, 2021 7:27 pm

As an aside, I've finally posted photos of my HJ in the new HJ Display thread HERE. Looking forward to seeing more folks posting photos of their HJs and getting a good running thread going.

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Tue Jun 01, 2021 11:31 am

Based on HJs recent social media posts it seems that they will reveal the 40th-anniversary hat in 5 days.

Indiana_Nate · Post by **Indiana_Nate** » Tue Jun 01, 2021 3:31 pm

IJJTM wrote:Based on HJs recent social media posts it seems that they will reveal the 40th-anniversary hat in 5 days.

Why do countdowns always make the time go slower?

If it's anything like it's been described, it's going to be spectacular.

Hedji · Post by **Hedji** » Wed Jun 02, 2021 11:35 am

I hope I have enough saved up, and I hope the color option is to my liking.

Indiana_Nate · Post by **Indiana_Nate** » Wed Jun 02, 2021 11:40 am

Hedji wrote:I hope I have enough saved up, and I hope the color option is to my liking.

Me too. I've emailed Michelle to see if she can give me any information on price. I'll keep you posted.

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Thu Jun 03, 2021 4:28 am

A new hat box is confirmed to be with the 40th-anniversary. Also, the pictures used in marketing so far have been from SOC scenes, so I would assume that will be the de facto hat shape.

Hedji · Post by **Hedji** » Thu Jun 03, 2021 12:10 pm

Yes, the SOC is consistent with what we've heard so far. I wonder why they went with that specific choice? Not that it isn't a great look.

Still hoping there will be multiple color choices.

Indiana_Nate · Post by **Indiana_Nate** » Thu Jun 03, 2021 12:14 pm

Price point is looking to be set at £495 or $698 with today's exchange rate.

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Thu Jun 03, 2021 1:19 pm

Thank you for sharing that with us Nate. I wonder what else will make it $150 more.

tubasthebest · Post by **tubasthebest** » Thu Jun 03, 2021 4:35 pm

Thank you for getting the price information, that is very helpful. I wonder if the difference is the hat box, how much does a good hat box go for?

Post by **Indiana Jeff** » Thu Jun 03, 2021 4:47 pm

Good hatboxes can be had for around $50. I assume the ones being offered by HJ will be branded so that would increase the price somewhat.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Thu Jun 03, 2021 5:45 pm

I don’t think a hat box is worth an extra $150, so I’m curious to see what else changes.

Indiana_Nate · Post by **Indiana_Nate** » Thu Jun 03, 2021 7:52 pm

I know there are other extras included, but I’m not entirely certain what they are.

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Illinois_Jones · Post by **Illinois_Jones** » Thu Jun 03, 2021 9:55 pm

I imagine they might have had a special felt made that more accurately represents the Cury felt of the original. I certainly wouldn't be surprised if Michelle got her hands on a 40 year old Cury felt that is similar. And I guess it's rabbit given the price people are saying. Other than the hat box, I don't know what else would be so special. Really there's nothing special about the SoC hat other than a hatter has to spend extra time distressing it and warping it, which is not something I'm personally interested in. But to each his own. I just hope it's offered in other versions as well. And that the rabbit felt is treated so it's as indestructible as possible. Otherwise, I don't really see the point.

Indiana_Nate · Post by **Indiana_Nate** » Thu Jun 03, 2021 10:01 pm

Illinois_Jones wrote:I imagine they might have had a special felt made that more accurately represents the Cury felt of the original. I certainly wouldn't be surprised if Michelle got her hands on a 40 year old Cury felt that is similar. And I guess it's rabbit given the price people are saying. Other than the hat box, I don't know what else would be so special. Really there's nothing special about the SoC hat other than a hatter has to spend extra time distressing it and warping it, which is not something I'm personally interested in. But to each his own. I just hope it's offered in other versions as well. And that the rabbit felt is treated so it's as indestructible as possible. Otherwise, I don't really see the point.

She did have her hands on a Raiders era HJ a few months ago. May have been for comparison purposes.

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IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Thu Jun 03, 2021 11:02 pm

I knew she had her hands on an LC era hat a while ago, but I don’t remember them saying anything about an early 80s hat. That’s pretty cool.

Thunderspy · Post by **Thunderspy** » Fri Jun 04, 2021 3:12 am

I guess the actual Raiders hero hat (from the Cairo section) was in London at the Prop store auction a couple of years ago, maybe they asked for a private look at it!

I was so pleased to be able to see that hat!

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Fri Jun 04, 2021 3:37 am

Did you see it at SDCC, or elsewhere?

Thunderspy · Post by **Thunderspy** » Fri Jun 04, 2021 4:20 am

IJJTM wrote:Did you see it at SDCC, or elsewhere?

It was at the Propstore auction display at the London BFI IMAX cinema foyer- you could just wander in and have a beer

Other things I could remember were they had the snake surprise table centrepiece, and the grail tablet too. It was 2019 I think. I’ll dig out the photos if you like?

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Fri Jun 04, 2021 10:29 am

Feel free to post pictures if you’d like, but I was just curious where you saw it. I remember it showed up at SDCC, but sadly I wasn’t as big into Indy back then.

Post by **Michaelson** » Fri Jun 04, 2021 12:11 pm

Thunderspy wrote:
IJJTM wrote:Did you see it at SDCC, or elsewhere?
It was at the Propstore auction display at the London BFI IMAX cinema foyer- you could just wander in and have a beer

Other things I could remember were they had the snake surprise table centrepiece, and the grail tablet too. It was 2019 I think. I’ll dig out the photos if you like?

Was it this centerpiece that now resides at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas? (or was about 15 years ago)

Regards! Michaelson

Thunderspy · Post by **Thunderspy** » Fri Jun 04, 2021 12:43 pm

Well it's a shame you couldn't find a smaller photo as I can almost see it (

) but yes, I think it must have been. I guess it's not there any more if they sold it a couple of years ago!

Here are my photos of it on display: as I remember they said it was the hat Ford wore in the Cairo portion of the film:

Post by **Michaelson** » Fri Jun 04, 2021 1:37 pm

That's the only one I had, and we're lucky IT exists!

Interesting they would mix in a Raiders fedora with a Temple of Doom display.

Regards! M

Thunderspy · Post by **Thunderspy** » Fri Jun 04, 2021 1:51 pm

Well it's not really a film display per se: it was a display of items about to be auctioned. This was the case with the Indy items they had- they had stuff from lots more films! There was a whip in the case too, I can't remember which film that from; I think perhaps Temple. The hat sold for £393,000 as far as I can find out.

Post by **Michaelson** » Fri Jun 04, 2021 2:16 pm

Indiana_Nate · Post by **Indiana_Nate** » Fri Jun 04, 2021 2:22 pm

Snaaaake surprise!

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Sat Jun 05, 2021 4:27 am

Update, they announced that they will be releasing an Exclusive Raiders Collectors Package, but as of right now I’m unaware if it will be included with the 40th anniversary, or sold separately.

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Sat Jun 05, 2021 11:40 am

Does anyone know what the relationship between HJ and https://us.masonandsons.com/collections/herbert-johnson" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is?

Bo Invader · Post by **Bo Invader** » Sat Jun 05, 2021 12:56 pm

IJJTM wrote:Does anyone know what the relationship between HJ and https://us.masonandsons.com/collections/herbert-johnson" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is?

I assume it's just a shop that has the right to sell HJ hats on their website. Kinda like how some shoe stores sell Aldens.

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Sat Jun 05, 2021 5:45 pm

Let me clarify, does anyone know if they have ready made fedoras, or do they put an order in with HJ once someone buys from them?

Illinois_Jones · Post by **Illinois_Jones** » Sat Jun 05, 2021 10:09 pm

I believe they place the order and it's a normal bespoke waiting period. I actually have some of their conduit suits à la 60s Sean Connery Bond. They were the original makers. Really nice stuff at a good price. I believe their connection is just vintage British sartorial choices with connections to classic movies. Bond fans tend to be Indy fans as well.

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Sat Jun 05, 2021 11:38 pm

I’m waiting on an official word from one of the companies, but they do sell an HJ for about $70 cheaper if you’re in the US.

Illinois_Jones · Post by **Illinois_Jones** » Sun Jun 06, 2021 7:27 am

IJJTM wrote:I’m waiting on an official word from one of the companies, but they do sell an HJ for about $70 cheaper if you’re in the US.

Yeah, I noticed that. If you look at the listings, it appears that they're just making standard hats to whatever the listing is and the only "custom" option is the size. It says if you want something that varies it will have to be a bespoke order and to contact them... at which point a price premium is discussed, I would imagine.

Hedji · Post by **Hedji** » Mon Jun 07, 2021 8:48 am

Yes, it's interesting... they will do a Raiders turn, but it looks like only in Sable color. So, if I'm understanding this properly, if you wanted a screen specific look or a dark sable, that would be a bespoke order, and subject to price increase?

I wonder if they will carry the 40th Limited hat?

The nice thing is they accept PayPal, which HJ direct does not.

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Wed Jun 09, 2021 1:57 am

So, June 12th is when they plan to start selling the 40th. Nothing against HJ, but I just found the 5 (10) day count down to be a little disappointing. Wish it was just a day apart from each post rather than two.

Indiana_Nate · Post by **Indiana_Nate** » Wed Jun 09, 2021 10:32 am

IJJTM wrote:So, June 12th is when they plan to start selling the 40th. Nothing against HJ, but I just found the 5 (10) day count down to be a little disappointing. Wish it was just a day apart from each post rather than two.

I’ll admit I was a little perplexed by this one as well.

Forrest For the Trees · Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:24 am

I just can't get over the price posted here...

I know we spend a lot for the gear... but the price of an HJ seems so steep.

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:40 am

Especially for Rabbit, but I’m going to wait and see what’s included in the whole package before passing final judgment.

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 7:42 am

Forrest For the Trees wrote:I just can't get over the price posted here...

I know we spend a lot for the gear... but the price of an HJ seems so steep.

Well, in their defense, I’ll say I remember we all used to ALL say exactly the same thing over 30 years ago when HJ’s were selling around $200. I personally only knew one member who owned one and showed it to me at the first QM summit. It and the David Morgan whip were the Holy Grails of our hobbies. Wested’s were within reach, but HJ’s were just out of reach. Had we only know…….

Regards! Michaelson

Hedji · Post by **Hedji** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 8:14 am

Forrest For the Trees wrote:I just can't get over the price posted here...

I know we spend a lot for the gear... but the price of an HJ seems so steep.

I'm having difficulty reconciling with this too. I've been saving for this for over 6 months now, but I really am questioning if I wouldn't be better off getting a beaver HJ without all the swag. It is, after all, the hat that counts.

And the there's the thought of wearing a pricey "collectible" on your head every day.

And then there's the you only live once.

So many thoughts.

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:18 am

Well, another point….are you planning on using the hat or keeping it as a collectible? You use it, the value drops like a rock.
The question becomes am I buying this as an artifact for my collection? A wearable item with provenance and could care less about value? Is it a bit of future trading stock?
Keep in mind, if worn, any future sale will be impacted as buyers look at these things as ‘used clothing’. I wish I had a dollar for every person I’ve seen buy items with the idea of a future profit only to take a bath on it when it comes to Indy related clothes , specifically hats and jackets.
Depending on numbers and rarity finally produced, this also impacts collectability.
Points to consider when dealing in this price range.
Regards! M

Indiana_Nate · Post by **Indiana_Nate** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:54 am

I'm waiting until I see the final product to pass judgement as well. I'm not completely surprised at the price point considering that it's a limited edition, but it is a little steep. In the end though, I think Michelle will deliver.

As Michaelson pointed out, the question becomes "to wear, or not to wear?" I'm in a little bit of a different situation since I already have an HJ that is my daily wear, so I probably wouldn't wear it very much. And I don't want it to lose value, but I also want to be able to wear it and enjoy it. Tough decision.