What Is It About the Streets of Cairo Look?

[Hedji]

Given that Herbert Johnson is celebrating the 40th Anniversary with their offering of the Streets of Cairo fedora, I thought I might like to hear from others...

What particularly is it about the Streets of Cairo look that makes it so popular? I mean, I understand the basic differences, but why do you (or don't you) find the look appealing?

Why do you suppose HJ chose this specific look for their limited edition offering?

It gets a lot of love, so I'm curious to hear opinions, because it really isn't onscreen with the jacket, which makes for pairing it with any jacket... inaccurate (?) for us gearheads. Maybe that's the wrong word.

Thoughts?

[IJJTM]

I don’t know about others, but I just really like the look of it, it’s also pretty similar to the flying wing and truck hat, so there’s your jacket connection. I think is so popular because it’s the one he wears on the popular 1982 poster. Also, I think HJ chose it because I assume that’s the shape most people asked theirs to be done in.

[Indiana_Nate]

I have to admit I'm curious about this one as well. I've always leaned more heavily towards the beginning in South America. That's where we get introduced to the character and the silhouette. Plus the hat looks so distinctive in the idol grab scene. But I do appreciate the Cairo, don't get me wrong.

[Illinois_Jones]

Yeah, I think people are drawn to it because it's easily the most distinctive version and makes for the most visual, fun for cosplay.

Non-cosplayers like myself seem to prefer the Raven Bar version as it's better suited to everyday wear. I'm the same way with the jacket -- I prefer the South America pattern because I like the pointier angles.

Also, if I wanted an SOC version I'd just do it myself instead of paying the extra for a hatter to do. I've bashed more than enough OC hats to know how to customize it just how I want. But again, like the jacket, I like mine new and without artificial distressing -- I'm a pretty active guy and I break stuff in easily.

[jlee562]

Not a fan personally. Don't want any "mushroom" in my crown please. Especially looking at the hat as it is now (or, more accurately as it was when Prop Store sold it), I think some of the SOC features have been oversold...like the "mushroom" crown which really is not there to my eye

I do have hats that have been well lived in, with wonky creases or a little bit of grit on them. But for some reason, I just don't care for any of the weathered Indy hats. Just doesn't speak to me.

[Hedji]

I think is so popular because it’s the one he wears on the popular 1982 poster.

For me, this is a powerful one. Both of the Amsel posters are so indelible... I think they also have an impact on my own perception of what the color should be as well. (Although both of his posters show colors quite differently)

[Texan Scott]

I think the key to the Indy look is that the hat looks used, worn in, a part of the character. When an add on, or article of clothing looks a part of someone, it becomes indistinguishable from them as a person, and becomes a part of their persona-identity.

Other than possibly the Michael Douglas characters of JTC in Romancing the stone and Remington in The Ghost and the Darkness, no one else has really owned it.

Contrast this with new, unused, pristine? There is no back story, no history in that that look, only a story that remains telling.

[Indiana Jeff]

I love the SOC as a costume piece because of the comments already stated, it just looks used and abused. That sequence is also so great with the chasing, fighting, action and comedy.

However, in real life, I'd never wear it. Out of the film it looks like a piece of cosplay that I wouldn't wear day to day.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[RiffRalf]

....
Contrast this with new, unused, pristine? There is no back story, no history in that that look, only a story that remains telling.

Which is yours to tell when you get a new hat ....

[Canyon]

Because it looks great on Harrison, looks like a well loved hat and I also love the zig zag crown.

[mark seven]

Beaten up,sweaty and dirty!-I LOVE the SOC look!

I do wonder though what HAPPENED to that Hat between Nepal and Cairo?!

[Ripper]

Beaten up,sweaty and dirty!-I LOVE the SOC look!

I do wonder though what HAPPENED to that Hat between Nepal and Cairo?!

Easy...he put it in his checked baggage on the plane. My baggage has looked like that after my flight.

[IJJTM]

For a while I assumed it was the hat that took the plunge into the river when he was evading the Hovitos.

[Ridgerunner58]

I like the look of the well worn hat, but (for me anyway) it needs to get there somewhat honestly.

I think it’s just the look of something that’s been used and not pampered that appeals.

I own a Penman Cairo, and it’s a great hat, but my every day ABL looks better in my eyes. It’s not a forced replica of someone else’s work in hat. It’s an original of MY worn in hat.

None of the above means to suggest I’m above helping it with a spray bottle or some less than pampered wear.

[IndianaJustin]

So...I just received an AdVintage SOC. The hat is well made, Thomas did a great job. But I have to throw in with those who say it's not their favorite. I got it based on photos and forum reading and I'm glad I have it....for certain occasions. I'll probably most often use a straight up Raiders, if that makes sense, for most wearings. I agree with some that it just is a little funny. At least on my noggin.

[Hedji]

So...I just received an AdVintage SOC. The hat is well made, Thomas did a great job. But I have to throw in with those who say it's not their favorite. I got it based on photos and forum reading and I'm glad I have it....for certain occasions. I'll probably most often use a straight up Raiders, if that makes sense, for most wearings. I agree with some that it just is a little funny. At least on my noggin.

Interesting... I seem like I could be heading for the same result. I just placed an order for a SOC with AdVintage, but now I'm second-guessing if this should be my go-to everyday hat. I plan to wear the heck out of it, but maybe I should ask for a more conservative Idol Snatch or Raven Bar from Thomas. This is my first higher end hat, after my Akubra IV.

I'm pretty tall... 6'2", and want to have the Indy look, but don't necessarily want to appear cartoonish.

Anyone care to offer advice?

[Illinois_Jones]

I don't have a SOC for that very reason. To me, it's a cosplay hat and I'm not a cosplayer. It's just not versatile. It's fun and it certainly works well as a hat, but it's just a little too distinctive for my taste. It's also a popular scene in the film, but it's not my favorite. I prefer Peru, Raven Bar, and Well of Souls, but A LOT of people really enjoy the Cairo scenes.

But IMO the Raiders hat will almost always be a more casual hat than the others, given the overdone pinch and most definitely the turn. The most versatile hat is one of the better ToD hats, followed by CS. LC works well in most occasions, but the cowboy curls do add a curiosity to it.

[craigjohn]

Late to the party on this, but I'll definitely chime in anyway.

If you're a prop collector, and not necessarily a "cosplayer" - the fact the Cairo hat is so beat up, it makes for a visually interesting collectors piece - with lots of character and detail. It's much like the Tantive IV Vader helmet from A New Hope. That's the most beat-up Vader helmet in all of Star Wars, and that's the one most people gravitate towards. I'm definitely a fan of that helmet, and it's fantastically interesting to look at, with so many details to be discovered - you see something new every time you look at it. But the dark brooding and glossy-clean on screen ESB Vader Helmet has my heart. ...and if you're really a hardcore cosplayer, I could see why you go the extra mile to get all dustied up with a SOC look, vs Raven's Bar of the Peru scenes.

That all said, I prefer the Idol Cave walk through look - just before he gets to the Idol chamber itself. The hat still has character - the considerably less. Less dusty, less floppy, and even less of a turn. The bash is still distinctive, the pinch is a bit more relaxed, but still tall, sides of the crown are tall and straight, and the brim has a beautiful S-Swoop on the front. The silhouette is still the quintessential "Raiders of the Lost Ark look.

That hat I just ordered is based on this look...




...and just before that scene, there is very little, if any turn here...




...so the final hat might be a bit of a mash-up between these two.

And I have no problem adding a little dust to the hat to give it that weathered look, being that's what the costume department did for the movie.

[Hobbit Fedora]

The SOC hat to me looks really awesome….in context. For a hat to wear everyday though I think it mostly will look like you’re walking around with a hat in desperate need of some TLC. So, great for cosplay or display (or on a hiking tail perhaps, to be fair) but for a general purpose every day hat I would say a clean non-turned Raiders or a Raven’s Bar Raiders if you do want the turn would probably be the way to go. Ultimately it’s a matter of perspective. Personally I always liked the Donovan’s Apt LC fedora for having the perfect balance of well loved/lived in but still clean and looked after. But anyone who says they just love the SOC version and that’s the Indy hat they want, I do get it, absolutely.

[steve_guthrie]

Earlier this year I decided to buy an Indy hat. I placed an order for one from HJ in a Streets of Cairo bash. Near the end of my 4 month wait, a hat from Fedoraiders became available so I jumped on it too. Never owning a fedora before, I now had what I considered to be the two best options out there in front of me to compare.
For my personal taste, I would definitely choose a Herbert Johnson with a symmetrical shaping if I were choosing a hat to wear daily with appropriate attire. A dusty SOC is definitely a costume piece first and foremost.
However. I don’t want a fedora for those purposes. I want the hat that sent me out looking for The Hat. And yes, that was the SOC hat through and through, the dust, the floppy brim, the way it looks too big and too small in the wrong places
I kept the Fedoraiders and sold the HJ. Then I bought a second Fedoraiders to keep nice.
I work from home, and if we’re not here we’re out doing something that doesn’t require me to change out of gym shorts. I’ve been wearing the hat since early May now pretty much daily. I expected it to sit on the shelf when I bought it but ended up loving it. I think it pairs well with a puffy coat or some hiking pants.
Yes. There is something about the SOC, indeed.
Here’s a pic of me and Natalie Marion out enjoying The Hat


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Chose Poorly]

Earlier this year I decided to buy an Indy hat. I placed an order for one from HJ in a Streets of Cairo bash. Near the end of my 4 month wait, a hat from Fedoraiders became available so I jumped on it too. Never owning a fedora before, I now had what I considered to be the two best options out there in front of me to compare.
For my personal taste, I would definitely choose a Herbert Johnson with a symmetrical shaping if I were choosing a hat to wear daily with appropriate attire. A dusty SOC is definitely a costume piece first and foremost.
However. I don’t want a fedora for those purposes. I want the hat that sent me out looking for The Hat. And yes, that was the SOC hat through and through, the dust, the floppy brim, the way it looks too big and too small in the wrong places
I kept the Fedoraiders and sold the HJ. Then I bought a second Fedoraiders to keep nice.
I work from home, and if we’re not here we’re out doing something that doesn’t require me to change out of gym shorts. I’ve been wearing the hat since early May now pretty much daily. I expected it to sit on the shelf when I bought it but ended up loving it. I think it pairs well with a puffy coat or some hiking pants.
Yes. There is something about the SOC, indeed.
Here’s a pic of me and Natalie Marion out enjoying The Hat


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree, Steve! Having seen you in both you HJ (briefly) and your Fedoraiders lids, the SoC suits you quite well. I too fall under the camp of being drawn to the SoC fedora. No matter how many hats I acquire, if I don't have a SoC in rotation I'm left wanting. The next will likely be another Fedoraiders or an SoC from AdVintage. I sold my last Fedoraiders but have been itching for another in Jason's updated, lighter felt color. And Thomas' work speaks for itself, of course.

Or, heck... if I keep treating my recent Garrison acquisition as I have been it may turn into one all on its own. In fact, I've just started a new working relationship with a gentlemen who lives in Cairo part-time. I'm tempted to send it to him, have him bury it in the dirt for a few days, and then just leave it on his balcony until it looks the part and is ready to be sent back to me. Haha.

[steve_guthrie]

Thank you! and I’m still spending plenty of time on many hatters websites looking for my next fix.

I think you’ve figured out the next trend for the distressing market! I may or may not have googled to see if I can buy Tunisian sand online before .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[IndianaJustin]

Sorry if I missed it but is Fedoraider still making just one size and SOC look?

[Chose Poorly]

Sorry if I missed it but is Fedoraider still making just one size and SOC look?

Yes, Jason experiments with new techniques by making hats in his own size, and then sells them eventually. He’s roughly a 59cm, though I would say they fall a little under a true 59cm measurement. Some folks who wear a 58cm like myself have gotten away with folding the sweatband. He does have other blocks and will occasionally consider making smaller sizes, but it’s rare and the turnaround time can be a moving target since he’s not really a custom hatter.


- Chose Poorly

[IndianaJustin]

Thanks, I thought so. Too bad for me because I would love one of his hats but I’m a 60.5. Oh well

[darthjones2]

Question about the ribbon -

has it been determined that the ribbon was indeed moved up on this hat and retacked? (we've seen images I THINK of sew spots in the middle of the ribbon for instance.)

Or did the ribbon just ride up at a point?

It does seem to have been placed higher on the SOC hat and 3000bucks talked about this at some point but I cannot find that right now.