Post your Adventurebilts here!

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Thu Jul 15, 2021 4:26 pm

Alright, thanks Michaelson.

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Jul 15, 2021 4:42 pm

Indiana Croft · Post by **Indiana Croft** » Sun Aug 08, 2021 6:35 pm

Took a walk out to the river in the woods behind the ol homestead.

This is my Adventure Built CS, don't wear it much, but i do wear it.

I cherish this one.

Croft

Post by **Dr. Nebraska S.** » Sun Aug 08, 2021 7:56 pm

Indiana Croft wrote:Took a walk out to the river in the woods behind the ol homestead.

This is my Adventure Built CS, don't wear it much, but i do wear it.

I cherish this one.

Croft

That hat looks better and better on you!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Indiana Croft · Post by **Indiana Croft** » Sun Aug 08, 2021 8:15 pm

Thanks, I need to adjust my pics though, didn’t mean to double one.

Croft

Canyon · Post by **Canyon** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 7:19 am

Michaelson wrote:Nice lady reporter, but unfortunately got a lot of the information wrong, misquoted, or just flat tangled up, I think that was the only actual interview he ever did.

Regards! Michaelson

So Michaelson, you're not originally from Florida?

Post by **Michaelson** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 7:49 am

Lol! Nope.
She kinda took all the facts, shook em up in a box and tossed them out there!
Regards! M

jnicktem · Post by **jnicktem** » Wed Aug 18, 2021 4:32 pm

I had 3 hat orders with Steve.... and also threw him $100 when he needed extra help. He was appreciative and said he would send me my orders shortly.... that never happened.

I am out a lot of money. 3 beaver fedoras and $100. Yikes. I've now chalked it up to a loss... and can only hope that Steve was able to put it to good use.

indy89 · Post by **indy89** » Sat Aug 28, 2021 1:07 pm

A month ago, I sent out my '07 AB to Jimmy Pierce for a reblock and I got it back yesterday. The brim was in desperate need of a reflange, and I wanted the hat to be rebashed from a Raiders-style to Crystal Skull. I think he did a great job! The original ribbon and sweatband were reused, thankfully. What do you all think?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Sat Aug 28, 2021 2:32 pm

Looks pretty sweet.

IndianaJustin · Post by **IndianaJustin** » Sat Aug 28, 2021 3:07 pm

Thanks for showing this
No offense, but who is Jimmy Pierce? Haven't heard that name before.

indy89 · Post by **indy89** » Sat Aug 28, 2021 3:36 pm

IndianaJustin wrote:Thanks for showing this
No offense, but who is Jimmy Pierce? Haven't heard that name before.

He's a hatter in Hutto, TX; owns Jimmy Pierce Designs. I believe his only social media outlet is Facebook.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

IndianaJustin · Post by **IndianaJustin** » Sat Aug 28, 2021 3:40 pm

indy89 wrote:
IndianaJustin wrote:Thanks for showing this
No offense, but who is Jimmy Pierce? Haven't heard that name before.
He's a hatter in Hutto, TX; owns Jimmy Pierce Designs. I believe his only social media outlet is Facebook.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Thanks. The reason for asking is that I will have need to re block my Penman Raiders soon and it seems that John is...not available right now and certainly will be swamped when he is. So I'm starting the search for someone. I'm not on Facebook much but I'll try looking him up.

indy89 · Post by **indy89** » Sat Aug 28, 2021 4:11 pm

IndianaJustin wrote:
indy89 wrote:
IndianaJustin wrote:Thanks for showing this
No offense, but who is Jimmy Pierce? Haven't heard that name before.
He's a hatter in Hutto, TX; owns Jimmy Pierce Designs. I believe his only social media outlet is Facebook.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Thanks. The reason for asking is that I will have need to re block my Penman Raiders soon and it seems that John is...not available right now and certainly will be swamped when he is. So I'm starting the search for someone. I'm not on Facebook much but I'll try looking him up.

I see. I would have sent my hat to John, too, but I live about an hour and a half away from Jimmy, so I figured if the wait became unbearably long, I'd just make the drive and pick up the hat myself.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

IndianaJustin · Post by **IndianaJustin** » Sat Aug 28, 2021 4:54 pm

Ah, thanks for that

indy89 · Post by **indy89** » Sat Aug 28, 2021 7:58 pm

IndianaJustin wrote:Ah, thanks for that

No problem, but at the end of the day my experience with JPD was a smooth one. He did a great job with the reblock, and I have no complaints. He was good with communication and met my expectations.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Post by **Michaelson** » Sat Aug 28, 2021 7:59 pm

I’d suggest reaching out to Jimmy Pierce too. He’s still a member here as JPDesign and as has been stated he’s in a much better position business wise than he was years ago.

I’ll also ping him at FB to see if he’s doing that kind of side work.

UPDATE: yes, he does. I’ll post his reply directly

Regards! Michaelson

IndianaJustin · Post by **IndianaJustin** » Sat Aug 28, 2021 8:18 pm

Wow! That's great, thanks.

Post by **Michaelson** » Sat Aug 28, 2021 9:05 pm

Jimmy Pierce: Yep. Anywhere from $60 to $100 depending on the hat. To do an Indy, that not too beat up, it generally $80 to take out the sweatband, do it right, sew same sweat back in, put ribbon/line back and shape it. $25 for return shipping. Tell them to message Me here.

https://www.facebook.com/JimmyPierceDesigns/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Regards! Michaelson

JPdesign · Post by **JPdesign** » Sat Aug 28, 2021 9:55 pm

To those that were wronged by me, all I can say is I’m sorry. With out going into it too much I will say be careful who you let into your life, and especially who you marry, as it will effect everything else. After a divorce, some therapy, and just some time, I am back to making hats and doing it full time instead of a side job. Unfortunately I do not have the old order forms. I am hesitant to say it, because it could easily be taken advantage of, but if you ordered a hat and never got it, get in touch and I will put you on my current list of hats to make. Again, I am sorry for what happened, and will do what I can to fill the orders.

https://www.facebook.com/JimmyPierceDesigns/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

indy89 · Post by **indy89** » Sat Aug 28, 2021 11:44 pm

JPdesign wrote:To those that were wronged by me, all I can say is I’m sorry. With out going into it too much I will say be careful who you let into your life, and especially who you marry, as it will effect everything else. After a divorce, some therapy, and just some time, I am back to making hats and doing it full time instead of a side job. Unfortunately I do not have the old order forms. I am hesitant to say it, because it could easily be taken advantage of, but if you ordered a hat and never got it, get in touch and I will put you on my current list of hats to make. Again, I am sorry for what happened, and will do what I can to fill the orders.

https://www.facebook.com/JimmyPierceDesigns/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jimmy, your a phenomenal hatter. Thank you for working on my AB, and I hope to see more of your work posted here and on other sites.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Post by **Michaelson** » Sun Aug 29, 2021 8:01 am

For those who don’t know Jimmy, his Indy hat work predates AB by several years, working for Peters Brothers when the were THE go-to Indy hat maker.
Regards! M

Post by **Dr. Nebraska S.** » Sun Aug 29, 2021 9:04 am

Indy89, that AB looks magnificent! Well done, JPdesign!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

alaska_mcghee · Post by **alaska_mcghee** » Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:29 pm

Wearing my Adventurebilt hat on Election Day. Paired with my 15 year old raiders Wested with LC snaps added.

Stay safe everyone
Johnny

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The Aviator · Post by **The Aviator** » Mon Jan 10, 2022 1:01 pm

Got out for a hike today in the Lake District UK with my Beaver ‘07 AB, first two are at the Kirkstone Pass, the weather changed by photo 2, the Guinness is the reward.

https://imgur.com/a/bW5ya2V" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And my AB Deluxe which doesn’t get out much.

https://imgur.com/a/80UWhdw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers

Gerry

lantzn · Post by **lantzn** » Tue Jan 11, 2022 2:17 am

The Aviator wrote:Got out for a hike today in the Lake District UK with my Beaver ‘07 AB, first two are at the Kirkstone Pass, the weather changed by photo 2, the Guinness is the reward.

And my AB Deluxe which doesn’t get out much.

Cheers
Gerry

Very nice pics, thanks for sharing.

What brand glass is that Guinness in? That harp is beautiful.

The Aviator · Post by **The Aviator** » Tue Jan 11, 2022 3:33 am

lantzn wrote:Very nice pics, thanks for sharing.

What brand glass is that Guinness in? That harp is beautiful.

Thanks. Just your standard brand Guinness glass, you shouldn’t put other brand beer in unbranded or different branded glasses or the Breweries get uptight over here. All marketing.

They’re not expensive at all.

https://www.guinnesswebstore.com/guinness-pint-glass/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers

Gerry

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Mon Feb 07, 2022 12:24 am

For a while I’ve heard the term “Ford Felt” but I don’t understand what it means since I’ve seen some 2006 hats with that monicker. Would someone mind explaining what it is?

The Aviator · Post by **The Aviator** » Mon Feb 07, 2022 4:47 am

“Ford felt” meaning the felt from the run of hat bodies used in KOTCS.

So if Steve/Marc got 50 hat bodies in an order batch, used 20 for the production hats, the other 30 are the Ford felts sold by AB to the public.

You don’t see many about.

Thanks

Gerry

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Post by **Indiana Jeff** » Mon Feb 07, 2022 1:38 pm

The Aviator wrote:“Ford felt” meaning the felt from the run of hat bodies used in KOTCS.

So if Steve/Marc got 50 hat bodies in an order batch, used 20 for the production hats, the other 30 are the Ford felts sold by AB to the public.

You don’t see many about.

Thanks

Gerry

That's not correct. The Ford Felts came from a batch of felt bodies Steve got in 2006. Supposedly HF himself ordered a hat from Steve so he offered hats made from the same batch of felt bodies. Eventually it was determined it was an imposter posing as HF.

That being said, the Ford Felt has were made with a particularly good batch of felt bodies from Winchester and everyone who has one has sung the praises of the quality.

Michaelson wrote:It is indeed a sordid tale of intrigue, lies, theft, and about an individual who was eventually and summarily banned from this site that we really can't discuss exactly WHAT happened by naming names.

Per the rules, we can't discuss banned individuals, so PLEASE don't ask for more details and derail this thread.

For those of us lucky few who were in the right place at the right time, we were able to obtain these hats from Steve .

The felt was a special order with Winchester Hat Co.

Here's that original offer he put out there in 2006 while this was going on, and before things hit the fan:

http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f ... =Ford+felt" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Regards! Michaelson

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

The Aviator · Post by **The Aviator** » Mon Feb 07, 2022 1:43 pm

Apologies my mistake, can’t trust my memory after 16 years.

Best

Gerry

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Mon Feb 07, 2022 1:58 pm

So was this Ford imposter the secret celebrity that ordered an AB back in the day?

Post by **Indiana Jeff** » Mon Feb 07, 2022 2:46 pm

Just a guy claiming to be Ford (or close to Ford and ordering on his behalf, not sure about that exact detail).

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

Post by **Michaelson** » Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:25 pm

It was a sorted and embarrassing situation for Steve, that’s for sure. Not many are around.

It’s also a shame more of that felt wasn’t duplicated as it’s the best hat in MY personal collection and been rebuilt multiple times since 2006 and only gets better with age.

Regards! M

Castor Dioscuri · Post by **Castor Dioscuri** » Wed Feb 16, 2022 1:33 am

On the topic of Steve, does anyone know how his health has been? I ask as I genuinely hope his overall wellbeing and situation has improved.

Regardless of what transpired in the past, hopefully things are looking up for him after getting out of Indy world.

michaelb · Post by **michaelb** » Tue Apr 26, 2022 6:57 pm

My wife asked me to go for a hike, New Year's Eve afternoon, at one of her favorite trails. I asked if I could wear my AB. She was like, "Of course!" It was a very great time and a beautiful "misty meadows" type of area. She was taking photos and at one moment turned the camera at me. WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT. Didn't expect it so that is what you get. Jacket: By Peter Botwright of Wested Leather. Hat: By Steve Delk of Adventurebilt. Sorry, just too cool for a collector... Not a great post of the AB, but I don't normally have any good photos of me and I thought this came out pretty cool. The hat is still amazing, however, very stiff... Yet doesn't seem to be in danger of any kind. Might need a re-block.

I JUST posted this under The "Post Your Adverturebilts Here" and, just like the last, it posted as it's own "topic". Sorry, I don't get it.

MichaelB

Post by **Indiana Jeff** » Wed Apr 27, 2022 1:41 pm

Great picture.

I moved this to the AB thread for you.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

michaelb · Post by **michaelb** » Wed Apr 27, 2022 6:11 pm

Awesome! Thank you very much Indiana Jeff!

indy89 · Post by **indy89** » Fri Oct 07, 2022 11:55 pm

I sent my 15 year-old AB to John for a reblock almost four weeks ago and I just got it back today! Let me to you all, and a good number of you all already know this, Penman's work is fantastic! I can't believe how great this hat looks! Originally, Steve made a Raiders hat for me which I cherished all these years, but I thought I'd switch it up and have John reblock it on the CS block and give it a CS bash. All I can say is that I can not wait to wear this baby out. Naturally, my hat took a beating in shipping, so I had to bust out the ol' tea kettle, steam out the wrinkles in the felt and shape the brim. These photos were taken immediately after fixing up the hat.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

WConly · Post by **WConly** » Sat Oct 08, 2022 11:01 am

Very nice! Looks brand new! W>

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Sat Oct 08, 2022 2:08 pm

indy89 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 07, 2022 11:55 pm I sent my 15 year-old AB to John for a reblock almost four weeks ago and I just got it back today! Let me to you all, and a good number of you all already know this, Penman's work is fantastic! I can't believe how great this hat looks! Originally, Steve made a Raiders hat for me which I cherished all these years, but I thought I'd switch it up and have John reblock it on the CS block and give it a CS bash. All I can say is that I can not wait to wear this baby out. Naturally, my hat took a beating in shipping, so I had to bust out the ol' tea kettle, steam out the wrinkles in the felt and shape the brim. These photos were taken immediately after fixing up the hat.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Wow! That thing looks way better than the ABL CS that I commissioned from John a while back.

Forrest For the Trees · Sat Oct 08, 2022 8:04 pm

John's back in business for re-blocks? Sweet! I'll need to contact him about my AB. Cheers.

indy89 · Post by **indy89** » Sun Oct 09, 2022 12:42 am

IJJTM wrote:
indy89 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 07, 2022 11:55 pm I sent my 15 year-old AB to John for a reblock almost four weeks ago and I just got it back today! Let me to you all, and a good number of you all already know this, Penman's work is fantastic! I can't believe how great this hat looks! Originally, Steve made a Raiders hat for me which I cherished all these years, but I thought I'd switch it up and have John reblock it on the CS block and give it a CS bash. All I can say is that I can not wait to wear this baby out. Naturally, my hat took a beating in shipping, so I had to bust out the ol' tea kettle, steam out the wrinkles in the felt and shape the brim. These photos were taken immediately after fixing up the hat.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Wow! That thing looks way better than the ABL CS that I commissioned from John a while back.

Nonsense! I've seen your post and you have one gorgeous hat!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Sun Oct 09, 2022 1:22 am

Thanks, I guess we scrutinize our own gear too much.

indy89 · Post by **indy89** » Mon Oct 10, 2022 11:19 pm

While out antiquing with my wife, I had a chance to take a couple of pictures of myself wearing my newly reblocked AB. I'm over the moon with this lid! Enjoy!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Mon Oct 10, 2022 11:32 pm

indy89 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 11:19 pm While out antiquing with my wife, I had a chance to take a couple of pictures of myself wearing my newly reblocked AB. I'm over the moon with this lid! Enjoy!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

That looks phenomenal man, if you get a chance could you share some pictures of the left, ribbon side of the hat?

indy89 · Post by **indy89** » Tue Oct 11, 2022 10:10 pm

IJJTM wrote:
indy89 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 11:19 pm While out antiquing with my wife, I had a chance to take a couple of pictures of myself wearing my newly reblocked AB. I'm over the moon with this lid! Enjoy!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
That looks phenomenal man, if you get a chance could you share some pictures of the left, ribbon side of the hat?

I hope this helps.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

IJJTM · Post by **IJJTM** » Wed Oct 12, 2022 2:52 am

If I ever need a reblock on my CS Hero, I’ll probably hand it over to John.

Clipper · Post by **Clipper** » Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:25 pm

Hey all!

It has been a long time since I've posted here.

Today I was thinking back fondly of the day I received my CS Adventurebilt from Steve. Looking through my instagram I found that date to be Oct of 2013, nearly 10 years ago! Lucky for me, I share a similar head size to Harrison so this hat was actually blocked on the hero block, with the same batch of felt and ribbon used on screen! I remember waiting (so impatiently) nearly 6 years for it to arrive (5 years and 7 months to be exact). The day it arrived I remember checking the tracking number like a hawk and constantly looking out the window for the post man. Then, when it felt like it just had been too long, I decided to walk outside and noticed the mailman had already come and was driving away! I chased after him and when I caught up to him I asked if he had a package for me. Just then I noticed next to him a bock with "Steve Delk" hand written on it. I said "That's it!!" He doubled checked my ID and address then let me have it and I ran like a school boy back to my apartment and opened the box to find the greatest looking Indy hat ever. Moments later I snapped the photo below.

After several years of use, it had lost some of its former luster, and after having tried to put a Raiders bash on it I knew it was time for a re-block and cleaning. I had John Penman reblock it about 3/4 years ago and had him do a Raiders bash for me. Ever since then it has mainly sat on my shelf in a place of honor in my house. I decided to stop wearing it out just because of how rare and special it is to me, but every now and then I still take it out. The other reason I stopped wearing it so much was, the raiders bash just doesn't look as good on me as the CS/LC bash! So, today I was feeling nostalgic for the hat that arrived to me 10 years ago and decided I needed to return it to the bash Steve originally put on it. So, I got the steamer out and started working! It took a while to work out the tight pinch but sure enough the felt still had the memory of the old bash and I found it easily going back to how I remembered it the day it arrived.

It has aged nicely, and changed slightly in color with exposure to the sun and a few adventures, but so have I!

I hope you enjoy this little story and seeing the side by side photos, taken 10 years apart. Same guy, same hat. Still thrilled to own such an incredible piece of Indiana Jones cinema history.

-Clipper

indy89 · Post by **indy89** » Sun Mar 12, 2023 11:53 pm

Hey Clipper, thanks for sharing your fond memories with us! I, too, vividly remember the day I received my AB from Steve, as well as the day I received the same hat from John after he reblocked it. AB hats truly are special! Yours looks terrific!