Club Obi Wan

I haven't been around too much lately, either, due to constraints of time, work, etc. but I just have to offer my great big CONGRATULATIONS to both Steve and Marc. JOB WELL DONE. Looking forward to seeing the hats
in the movie. BTW, I never had any doubt that you wouldn't get the contract.

To be honest, this is a dream that neither Steve nor I had the heart to dream.

Regards,

Marc

...what can I say. I have not been reading this forum for quite awhile. I am in the process of catching up.

I need to congratulate the both of you for a remarkable feat of getting this holy grail of a job. yes, I remember those early days. The tapers, brim width, dimensional cuts, ribbon color, ribbon width, crown heights tall and short..It paid off.

I am humbled by your accomplishment. I am so happy that you guys won the prize and the both of you I know will treat us FANS with much more respect than old man Swales. He never understood our hobby or our passion. You guys certainly do. Now you are a part of legends! You need to move to LA now... Kidding.

Sergi! Long time no see!

Who's the new guy?

WHERE IN THE @#$% HAVE YOU BEEN, WALT???!!!!

HIGH regards! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:Who's the new guy?

WHERE IN THE @#$% HAVE YOU BEEN, WALT???!!!!

HIGH regards! Michaelson

Long story... my shoulder has had complication after complication from surgery. And then our company has gone through some changes , so the time commodity is precious. I happen to be at work today....

I knew back in May about the contract, and have honorably kept mum since, but now I can openly congratulate Steve and Marc for their success, even though it has probably added some wait time to my order! It's a great thing to get an authentic hat from the craftsmen who supply the film. The only thing that might make it cooler would be for the guys to have Harrison try on all the hats destined for the Club members before shipping them out. ("Just one more, Mr. Ford. We want that perfect fit!")

Sergei wrote:Long story... my shoulder has had complication after complication from surgery. And then our company has gone through some changes , so the time commodity is precious. I happen to be at work today....

Walt, it's good to see you ... or at least your avatar. Missed you at the last QM sumevent.

Yeah, Jess... One of my many regrets... missing the last sum-event... as you so eloquently put it. ) Are you off your meds yet.... I mean your addiction to the java bean? I'm still an addict. I hope Michaelson still is. I hate going to those java 12 step program by myself.

This is like the general public's introduction to Indy 4. What a great shot. I'd prefer it over the burning skull poster anyday. Like I said before, that AB fedora is no whimp!

Great cover, great hat!

It is a great shot. But there's something a bit odd about the underside of the brim on the left-hand side (our left), it seems far too wide. Infact the "F" of "Vanity Fair" appears to be piercing through the middle of it. Perhaps it was distorted/redrawn during some Photoshop process.

I was rather surprised how the 2 1/2 inch brim appears on Indy. Looks wider to me. But, it isn't.

By the way, if anyone is wondering why I have not been posting here in my usual prolific manner, the answer is "time". I no longer have the time to read and post here in the same manner as I have done since this board has been online. My "playtime" has been severely limited due to the workload I am under. I seem to be a popular hatter these days. So, don't expect to see much of me here in the next 4 to 5 months. But, I am still an Indy Gear fan. I am just having to forego the entertainment and concentrate on nothing but work until I can get half way caught up. And being one of the Indy 4 hatmakers, there is OTHER stuff going on that takes away time. So, I had to give up some stuff, like getting my daily dose of COW. I never realized COW was like a drug, and not automatically clicking on my COW shortcut on the desktop has been one huge battle. Regards, to all. Fedora

I think all of us here and elsewhere totally understand, Steve. Just make sure you're not a totally stranger around these parts. I know a lot of people value your input on a lot of the topics.

Just make sure to keep us all updated on the Factory Hat project as well.

And TRY not to work yourself to death.

Who's that "Fedora" guy posting here?
Seriously Steve, 'though I am very happy for you and your business, I just want you to take your time, if you need it! Not COW at all, but this little moment in the evening, where you lay back with a whiskey and a cigar and just lose your eyes for a moment ... just to go back to business a minute later, of course.

Satipo wrote:It is a great shot. But there's something a bit odd about the underside of the brim on the left-hand side (our left), it seems far too wide. Infact the "F" of "Vanity Fair" appears to be piercing through the middle of it. Perhaps it was distorted/redrawn during some Photoshop process.

Now I've seen a bigger version of this image over in the jacket section, I can see that it's not the brim, but a shadow of the brim I'm seeing. The "F" of "Vanity Fair" is actually between the shadow and the brim. I stand corrected, by myself!

I took notice of that myself.

New pic of the fedora. This looks like what we sent, but it does look taller in this pic than some of the other ones.

It looks great Steve!

Awww Steve....that is so nice!

I couldn't imagine a better looking lid on Ford!


Must feel good to know they really cared enough to get the hat right!

Warmest Regards
Kilgour

I am sure if they cared enough to get the hat right...the film is on track to look right too (fingers crossed)

There's that crooked Indy smirk we love. Best picture I've seen of Ford so far I think.

Hmm, what's he looking for?

It's just his attic. He's looking for the Christmas tree probably.

Perhaps it's Ford's attic and he's looking for his original Raiders jacket.

BTW, I think the hat looks great in that pic.

Or he just ordered more merchandise for the film.

I have to admit, not only is the hat great, but Ford is the coolest looking fedora wearing dude I have ever seen.

Hey everyone, look at the Indianajones.com website. Look under Videos and see where they mention Steve and how he made the hats for Harrison Ford. It is awsome! I called Steve to let him know and he didn't know it was up yet. I just happen to look today and it had just been posted!

Great job Steve!!

Regards,

Gabe Garza

viewtopic.php?t=26132

Yep, we know.

Regards! Michaelson

Steve and Marc, I take my hat off to you (My AB, made by you )
You made the grade, that all others could just dream about.
Making the hats for the new Indiana Jones movie
I´m such auspicious to be a part of COW (even though I´m one the greenhorns in comparison to many others) and so
it's high time for me to say ultralarge congratulation :!: :!: :!: :!:

Congratulations to Steve & Marc! You guys did a great job on THE hat. This looks like the beginning of great things for you.

Cheers!

Dan

Indiana Max, I LOVE your avatar!!! LMAO!!!!

Here is a blast from the past, back when we were speculating who would make the hats for the 4th Indy movie back in 2003. Fedora chimes in at the end.

viewtopic.php?p=40039&highlight=#40039

Its been said before I know but this couldn't happen to a better couple of guys. Its a Cinderella story. Because I haven't said it before, congratulations to you both.
Fletch

Wow, that thread was incredible. It's funny to see how some things can change so much in only a few years while other things remain exactly the same.

MK has told me that each wardrobe person likes to add his or her own "personal" touches, within reason. And like has been stated above, we care more about the hat manufacturer than they do.

I like this quote from that old thread. Indeed the costumer added his own personal touches. MK knew exactly what he was talking about!

Marc and I were so busy trying to push the Raiders fedora on them. To no avail. The costumer already had the hat visualized in his head, and just used us to get to the final look that he was after.

So, as I told Bernie on the phone a few days ago, THAT was his hat, not ours. He told us exactly how to crease it, based somewhat on TLC fedora, in so far as creases go. The only thing that is is not like TLC is the block that we used. So, to me and Marc, this pays homeage to the original hat that started it all, the Raiders fedora. We used a straight sided block, closer to the Raiders fedora than TLC fedora. Bernie just pushed the side creases way back in order to get the final look he was after. But I have already seen these creases move forward in some of videos I have seen. And I have seen them pushed way back like he liked them. The latest is from the pic that shows Indy about to jump from one car to another. That length of side crease is what he added, plus a tighter pinch on the very top of the front crease. Fedora

...plus a tighter pinch on the very top of the front crease.

...which we were hoping for from the get go. I remember how Steve and I giggelt like schoolkids, when we chatted on the phone one day, hoping for Ford to grap the hats as he did in the other movies and thereby tightening up the front pinch

Anyway, when talking to Bernie after he got in the first sample (G-Mann's personal Raiders Fedora that he had just gotten from me a few days earlier), he called me up and asked me, why the hat was off center. I explained in lenght and depth the Raiders turn and how he could see that the bow wasn't over Ford's left ear in the SOC scenes etc. etc. etc. and there was a little break (just enought to think "this guy completely lost his mind" ) before he said "I don't like it and neither does Harrison. We don't like that tight front crease neither" I could have sat down and cry. I explained that the Raiders Fedora was THE hat to 99% of my customers and that it by FAR would be the most characteristic hat of all three movies. "Yeah, but they didn't use that tight front crease and such on the 2nd. and 3rd. movie and there's a reason for that". I ALMOST gave up, but tried for one last time: "That's true however ToD is dated BEFORE Raiders, so..... no?".

Regards,

Marc

I love it. Keep it coming.

BTW, you guys should label your Avatar/Logos as to who you are. You look the same now. When I glance down the page I assumed you were the same person.

You sure they're not?

Regard! Michaelson

"Where-the-devil-lives" no! I joined four days before Steve

Regards,

Marc

Back when they were just beginning to start filming, Steve and I were talking on the phone and discussing how we wished they would go with the Raiders fedora and the tight front pinch, but it was just a no go. I kept thinking, well at least Ford must like the tight front pinch and the turn. I figured he would have to realize how cool it looks when he looks in the mirror.

Looks like they never even would try it to see. I guess they wanted it to evolve more from the latest movie's hat, instead of reverting back to the original. I know for a fact that both Marc and Steve tried to talk them into it, but they got what they wanted. At least a couple of gearheads made it.

guess they wanted it to evolve more from the latest movie's hat, instead of reverting back to the original. I know for a fact that both Marc and Steve tried to talk them into it,

Did we ever!! We were both shocked when they immediately vetoed the tight front pinch and the turn. It was almost as if we had said something vulgar. As time passed it was obvious to us that they were looking for something along the lines of TLC fedora, but yet different. We assumed each costumer added their own touches, while still looking like an Indy fedora. Mk said as much years ago as a recent thread presented. He was dead on in his accessment.

The thing is, Bernie was apparently looking for a straighter blockshape for this hat, ala Raiders. He wanted that blockshape but with different creases, his own personal touch. And as I said before, this is Bernie's hat, his contribution to the history of Indy. We just made em as he specified. As everyone already knows, if left up to Marc and I, Indy would be wearing a tightly pinched fedora with the turn.

One thing is for sure, neither Marc or I ever made a hat like the new one prior to doing the film hats. And since it was off my new block, it stands apart from all we have ever made prior. A brand new Indy fedora indeed. Bernie's Indy fedora. Regards, Fedora

Marc said:

"Yeah, but they didn't use that tight front crease and such on the 2nd. and 3rd. movie and there's a reason for that".

OK, so what's the reason?

Congrats to you and your team. I think back to 2003-2004 when we were hammering out block designs and looks. I am happy to hear it paid off for you.

Cheers,
Pyr.

Pyroxene wrote:Congrats to you and your team. I think back to 2003-2004 when we were hammering out block designs and looks. I am happy to hear it paid off for you.

Cheers,
Pyr.

Wow , Where have YOU been hiding ? Welcome back !

So, I'm just about set to order my very first AB; it sounds like I should go for the Crystal Skull block, as it has a nice blend of Raiders and LC without the tight pinch. That's cool with me; is the hat taller though? I'm afraid it might look too much like a top hat on me.

I think that although the ABs in the new movie look fantastic (I particularly like the colour contrast between the dusty ribbon and the richly coloured felt), it's a shame they didn't distress it more in order to make it look more ravaged by time and wear. The same goes for all of his costume, IMHO. Still, it's easily the best hat after Raiders!

It would have been foolish of them to NOT go with a vendor who has spent so much time researching every detail of the original hats, period.

Congratulations!

I J

Flash Gordon wrote:Marc said:

"Yeah, but they didn't use that tight front crease and such on the 2nd. and 3rd. movie and there's a reason for that".

OK, so what's the reason?

Adventurebilt wasn't making the hats then.

Shane

Mr. Z wrote:So, I'm just about set to order my very first AB; it sounds like I should go for the Crystal Skull block, as it has a nice blend of Raiders and LC without the tight pinch. That's cool with me; is the hat taller though? I'm afraid it might look too much like a top hat on me.

I'm bumping this in the hopes someone will respond to my question.

Not sure how to respond, my friend. How tall are you? If you're fairly short in stature, it may indeed look like a tophat. If you're fairly tall, it won't look any different than a Raiders fedora on you in height.

Regards! Michaelson