Club Obi Wan

that_dog wrote:Just out of curiosity, is Steve still writing the number of the hat on the inside of the sweat, and if so, what number is he up to at this point?

Hello.
Give me some days.
I have the hat in the office and I will be out of town three or four days. When I return I look the number for you.

I stopped the number deal at the time of CS. I had a helper, and just could not keep things straight with the numbers, so I dropped it. I would imagine the numbers today if I had continued would be in the 3000's though. I really don't want to know how many I have made...it would just make me feel tired. Fedora

Fedora wrote:I stopped the number deal at the time of CS. I had a helper, and just could not keep things straight with the numbers, so I dropped it. I would imagine the numbers today if I had continued would be in the 3000's though. I really don't want to know how many I have made...it would just make me feel tired. Fedora

Thanks for the info Steve, that is very interesting. 3000 hats! That is an amazing number given that you've only been at this for a few years and each hat is totally handmade.

I think my hat from you (ca. spring/summer of 2006) is numbered somewhere in the 600s. I'll have to check later.

I posted my new Adventurebilt in another thread but I wanted to get in on the brotherhood of the adventurebilt thread







Thanks Steve

that_dog wrote:

Fedora wrote:I stopped the number deal at the time of CS. I had a helper, and just could not keep things straight with the numbers, so I dropped it. I would imagine the numbers today if I had continued would be in the 3000's though. I really don't want to know how many I have made...it would just make me feel tired. Fedora

Thanks for the info Steve, that is very interesting. 3000 hats! That is an amazing number given that you've only been at this for a few years and each hat is totally handmade.

I think my hat from you (ca. spring/summer of 2006) is numbered somewhere in the 600s. I'll have to check later.

Yes, my Adventure Bilt only has the date 10·9·2009

beaverlid wrote:I posted my new Adventurebilt in another thread but I wanted to get in on the brotherhood of the adventurebilt thread

Thanks Steve

That fits you well! Wear away!

jedidentist wrote:

beaverlid wrote:I posted my new Adventurebilt in another thread but I wanted to get in on the brotherhood of the adventurebilt thread

Thanks Steve

That fits you well! Wear away!

I have barely taken it off since I received it on Thursday. It is the perfect time of year for this fedora. The weather is cool and crisp.

Steve is the best.

Mine came in August but couldn't open it until just now.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27851887@N07/

Cheers!

DAVIDUGLY wrote:Steve is the best.

Mine came in August but couldn't open it until just now.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27851887@N07/

Cheers!

How are you liking your hat? Has it broken in nicely since getting it in August?

Love it!
its been in a box this whole time so no breaking in yet
but very worth the wait. I say a must buy to anyone on the fence.
Blown away by the quality of materials, workmanship and level of
care put into this hat.

This is an older AB, but an AB nonetheless



Kyle

send it to me.

great temple jacket by the way.

knibs7, you look very familiar. Do you go to the sci fi shows up in the Plano/Richardson area? Nice AB by the way--the gear looks awesome!

Indiana Texas-girl wrote:knibs7, you look very familiar. Do you go to the sci fi shows up in the Plano/Richardson area? Nice AB by the way--the gear looks awesome!

Maybe it's because he looks exactly like Ron Livingston from Band of Brothers. I'm sorry, Kyle, but it's scary.

Indiana Holt wrote:send it to me.

great temple jacket by the way.

lol Thanks Holt! Too bad I don't have the jacket anymore

Indiana Texas-girl wrote:knibs7, you look very familiar. Do you go to the sci fi shows up in the Plano/Richardson area? Nice AB by the way--the gear looks awesome!

Nope, sorry. I usually stay in the Houston area or New Mexico. Thanks for the compliment on my gear.

Bullitt wrote: Maybe it's because he looks exactly like Ron Livingston from Band of Brothers. I'm sorry, Kyle, but it's scary.

Haha Ya I get that from time to time. Side note- I was in NYC about a year ago and some teenage girl stopped me on the street and asked for a picture with me. I was like huh? Then I heard her friend say, "It's Berger" (from SITC) so I took the picture with them anyway lol. (And my girlfriend is obsessed with SITC, THAT is why I know who Berger is.

Kyle

So it arrived on monday the 2nd, but I had to wait until the next saturday to get it since I was in my dorm. That week took forevor. When I first touched it I could tell this was of crazy quality. When I touching my christies now it feels like it's made of paper lol I keep comparing it to pics of it in Indy 4. I can't believe I finally have the same hat that Indy had. I was told it was even made on the same block as Ford's hats. You are a master craftsman Steve, thank you. After a week of midterms and stress I've finally got some pictures.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/ ... front1.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/ ... front2.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/ ... /Comp1.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/ ... decomp.jpg

In the last two pics the Christies is on the right, but I's sure that's obvious lol

So the mailman came today and provided me with 3 (count 'em, 3!) hats! 2 of which, are Adventurebilts!!! The other is a Penman.

Both of these hats were originally made in 2006. The first one, was mentioned by Steve in this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=44173

So it has now been reblocked into a CS style, and it looks AMAZING!!!




http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/j ... S001-1.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/j ... S002-1.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/j ... S003-1.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/j ... S006-1.jpg

The 2nd one, is an old Ford Felt AB that I bought off of the Bay. This one really looks great, like it has been on many adventures! What is neat about this hat is the colour of the felt has changed into a VERY nice shade of brown!!! Although, it has tapered a bit, so I will probably also send this one off to Steve to have reblocked.




http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/j ... ICS007.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/j ... ICS008.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/j ... ICS011.jpg

And here are 2 side by side pics, showing the change of colour the Ford Felt AB has undergone.

What a trip to see those hats side by side. That one on the left is my old Ford Felt AB, folks. Been with me to Comic Con many many times. Those were adventures in and of themselves.

Wow! Congrats, Nick. That Ford Felt AB looks fantastic. A reblock is what that baby needs to get back to tip top shape. I love the color it has settled into. THAT is a well worn and well loved hat.

Dave

Thanks Dave! I agree, the colour is just fantastic!!! I will send it in to Steve one day to get a reblock. Once I find a job and get some income again I will send it in. Steve does amazing work with his reblocks. The 1st AB I have on here was reblocked, and when I saw it I couldn't believe it was the same hat! It looks BRAND NEW! I love it!

Does anyone have a side-by side of an AB CS and Henry?

Strider wrote:That one on the left is my old Ford Felt AB, folks.

What exactly is a "Ford Felt AB"?

A Ford Felt AB is an Adventurebilt made from the same run of felt as the hats worn by Harrison Ford in Crystal Skulls.

jnicktem wrote:A Ford Felt AB is an Adventurebilt made from the same run of felt as the hats worn by Harrison Ford in Crystal Skulls.

I doubt that, or it couldn't have been with Strider to Comic Con "many many times."

So what are you saying???

AFAIK, there was a small number of ABs made ca. 2006 IDed as "Ford felt" for reasons other than being associated with KotCS (obviously, as the movie wasn't made until 2007). I'm wondering if this is one of those hats.

What gives you that impression?

The fading of the hat along with Strider's reference to it being his "old" Ford Felt AB and it having gone to Comic Con with him "many many times." Plus I thought I remembered seeing the eBay listing for the hat with a reference to it having been made in 2006. (I could be wrong about that, though, and I can't seem to find the eBay listing now.)

EDIT: This is your post on the Fedora Lounge, right? Here you refer to the AB having been made in 2006. If this is so, there's no way it could be from the same felt run as the movie hats, which were made in mid-2007.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost ... tcount=133

That's weird... because this post from 2006 talks about about the hats that Steve made for Harrison Ford:

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=17389

Steve talks about the hats he made for Ford in past tense,... so judging by that he made the hats in 2006.

Right. Those are exactly the hats and run of felt I was talking about. But since Steve didn't get the KotCS gig until 2007, there is no way he could have knowingly made a hat in 2006 that was from the same run of felt as he used in the movie hats in 2007... unless he was able to see into the future.

The "Ford" run of hats ca. 2006 are a story unto themselves... suffice it to say that a person who had a very brief membership here at that time was not who he purported to be. The details are probably best omitted unless Steve himself wants to comment (and I would understand fully if he would not want to).

I still don't see how it can't be from the same run of felt just because Steve didn't know about it yet.

Perhaps Steve himself could chime in.

How could Steve inscribe a sweatband in a hat made in 2006 as "Ford felt" if he did not even know about KotCS at the time -- let alone that he would get the job to make the hats for the movie?

If the response is that Steve inscribed the "Ford felt" notation in the hat after the movie hats were made, how could he possibly identify a hat he had made a year earlier as being from the same run of felt as the 2007 movie hats? And how is it that he could have bought a batch of hat bodies in 2006 large enough to last him an entire year with enough left over to make all of the film hats (which had to be from the same batch of felt for continuity's sake)?

The only reasonable explanation is that this 2006 "Ford felt" hat is from the batch of hats made in conjunction with the "Ford" hats made in 2006, and not the KotCS hats. The link you provided to Steve's post back in 2006 only confirms this reading.

(I very briefly had one of these "Ford felt" hats back in 2006 but returned it to Steve as I had previously canceled my order for the hat. There had been a mixup and Steve made it and sent it to me anyway, "Ford felt" notation and all.)

Well if anyone DOES have a "Ford Felt" AB, PM me because I will pay HANDSOMELY for it!

Kyle

It is possible Steve was asked to supply a few hats in the preproduction stage. This might have been in 2006. It would not be uncommon.

Yeah, I would be a confused owner too if it were mine, it's described as having been on many adventures, but the movie practically just came out. How did the eBay auction read? Sounds like you thought it was a CS "Ford run" hat. Confusing, confusing.

Digger4Glory wrote:It is possible Steve was asked to supply a few hats in the preproduction stage. This might have been in 2006. It would not be uncommon.

There's absolutely no mention of AB supplying any "preproduction" hats for KotCS in 2006 in the writeup on the main site. Bernie Pollack didn't even know about AB until 2007, and didn't speak with anyone at AB until May 1, 2007.

http://www.indygear.com/igABstory.html

I understand where some of the confusion is coming from, but that's precisely why I think it's good to clarify these points. Any "Ford felt" AB from 2006 has nothing to do with KotCS. If you won't trust me on this point (I was following AB developments on this board pretty closely in '06, having acquired an AB from Steve that spring and then [briefly] owning one of the "Ford felt" hats), trust the inescapable logic that a hat made in 2006 cannot have a provenance from 2007.

Here is the section from the eBay listing that talked about the hat being a Ford Felt:

"Now, for a few special details about this particular hat. This hat was from Mr. Delk's now-infamous "Ford Felt" run; in other words, it comes from the same run of felt that Mr. Delk made Indy IV test hats to be sent in for review by the powers that be in the film's production. That makes this particular fedora one of only a few made from that run, and potentially a piece of Hollywood History. The hat originally was shaped in the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" style when I bought it, but I sent it in for a reblock years later to be refurbished and re-styled in the "Crystal Skull" style (after it came out that he was the hatter). It has not had a reblock since then (the date of the reblock can be seen below), and has tapered a small amount. Though, at this point, that fact makes this hat an EXCELLENT "Last Crusade" style hat, as evidenced by the photos I've included of me wearing the hat this past Halloween."

This hat was from Mr. Delk's now-infamous "Ford Felt" run; in other words, it comes from the same run of felt that Mr. Delk made Indy IV test hats to be sent in for review by the powers that be in the film's production. That makes this particular fedora one of only a few made from that run, and potentially a piece of Hollywood History.

Based on my knowledge of the situation, I don't think this can be accurate. But I'd invite Strider to clarify the hat's background before I drew any firm conclusions.

Here are the exact details about the hat. I bought in 2006. I received it JUST IN TIME for that year's San Diego Comic Con, so that means I received the hat in July, 2006. I wore it that year, and in 2007. Since I attended Comic Con a total of 10 days (5 in 06 and 5 in 07), I count that as "many times." I don't know about you, but 10 seems like a lot.

When I originally received the hat, STEVE HIMSELF (I welcome him to chime in and confirm this, and that he did, in fact, sell me a "Ford Felt" hat) had written the words "FORD FELT" under the sweat. When I had him re block the hat for me after I moved out here to Oklahoma, he replaced that sweatband with another, which he wrote the stuff that I included in the auction description. Here are some photos of me wearing that hat to Comic Con 2006, when the hat was brand new.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v682/ ... _0323c.jpg
(photo is just a little too big ... photobucket didn't resize it right)





The badge was Orange in 2006, and Blue in 2007. Need proof? No problem, since you called me a liar, I went and found some. Here's a random flickr account I found through Google that has photos from Comic Con 2006. It's even titled "Comic Con 2006." Oh look, an orange badge like the one I am wearing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/austinspac ... otostream/

Need more? That's chill. Here's another flickr photo album of someone's I found that belongs to a set called "Comic Con 2007." Oh look, blue badges.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anzuethp/9 ... 769111334/

What else do you need to hear? The hat is what it is. I bought it from Steve in 2006. It was a Ford Felt hat.

I don't doubt that you bought the hat from Steve in 2006, nor that you wore it to Comic Con many times. The point of this inquiry is what the phrase "Ford felt" means. I'm simply pointing out that it does not -- and cannot, given the timing -- have anything to do with the hats Steve made for KotCS (whether denoted "test" hats, "preproduction" hats, or otherwise).

I welcome input from anyone who can demonstrate that I am mistaken, and I will be man enough to admit it if that time comes. But I was on the boards in '06, I bought one of the "Ford felt" hats in 2006, and I am pretty doggone sure they had nothing to do with KotCS. How could they when AB wasn't even contacted about KotCS until May of 2007?

that_dog wrote:I don't doubt that you bought the hat from Steve in 2006, nor that you wore it to Comic Con many times. The point of this inquiry is what the phrase "Ford felt" means. I'm simply pointing out that it does not -- and cannot, given the timing -- have anything to do with the hats Steve made for KotCS (whether denoted "test" hats, "preproduction" hats, or otherwise).

I welcome input from anyone who can demonstrate that I am mistaken, and I will be man enough to admit it if that time comes. But I was on the boards in '06, I bought one of the "Ford felt" hats in 2006, and I am pretty doggone sure they had nothing to do with KotCS. How could they when AB wasn't even contacted about KotCS until May of 2007?

I do remember reading about an earlier run of hats that were supposedly for Harrison Ford, but then it turned out to be an elaborate ruse of some sort....something like that. I think that_dog probably has the right conclusion here.

Edit to add, I did a little digging:
http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f ... =ford+felt
http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f ... =ford+felt

jlee562 wrote:I do remember reading about an earlier run of hats that were supposedly for Harrison Ford, but then it turned out to be an elaborate ruse of some sort....something like that. I think that_dog probably has the right conclusion here.

Edit to add, I did a little digging:
http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f ... =ford+felt
http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f ... =ford+felt

Ah! Well done, jlee. The hat that I started the thread about in that first link you posted is the hat that I sold to jnicktem. In this case, it seems that I am the one who is mistaken, and not that_dog. Shoot. Gosh, those threads are from a long time ago. I was still under the impression that the "Ford Felt" notation was to signify that the hat was made from the same run of felt that test hats that were sent off to the production team were made from (at least that is what I have been telling people for years!). In any event, jnicktem got the hat for about what second hand ABs go for on the bay anyway, so at least he didn't end up paying some hugely over inflated price due to my mistake.

Well, I can say that after reading all of this I did not mean to open up a can of worms. Although it is very nice to know the true history behind my hat (formerly Striders hat), I cannot help but to feel a little disappointed. Of course the main selling point of this hat, to me, was that it was made from the same run of felt as the hats made for Harrison Ford in Crystal Skulls. I have other AB's,... including the other one that I posted that was also made in 2006. Plus, I have an AB on order from Steve and an AB Deluxe on order with Marc. I really don't need any more AB's... but I really wanted this one because of its connection to the film.

Now that I know that it has no connection, besides being made by the same guy, I am not sure what to think. It is a great hat. It does need to be cleaned and reblocked. But I honestly wouldn't have bought it if I knew it wasn't from the same run of felt as those hats in the movie. However, and I would like to make this clear, this is no one's fault! It was simply an honest mistake. Strider sold me this hat based of what he knew and believed to be true. So I hold no hard feelings.

Again, it is nice to know the true history behind this hat! And I am sorry if I opened a bad can of worms. It was not my intention. And so ends what is probably the longest written post made by me on COW.

Thank you very much for your candor, my friend! I can't tell you how relieved I am to know that you're not upset with me. Seriously, though, enjoy the hat. It is a great hat.

Strider

jnicktem, you didn't open a can of worms, you simply posted information you had been given about a hat you had purchased. The information was incorrect, as it turns out. But I don't think you owe anyone an apology.

My intent in questioning the "Ford felt" aspect of this hat was not to call anyone out, but simply to make sure that what was being represented about the hat was accurate. The line between myth and fact can be pretty blurry when it comes to IndyGear, and new members can take as gospel things posted by people who have been around a few years without any independent verification. I thought the "Ford felt" issue was one that could become twisted over time into something other than what it was, and given people's interest in the provenance of KotCS-era ABs, I think it's worth a little effort to keep the record clear.

If nothing else, you have a funny story to tell about your hat. The fact that the felt was selected with the intention of it going to Harrison himself I think is notable, even if the hat never made it to his hands.

that_dog, I appreciate it! I am a strong believer in knowing the truth, especially when it comes to something I have in my possession. Of course a lot of times (like this one) I am not a fan of the truth... but the truth is what it is. So thank you for help clearing this up and providing me with a lot of information that I did not know.

Since I have been thinking about this hat a lot recently... I changed my mind. I originally was going to send it to Steve to have it cleaned and reblocked into a the Crystal Skull style... since at that time I thought it would be fitting to keep it a CS hat. But now, as I am thinking of it, I might get it reblocked into a Raiders hat! Turn and all! I think it makes more sense this way, considering the colour it has faded into. Also, I do not have a good Raiders hat! My AB Deluxe is going to be Raiders-esque... but slightly different to better suit what I want it for. I think I am going to turn this one into a true Raiders hat.

Strider wrote:Here are the exact details about the hat. I bought in 2006. I received it JUST IN TIME for that year's San Diego Comic Con, so that means I received the hat in July, 2006. I wore it that year, and in 2007. Since I attended Comic Con a total of 10 days (5 in 06 and 5 in 07), I count that as "many times." I don't know about you, but 10 seems like a lot.

When I originally received the hat, STEVE HIMSELF (I welcome him to chime in and confirm this, and that he did, in fact, sell me a "Ford Felt" hat) had written the words "FORD FELT" under the sweat. When I had him re block the hat for me after I moved out here to Oklahoma, he replaced that sweatband with another, which he wrote the stuff that I included in the auction description. Here are some photos of me wearing that hat to Comic Con 2006, when the hat was brand new.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v682/ ... _0323c.jpg
(photo is just a little too big ... photobucket didn't resize it right)





The badge was Orange in 2006, and Blue in 2007. Need proof? No problem, since you called me a liar, I went and found some. Here's a random flickr account I found through Google that has photos from Comic Con 2006. It's even titled "Comic Con 2006." Oh look, an orange badge like the one I am wearing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/austinspac ... otostream/

Need more? That's chill. Here's another flickr photo album of someone's I found that belongs to a set called "Comic Con 2007." Oh look, blue badges.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anzuethp/9 ... 769111334/

What else do you need to hear? The hat is what it is. I bought it from Steve in 2006. It was a Ford Felt hat.

Well, it's a BEAUTIFUL hat no matter what!

DHW

What I've heard about the "Ford felt" is that no matter of the scam that made it come to be, It is truly an exceptional felt that has only been used by AB for this particular run. Though the background may not be as you thought jnicktem, it is indeed a very special hat that many here would love to own Be proud to have it and do turn that puppy into a Raiders hat

Regards, Geert

That is one thing I realized about this hat from the moment I picked it up. The felt is MUCH softer and even more dense then the other hats I have, including my other 2006 Adventurebilt. I think it would make a fantastic Raiders hat!