Club Obi Wan

I'm not a hatter and I don't play one on TV, so take my opinions with a grain of salt...

The height to me looks good. However, based on your face shape I'd say the brim looks too narrow... But again, I like a wider brim on my own head. Guys? Little help?

Riothamus

I think it suits you very well!! I don't know how Steve and John determine size of crown based on head shape (when they have a customer directly in front of them or see a picture of their customer) but if they go by equal proportions I'd say that the brim of your hat bisects the length of your exposed head to the length of the crown. In other words, the distance from your chin to the brim appears equal to the distance from the top of the crown to the brim. It's symmetrical.

PS: LOVE THE ROCKY SWEATSHIRT!!!!!!! I love that movie!

riothamus wrote:I'm not a hatter and I don't play one on TV, so take my opinions with a grain of salt...

The height to me looks good. However, based on your face shape I'd say the brim looks too narrow... But again, I like a wider brim on my own head. Guys? Little help?

Riothamus

well maybe if i lose 10lbs? I workedout for a number of years and put on some size..now im wanting to lose some. So maybe that will make it better?

Sammy wrote:I think it suits you very well!! I don't know how Steve and John determine size of crown based on head shape (when they have a customer directly in front of them or see a picture of their customer) but if they go by equal proportions I'd say that the brim of your hat bisects the length of your exposed head to the length of the crown. In other words, the distance from your chin to the brim appears equal to the distance from the top of the crown to the brim. It's symmetrical.

PS: LOVE THE ROCKY SWEATSHIRT!!!!!!! I love that movie!

OK..well then if some others chime in an say its ok then hey im all good..AND I made the rocky shirt. on the back across the shoulders in big letter it says BALBOA..

Wow! I think the height is PERFECT. I really do.

The brim width looks fine to me. I think that's just a matter of personal preference (by the way, Riothamus, that hat in your avatar is stunning).
Riothamus likes the wider brim and it fits him perfectly. You just have to decide what you like. Keep in mind that you ordered a custom fedora from the best guy in the business. If he didn't get your measurements right, and you aren't happy with the way it looks, let him know! I'm not a vendor, but I think the rest would agree (maybe a good time for Mr. Penman to give his 2 cents about that...)

Bottom line: The tone and look of that hat is unbeatable...and I'm JEALOUS!!!
-Z

nicetrylaoche wrote:(by the way, Riothamus, that hat in your avatar is stunning).

Thanks! That's last winter (late 2010/early 2011?) right after doing barn chores in a really cold rain so the hat is pretty wet. I posted the larger size in the Wet Hat thread (which I now can't find? weird).

Here it is (click for larger size).

nicetrylaoche wrote:Riothamus likes the wider brim and it fits him perfectly. You just have to decide what you like. Keep in mind that you order a custom fedora from the best guy in the business. If he didn't get your measurements right, and you aren't happy with the way it looks, let him know! I'm not a vendor, but I think the rest would agree (maybe a good time for Mr. Penman to give his 2 cents about that...)

Bottom line: The tone and look of that hat is unbeatable...and I'm JEALOUS!!!
-Z

I do know from experience and from reading the forum that if Steve got requested measurements wrong he will gladly fix them. Unfortunately, it's still hard to reach him right now. Sammy and nicetrylaoche are probably right. The wider brim is definitely a preference and yours definitely looks like a great hat.

Excelsior!
Riothamus

Uh, where'd ya look?

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=47194" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Regard! Michaelson

nicetrylaoche wrote:Wow! I think the height is PERFECT. I really do.

The brim width looks fine to me. I think that's just a matter of personal preference (by the way, Riothamus, that hat in your avatar is stunning).
Riothamus likes the wider brim and it fits him perfectly. You just have to decide what you like. Keep in mind that you ordered a custom fedora from the best guy in the business. If he didn't get your measurements right, and you aren't happy with the way it looks, let him know! I'm not a vendor, but I think the rest would agree (maybe a good time for Mr. Penman to give his 2 cents about that...)

Bottom line: The tone and look of that hat is unbeatable...and I'm JEALOUS!!!
-Z

I think most of us wanted our hats to be SA...so probably most didnt really think about going for larger or smaller brims. We just went with what was there..I wouldnt want the brims any smaller, but a 1/4" more would be fine..just not smaller..And the height is probably fine. I just thought with my structure and the fact hats shrink some I thought the extra would help out? BUT its all good I guess..

I have my FedIV and AB side by side and man..its tough..lol..im like "uh which is which?"..but then I see his pinch and mine and I can tell mostly from that..if you look at AB home page you see Indys hat in the bottom right.."I believe"..it looks incredible. Maybe the lighting?Maybe the angle? May even be a different hat? Not sure?? BUT the humps on it, the pinch, the bash look really big,deep,and right on..and the color looks even more Indy..That is kind of what I thought I was getting...and maybe I did? Maybe im just seeing it wrong?

Over all, im happy..and im sure im the 1st to express these feelings and issues as most people seem more than happy...just wanted to be completely honest and open with what I see..

Doh! I swear I used the search function like a good lurker! I searched for "wet hat" and then "wet" and got "No suitable matches" both times. Maybe because the words were too short? Thanks M! Huh, and now it appears that I never even posted in that thread... Man, I'm really lost today...

youngjedi71, I agree definitely not shorter on the brim. Is this a rabbit or full beaver? If it's rabbit that might account for some of the felt differences. It's also possible that the website picture is of a A) different line of felt or B) a hat that's been out and worn and therefore faded a bit. I may be imagining things, but I think that Steve has said before that he starts with a darker felt so that if fades and ages to the correct color rather than start right and get gradually lighter with time.

Riothamus

By any chance, does anyone have a picture of your inscribed name on the sweatband of your Adventurebilt? I'm just curious to what it looks like....Hopefully, I'll know firsthand soon enough...

nicetrylaoche wrote:By any chance, does anyone have a picture of your inscribed name on the sweatband of your Adventurebilt? I'm just curious to what it looks like....Hopefully, I'll know firsthand soon enough...

just to clarify, my name isn't inscribed. It's just my last name written in Sharpie along with my hat size. I'm sure Steve (and John) do this to avoid mix up.

just threw this together..my fedIV and my AB

nicetrylaoche wrote:By any chance, does anyone have a picture of your inscribed name on the sweatband of your Adventurebilt? I'm just curious to what it looks like....Hopefully, I'll know firsthand soon enough...

I had Steve include my middle initial because I didn't want BM on the inside of my AB!

That is soooo awesome!!! Is he not still doing that? I really hope he does that to mine!

I don't think he offers that anymore. His machine is vintage and was "on it's way out" when he made this one. I had him on the phone and asked him as a favor. You'll be stoked regardless; it's a treasure!

Mike,

I think if you want to compare the colours like that you should take the photos with both hats under the same lighting...The AB is shot with the sunlight behind it, so of course it looks darker brown, whereas the Fed has the electric lights on it, which highlight the warmer colours....You'll see them as being closer like that....

For myself, under my home's lights, the AB colouring is a fair bit lighter brown than the Fed.. Although I do love them both... The AB is more "Indy" colours, and the Fed suits my darker jackets more, so both get used about equally... The differences between them really come in the details... Things like the sweatband quality, sewing, hatband forming and of course the original shape (Mine has a delightful reverse taper going on now.. Which I love.. )... That plus the pounce quality are where Steve's skill get shown best, but you'll be hard pressed to appreciate them easily from photos....

Interestingly, I guess mine was just a "lucky" one that got the older style AB lining... Steve seems to be using the newer ones now... Guess I just lucked out on that on...

Honestly, I think not far off-but the background shadows are throwing me off a bit. I think good crown height.

I agree with most of the other members. The hat looks fantastic. I think it fits you well. It really looks very good, like it was handmade, oh wait, it was! Seriously, it looks good.

thanks for the kind replies..ive been wearing it..and ran out to the store earlier and wore it out already..it fits perfect and feels great.

The only way you can make a hat, or any 'worn' gear for that matter', really 'yours', you have to wear them each and everyday. They'll start taking on the character of the owner from just being worn and handled.

Regard! Michaelson

Wise words, Michaelson. Everything gets worn, so there's no reason to rush it. I have a lot of hats, and I take care of them, but a few are showing their age. Time heals all hats.

youngjedi71 wrote:I have my FedIV and AB side by side and man..its tough..lol..im like "uh which is which?"..but then I see his pinch and mine and I can tell mostly from that..if you look at AB home page you see Indys hat in the bottom right.."I believe"..it looks incredible. Maybe the lighting?Maybe the angle? May even be a different hat? Not sure?? BUT the humps on it, the pinch, the bash look really big,deep,and right on..and the color looks even more Indy..That is kind of what I thought I was getting...and maybe I did? Maybe im just seeing it wrong?

I don't know, man. The difference between the two hats pictured is like night and day to me - the color and finish of the felt, and the quality of the ribbon and bow work is obvious.

Indiana Bugs wrote:I don't know, man. The difference between the two hats pictured is like night and day to me - the color and finish of the felt, and the quality of the ribbon and bow work is obvious.

Totally agree! Just look at the craftmanship of the AB ribbon vs. the Fed. Both great looking hats, but IMHO the AB is noticeably superior in each aspect!

Until recently I had no idea it was possible to order a new Adventurebilt from Steve. Once I figured this out, I ordered a grey rabbit felt hat from him, but after selling my prize Stetson 100, I upgraded the order to a beaver felt hat.

Arrived today and I must say I'm very pleased with it. Here are a few quick photos:






Finally, a shot of the great hat on top of my head. This was shortly after unpacking, I've gotten the brim and crease more to my liking since.



As you'd expect, a super quality fedora. I think I'll be wearing this one a lot!

Nice hat..i like the color too

That's a handsome lid you have there! I have a similar style with the same color of felt from John Penman, and it's a great color! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised how that color will go with so many different things.

Best wishes,
Nebraska Schulte

Great hat! Love the colour and texture! W>

that's a gorgeous hat sir!!!! Congratulations!!!!

No matter how many Adventurebilts I see, I'm still amazed by how great they look.

Very nice.

What block shape did you request?

Great lid! Sadly I and many other w ill never own steves artwork

Aragorn658 wrote:Great lid! Sadly I and many other w ill never own steves artwork

never is a long time..im sure you can get one.just save up,sell some things. wont be long you'll be sporting one yourself..

Great looking lid. Someday soon for me too I hope.

Aww AB has enough orders to last a life time I won't bug him. I think ill bug penman

They're both excellent hats.

youngjedi71 wrote:Nice hat..i like the color too

Thanks, Jedi

Nebraska Schulte wrote:That's a handsome lid you have there! I have a similar style with the same color of felt from John Penman, and it's a great color! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised how that color will go with so many different things.

Best wishes,
Nebraska Schulte

Thank you Nebraska. I've seen pics of your grey Penman - fantastic hat. I actually had an order with John for the same hat but I ended up going with his Casablanca instead.

WConly wrote:Great hat! Love the colour and texture! W>

Sammy wrote:that's a gorgeous hat sir!!!! Congratulations!!!!

Thanks, WC and Sammy. I feel very fortunate to be able to own one of these.

Illinois James wrote:What block shape did you request?

James, the block is the one for the movie for which Steve made the hats.

Chewie Louie wrote:Great looking lid. Someday soon for me too I hope.

Thanks CL - hope you get yours soon!

Aragorn658 wrote:Aww AB has enough orders to last a life time I won't bug him. I think ill bug penman

Penman/AB - both fantastic hats. I have both and I'd say the quality is about equal; I couldn't fault either of them.

I wouldn't use Steve's backlog of orders as a reason not to buy from him though. Remember he has been fighting cancer for a long time and you might have noticed that getting sick can be devastatingly expensive in these United States. My feeling is that these new orders are helping Steve pay his bills and also help with getting the materials needed for other hats he still needs to make.

David H,
STUNNING LID!!!! I ordered that exact hat from Steve and can hardly wait till mine arrives! I feel like a kid in a candy store when I see that felt, that ribbon, that liner, that signature....heck, everything about it!

Oh yeah, not to mention that you sport it flawlessly. I can't tell whether the AB complements you or you complement the AB. I think THAT is the mark of a top quality hat

Keep wearin' it well!
-Z

It's great to see that hat! I have that exact hat on order with Steve as well.... also a grey Raiders too.

Even with all the trouble Steve has been having- he still gots the touch!

nicetrylaoche wrote:David H,
STUNNING LID!!!! I ordered that exact hat from Steve and can hardly wait till mine arrives! I feel like a kid in a candy store when I see that felt, that ribbon, that liner, that signature....heck, everything about it!

Oh yeah, not to mention that you sport it flawlessly. I can't tell whether the AB complements you or you complement the AB. I think THAT is the mark of a top quality hat

Keep wearin' it well!
-Z

Thanks, Z!

Yes, there is something about a hat made by the man himself.

Appreciate the compliment as well - I'd say the credit goes to the hat! I've worn a fedora (either vintage or custom) everyday for the last 18 months or so and I must admit, I really enjoy it. Being different is cool!

david_h wrote:Being different is cool!

Very few ever grasp the concept. Remember, though, you aren't being "different." You're being YOU. Cheers.

david_h wrote:

nicetrylaoche wrote: Being different is cool!

There's definitely a phobia of sorts around here (my location) about 'being different.' I've been challenged on it a number of times. I've been accused of being a 'rebel,' and being different just to be different. In actuality, I wear what I wear because of what I like. If what I like looked like everyone else in their sports regalia, then that's what it would be. As it is, I like paramilitary clothing, which I've worn just about my whole life, and fedoras, and in particular, Raiders fedoras. You guys look great in your ABs!

Indiana Bugs wrote:

david_h wrote:

nicetrylaoche wrote: Being different is cool!

There's definitely a phobia of sorts around here (my location) about 'being different.' I've been challenged on it a number of times. I've been accused of being a 'rebel,' and being different just to be different. In actuality, I wear what I wear because of what I like. If what I like looked like everyone else in their sports regalia, then that's what it would be. As it is, I like paramilitary clothing, which I've worn just about my whole life, and fedoras, and in particular, Raiders fedoras. You guys look great in your ABs!

You MUST live in the southeast. Lol

Sent from my ZT ICS using Tapatalk 2

Eccentricity is like a fedora, about the time you get used to wearing one, everyone will be used to seeing you with one. In San Francisco everyone is a rebel, eccentric, or otherwise nonconformist; to really be a nonconformist here you'd have to be a republican and/or obey the traffic rules. You should appreciate the attention because you're somewhere where it makes a difference. Hold onto your hat!

Actually, I live in the northeast, but what I have found is that the further you go from a (big) city, the less tolerant people seem to be regarding anything different. Of course, this is not an absolute, but merely a generalization. The more people you have in a concentrated area, the more potential there is for diversity, so difference is expected and respected.

There is truth in that; I suspect in smaller towns the noncomformists stick out. But that's a sacrifice the man or woman of adventure must make during their explorations. Helps to have a good looking hat atop your skull. And a .45.

Haven't been around much lately. Glad to see Steve is still putting out such fantastic work. Congrats guys you have a true work of art!

Matt

We're re-opening this thread with the hope that things have cooled off somewhat. A member informed us that his AB ordered from a few years back is on its way soon, and so this will give an opportunity to display his hat.


Regarding complaints in this thread:
We fully appreciate and understand the situation with AB.
We feel for the folks who are waiting, but there is nothing we can do about it.

Unlike the delinquent vendors who have been banned, Adventurebilt is still producing hats for members here that do show up on here. For example, a member just informed us that he will be receiving his AB from a few years ago shortly.

There is no reason to allow the display threads to get cluttered with complaints about the business practices of a vendor. In all the years that IndyGear staff have attempted to allow threads for "venting," these threads have not improved the situation one iota. Rather than relieving frustration, these threads tend to snowball and just get everyone even more worked up. Since Fedora has not logged on since last year, these complaint threads are not reaching him.

Any posts in here that are off the topic of displaying Adventurbilt hats and discussion of displayed Adventurebilt hats--off-topic especially includes complaints about vendor practices--will be deleted. Consider this fair warning!

Thanks, guys.

I too wear a Fedora every day, so it's when I'm not wearing one that people think I'm being different.
Steve makes beautiful hats, and I cherish the ones I have.

You guys keep on wearing them beautiful lids, need to take some more of mine......
[quoteActually, I live in the northeast,
][/quote]

May I ask which part of the northeast. Your fashion sense seems to run similar to mine.
Croft