This is directly from the book "Dressed". I wrote it down by hand in the bookstore the day the book came out.
- "The fedora was one that I designed, based on an Australian model" ..... "Lowering the crown and shortening the brim suited Harrison's long face..."
This is all she said about the Raiders hat, besides saying she got it at Herbert Johnson. .... ................. ................ Here's the first hat I lowered in front, from November 2006. (Regular Fed) I did it because Fedora's Raiders hat survey measurements put the front pinch height at around 4 1/2 inches. This was before I ever looked for an old transition line on the Raiders brim.
A weird thing- lowering just the front of the crown, transitioning crown into brim, , in effect, gives you a "dimensional cut" - without any cutting. Another thing- if this transitioning was done before the hat was turned, (likely), you might see this-(from Raiders) a diagonal line that indictes the extent, left to right, of the transitioning in front. Pretty close to the front pinch now, because the hat got turned after?
................ ............................... ............................................Fedora said
But if you buy an older HJ, you will not see the really low stitches
I have an HJ from I'd guess the 40's, and the sweat is sewn in about 4 mm above the brim break, like you say. My 1973 model is sewn in at the break. They both have nylon or wire reeds. Niether have a "flanged" reed. For a transition to end up out on the brim, you'd have to cut the reed, or move the sweat up into the crown. Someone just borrowed my Raiders DVD permanently. I think if the blueray version comes out, we can see whats really going on.
Fedora- since you shaved, you look a lot like Harrison Ford in your new avatar.