Club Obi Wan

Wow John that looks fantastic! I am planning on one day having the fedora from every film. I know exactly where I'm getting my crystal skull, last crusade and temple

The problem with getting a SoC hat is once you get it the felt is dark and the dust sticks out and than it sort of doesn't look that great. But if I where to get a Penmann, I would tell John how light colored the felt I would like it. Todds has some movie dirt Shemere is the name. You could just take your old hat and put some movie dirt on. Saves money.

Regards from a gentleman: baddates1

The problem with getting a SoC hat is once you get it the felt is dark and the dust sticks out and than it sort of doesn't look that great.

Not exactly getting the problem. That's like saying the problem with buying a red car is that it's red.

The whole point of buying the SOC hat is getting the dusty, salt stained look without having to put the hat through the destructive process of being soaked with sweat, baked in 110 + degree heat and having dirt ground into it.

And unless you have a hat that has the right block shape and dimensions, all you're going to get from dirtying up an existing hat is a dirty hat with the wrong block shape and dimensions that's trying to look like a hat that it isn't; which in my book is the worst of all possible worlds.

As for buying lighter colored felt, you are pretty much stuck with the available colors. You can go dark brown, whiskey, pecan, camel or even sahara, but the right color is dark brown, which starts very dark and lightens (or fades) with use. Even the SOC hats that Garrison and Penman produce are dark brown when you get them.

Although as with anything there are "slight" color variations with different dye lots, I have 7 hats made with dark brown Winchester felt (5 in beaver and 2 in rabbit) which were made over a 5-6 year span and their starting shade of brown was pretty consistent. (The rabbit ones were maybe a bit darker.) Based on that admittedly unscientific sampling method, I don't think you could have John pick out a "lighter" dark brown body to start with, but who knows.

In any event, given that felt hats "fade" with exposure to sunlight I would caution against buying one that's too light to begin with. It's much better to "earn the fade" by putting the hat between you and the sun.

Everytime I see this subject title, I think, 'well, we need to have complete coverage....', so here's a few to consider, just to make sure we've got all the bases covered.

http://www.superpages.com/yellowpages/C ... L/T-Cairo/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Then I realized, that's NOT what you were asking, so I walked away.....

Nothing . . . .

I've got nothing . . . .

Ridgerunner58 wrote: The whole point of buying the SOC hat is getting the dusty, salt stained look without having to put the hat through the destructive process of being soaked with sweat, baked in 110 + degree heat and having dirt ground into it.

Not necessarily the only way to achieve the correct "CAIRO distressed felt" result.
Are other methods of distressing, to get the desirable look.

Also I think the usual confusion is to see the CAIRO hat too light in color on screen.
When in fact we're seeing "ambar" undertones of the felt.
Is the way that particular felt reflects the sunlight (and artificial lighting too), through the camera.

Ridgerunner58 wrote: As for buying lighter colored felt, you are pretty much stuck with the available colors. You can go dark brown, whiskey, pecan, camel or even sahara, but the right color is dark brown, which starts very dark and lightens (or fades) with use.

I've come to see countless amounts of brown shades in different felts. From almost black, to very light brown.
Everything depends on the manufacturing and dyeing process.

Ridgerunner58 wrote:In any event, given that felt hats "fade" with exposure to sunlight I would caution against buying one that's too light to begin with. It's much better to "earn the fade" by putting the hat between you and the sun.

The correct felt color will fade perfectly with use and sun exposure.
You wouldn't end up with a white felt hat!


After all the development process on the vintage felt project, I'm 99% sure we've achieve the screen accurate RAIDERS color/undertones felt.
The only 1% doubt is because I've never had the chance to handle any screen-used fedora...but..."I'm working on it....I'm working on it"

BTW, the felt.

Indiego Jones, I agree with everything you are saying. There are several ways to get those results. I think your color is correct but what ridgerunner 58 is saying is that all felt will fade a little after the first year or so. The choice is, SA out of the box for a short time or wait a short time and have a SA color for a long time.

BendingOak wrote:Indiego Jones, I agree with everything you are saying. There are several ways to get those results. I think your color is correct but what ridgerunner 58 is saying is that all felt will fade a little after the first year or so. The choice is, SA out of the box for a short time or wait a short time and have a SA color for a long time.

John, I understand your point.

What I'm saying is the felt I posted is exactly the same color/undertone as the original Raiders hat, in new condition.
So, it will fade exactly the way the original Raiders felt would do.

Regards.-

I've come to see countless amounts of brown shades in different felts. From almost black, to very light brown.
Everything depends on the manufacturing and dyeing process.

I was just referring to my experience with the shade of Winchester dark brown felt that Steve Delk and John Penman use.

I'm sure there's a lot of variation among other manufacturers, and probably even in terms of what Winchester will manufacture. What's remarkable is that there is great consistency in the color of the felt both over time, and from those two makers. I can tell the hats apart but not based on their color. (Other than my favorite Penman, of course, which has nearly 4 years of wear under its sweatband)

From what I can see, the photos above capture the same color. Other than the amount of reverse taper I would swear I was looking at a picture of my favorite Penman.

Ridgerunner58 wrote:From what I can see, the photos above capture the same color. Other than the amount of reverse taper I would swear I was looking at a picture of my favorite Penman.

Maybe in some pictures captures the same color, depending on different lighting conditions and camera lens.
But I can tell you, this felt is very different from the Winchester's dark brown.

Just a FYI, I use felt from 3 different felters.

Well that blows my theory.

I still have 3 from you, 3 from Steve and 1 from Garrison that, after adjusting for wear, were pretty much the same color of dark brown on day 1.

After 4 years (including one re-block) the first one I got from you has faded to pretty much the color seen above.

A clarification on the felt I posted; that is a special limited felt run we have. Not our standard felt (wich is high quality too).
The limited run was made under our specific specs, to replicate as closest as possible the original Raiders era HJ felt (1980's).

Michaelson wrote:Everytime I see this subject title, I think, 'well, we need to have complete coverage....', so here's a few to consider, just to make sure we've got all the bases covered.

http://www.superpages.com/yellowpages/C ... L/T-Cairo/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Then I realized, that's NOT what you were asking, so I walked away.....

And, Michaelson, you owe me a keyboard.



Regards,

Indiana Jeff

I have a Penman Raider and Cairo.
I love both hats. I have been in the
music business for years and I use the
Cairo all winter long on stage.
I have had both for going on 5 years
and they are holding up great.
As was said, the sanded look wears off
after a while, but that can be remedied.

My next on is the Traveler.

With Jason somewhat out of the running (just cause he ain`t producing any hats right now ), the new undisputed King in IMO! is the Special Edition Herbert Johnson Replica Streets of Cairo by Steel & Jones!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h304/ ... 2ddf65.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
More pics and a complete review to come as soon as this fierce rainy weather subsides!

Gorak wrote:With Jason somewhat out of the running (just cause he ain`t producing any hats right now ), the new undisputed King in IMO! is the Special Edition Herbert Johnson Replica Streets of Cairo by Steel & Jones!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h304/ ... 2ddf65.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
More pics and a complete review to come as soon as this fierce rainy weather subsides!

I'm definatly looking forward to your review and more pics.

Awesome pics Gorak, that Raiders hat looks 100% screen accurate, i hope you would post more pics soon