Club Obi Wan

Garret, just so you know, i just sent payment to John with my order and requested a "Garrett" hat. The mushroom effect is amazing!!! It doesn't look like it's been distressed though? I thought I read John puts little touches, ie fake sweat stains, etc. into his SoC hats. Maybe you'd requested it to be pristine? I think I might let mine age naturally as well....I sure have time to think about it Amazing hat!( John, that goes out to you, of course!!!)

David

Yeah, Garrett,

It's possible that John may have to name this particular Raiders look after you.

I've been saving photos of your hat. I'm definitely going to ask for a "Garrett" when I order mine.

Congrats again!

DHW

I agree with everyone here about your hat, Garrett! In fact, I now have plans for a Penman Rabbit Raiders... all because your hat convinced me!

Garrett wrote:No Problem - Here's my Penman Raiders Rabbit - This thing keeps gettin' better and better!

http://i522.photobucket.com/albums/w342 ... G_3782.jpg
http://i522.photobucket.com/albums/w342 ... G_3789.jpg

Moderator edit: please refresh yourself with the rules regarding image size: http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=41780

Absolutely class, but come on!!! Noggin shots!!

Here ya go, Ian

COW Mods - is this better?

Oh yes!! Awesome!! Got one of John's Raiders lids coming my way in the next few months.

Ian wrote:

Garrett wrote:No Problem - Here's my Penman Raiders Rabbit - This thing keeps gettin' better and better!

http://i522.photobucket.com/albums/w342 ... G_3782.jpg
http://i522.photobucket.com/albums/w342 ... G_3789.jpg

Moderator edit: please refresh yourself with the rules regarding image size: http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=41780

Absolutely class, but come on!!! Noggin shots!!

I love that. "Noggin shots"

Garrett wrote: COW Mods - is this better?

Perfect. Thanks.

A Penman is best when perched on top of the gord, I always say!

How strange...

I went to High School with a Gord Noggin...

Sonovagun had a HUGE head but he ALWAYS wore a nice fedora...

...looked really nice on him, too.





............






well...

alright... I admit it...

I'm only joshin'...

Well, since everyone seemed happy to see more of my LC Beaver, here are couple more of my Raiders Beaver Seaplane Gray.

One Bathroom shot, and one "myspace" style using the flash!

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak ... 2032_n.jpg

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak ... 1340_n.jpg

Thanks again, John!

Daren Henry Wilkerson

Thats a nice hat you got there Daren!

Daren- everytime I see your Penmans it throws me off for a second... since my Penman Raiders Seaplane has a taller crown than yours, and my Penman LC has a shorter crown than yours. But I must really say- both of them look just GREAT on you! You definitely pull off both looks!

jnicktem wrote:Daren- everytime I see your Penmans it throws me off for a second... since my Penman Raiders Seaplane has a taller crown than yours, and my Penman LC has a shorter crown than yours. But I must really say- both of them look just GREAT on you! You definitely pull off both looks!

Thats because his LC hat wasn't made for him. If I made him a LC hat I would have made the crown height lower but then again Steve really likes his LC hat. So, what do I know.


You know I really need my own mad hatter icon

And I still contend that my Seaplane hat is too short to be SA on me, though I think it suits me perfectly for an overall "looks good on you though" basis. So I give John points for that, no doubt. And I also agree that even though my LC wasn't made for me, the height is correct to be SA, and I think it looks good. John and I have discussed this a fair amount, so he knows I feel this way. Regardless, I love they way BOTH hats look on me, so its purely academic at this point.

You have to remember too that my first "SA" hat was an HJ from Todd's, which was definitely too tall, but I wore it for a year before I had either of my Penman's, so by the time I got John's hats, I was sort of used to a tall hat. When I got the LC, which was noticeably shorter than my HJ, I thought, "YES! This is perfect!" (even though it wasn't made for me) Then I got my Seaplane hat, which was made for me, and I thought, "Hmm, this seems a little short (to be SA)", but I was actually rather glad, because, let's face it, the average Indy hat is pretty darn tall!

No matter, I want my Penman Beaver Raiders Hero hat to be as tall as my LC. To me, the Raiders hat is a tall hat. As Steve once said, its a caricature. Yes, I want my Raiders hat to look good on me, but I want to look like Indy too, so there has to be that exaggeration I think between fitting MY face, and looking like THE character. But that's just me.

Daren Henry W

DarenHenryW wrote:Then I got my Seaplane hat, which was made for me, and I thought, "Hmm, this seems a little short (to be SA)"

Really? Actually, seems perfect on you and SA to me! Another great hat Daren (I'll have mine around next summer!)

DarenHenryW wrote:I hope I'm not boring everybody with with more pics of me wearing my Penman LC in my bathroom, but I took these tonight, and I like them, so here they are:

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak ... 8366_n.jpg

That is a REALLY nice hat, even by the usual Penman Indy standards. I hope mine comes out that well!

Hey, is that suit navy, or is it just the light?

John, have you got a color between light grey and the darker, charcoal grey?

...never mind. I think the Henry grey thread has the answer. Just saw it.

John has steel grey, which falls in between granite and charcoal grey. I like the steel grey a lot. Great pounce job on it. That might be what you are looking for.

Dave

...hmmm could be!

Chewbacca Jones wrote:

DarenHenryW wrote:I hope I'm not boring everybody with with more pics of me wearing my Penman LC in my bathroom, but I took these tonight, and I like them, so here they are:

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak ... 8366_n.jpg

That is a REALLY nice hat, even by the usual Penman Indy standards. I hope mine comes out that well!

Hey, is that suit navy, or is it just the light?

Thanks! If I know John, your hat will probably be NICER! I think John's work gets better with every hat!

Yes, the suit is Navy. It is some sort of vintage suit. I bought it about 12 years ago at a swap meet. The person selling it had a tag in it that said "1950's?" Clearly, she wasn't sure, but I think its probably about right.

I want to order a Magnoli Washington Suit for my wedding! It'll be very similar, but it will be nice to have a brand new, "Vintage" suit, custom-made. And since mine is single breasted with a vest, it'll be nice to have a double-breasted, just like Indy's! And it'll go great with BOTH my Penmans! Steerpike showed me pics of his Magnoli Washington suit! It's gorgeous!

Now how about some more Penman hat pics?

DHW

The grey's I have are

-Granite
-steel
-charcoal

BendingOak wrote:The grey's I have are

-Granite
-steel
-charcoal

I want one of each... and then I'M DONE!!! I SWEAR!!!

jnicktem wrote:

BendingOak wrote:The grey's I have are

-Granite
-steel
-charcoal

I want one of each... and then I'M DONE!!! I SWEAR!!!

No swearing. This is a family forum.

jnicktem wrote:

BendingOak wrote:The grey's I have are

-Granite
-steel
-charcoal

I want one of each... and then I'M DONE!!! I SWEAR!!!

I won't be happy until I sale you one in each color I offer.

Oh great- you are probably soaking your sweatbands in the same poisonous tree bark soap that Marc uses to try to get me to buy more hats!

I am connecting the dots here John... and I have to say... I don't mind all that much!

jnicktem wrote:Oh great- you are probably soaking your sweatbands in the same poisonous tree bark soap that Marc uses to try to get me to buy more hats!

I am connecting the dots here John... and I have to say... I don't mind all that much!

A secret that Marc keeps from me.

Hey- he probably used it on you too!!!

I am now the proud owner of a Penman and wanted to take a minute and thank John for his time and effort in making an order right.

I ordered a beaver Seaplane hat late last spring. It arrived in early November. John sent me the pictures before he mailed it. The hat I took from the box, though, looked nothing like the one in the photos. The box had been pancaked during shipping and the bash was completely out of sorts.

I was disappointed, but not with Penman. He does not control the mail. I adjusted the bash and put it on my head. It felt tight from the start. I emailed John and he asked me to give it some more time.

I fiddled with it through the holidays and the hat did not loosen up. It was simply too tight; so much that it hurt when I put it. I was disappointed because it was the second custom order that had not gone right. (Another hatter had previously not followed through with an order.) I figured I had waited too long to contact Penman and regretted not sending it back earlier.

I posted the hat in the Classifieds here. John saw the posting and contacted me, curious as to why I was selling a brand new hat. The bottom line was that it simply did not fit. John asked for a chance to make the order right. I returned it in late January.

Typically, I wear a size 56 when buying off the rack and have a slight long oval. I had measured my head when I bought a FED IV in late 2008 and thought I was a 21 7/8. The Fed IV fit well enough so I thought the measurement was good. I re-measured when I initially ordered with John and again obtained 21 7/8.

John checked the hat upon its return along with some photos I provided him. John said the size checked out, but he would reblock or remake if necessary. He was concerned over the measurement, though, and wondered if I pulled the tape measure too tight.

John said he was trying to figure out a better way to do measurements for mail order customers. He asked for some patience. A few days later, he called me. He was sending me some medical tape measures made into crowns, taped at 21 7’8 – 22 – and 22 1’8. He asked me to try them on and get back with him.

The 21 7/8 crown fit too tight. The 22 1/8 left some gaps on the sides. The 22 fit the best. I took photos of the measurements and contacted John. He felt that he had the information he needed and could reblock my hat.

The hat arrived on February 20. I was very pleased. The post office did not pancake it this time. The granite gray color is deep and even. The felt is buttery smooth. The ribbon work puts my Fed IV ribbon to shame (and its pretty good). I then nervously placed the hat on my head and.... it felt really good. It sits a bit lower than my other hats, but is well off the ears and very comfortable. I don’t need sizing tape and there are no gaps on the sides. The sweat has already started to conform.

I want to thank John Penman for his audacity in sending me that PM. I was not in the mood to talk to him that night, but he politely and persistently kept inquiring. He wanted to make the order right and make the customer satisfied. He stands behind his word and his product. His passion for his business is obvious after talking with him for any length of time. I appreciate his time and effort in giving me the fedora I wanted.

http://s813.photobucket.com/albums/zz53/deputyjedi/

Great story DJ! My first Penman was a Grey Seaplane as well! He makes a fantastic hat- and it is well known by now that his service is equally fantastic!

Congrats on the fine Penman!

The seaplane hat is a great way to go!

You just can't beat John's customer service. I own 3 Penmans and he treats each hat like its making a great first impression. Thanks John.

Matt

I'm really glad you published this story, Deputy Jedi. I have never had any problems with my hats or my service, but I must say that I have always gotten the sense while doing business with John or just talking to him on the phone that he really wants to make his customers very happy. He's no fool, and he won't allow people to take advantage of him, but he sincerely wants to right anything when he feels he is responsible. You can absolutely be sure that if you put your faith in him, he will positively make sure you are happy and satisfied (and coming back for more!)

He's one of the many reasons I love COW: great people, great service, great product.

Daren Henry W

See, John? This is what you get for the kind of excellent service & product you supply... equally positive flattery and praise.


Thank you, DJ for sharing your story with us... not only am I really happy for you and the final outcome... but this is also the kinda' story about John (and Penman Hats) that I canNOT get enough of.

Thanks everyone all for your kind words. This is a pretty fun group. I have lurked here alot since Crystal Skull and have learned WAY TOO MUCH about fedoras, but its all been fun. My Fed IV is in taupe so my next purchase this year is the brown hero!!

Dub-Ya,

Izzat a blue suit and brown hat?

..can't take some folks anywhere!

Sorry if this has been asked before;

The Raiders in John's 360 video seem to be a lighter colour than other Penman Raiders lids that I've seen around here. Is that because it's been worn in or due to a different coloured felt?

It seems more SA to me, but I'm new to all this so I could be completely wrong.

When I first got my Penman, almost two years ago, it was a dark brown. It looked just like what you typically see here. But now, it has settled into a mellow, lighter brown, like what we see on screen. But, that is my go to hat. I have three hats that I wear almost all the time: my larger speced AB, charcoal Penman, and my Raiders Penman. So, with regular wear, that hat will lighten up to a beautiful brown.

Dave

DR Ulloa wrote:When I first got my Penman, almost two years ago, it was a dark brown. It looked just like what you typically see here. But now, it has settled into a mellow, lighter brown, like what we see on screen. But, that is my go to hat. I have three hats that I wear almost all the time: my larger speced AB, charcoal Penman, and my Raiders Penman. So, with regular wear, that hat will lighten up to a beautiful brown.

Dave

Thanks Dave,

Did you already post pics of your Penman Raiders?

Ian

I've posted pics of it in the past. I don't have any recent pictures. I'll see if I can snap off a photograph or two this week so you can see it. I'll also post it along side the first pics I took of it.

Dave

Cheers Dave!

Please don't put yourself out though, I was just curious. I guess, though, the people here don't need much excuse to post pictures of their hats.

Ian

Ian wrote:Sorry if this has been asked before;

The Raiders in John's 360 video seem to be a lighter colour than other Penman Raiders lids that I've seen around here. Is that because it's been worn in or due to a different coloured felt?

It seems more SA to me, but I'm new to all this so I could be completely wrong.

Steve Delk aka Fedora is the one who picked this color from the felter. He did this knowing that all felt will fade from the sun in the first year or so. This way it would fade into the perfect SA color. It might not be SA color right out of the box but will be soon and for the rest of it's life.

[/quote]
It might not be SA color right out of the box but will be soon and for the rest of it's life.[/quote]

Thanks Mr Bogart!

Deputy Jedi wrote: This is a pretty fun group.

I agree. This is an awesome group!

DHW

Deputy Jedi wrote:I am now the proud owner of a Penman and wanted to take a minute and thank John for his time and effort in making an order right.

I ordered a beaver Seaplane hat late last spring. It arrived in early November. John sent me the pictures before he mailed it. The hat I took from the box, though, looked nothing like the one in the photos. The box had been pancaked during shipping and the bash was completely out of sorts.

I was disappointed, but not with Penman. He does not control the mail. I adjusted the bash and put it on my head. It felt tight from the start. I emailed John and he asked me to give it some more time.

I fiddled with it through the holidays and the hat did not loosen up. It was simply too tight; so much that it hurt when I put it. I was disappointed because it was the second custom order that had not gone right. (Another hatter had previously not followed through with an order.) I figured I had waited too long to contact Penman and regretted not sending it back earlier.

I posted the hat in the Classifieds here. John saw the posting and contacted me, curious as to why I was selling a brand new hat. The bottom line was that it simply did not fit. John asked for a chance to make the order right. I returned it in late January.

Typically, I wear a size 56 when buying off the rack and have a slight long oval. I had measured my head when I bought a FED IV in late 2008 and thought I was a 21 7/8. The Fed IV fit well enough so I thought the measurement was good. I re-measured when I initially ordered with John and again obtained 21 7/8.

John checked the hat upon its return along with some photos I provided him. John said the size checked out, but he would reblock or remake if necessary. He was concerned over the measurement, though, and wondered if I pulled the tape measure too tight.

John said he was trying to figure out a better way to do measurements for mail order customers. He asked for some patience. A few days later, he called me. He was sending me some medical tape measures made into crowns, taped at 21 7’8 – 22 – and 22 1’8. He asked me to try them on and get back with him.

The 21 7/8 crown fit too tight. The 22 1/8 left some gaps on the sides. The 22 fit the best. I took photos of the measurements and contacted John. He felt that he had the information he needed and could reblock my hat.

The hat arrived on February 20. I was very pleased. The post office did not pancake it this time. The granite gray color is deep and even. The felt is buttery smooth. The ribbon work puts my Fed IV ribbon to shame (and its pretty good). I then nervously placed the hat on my head and.... it felt really good. It sits a bit lower than my other hats, but is well off the ears and very comfortable. I don’t need sizing tape and there are no gaps on the sides. The sweat has already started to conform.

I want to thank John Penman for his audacity in sending me that PM. I was not in the mood to talk to him that night, but he politely and persistently kept inquiring. He wanted to make the order right and make the customer satisfied. He stands behind his word and his product. His passion for his business is obvious after talking with him for any length of time. I appreciate his time and effort in giving me the fedora I wanted.

http://s813.photobucket.com/albums/zz53/deputyjedi/

I'm sorry it took me this long to reply to you. I read this a couple of times and was so touched that I didn't know what to say. I guess thats it. Someone finally found a way to shut up this New Yorker.
Thank you very much for the kind words. I'm glade I could make this right for you.

...which is not easy to do!

My Penman LC kept me company on my families trip to DC this weekend. Check em out.




Few more on my scrapbook thread here viewtopic.php?f=11&t=45726
Thanks again for a wonderful hat John!

Travis

Perfect weather for wearing a Penman!

Travis,

Great shot of the two of you together.

Travis,

Love the shots, in particular the side shot, really shows it off. (You don't tend to get a lot of side noggin shots) Great shape and really suits!!

Ian