Club Obi Wan

I received a pamphlet from these folks (after requesting one through their website) to see what they produce, as they custom make cowboy hats and the like. What I found MOST interesting and amusing was the fact they offer one they actually call an 'Indiana Jones', and it's one of fedoras they can make on order. It has a decent crown height, but a 3 inch brim, and a 1 inch ribbon with standard bow. Now, you'd think a company located where Harrison Ford actually LIVES would take the time to get the details right before creating a 'custom' hat using the IJ name, wouldn't you? They're asking in the neighborhood of $385 or so for the creation, so Fedora's offerings are just looking better and better, and they're RIGHT detail wise, for Pete's sake. Regards. Michaelson

I'm quite suprised they can get away with calling it an 'Indiana Jones', legally speaking that is.

What sort of felt is it Michaelson? Do they specify?

Regards

Al

10x beaver. They offer 3 versions of hat felting, one 'mainly rabbit' (their words) $200, the second 10x $300, and the third 'pure beaver', $400. Add to that cost the price of band, brim edging etc, and you have your hat price. As we ALL know the 'x'ing of the beaver content is all over the scope, so take it for what that's worth. From everything I've heard and read, though, these folks make a fine cowboy hat, and the material is what they claim it to be. They're kinda pricey, when compared to other fine cowboy hat makers, such as PB, as you can get JUST as nice a hat from PB for 1/3 to 2/3 the same monies. That's just a personal opinion and observation, though. Me? Biased? Nah....

As to the naming of the hat, I agree, and there's no Lucasfilm licensing feature mentioned anywhere in connection to the hat. I'm just wondering if they may have an inside track with Ford, and somehow duck that scrunity? I'm just surmising out loud here.... Regards. Michaelson

Hey, now that would be interesting. An inside track with Ford...imagine - hat maker to Indy IV!

(personally, I think that honour should go to... Fedora!)

Believe it or not, my first hat was from the Jackson Hole Hat Company. This was before the internet, and I saw an article in the local newspaper about a husband and wife team who hand made hats. I called them, and told them what I was looking for, the Fedora style. I also got the silver belly color. The hat was $125 back then. I still have it. I tried to trade it to Art, but he did not want it at all, not even to resell. It is poor quality felt, and is so stiff, it could be used to ship a pizza!

The workmanship was not the problem, it was the felt. Low quality western style with glaring imperfections and lumpy spots. This hat is now about 15 years old. I don't know what they offer today.

I don't see JHHCo. in any kind of contention there, my friend. They are strictly cowboy hat makers, and cater to the cowboys who live and work there, and the out of town jetsetters who ski the area.

Andy, they do indeed push the hat 'stiffner' in their pamphlet, so I have a feeling it doesn't matter what the felt is made of....it's going to get dosed with stiffner! Regards. Michaelson

I've noticed that it's not listed on their website, so they just might be flying under the Lucas radar.

Agreed.,,,,but being available only in 'hard copy' is a pretty dangerous way to fly, in my opinion. To easy for the lawyers to prove their case! Then again, maybe Ford is a stock holder.... Regards. Michaelson

Copyright infringement ... very dangerous ... you go first.

"Flying under radar?" Not now! With the viewings this site gets -- well, let's just say there is probably a new Marshall in town by now! W>

I too received a brochure Saturday. I attempted to get an Indy style hat a couple of years ago without any luck. I sent them detailed pictures and dimensions and in turn I got a hat that was nothing like an Indy hat. The only thing I didn't do was send them one of my own Indy hats to copy. I can attest to the stiffness of the felt. It is stiffer than any other felt I have handled (you can drive nails with it ). It is also VERY thick. I ended up exchanging it for a cowboy hat (I am a native Texan and have never owned a cowboy hat ), which was later remade into a LC style fedora by Peters Brothers (there are no refunds, just exchanges). I very rarely say this, but I would recommend staying VERY far away from JHHCO (as if I had to say that at all )

Yep, that's some real classy catalog! Ya gotta give it to these city boys. That thar YELLA hat they have with the BLUE leather trim is mighty purty! Jes might appeal to some of them fancy fellas over at the ol' lounge.

Bushman

Yeah, I got one too. Seems like they used this site to get a mailing list. I chuckled at the Indy model. No one seems to know what it should look like. Keep it up fellers. I like some of their other hats though. With so many folks using the Indy name, Lucas must have decided it was too prevalent to sue. Hope so anyways. Fedora

Fedora wrote:Yeah, I got one too. Seems like they used this site to get a mailing list. I chuckled at the Indy model. No one seems to know what it should look like. Keep it up fellers. I like some of their other hats though. With so many folks using the Indy name, Lucas must have decided it was too prevalent to sue. Hope so anyways. Fedora

Hopefully they won't single out the ones that get it right...

Indiana Jerry wrote:

Fedora wrote:Yeah, I got one too. Seems like they used this site to get a mailing list. I chuckled at the Indy model. No one seems to know what it should look like. Keep it up fellers. I like some of their other hats though. With so many folks using the Indy name, Lucas must have decided it was too prevalent to sue. Hope so anyways. Fedora

Hopefully they won't single out the ones that get it right...

In most situations, Lucas isn't the one going after the folks who are using the name without merit. When a product is offered that directly infringes on a licensed company, that company usually complains to Lucasfilm who then issues a cease and desist order. This happened recently in the modeling world. You had a die cast company who produced a model of the Millennium Falcon. It was horribly innaccurate, and poorly done, but they wanted $300 for it. There was a small garage kit company who was gearing up to produce a resin Falcon in 1/48 scale and they did not have a license. The resin model was by far superior in every way. They got the C&D from Lucasfilm because the diecast company complained. As long as Dorfmann Pacific doesn't get wind of Adventurebilt, everything should be good...

What are the chances of seeing this gem?

jts1031 wrote:As long as Dorfmann Pacific doesn't get wind of Adventurebilt, everything should be good...

Now that would just be wrong. If that happened, I could see most gearheads buying up all the DPs just to send them back to Lucas after they've been through a chipper-shredder w/ a single short note saying, "Please stop the madness."

(p.s. I almost wrote, "Soilent Green is DP 551s!", and although I think George would appreciate it, I don't think he'd understand what we were trying to achieve...)

(p.p.s. I am in fact wearing a DP 551 on my head as I type this...which I have been tweaking endlessly, and I think my new vow will be not to own another hat until it comes from Steve Detko. My hypocrisy, it appears, does in fact know no bounds... )

Bushman wrote:Yep, that's some real classy catalog! Ya gotta give it to these city boys. That thar YELLA hat they have with the BLUE leather trim is mighty purty! Jes might appeal to some of them fancy fellas over at the ol' lounge.

Bushman

I see you winked! Don't include ME in the" Lounge" crowd..many I know over there would cringe. JHHC....their hats and colors ****. I haven't seen the catalog...how did anyone get names off the site to send catalogs? Hummmm they used to be on line..lemmem GOOGLE.


Edit: here is the link for those who care.

http://www.jhhatco.com/

I have inlaws who live in Jackson, and they put me on the mailing list. That's how I got one. Regards. Michaelson

Andykev!

There are worse things than a fancy hat. Heck, we have guys on this forum talking about wearing dresses!

Bushman

jts1031 wrote:

Indiana Jerry wrote:

Fedora wrote:Yeah, I got one too. Seems like they used this site to get a mailing list. I chuckled at the Indy model. No one seems to know what it should look like. Keep it up fellers. I like some of their other hats though. With so many folks using the Indy name, Lucas must have decided it was too prevalent to sue. Hope so anyways. Fedora

Hopefully they won't single out the ones that get it right...

In most situations, Lucas isn't the one going after the folks who are using the name without merit. When a product is offered that directly infringes on a licensed company, that company usually complains to Lucasfilm who then issues a cease and desist order. This happened recently in the modeling world. You had a die cast company who produced a model of the Millennium Falcon. It was horribly innaccurate, and poorly done, but they wanted $300 for it. There was a small garage kit company who was gearing up to produce a resin Falcon in 1/48 scale and they did not have a license. The resin model was by far superior in every way. They got the C&D from Lucasfilm because the diecast company complained. As long as Dorfmann Pacific doesn't get wind of Adventurebilt, everything should be good...

One of the other factors to consider is that you cannot really restrict the production of a brown fedora like you can a Stormtrooper (TM) Helmet, since you could go find several from the appropriate era that were worn to be real hats. You can likely get LFL involved if the words official and Indiana Jones are used together to advertise your product, but if your advert reads:

" Inspired by classic film characters like Bogart's Fred Dobbs in "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" and Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones , etc. ....

(all trademarks and copyrights are the properties of their respective licensees. This is not an official product)"

then you are at least somewhat better off. I will be doing more research on this too.

Peace
Ken/ JJ

Renderking Fisk wrote:What are the chances of seeing this gem?

Sorry it's taken so long to get a picture of this up. My scanner went down and I had to get a new one.

So there it is, and it's a... cowboy hat. Indiana Jones? Right.

No competition from Jackson Hole Hat Co., then...