This being the ninth and final Indy fedora, it is funny that even with the obvious quality out of the box, the human brain does not immediately like change. After three long years with the Akubra Federation, I don't think my mind was prepared and when first placed on my head, my mind said, "Wait a sec...This isn't right....Or is it?"
In went the Raiders DVD, pause went the remote, shot by shot. The AB matched up perfectly, the Akubra did not. So I went back to the mirror with the AB on and stared at it for a good twenty minutes when I should have been doing work on my thesis. The brim had pancacked slightly in shipment so the hands went to work and soon the hat started to take on its Cairo self again.
The workmanship is unlike anything I have ever experienced with a hat before. As a veteran of the Dorfman and the Stetson, an outright victim of the Peters Bros., and a die-hard fan of the Akubra, my eyes are a little more trained and paranoid than they probably should be.
I kept telling myself how weathered my Akubra was, and how this hat would eventually take on the same look, only 100% better. See, I WEAR my hats in all conditions, everywhere, so this probably won't take long. Needless to say, this hat is the one to beat. A little more coaxing of the brim and a few good bouts with the elements and this will easily be the perfect Raiders fedora - hands down.
The picture I took for this post isn't the best and doesn't give a good idea of what I am talking about, but I plan to get some better pictures as soon as my camera battery recharges and the weather is agreeable.
It's really poetic justice that it finally took an Indy fan to recreate the Raiders fedora - and it's even more poetic that for many veteran Indy fans like myself, their quest will end at the hands of this other Indy fan.
Steve, it's been a long road since the Indyfan days and I know the road before that was even longer. Thank you so very much for everything you have done, all the money you have invested, the time, and the energy. This really is a quest come to an end.
With all sincerity,
Michael French
)
Regards, Brett
