Club Obi Wan

Hey guys! I just got back from a study trip to London and on the last day, I had some time to wander down St. James's Street and paid a visit to Herbert Johnson, now known as Swaine Adeney. The sign was different, but the label inside the hats was instantly recognisable. I tried on a poet in a size 57, which was just too big for me. The felt was like an Akubra Federation out of the box, but was much smoother.
My principal, who was also in need of a hat because he had lost his tweed cap in the London Scienece Museum, came too. He bought a HJ rollable fedora. It didn't have a leather sweatband or liner, but the felt was quite soft, and the crown and brim suited him quite well. Pretty cool to have your principal joining the fedora-bandwagon. I didn't buy a fedora there, but the atmosphere was nice and the salesman was welcoming. I opted for a gray and blue tweed cap with a HJ crested liner.
I wanted to visit Lock & Co., too, which was just down the hill but we didn't have enough time.

Ray

Pics?

No pics (camera was in someone else's backpack who wasn't with us), but even if i did, they aren't really worth seeing. It's nothing like an old hatter. It's like a modern haberdasher but with a much larger selection of hats. There was a itty bitty Indy shrine with a LC bash with a pic of ol' Harry next to it. The hats were all open crown piled on top of each other. Many of the ribbons were mashed down.

Glad to hear you had a good time in London.

It's a shame you never got to visit Locke and Co. The people who work there are really quite pleasant to speak to.

Take a dig in the thread below and you'll find a few pics from both places, VP:

viewtopic.php?t=10542

Regards,
Swindy

VP - next UK summit, you'd better tag along!

My parents won't let me.

I'd better have a serious talk with them when the time comes...