Club Obi Wan

Pretty straight foreward. Thanks to the Avaitor, it looks like HJ may be about to make some drastic improvements on the quality of their product. (see this post: viewtopic.php?t=13267)

So. If HJ were to improve their product, would you be interested in buying a hat from them? :junior: -IJ

If they make a better hat and are still the company that made the original hat why not? This is the Indygear forum, and sometimes the most authentic is the best pic for me.

I know that when I have the money, I'm going with AB. Why do I need someone who's been prodded into making an Indy hat. Sounds like someone already has it down to a science and that man makes Adventurebilts. When the day comes, it's Fortune and Glory for me.

Just one more thing on this subject. I Just checked the exchange rate and that hat is $289. I would get two ABs made of bunny for that. One brown and one gay.

I think it's interesting that HJ seems so interested in the "exact hat" all of a sudden. Does anyone think it has aything to do with Indy IV? Maybe they want to make sure they're still in the running as a hat supplier for the film, or maybe they're getting prodded from "top men?"

Personally, even if they started using the same block and felt as the original, I'd be suprised if they got it spot on. I agree that Steve has the "magic touch" that makes the AdventureBilt my favourite. Besides, for less than a Herbert Johnson, you can get a CUSTOM AdventureBilt shaped, pounced, and made to your liking.

Would I get an HJ if they found the original block, etc? Maybe. But if I wanted a quality fedora, I'd hands down go with an AB first. It's just too "vintage" a hat!

bink

prairiejones wrote:One brown and one gay.

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

What with all the talented people we already have here that can make wonderful hats, I'm not so sure that I would buy.

That could be Bink, but I think it was mentioned that it was a new-comer to the HJ company. Avaitor speculated that he had heard all this stuff about how great the HJ was, and was disappointed that the company he was working for could produce such a bad hat. :junior: -IJ

Yep, I read that, IJ. But it still intrigues me a little in case there IS a realation to IndyIV!

bink

good point. It could also be this (I'm just throwing out ideas). In the past, from what I've heard, HJ has always had this attitude like "we'll always sell lots of hats because we made the ORIGINAL". Now, with the advent of AB and Camptown, HJ is beginning to discover that having made the original isn't good enough. I guess it could be a number of things. :junior: -IJ

im sure theyll jack up the price and,probably still make them out of rabbit.thats why ill stick with Adventurebilts.

When I get my next hat it will be an AB. I like what I have read and seen of these hats.
It seems the quality of HJ's are not what they once were. They might be interested in making an accurate Indy style hat, but I do not think they will invest in the time/attention to do so.

If you read the original post, it seems that they wish to return to the original felt supplier from Raiders. According to some unsubstantiated rumors, that felt supplier is the same one AB uses now. After all, Fedora's felt supplier sold bodies to HJ until the late '70's. If the body sits on the shelf for a few years, then it's entirely possible that some if not most of the hats in Raiders were made of felt from Fedora's supplier. :junior: -IJ

IndianaJones wrote:Pretty straight foreward. Thanks to the Avaitor, it looks like HJ may be about to make some drastic improvements on the quality of their product. (see this post: viewtopic.php?t=13267)

So. If HJ were to improve their product, would you be interested in buying a hat from them? :junior: -IJ

When I visted them three weeks or so back, I wasn't impressed at all with their Indy feds. They might have made them well back during the Indy films, but I've already ordered an AB and have no real intention to buy from anyone else at the moment. It's also a bit sad that only now do they think of improving something that should have shone as one of their most famous works.

and for $15 more Todds will style like the raiders,ToD or LC fedora.

IF (HUGE if) HJ would offer an Indy Fedora where you can have it made EXACTLY the way you want it, I MIGHT. With that said, I very much doubt, that they'd have the original red label (the five sided ones) reprinted PLUS finding a new supplier for a very high quality hare felt body PLUS finding THE block PLUS getting the nice sweatband they had back then PLUS offering the same service in customizing like Wested does.

I doubt that will ever happen, so probably no.

Regards,

Marc

Hey mark I agree with you,after all that is a lot of if's.

What about the HJ at Todd's Coctumes web site? That looks like a decent hat. For the money, I'd still go with AB beaver. I just wondered if anyone knew anything about Todd's Costumes.

IndianaJones wrote:If you read the original post, it seems that they wish to return to the original felt supplier from Raiders. According to some unsubstantiated rumors, that felt supplier is the same one AB uses now. After all, Fedora's felt supplier sold bodies to HJ until the late '70's. If the body sits on the shelf for a few years, then it's entirely possible that some if not most of the hats in Raiders were made of felt from Fedora's supplier. :junior: -IJ

Wasn't it said (or suggested) somewhere that the HJ's in Raiders were made from rabbit felt? If they are returning to their old supplier, and Steve gets his felt from them too... well, why WOULDN'T you go for the AB? I mean, if they sell a rabbit felted hat for considerably more than you could get a 100% beaver AB for, then there's simply no competition. And if Steve uses the same rabbit felt that HJ is going back to, then you could buy TWO AB's for the price of a single HJ. I'll almost always pay less for a high quailty hat than more for something that doesn't measure up!

bink

I agree.

I just wondered if anyone knew anything about Todd's Costumes.

he's a nice guy to deal with but the hat I got from him came tappered on one side slightly and started to tapper more in just a coupe of weeks( I had to send it to Steve for a reblock and it's doing well ). I would not buy another one.

Good point Bink, good point. The only thing I can comment on about what you said is that buying a hat from HJ would be under the condition that the quality of their hat improves considerably. So you wouldn't be spending "...more for something that doesn't measure up!". That's only semantics, though. :junior: -IJ

THanks jpen, good to know

Good case in point, IndianaJones. But even if HJ's "new" felt does measure up, I still can't see spending any more money than I have to considering the quality and custom making of the AdventureBilt.

bink

I guess it's all a matter of personal preferance. I (like our friendly neighborhood hatmaker, Fedora) like to have a large range of different hats. Others don't. It's still an interesting discussion, though. :junior: -IJ

Oh, don't get me wrong, I love hats of all kinds! I've worn hats since I was a kid. I collect hats, even though it drives my wife batty at times. I guess I'm not saying that I wouldn't own an HJ if the opportunity presented itself, but the most I've ever paid for a hat (vintage included) is the price I paid for my beaver AdventureBilts. I don't see a reason to pay any more than that, especially when I now judge many hats against the quality of my AB. If I could snag a good quailiy HJ for less than an AdventureBilt, I might consider it, but I can't see getting one at the price they're bringing when I have better options, in my opinion. Since I've been beyond financially strained due to unemployment (gotta love down sizing) my hat buying has halted for the time being. But in future, better times, I hope to add at least another AB to my collection, as well as a Camptown, nevermind whatever vintage lids I find.

bink

Can't argue with that reasoning. Good luck on finding a new job, Bink. Kind Regards, :junior: -IJ

Only Canyon can call me "binky." Sorry.

bink

That post has been ammended, then. :junior: -IJ

Thanks, IJ! I can call you "IJ," right?

bink

So let me get this straight - For years they gave this community the "Take it or leave it" attitude, a few folks have been put of by their snotty attitude, and in part that's the reason why other folks have been working hard to provide a decent alliterative.

And NOW they want to start selling a more accurate fedora when we have people like Steve and Jersey Jones that are already doing a great job?

"Hey, now that the horses are out of the barn, how about we take advantage of the peace and quiet and fix that door?"

When the day come for a new hat I'm going with AB. Having my gear bear the tag of the original maker as used in the film has never meant anything to me. None of the "authentic" gear produced now quite matches what was made back then, anyway. Alden has changed leathers and revamped their sole, David Morgan has made changes to his design to create more efficient whips, Wested had made alterations to the original pattern to make the jacket moe commercially viable and easier to create across the spectrum of sizes.... etc. And HJ simply is NOT the hat it was back in 1980. I've never owned one but I've heard too many stories of the slipping quality, not to mention how rude they are in general to deal with. I want what I SEE on screen, not what I CAN'T see, which is some hatter's label.
This has nothing to do with Indy 4, this sudden interest HJ seems to have in improving the hat. It has EVERYTHING to do with lost interest and sales. No, they don't need our business. I'd call it pride. They made the original hat and now it's losing face to higher quality hats.
Like it was said above, it's a very pricey hat. And all you get for the money is the name. If you want screen accuracy inside and out, get an AB and a pack of iron-on transfer paper from Office Max. That HJ logo can be found online. You'd be surprised what you can do with photoshop.

I feel the same way you do Shawnkara!

I would rather buy something that is "screen-accurate" AND very well made....even if it is "NOT" the original manufacturer.

Kindest Regards,
Captain D

binkmeisterRick wrote: Thanks, IJ! I can call you "IJ," right?

bink

[flips a coin to bink] My professional name. :junior: -IJ

Seeing as though not one of you has had the chance to see what kind of hat HJ intends to produce, how can a single one of you say you wouldn't buy it?

You aren't even giving them a chance to do anything. Just shooting them down in a heartbeat. Here we finally have a shot at getting a quality HJ which I've been waiting for for years and nobody is even willing to give them a shot.

I say it's great that HJ is waking up. Maybe they saw a total loss in sales of this hat, realized the reason why and they see potential now. Why don't some of you at least see what it is they have to offer before you start bashing them? Hmmm?

Oh, I'm not saying I wouldn't buy a new HJ if the quality is there, but it would have to be cheaper or at least the same price as an AdventureBilt to fit in my budget. Case in point, Agent5, I loved your Optimo I saw at C3, but there ain't no way I could afford it, or want to spend that much money on it. I haven't been able to swipe enough wallets yet!

bink

I'm sure they'll jack up the price and probably still make them out of rabbit.

I don't know why, but that is funny as ####.

LOL!!!

That's why they call it a jackrabbit.

Agent5,
The points I made are just what I've read over the years on this board. My reasons for not wnating one aren't personal. I don't care about screen accuracy of a maker's label. I can get the same quality (no matter how much they improve it) from Fedora at about half the price. For my own tastes, the point is just mute.

Yeah, that is a nice one. I've seen better, but not many.

Bink, I don't think agent5 was referring to you when he made his comments. I think he was just targeting some of the people who've been essentially saying they won't give HJ a chance to improve. And there have been many who won't even wait for a review of any new HJ's before bashing them (no pun intended). :junior: -IJ

IndianaJones wrote:Yeah, that is a nice one. I've seen better, but not many.

:junior: -IJ

If it was being worn, it would look even better. Trust me.

IndianaJones wrote: Bink, I don't think agent5 was referring to you when he made his comments. I think he was just targeting some of the people who've been essentially saying they won't give HJ a chance to improve. And there have been many who won't even wait for a review of any new HJ's before bashing them (no pun intended). :junior: -IJ

Oh, no offense taken, even if he was talking to me. I'd gladly give HJ a chance to improve. But even if they do become nice hats and stay at their current price, it's still more than I've got in my pocket. I'd hate to see HJ improve their hats only to hike up the price even more than it currently is. And if the new felt is rabbit or a rabbit/beaver blend, then it doesn't make sense for me to save up near $300 when I can get a full beaver hat for less.

I guess I'm more interested in an Indy hat that looks the part as opposed to the label. But again, that's just me, and it's not meant to imply that HJ can't or wont put out a better quality fedora than their more recent offerings. With the reputation that Herbert Johnson had/has, it'd be nice to see the quality go back to what made them famous in the first place. Here's hoping!

bink

No targeting on my part but I'm surprised at the negative reactions the news is getting. We all hear alot of things around here that never pan out, but I think it's a good thing they're beginning to recognize that they had a good thing with the Indy hats and they want to improve. For years, yes, they did seem to care less about us or the quality of the hat, but why shun them before they show us what they have?

I definately would like give HJ a chance if this works out. But I'm afraid that HJ just wants too much for their hats. Like Bink said, I'm not gonna (and can't) give HJ $300 for a hats when I can get the same thing (or better) from AB for $150.

Like I said in an earlier post, I do not think H.J. will invest what it takes to create the type of fedora that people on this site would like. That is not to say the general public does not love an "Indiana Jones" hat! People like 'em with teardrop crowns, short tapered crowns, brims with stitching in the end and colors that do not live up to our standards.

Gearheads have a particular criteria that few seem to fulfill. There seem to be one or two current favorites that come through.

What I really feel about companies going back to capture the "good old days" is this:
I used to own a car like this:

Thirtysomething years later some executive who claims to want to capture the 'Muscle Car' era comes up with this:

Not a horrible car, but no Charger!

I will give H.J. the benefit of the doubt. Let them make their Indy hat and the public will decide.

Forgive my ignorance, still being somewhat new here, but what, exactly, is the problem with the HJ felt? Most of the posts here comment on the felt without saying exactly what is wrong with it, or what is so superior about the AB felt. I rushed out and bought an HJ from Todds Costumes just because (in all my new-ness) HJ was the "original maker"... and so far, I'm still quite happy with it.

Is an AB really that much better? Should I rush out and get one?

A couple of pics of my HJ:
viewtopic.php?t=12934

yes the Aventurebilt (beaver) felt is a whole lot better( I can't speak of the AB rabbit but J-weaver will pop in and let you know about it). I do believe that steve's Rabbit felt is still better than the current HJ. your hat is tappered just like mine. I wanted to kick myself after spending the money on my HJ after I got my AB.

The HJ has a little olive green tint to it where the AB is such a great looking rich brown. There seems to be to much air in the felt of the HJ. You can change the shape of the AB at will, as for the HJ you would need steam or water ( oh no I wouldn't do that with the HJ ) Heck I think if the HJ looked at water it would tapper). Then again I wouldn't get any hat soaked
It's the nature of the beast. I just love the way the AB feaels in my hands.

I would give HJ a chance but the block , felt and the service would have to be a lot better without the price hike ( yeah that will happen).

You rang?

I really can't compare the AB rabbit to the HJ because I've never seen an HJ in person. But what I can tell you about is my experience with the rabbit AB. I haven't seen any negative change in my hat since I got it. (mid March) I have had it wet a few times, but never soaked. I find the rabbit AB to be similar to the Akubra Federation. Although the AB has the better block, sweatband, and felt. The AB felt is smoother and feels denser.



Oops, sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread.

Zach R. wrote:

prairiejones wrote:One brown and one gay.

Not that there is anything wrong with that. /quote]



Something like this ?

"One brown one gay" I was playing off of another post where Fedora misspelled the caption for his gray hat. That was yesterday, now I'm over it. It was fun. I'm moving on. No more references.

J_Weaver wrote:I really can't compare the AB rabbit to the HJ.

I can.

From another thread.

Indiana Wayne wrote:I bought a Herbert Johnson fedora with a black liner for $50 dollars in the Classifieds.

Felt quality: On a 1 to 5 scale, 5 being a rabbit AB, a HJ would be a 2 or 2 1/2. The Herbert Johnson is rabbit felt.