Club Obi Wan

The dark brown Dalexs ribbon on this color Optimo is the best that I have ever owned. And I have made a discovery. The color of this ribbon when contrasted to the color of the hat, makes the ribbon look black when in a shade. Under full sunlight, the ribbon still looks dark, a brown with a black tinge. I have this ribbon on several of my Feds, a Miller, and a PB, and this has never happened! Another lesson learned in the never ending quest of the ultimate fedora. Contrast is a potent player in this game. I am so pleased with the way these two colors complement one another that my next Optimo will have to have the same ribbon. So Dalexs, it you read this let me know. I need to place an order.
I have had another day or so to study this Optimo, and like others who get into the details and finer points, this is to my experience the finest hat that I have ever owned. I am not just talking Indy fedoras here. I am talking about workmanship, materials used, color and last but not least, the block. I love my Feds, and will always own a few, but this Optimo reeks of QUALITY. It is not Indy accurate in that it is beaver and not rabbitt,hare or whatever the original was, but if you take that out of the equation, this is the best blocked, and in my opinion, the best color for a Raiders fedora that has ever been sold. A big statement, I know. I wanted to say this several days ago at my initial post, but thought I might better give it a few days, before I went bananas over a particular hat. But this hat is expensive. You can own several of the others for around the same price as just one of these. But, if you are in my camp on fedoras, you will never regret saving up for one of these hats. Truly, a picture can not do this hat justice. You have to touch it, look at it, play with the felt and wear it, to know what I am talking about. I do not know how this hat will hold up in normal wear. I don't know how fast it will taper. So I am now one of the members of the road test crew, and will keep all updated as time goes on.
I now have the brim cut to 2 3/4 x 2 5/8. The 2 7/8 x 2 3/4 looked good too, but seemed just a smidgen too much for the 5 inch crown height. (The brim arrived at 3 inches front and 2 7/8 sides.) I added a bit of stiffener to the brim, not much, but enough to help the brim hold the shape that I like. It is still real floppy, but the stuff worked wonders. I couldn't tell of any change in the softness of the felt on the brim, but I have tough hands, so keep that in mind. All of my other hats are taller than this one, and at first this hat looked too short. Things have improved to the point that it is starting to look better. Still, a true 5 1/2 height would have been perfect for my eye. Fedora

Ok, if you really want to get technical, the brim is 2 13/16 x 2 9/16. And get this...the ribbon is between 1 9/16 and 1 5/8. I thought I measured this ribbon at 1 1/2 last year when I got it from Dalexs. Now the last thing falls into place for me with the ribbon and crown height. The other specs on this hat now are 5 inch height on the sides, 4 5/8 front. 4 back. I think it looks very good. Fedora

So where are those photos?

In the camera, the first few on a roll of 24, 35mm. film. I know, I know, I need a digital, but these hats seem to be depleting my mad money lately. So now I need to go take some pics of by Bull Terrier pups before the new owners pick them up, and get the roll to good old Wal-mart. Fedora

Sound like the Optimo has won you over.
They seem to win everyone over,its just that its a huge chunk of cash before you get one and after it arrives the happy feeling takes over and you forget all about it(sorta)
Glad your happy with yours as i am with mine
Regards
Sam

Really glad Fedora that you like your Optimo so much. The weather here in Chicago has been cooling down quite a bit recently and my Optimo is now off the mannequin and on my head almost everywhere I go. I just can't stress enough that this is as close to the original Raiders hat I can imagine. The quality and color of the butter soft felt and the fine leather band. Every curve from every angle. The way the felt forms and lays. Everything. The price is steep, yes. The quality is what you pay for and you get it. I reached out to fellow gearheads who are concened about achieving screen accuracy as I am and told them that this is THE hat to get if you are serious as I am about this hobby. I can't stress that enough. It matches every single Raiders pic I can find perfectly and that tells me something. I've seen other hats and they just don't come this close. I wish they would but this is the reality. I guess after so much wear of my Optimo this past week I feel more strongly about it. Every time I look in the mirror I get a big smile, like this If you shell out the cash for this hat, I'm sure you'll look just like this too. So if you are serious and wanna go all out, my very strong opinion is that this is the hat to do it with. You won't be sorry you did. Fedora most certainly is not. Welcome to the club, ol' chap. Good to have you.

Fedora, How's the Top of the crown? If you look at Chris_King's Optimo/Keppler Pictures, ou can see the "roll" on the top front of the Crown. I like this, does yorus have it?

This is the Link with the Pictures I'm talking about:
http://www.indygear.com/community/forum ... php?t=1154

Fedora wrote: this is to my experience the finest hat that I have ever owned. I am not just talking Indy fedoras here. I am talking about workmanship, materials used, color and last but not least, the block. I love my Feds, and will always own a few, but this Optimo reeks of QUALITY.


This was exactly how I felt as well. I have not seen all of the other Indy fedora offerings in person, but I have owned all the other brands and I have to say the Optimo is the highest overall quality one that I've owned. The only exception is the felt quality of a vintage Cavanagh 100 that I have. I was hesitant to say too much too soon and hype it so much that people would be dissappointed when they got it. But with others now feeling the same about their Optimo's, I wanted to chime back in on how happy I am with mine and I hope to add the chocolate brown to my ranks by the end of the year or early spring.

fedoralover

here we go. Had to do a little searching But I found it. See what I mean, the Top "Roll". Checks yours to see if it has this.

It's also a Bit more Square. A nice hat.

Yep, mine has that roll as well, but so do my other hats. You just don't have to work at getting it there with the Optimo, it just does it naturally. The felt is like nothing that I have ever owned, and this is one reason that I love this hat. I guess it's the beaver felt, and the fact that there appears to be no stiffener at all in this hat. It just shapes so easily. Not so with the brim though. To achieve the Raiders look, you gotta add some stiffener to the brim. I hated to do it, but after several attempts, using all the tricks I learned over the years, and with no success, it was a necessary evil. Like I said, the only complaint that I have is I wanted the crown to be 5 1/2, and not 5 1/4. I don't know, but it may very well be that Graham was trying to satisfy me, and just came up short. We did have a long conversation regarding crown heights after fedoralover told me his 5 1/2 crown was actually 5 3/4. Since my Feds are 5 3/4, and I feel they need to be a little shorter, I was trying to get a 5 1/2 crown so I could put to rest how I feel about crown heights. My Optimo would be as perfect as you can get if I had that extra 1/4 of an inch to play with, but as I stated earlier, it is a keeper anyway. The thing about this hat is that I could have received the 5 3/4 crown, and it still would have been fine because you can drop the back bash down low without adding taper to the crown. I want to see how my Deluxe reacts to this same block. It may very well be that the Fed block is basically the same, but the difference in felt accounts for the taper factor. I don't know, but I do need to find out. I will share the results when I get the Deluxe back from Optimo. If the deluxe reacts the same way after he takes the factory stiffener out and reblocks, this will be useful info for all of us, and will make me, an Akubra fan, very happy. At the price of these Optimos, I will still be wearing my Feds alot more often than the Optimo, simply because of the price to replace the hat. It makes me shudder to think of losing an Optimo to a gust of wind, and watch the thing being hit by a passing car. If my Fed were to fall to such prey, I would just pick it up, scrape the mud off, and wear it proudly. It would probably even look better. No, this expensive lid will be treated like one of my kids. No distressing on this one at all. Fedora

Good. It seems the Optimo has more material in the Body then the Akubra's.

Yeah, I think beaver felt is generally denser than rabbit or hare. The hair fibers are finer allowing for the added density. At the same time, wild hare is stronger, rabbit too, to a less extent. That is why the Optimo has a bit of rabbit or hare mixed in, to add some additional strength. I would also venture to say that since the Deluxe is made of wild hare and wild rabbit, it is possibly the toughest hat money can buy. Now you know why I want Optimo to reblock one of my new Deluxes. The best of both worlds. Fedora

LOL. Yeah their Block is good. I actually feel that the PB P2 is the toughest Indy hat in the world. Maybe we should have a Competition? Fire, Mud, Dirt, Rain, snow....... See which one comes out on top

You just don't have to work at getting it there with the Optimo, it just does it naturally.

No kidding, that's one of the things I love about this hat. I haven't had to apply a tight pinch or really flatten the brim down to get the look right. I allowed the hat to 'distress', if you can really use that word, naturally. Marlena had mentioned that if I, every so often, handled the hat by the pinch it would naturally form a tighter pinch. Worked like a charm and no steaming involved which is really something that Optimo discourages. Reasons of which include the fact that those that use a tea kettle concentrate the steam to a single part of the hat instead of distributing the steam equally. As far as the brim goes, I didn't flatten the rear of the brim out so instead I've just handled it by the back and sides of the brim which pull it down over time. The Optimo ribbon, which works well for my hat size, was done exactly to Raiders pictures, and Graham showed me a way to shape it with water to get that top pinch Fedora mentioned a few weeks ago.
In the case of it holding up to the elements, the hat has really done well. It has been soaked a couple times already, including yesterday, and dried out quickly with not the slightest sign of taper. It has also been knocked around plenty as of late. I'm looking forward to seeing how it holds up to a Chicago winter . I've also had a dirt get on it and it cleaned right off, no problem. Now to try that fire Broglie was talking about...

Like I said, the only complaint that I have is I wanted the crown to be 5 1/2, and not 5 1/4. I don't know, but it may very well be that Graham was trying to satisfy me, and just came up short.

I was thinking about what you posted and I had talked to Kevin and Graham and they mentioned that they don't measure the hats as you described over the phone i.e., ruler horizontal on the unbashed crown and one vertical on the brim . So, I wonder if they just didn't get your meaning. In retrospect, I remember seeing your block and the hat itself didn't meet the bottom of the block. What I mean is that the bottom appeared to start about a 1/4 of an inch above the bottom of the block. Hope that makes sense. I asked about it as I knew that you wanted a 5 1/2 inch block, in fact my crown is exactly 5 1/2 inches unbashed, but they said that thats what you had asked for, so I think there is some misinterpretation in language here, and they explained that you had described how you measure a crown. Just an FYI before your next Optimo. Out of curiosity, what is your hat size?
I can't wait to see your pics of it and I think you've converted me to that ribbon width as well as the color. I handled it in person over at Optimo and it is really nice. I especially like that there is no sheen to it, and with Marlena working with it I'm sure its a winner. That's another thing, the way she puts on a ribbon is amazing. No stitching visible at all, you'd have to look pretty darn close to find the tack stitches. The only thing that I have a problem with, albeit a very small one, is the fact that the gold Optimo emblem on my silk Optimo liner is wearing off a bit. Easily remedied at 15 dollars since I'm close to the shop, but I'm thinking of those of us not as close.

Illinois

I thinh the nicest thing i can say about the Optimo is that is everything i thought my Herbert J would be(and finally became with a little Joe Jnr magic)
Regarding the Optimo brim,i kept rolling it between my fingers and now on a table it sits flat but on my head its holding its shape 100%

I wear a size 7 1/4. Yeah, I think I may have confused Graham on the crown height issue. Should have left well enough alone, I guess. The next hat that I order, I will tell him to disregard anything that I said on the first order, and just send me an Indy style fedora. The way we measure crown heights really puzzled him for some reason. On the other hand, Joe knew exactly what I was talking about, so did Ron. Hmmm. Must be a Midwestern thing. Charles, You are correct, the PB is a tough one too, and a great deal when you are talking custom hats. My first PB was ordered with a 5 1/2 open crown, and it was indeed 5 1/2. My next PB was ordered at 5 3/4, and it was dead on as well. The first PB was sized wrong, but it was the best looking PB that I have seen with that 5 1/2 crown height. On my head anyways. If Joe would get a little better brown, and cut way back on the stiffener, I would like these hats better. Of course, he may well have done so since I bought my last one which was a couple years ago. You folks that live in driving distance of Joe and Graham are lucky indeed. Being able to walk into a shop and see the hat before you get it indeed is advantageous. I could have fixed the crown height problem before receiving the hat. Remote shopping is frustrating at times. regards, Fedora

The way we measure crown heights really puzzled him for some reason. On the other hand, Joe knew exactly what I was talking about, so did Ron. Hmmm. Must be a Midwestern thing.

I wonder how Gary White measures a crown? Herbert Johnson?

71/4, I was wondering if we had the same hat size. Mine is 7 5/8.

Illinois

Gary White apparently measures the same way as me. When I bought my GW fedora several years ago, I was trying to move up from the stock Stetson 5 inch crown height, and GW said he had one that was 5 5/8 high. When I received it. I measured it to see how tall it was. It was on the mark. Honestly, the experience with Graham while positive, had me scratching my head. I am not sure if he knows yet what I am talking about. He is in Equador this week, so I didn't get to talk to him today when I told them the Deluxe was on its way for a reblock and height reduction. I think once we all get on the same page, an enlightening process at times, everything will fall into place. Fedora

Fedora wrote:He is in Equador this week

I can only assume he is buying Panama hats, eh?

Charles, I like your 'top roll' term. It's a good one. I know what you mean and it's something I've always noticed but never put into words. I think we should add it to our gearhead lexicon, along with the 'lazy V' ribbon.

Speaking of the lexicon, whatever became of the term 'atomic flange?' I always liked that one, even though I never did quite figure out its meaning.

I can only assume he is buying Panama hats, eh?

That's exactly what he's doing. Around this time every year he goes down and handpicks the panamas they sell in the coming year. Its interesting that Optimo has a club, the name escapes me right now, which is on a 2 year waiting list right now. The members buy panamas starting at 2,000.00. I also found it interesting that as soon as Optimo blocks the Hat the value of the hat on these lids essentially doubles, and they are purchased by collectors over and over again...and we think Rundquist spends a lot of money on hats!

Illinois

Just thought of something.
How well do you all think a Deluxe Fed ribbon would fare on a Pecan Optimo???
Rather delicious methinks....

Just my 2 cents.

Cya

Rod

P.S. Oh yeah, if anyone's actually tried this.. DO TELL!

To achieve the Raiders look, you gotta add some stiffener to the brim.

When I fist got my Optimo I thought as you did. But if you wouldv'e given it a little more time, you would have realized that ALL the Raiders looks can be achieved without any stiffner at all. Truth be told. Try it on your second hat. Believe me, my hat has THE look I want and no stiffner and only a little steam to the front pinch was added. Like Illinois said, they really are opposed to adding anything to this hat.

I didn't add a bit to the crown, just the brim. Perhaps I just don't have the knack or patience for getting the Raven brim without stiffener. Admittedly, I only steamed the brim once and tried to get it to hold the upward turn. The brim was so floppy that I assumed it would never hold the desired curl on the sides and the pencil turn on the back unless I used stiffener. I must admit, that even with a little stiffener, I mean just a little, the brim is still not cooperating! It is truly the most difficult brim I have ever tried to put that specific look on. On the other hand, the Fed brim responds very well to my ministrations-always have. I can recall having the exact same problem with the Gary White brim several years ago. It too was a very floppy hat, with this same problem. For me anyway. Maybe it just the cowboy in me that draws me to the stiffener. Fedora

Fedora,
I was kinda in shock when I first took my Optimo out of the box because it was so... dead in the brim. There seemed no way in #### that it would stay in place without some steam. Don't get me wrong, the color was perfect, block was on, and all looked good but it just didn't get any curl at all. ANY! I was just a little impatient is all. Graham said to just keep on curling it up every time I put it on and then some. Keep curling it, keep curling it, keep curling it. So I did and it worked. Now it will take any shape I please. Any scene from the film can easily be achieved within a minutes time. Don't think like a cowboy, think like a Jedi. Patience.

Don't think like a cowboy, think like a Jedi. Patience.

What if I think like a denstist?

What if I think like a denstist?

I'm sure they only think about whether to drive the BMW to work or the Mercedes. Maybe the Viper.

What if I think like a dentist?

Dentists think?

...and now back to your regular fedora program....

Dentists think?

Sure. They think about spreading Novacaine on The hat and Drilling little holes in it

Mine arrived unscathed. No holes in the sweatband-I declined. Fedora