Club Obi Wan

I'm looking to get an Indy hat and Adventurebilt seems to be highly popular here. But I was just checking out Todd's Costumes and he has a Herbert Johnson hat over there that's looks pretty awesome as well. Anyone purchased a Herbert Johnson from Todd? Please feel free to offer up some comparison and your thoughts, anything to help me make a decision. I have purchased some other Indy stuff from Todd in the past and have been very pleased with what I have received.

Honest opinion - go for the AB.

ob1al wrote:Honest opinion - go for the AB.

Yea I just noticed the Herbert Johnson is Rabbit, wouldn't the AB Beaver be a lot more resistant to weather? I'm looking for something that will hold up well in the desert.

Tom, you mean todd ?? from todd's costume ? i have to HJ from him ! if you want a raiders style go for AB if you're looking for Last crusade go for todd hj...

Snipes, what are you looking for in an Indy hat and what sort of budget are you adhering to? The AB is a fantastic hat, but if you read the many threads in the Fedora section, you'll find other great options as well, including the Akubra, JPD, Camptown, and more. It's all here in these pages.

binkmeisterRick wrote:Snipes, what are you looking for in an Indy hat and what sort of budget are you adhering to? The AB is a fantastic hat, but if you read the many threads in the Fedora section, you'll find other great options as well, including the Akubra, JPD, Camptown, and more. It's all here in these pages.

Well that's kinda what I'm wanting some opinions on. The AB Beaver is about as much as I'm willing to pay for a hat, but I'm wanting something that will hold up well in dry heat. I'll mainly be wearing it out in the Death Valley desert so I want it to hold up well and last.

doc riviere wrote:Tom, you mean todd ?? from todd's costume ? i have to HJ from him ! if you want a raiders style go for AB if you're looking for Last crusade go for todd hj...

Oops thanks for pointing that out! Fixed.

Yup, kinda figured you meant Todd's...

Well, if the AB is in your budget, you're looking at the top of the pile, then. Keep in mind, though, that a beaver hat in the middle of the desert will look good, but you'll probably sweat your head off. Actually, I'm thinkning of humid heat, which is what I'm accustomed to. I cannot honestly comment on the dry desert heat. If you do get an AB, I would recommend removing the liner. It will help keep your head cooler. I do that with most of my hats in the summer.

Also, how soon do you need your hat? There is a considerable wait time for an AB since each hat is 100% made by hand by a single craftsman. If you need something sooner, you can't go wrong with an Akubra Federation or Bushman, and you should be able to get one in your hands pretty quickly. Akubras are Australian made with the bush in mind, so even though they're made from rabbit felt, they're made to take a god lickin.' My Akubra served me very well.

Mine did too - I have an AB deluxe on the way, but I still regret letting go of my regular Fed.

Great hat.

My Federation has since gone to a new home, as well. One of these days I plan on getting an Akubra Bushman, though I have several other hats in line before then. I gotta stop buying hats! Nah.

Nah...

binkmeisterRick wrote:Well, if the AB is in your budget, you're looking at the top of the pile, then. Keep in mind, though, that a beaver hat in the middle of the desert will look good, but you'll probably sweat your head off. Actually, I'm thinkning of humid heat, which is what I'm accustomed to. I cannot honestly comment on the dry desert heat. If you do get an AB, I would recommend removing the liner. It will help keep your head cooler. I do that with most of my hats in the summer.

Also, how soon do you need your hat? There is a considerable wait time for an AB since each hat is 100% made by hand by a single craftsman. If you need something sooner, you can't go wrong with an Akubra Federation or Bushman, and you should be able to get one in your hands pretty quickly. Akubras are Australian made with the bush in mind, so even though they're made from rabbit felt, they're made to take a god lickin.' My Akubra served me very well.

I don't particularly need it right away, I'm not planing on going out and doing off-roading until the end of the year, but just out of curiosity how long is the wait? I contacted Steve but haven't heard back from him yet. As for the Akubra Federation and Bushman's can you provide me with a link so I can check them out? And does rabbit felt hold up well against the heat? Thanks for your help.

Okay, Snipes,

I bought Todd's HJ. Don't be fooled by the pictures, because I believe the pictures come from a reblocked hat and not the one shipped.
I got mine and it didn't have a Raiders shape. It converged to the top instead of having straight sides.

That said, it's still a great hat, but for that money, I honestly wish I have gotten an AB. That said, now I'm gonna spend even more money and get an AB Deluxe. But either way, AB or AB deluxe is the way to go, and I'm saying that even though I never had one on my head.

Both Steve and Marc have looong wait times. Marc's wait time is currently 7 months. (And even so, I'm doing it!)

A good hat, be it beaver or rabbit felt, will survive just fine in the heat and sun. The color might fade, but there's no way around that with a darker hat. The regular Federation has a strange dark color when new, but it ages nice in the sun (in my experience). The one thing that's better with a beaver, like the AB, is that it will take much longer to taper and need a re-block. Still, the Federations are reliable workhorses. Here's a link that has both versions.
http://www.hatsdirect.com/cgi/products. ... edora+Hats

I'm not sure who carries the Bushman.

The HJ, flat out, is not going to do well as a work hat. The ones that Magnoli is carrying have been "butched up" so to speak, but you'd still be bettern off with an Akubra or AB.

AB wait times are at least 6 months at this point.

Later,
Chewie

Indiana Snipes wrote:
I don't particularly need it right away, I'm not planing on going out and doing off-roading until the end of the year, but just out of curiosity how long is the wait? I contacted Steve but haven't heard back from him yet. As for the Akubra Federation and Bushman's can you provide me with a link so I can check them out? And does rabbit felt hold up well against the heat? Thanks for your help.

As for contacting Steve, he's swamped with hat orders and his e-mail box fills pretty quickly. If you don't hear back from him, give another try. I can't vouch for the wait, though, since I have a tendancy to order and "forget about it" so I don't get impateint waiting.

Akubra Federation and Federation Deluxe can be found here:
http://www.hatsdirect.com/cgi/products. ... edora+Hats

Akubra Bushman can be found here:
http://www.davidmorgan.com/index.php?cPath=2_22_28

Also, the Camptown may be a good option, too, since it has a roaned sweatband, meaning it's ventillated. Check out this thread:

viewtopic.php?t=22436

Hope this helps.

binkmeisterRick wrote:Snipes, what are you looking for in an Indy hat and what sort of budget are you adhering to? The AB is a fantastic hat, but if you read the many threads in the Fedora section, you'll find other great options as well, including the Akubra, JPD, Camptown, and more. It's all here in these pages.

viewtopic.php?t=17678&

binkmeisterRick wrote:

Indiana Snipes wrote:
I don't particularly need it right away, I'm not planing on going out and doing off-roading until the end of the year, but just out of curiosity how long is the wait? I contacted Steve but haven't heard back from him yet. As for the Akubra Federation and Bushman's can you provide me with a link so I can check them out? And does rabbit felt hold up well against the heat? Thanks for your help.

As for contacting Steve, he's swamped with hat orders and his e-mail box fills pretty quickly. If you don't hear back from him, give another try. I can't vouch for the wait, though, since I have a tendancy to order and "forget about it" so I don't get impateint waiting.

Akubra Federation and Federation Deluxe can be found here:
http://www.hatsdirect.com/cgi/products. ... edora+Hats

Akubra Bushman can be found here:
http://www.davidmorgan.com/index.php?cPath=2_22_28

Also, the Camptown may be a good option, too, since it has a roaned sweatband, meaning it's ventillated. Check out this thread:

viewtopic.php?t=22436

Hope this helps.

Thanks a lot! I PMed Steve sometime this afternoon. Do you know what he's asking for the Beaver AP's? It says $250 on his site but I saw somewhere forum members receive a discount. I think that's the one I'm going to go for seems to be a favorite and well worth the money and wait (I just hope I don't have to wait till 08!) I might get a Federation to hold me over as well, the price is almost too good to pass up and the comments about that seem good as well. Thanks a lot for all your help binkmeisterRick, I'm quite excited!

And Steve if your reading this PM me soon I want to place my order and get things started. Seems the best to order as soon as possible since I'm sure the wait time will only increasingly grow!

Glad to be of help!

Just tell him you're a COW member. The discount applies to all of us. :junior: -IJ

I'm a little late but wanted to add my opinion. I have hats from both and wished I never spent the money on the HJ. I would sell the HJ if I could but woudn't feel right selling it to anyone. It just tappered to fast a few day's ( no rain or heat) I think it would have tapperd if I just looked at some water. It didn't feel sturdy and I'm afraid to wear it anywhere.
On the other hand I just love the AB for the quality, the feel and how tuff it is. it is also the most screen acurate " Raiders hat."
It's soft and nice( a dress hat ) that can take any wear and tear of every day wear no matter where you go. It is Adventure Bilt.

binkmeisterRick wrote:
Akubra Federation and Federation Deluxe can be found here:
http://www.hatsdirect.com/cgi/products. ... edora+Hats

Still haven't been able to get a hold of Steve. So in the mean time is there a preference between the AK Fed and the Fed Dlx? Also are they terribly hard to shape? From what I read they just send you an unblocked hat.

Thanks

that would be a unbashed ( shaped) hat not a unblocked one.

I couldn't be more pleased with my Magnoli/AB HJ! Lovely hat and great shape

For my money, I'd put it down on an AdventureBilt.

And I already have.

I'd comment more on the quality of it, but as I've only ordered both of mine this month (yes, both! ), the rave reviews are all that we can go on for now... and what reviews!

Indiana Snipes wrote:I think that's the one I'm going to go for seems to be a favorite and well worth the money and wait (I just hope I don't have to wait till 08!)

Unfortunatly, AB's ordered now will most likely be delivered in late December or January of 2008. I got my order in about 2 weeks ago and he estimated December-January for my delivery. Either way, I hope this thing is worth the wait.

Still haven't been able to get a hold of Steve.

PM him again. As he stated in this thread (viewtopic.php?t=22405) he's missed a few emails due to the vast quantities of them he's receiving.

Unfortunatly, AB's ordered now will most likely be delivered in late December or January of 2008. I got my order in about 2 weeks ago and he estimated December-January for my delivery.

Oh well, guess I'll have to wait a while for my next "investment." :junior: -IJ

December?? what are you guys talking about?? I have one of the first AB's Steve ever made, and it arrived within a month of ordering it...sure that was years ago, but it's not like anything changed...right?

it will be worth the wait Indiana.

Gater wrote:December?? what are you guys talking about?? I have one of the first AB's Steve ever made, and it arrived within a month of ordering it...sure that was years ago, but it's not like anything changed...right?

Gater, you have seen the popularity and wait time of these hats increase since then, haven't you? I have one of his early hats, too, and the wait time wasn't that long, either, but he's making a heck of a lot more hats now than he was when he started, and he's still a one man operation (if you don't count Marc ). Do the math. You were just kidding, right, Gater?

Okay, so I received a response from Steve. Do I give him my exact size or a little bigger. What if the band shrinks and then it ends up being too tight. That would **** after a 6 month wait! So what did you guys do in terms of measurements?

Snipes, this is exactly what Steve would tell you to do so this is what you should do. Take a tailor's tape measure (if you don't have one, you can use string and measure the string) and measure around your head just above the ears. Don't pull the tape so tightly that it cuts off circulation, rather measure firm, but "comfortably," if that makes sense. Measure your head three times in inches and then use the average measurement. Send that to Steve. He'll get it right.

binkmeisterRick wrote:Snipes, this is exactly what Steve would tell you to do so this is what you should do. Take a tailor's tape measure (if you don't have one, you can use string and measure the string) and measure around your head just above the ears. Don't pull the tape so tightly that it cuts off circulation, rather measure firm, but "comfortably," if that makes sense. Measure your head three times in inches and then use the average measurement. Send that to Steve. He'll get it right.

Thanks! At what's the best style?!? I assume Raiders, what does everyone normally choose? Any good site where I can see all the different styles together?

Snipes, I gave Steve my exact size, averaged, and I find my AB a little snug when my hair grows. My latest order, I added 1/8 inch to be safe.

As for style, don't go by what others like. Pop the movies in, find a style you like, even a specific scene, and tell Steve. His block is really the best Raiders around, but don't let that limit you. Get what you like best.

Snipes, get whatever style YOU like best. Some like Raiders, some lile ToD and LC. Steve's hats are made on a Raider's style block. Many consider it the ultimate Raiders hat. I would suggest watching the movie and seeing which scenes the hat looks best to you. Remember what scenes of the movie they were and relay that to Steve. There is also a sticky at the top of the Fedora section which illustrates all the different movie hats.

EDIT: Chewie and I must've been typing at the same time!

binkmeisterRick wrote:Chewie and I must've been typing at the same time!

"Let the Wookiee win."

Okay, another question (sorry about so many of them) but an AB is a rather big investment for a hat so I'm trying to make sure I do this the right way. A lot of people here are concerned about screen accuracy and such, honestly that's not foremost on my mind. I'm a stickler when it comes to some things and then others its not a huge deal. What mainly I'm interested in is stability and life. A lot of you have been raving about the Federations so I have been thinking about those. Question is quality wise is the AB going to take a beating better or a Federation? Screen accuracy is not my main concern, I have had cheapo Disney hat for years and enjoyed it and I'm sure it's no where near accurate. It's just very cheaply made, and I want something better. Maybe I should just check out a Federation and see if that's enough, but I can't help thinking if the AB is really that grand I'll be waiting years to get one after the new film comes out!

Snipes, an Akbubra is designed to take a beating, so it'll handle about anything you throw at it. It'll need a reblock sooner or later, but that's true of most all hats. The AB is made from beaver felt, which is higher quality the rabbit, as Akubra uses. The AB is designed to be a hat you'll wear for life and then pass down to your kids. It, too, will likely need a reblock in time, but it'll be longer in between reblocks than a rabbit felt. If you want a hat that will take tons of aubuse, both the Federation and the AB will fit the bill. If you truly want to make an investment in a hat that will take abuse and last a lifetime, the AB is it. I've owned both hats and the AB has survived hot climates, cold climates, snow, downpours... you name it!

binkmeisterRick wrote:Snipes, an Akbubra is designed to take a beating, so it'll handle about anything you throw at it. It'll need a reblock sooner or later, but that's true of most all hats. The AB is made from beaver felt, which is higher quality the rabbit, as Akubra uses. The AB is designed to be a hat you'll wear for life and then pass down to your kids. It, too, will likely need a reblock in time, but it'll be longer in between reblocks than a rabbit felt. If you want a hat that will take tons of aubuse, both the Federation and the AB will fit the bill. If you truly want to make an investment in a hat that will take abuse and last a lifetime, the AB is it. I've owned both hats and the AB has survived hot climates, cold climates, snow, downpours... you name it!

Excuse my ignorance because this isn't my strong suit but what exactly is a reblock? And is it something I can do myself?

No worries, Snipes. A reblock is essentially like a refurbishing job on a hat. When you make a hat, the hat body is stretched over top of a hat block, and then all the other trimmings and tweaks are done after it's removed from the hat block. Over time, a hat may have a tendancy to taper a bit from use and wear. When you reblock a hat, you basically take your hat and restretch it over the hat block again. This pops the hat back in shape and makes it like new again. Of course, there's a little more involved than just that, but that's pretty much it in a nutshell.

You can do a reblock yourself, but you'll need a proper hat block of your own or a good proxy. (Some folks have created their own makeshift hat blocks with some success.) Some of the hat vendors here will also professionally reblock and clean your hat for a nominal fee. It's best to ask them about it.

I'd like to back up Bink's words 100% here. I, too, care less about screen accuracy and more about having a good hat that looks right on me. So, to encapsulate it all into one simple statement;

The AB is worth the money, without a doubt, and (in my opinion) is the best deal you'll ever get on a hat at it's current price.

If you've come this far, get the AB now or you'll regret it later!

Ok, so it was two statements... But they were simple.

Well thank you guys for all your help and being so patient with my many questions, I'm new to this but you guys have been so helpful. Looks like I'll get an AB. Really appreciate all your comments!

This discussion was very helpful to me as well. Thanks to all who commented. I am looking at an AB as well. I am wondering is beaver felt the one to get and do you get it in the medium or lightweight felt? Does this make a difference to the hat feeling hot? Is this a hat you can wear in the summer? Also, how much will the hat fade with time?
thanks
CJ

Alright, just placed my order!

Question on the Federation hats now, I measured my head and got like 22.375 inches (average of 22 1/4 and 22 1/2 kept getting different measurements). Do I go for the 22 1/2 or the 22 7/8 Federation? I don't want it to be to big or too small, so I'm leaning towards 22 7/8? Would that be right?

your best bet when ordering an akubra is to ask the nice lady over there to measure the inside of the hat that they are going to ship to ensure a proper fit. there have been some problems with what size ranges are involved with their size 57, 58, 59, etc, etc.

Indiana G wrote:your best bet when ordering an akubra is to ask the nice lady over there to measure the inside of the hat that they are going to ship to ensure a proper fit. there have been some problems with what size ranges are involved with their size 57, 58, 59, etc, etc.

Okay, is it better to get it a little bigger or shoot for as close as I can get? From what I hear they shrink after awhile if you wear it enough.

i sent my measurement to them as to what exactly my head size was. the akubra that they gave me fit bang on. i did not wear it that long so i can't comment on shrinkage....sorry.

I must admit I have bought two hats from Steve - A gray and a brown - both in beaver felt -- and they are beautiful. They are so good I am almost afraid to take them out. Steve's customer service is also fantastic - I had to send my brown raiders AB back as the crown height was a bit too high and he did a prompt and fantastic adjustment. You just can't do wrong with an AB!