Club Obi Wan

It seems that many members are anxiously awaiting their AB's, with the new wait times, and Adventurebilt no longer just a passing hobby, but an incredible force in the hat industry!

In the mean time, while other threads are being designed around wait times and order dates, how 'bout those of us who got on the train in the 'early days' chime in and share when you did get your AB and how long ago?!

I checked the box, and it has a delivery date of Jan./05. I do recall being one of the first to order through Steve...

next?

I got mine in September 2005, so almost three years old now. It's been through the mill, let me tell you, but it's just as gorgeous as when I opened the box the first time. The best lid I ever owned!...KC

My "New to Me" AB is also a 2005 I believe.

I purchased it from a COW member who was on the AB train early. It may not qualify for your criteria, but there is something I really appreciate about having an early AB. It has the Staff of Ra Headpiece logo covered in plastic and a light brown sweat band. Even though it shipped in the original box, the seller removed the postage thus erasing the date shipped from Steve.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/231 ... 1204754676

Jan. 2, 2006. It was a great way to start a new year. It took about three months from when I first placed the order, but that was back then. When I first joined Steve was just getting ready to start making hats. It took another few months to save up the money before I ordered. I’ve purchased several other hats since then, but the AB is still the best of the bunch, and the standard by which I judge all other hats.

My 1st AB arrived on July 22, 2006, made from the "Ford" batch of felt.
It was waiting for me when I arrived home from San Diego Comic Con

My 2nd AB which is actually a CS AB-DLX was delivered to me about 25 minutes ago.... so why am I on the computer right now ?!?!?

~Ron

My first one is from when he first started selling them. I don't even want to know how many years have gone by.

Mine is also from the first batch Steve ever produced. What year was that?

Same year as mine... whatever that was.

I honestly think it was 2005. It's just now needing a cleaning.

Still my wife's fave

It is still stove pipe straight, just a bit in need of a bath.

Bink...when did you go to Machu Pichu and pose for that famous shot?

Cheers
Kilgour

It's Chichen Itza you're thinking of, Rob. And, well... it was sometime after getting my first AB.

Bink, I am pretty sure you had yours at the Clebration III summit in Indianapolis in April 2005. Because I remember lookin' at it! (I think. I sure hope my memory's not going out... I'm too young!!! )

Yes, I did have it at C3. I remember comparing the AB with Agent5's Optimo. I was in Mexico earlier that winter, so I guess that means I would've gotten the hat in late 2004 or very early 2005.

It's just a sparkle in my eye.

Early September, 2005

Well, the AB website says, "Est 2004", so I guess I got mine late 2004 as it was a Christmas present from my wife. Yup, that's it because I remember it was the year after I got the MK Idol for Christmas. I remember it well because I promised the MK Idol would be the last expensive Indy item I would get. Ahh...to quote the immortal George Strait: "the famous last words of a fool."

bink,
yours will help me find out mine. I got mine right after you. Your hat is the reason I got my first.

Febuary 2006. The first place I wore it was to Texas and into Mexico.
I loved it then and still do!!!

BendingOak wrote:bink,
yours will help me find out mine. I got mine right after you. Your hat is the reason I got my first.

Wow! I'm thinking that I received mine in the fall or winter of 2004. I do know it was one of the early ones. It would make sense, since I had it for a while before my Mexico trip in February 2005.

mines three years old I got mine from a cow member it has been through the ringer fell in a pond and everything,it still looks brand new.

binkmeisterRick wrote:

BendingOak wrote:bink,
yours will help me find out mine. I got mine right after you. Your hat is the reason I got my first.

Wow! I'm thinking that I received mine in the fall or winter of 2004. I do know it was one of the early ones. It would make sense, since I had it for a while before my Mexico trip in February 2005.

That makes snce to me. I think I got mine late fall early winter. I could be wrong the grey hair is popping up really fast these days. or is that gray?

BendingOak wrote:That makes snce to me. I think I got mine late fall early winter. I could be wrong the grey hair is popping up really fast these days. or is that gray?

You mean brown hair? I just did some digging with help from the Way Back Machine and I got my first AdventureBilt in December of 2004, sometime just before Christmas. So you either got yours just before or just after the New Year.

I have a 2005 AB, a 2006 AB and am planning on a 2008 model.

Come to think of it, I do have an AB that is from around 1920.

Kilgour Trout wrote:
Bink...when did you go to Machu Pichu and pose for that famous shot?

Cheers
Kilgour

Kilgour, that's actually me at Macchu Pichu after a four day hike on the Inca Trail, November 2005.

binkmeisterRick wrote:Come to think of it, I do have an AB that is from around 1920.

I KNEW you were going to say that, bink!

(So is one of mine, come to think of it! )

Regard! Michaelson

8-[ Yeah, imagine how long we had to wait for those—80 years!

Yep, that's one of putting it I suppose.

Regards! Michaelson

Received mine September 2006. Ordered another in April.

Got mine as Christmas-gift-to-me in December 05, I think.

Man, time goes fast, dunnit? Hardly seems possible that we're closer to 2010 now than we are to 2000...

I got mine December 24, 2004.

binkmeisterRick wrote:Come to think of it, I do have an AB that is from around 1920.

Is that the mercury felt AB?

Yep. It's one of a very few made from a batch of previously unused hat bodies circa 1920.

Michaelson wrote:

binkmeisterRick wrote:Come to think of it, I do have an AB that is from around 1920.

I KNEW you were going to say that, bink!

(So is one of mine, come to think of it! )

Regard! Michaelson

So you beat me to it ... both of you. Just wanted to throw in, that my hat (of course an AB (Del.) must've been 80 years now.
Now, mabye that's why this thing looks so dusty.

Mine is in the womb. Six weeks gestation and in an off-beat color. Got me a mutant! As a Biology grad, Gotta say, I luv mutants.

binkmeisterRick wrote:Yep. It's one of a very few made from a batch of previously unused hat bodies circa 1920.

Nice hat and uke! I've had a uke for a few weeks now and love it. And I've had my rabbit ab for a few months and love it, and my CS AB for a few hours and love it too. There's a whole lotta love going on.

If my calculations are correct, I'd say my first AB arrived in Feb or March 2007. I only got to wear it a few times before it got too warm (for me, anyway). My wait time was one of the first batch that went really long. The irony of it all is, I might get my two new ABs in less time! Or maybe it just feels that way because I have one to give me comfort.

Chewie, are you refering to your Pepsi glass??

Gater wrote:Chewie, are you refering to your Pepsi glass??

Yep, that's the one!

I'll have to be sure to use that as my "dinner theater stunt hat" this year.

In related scientific news.... I may have inadvertently proven that osmosis is a legitimate means of mental change. I used to only drink Pepsi if forced. I drink Pepsi on purpose now!

I ordered my first AB on August 24, 2005 & I received it in the mail on September 25, 2005. That's right. Read it and weep, guys. Almost one month to the day. Maybe one day the wait times will be down to a month again, but I wouldn't count on it. The product & price are just too good. It was only a matter of time before everyone else began to take notice. My fedora still looks amazing & is the best hat I've ever owned. I wear it with pride every chance I get.

-West Virginia Jones

3 years, 1 month old.

Ordered 4/10/2005, Steve shipped on 4/21/2005 -- 11 days!

Recent pic:

Kaleponi Craig wrote:I got mine in September 2005, so almost three years old now. It's been through the mill, let me tell you, but it's just as gorgeous as when I opened the box the first time. The best lid I ever owned!...KC

My rabbit AB is also from Sep 05'. its still looks great.
Regards,
Joe

the oldest one i have is from the fall collection of 2006