Club Obi Wan

Here it is-







Thanks so much John!

Very nice - looks great! Did you bash it or did John? Really nice bashing job as well

John did it. I just opened the box and put it on.

Your welcome and I'm so glade you got it today.

I'm sorry but I have to laugh a bitt. I always wonder what of the two shot people will post . The classic arms length or the classic bathroom mirror shot.

Looks like a CS bash. Am I correct?

no, I think themechanic needs to reinforce the tight pinch. It may have come out during shipping.

Looks GREAT, Jared.....Congrats!!!

Mechanic,

That bash looks great on you! Wear it well!

Thanks guys. Yes, the tight front pinch kind of relaxed in shipping. I'll try to get it back.
Actually John, my friend took these pictures of me, I did not take them myself. I told him he was standing too close but oh well.

Oh no big deal J.

It looks great on you! I like the color, too. Well done, Oak!

Since I don't have another hat to compare it to, I can't say "it's better than this" or "it's better than that" but I know quality when I see it and this hat oozes quality.
Every stitch on this hat is perfect and the felt is velvety soft with a nice rich color and texture.
The sweatband is very comfortable as well. The ribbon is beautiful too.
I couldn't be happier with my first Indy hat.
Thanks again John and keep up the fantastic work.

That is a fine looking lid. Congrats on the hat Mechanic and Oak your work is getting comparable to the Masters.

The Mechanic, that is a gorgeous hat!

Oak, great work, my friend!

At last! Very nice. I especially like the side profile. What are the measurements on that one?

oh John.....your hat looks so great.so great..

and I so want one


looks great on you Mechanic!

perfecto-mundo!!!

It's a 5 1/2 inch open crown with 2 7/8 front and back with dim. cut

ABSOLUTELLY GORGEOUS!!!

(Not you man, the hat! The hat! )

Thanks. John rightfully deserves whatever accolades are thrown his way.
I love the way this hat looks.

Congrats, Jared. The hat looks great. I'm not going to highjack this thread yet, but here is a teaser to my Penman.



Dave

I think we ought to start a thread with pictures of just hat boxes

Ulloa, come now. Lets see the hat on your noggin.

wow,beautiful hat

every hat that you do, john,is much better than the last one.

congrats to the mechanic,beautiful lid.

oh,my...still got like two more months of waiting....

Come on man! After the long wait you post a picture of the box!

Let me just reiterate what a pleasure it was working with John on this hat. Truly a professional all the way. There were some problems during its construction but John wouldn't let a hat leave his hands until it was perfect. I thank you again John for all the hard work you put into this gem.

Your welcome.

I really don't think I can add much more to what's already been said, but at the same time I'm gonna hate myself (almost as much as I'm hatin' The Mechanic right now ) if I don't chime in with this chorus of praise and say what I'm thinking...

My god, that's one beautiful hat, John...

Mechanic, in all seriousness I'm really sincerely happy for you (but STILL danged envious of you... but I'm sure I'm not the only one here who feels that way!) not only because you finally GOT your hat, but that it was SO worth the wait (AND the slight delay.)

John, I'm really happy for you, too... once again you've put together a Masterfully Crafted lid that's made it into the hands (and onto the noggin) of an appreciative owner whose going to use it like it SHOULD be used... who'll wear it as well as it SHOULD be worn... and for the whole, long length of it's life.

So, Congrats to you BOTH, gents!

Oh, and did I mention? Nice hat, John...

I feel extremely honored to wear such a fine hat and on top of that it's one of John's first 10 hats.

I'll always be able to look back and say "I have one of his first hats" when he gets all famous in the years to come.

TheMechanic wrote:I feel extremely honored to wear such a fine hat and on top of that it's one of John's first 10 hats.

I'll always be able to look back and say "I have one of his first hats" when he gets all famous in the years to come.

I'm glade your happy with it and thanks again for taking a risk with me.

Man, look at that brim. I wish the brim on my fed IV had a brim that big... Dangit mechanic, why couldn't you have gotten one of those "non-indy" penman's like other people so I could look at it and say "I have something close enough to that"? I look at this one and say "I wish I'd gotten something like that" which turns into "I want one..." This forum would be alot easier on my wallet if everyone would just stop posting pictures! Great hat, mechanic, and great hat/work bending oak!

-KB

I'm so glad I went with John and got exactly what I wanted the very first time.
Not bad for my first hat huh?

TheMechanic wrote:I'm so glad I went with John and got exactly what I wanted the very first time.
Not bad for my first hat huh?

Very awesome and congrats on your first hat.

BendingOak wrote:Ulloa, come now. Lets see the hat on your noggin.

No "hat on the noggin" pics today but I was able to snap this shot before scooting off to other things I had to do today.



I asked Oak to send the hat open so that I can put a turn in it, so the bash is my own. It was a quick minute and a half bash so that I could take a photo, but I have been messing with it all day. It takes any bash very well. Now on to my 360 review.

John, I told you I would be brutally honest and I intend on keeping my word. With that being said, the only other hat that I have EVER seen this sort of craftsmanship put into is an AB. Now, before everyone calls me a blasphemer, yes I have seen and held an AB in my hands and yes it was immaculate. The craftsmanship and level of detail that John puts into his hats are nothing short of the work that Steve and Marc do. And before you begin with your "I wish I was as great as them" comment, Oak, don't bother, don't be modest becuase this hat is everything Indy's fedora is supposed to be.

The felt is so inconceivably soft. The hat seems to melt in your hands. I don't want to know how much time Oak spent pouncing this hat. It is so easy to crease that it makes you wonder if it is too good to be true. The sweat band is perfectly stitched and the script on it is beautifully printed. The liner is great and I love the fact that there is no plastic, especially with this South Florida weather. The color of the felt is a very rich brown with a hint of red, very similar to Fedora's felt and is my second favorite quality about the hat only to the ribbon. I'm willing to bet that the ribbon is THE SAME RIBBON USED ON THE AB AND AB DELUXE. It is the perfect shade and the stitching is perfect. In fact, you need to hold the bow about six inches away from your face to be able to see the stitching.

The best part about this hat was the customer service. John is the ultimate gentleman. I asked for the hat open, as said before, so I could turn it and Oak offered to walk me through the bash over the phone. I politely declined as I know a thing or two about creasing hats, but the gesture was greatly welcomed and appreciated. Recieving calls from Oak was great as well and I am certain he enjoys conversing with fellow fans and customers as much as Lee Keppler does. Ever phone call was pleasant, even when there was some bad news. The personalized writing on the inside of the sweat was a very nice touch and shows appreciation to the customer, even though it is something very small and seemingly insignificant. The experience was definately worth the hat.

To all those that are considering ordering a Penman or are in the market for a hat, take the plunge. I assure you, you will not be dissapointed. I will definately be coming back to The Penman Hat Co. for more hats and John has gained a customer for life.

Dave

p.s. The box is great, but I nearly died laughing when I saw the reverse side of your business card.

Great! Now not only am I pacing the floor waiting for my hat, there's a mysterious secret message on the back of the card to anticipate. Unless that was just for Dr Ulloa.

Marty

[quote="p.s. The box is great, but I nearly died laughing when I saw the reverse side of your business card.[/quote]

I'm umming and arrring here in the UK as to which hat to buy and from who

Wonder if there could be a good old fashioned part exchange whip for hat, hat for whip......

Now there's a thought...

Tony

There are some indy props I wouldn't mind but as for a whip I have a DM and a JS.

Here are some photos of my Penman on my noggin. I used a timer so please pardon the less-than-great photographs.







Dave

It's good to place a face with a name. Thanks for posting them.

No problem. I'll probably take some more photos over the weekend and post those.

Let me tell you, this hat is just gorgeous. I was at my grandmother's house yesterday and she asked me if the hat I had on was a new one. My grandmother is a very observant woman but knows nothing of hats. She immediately picked up the quality and workmanship. I told her that it was in fact a new hat and she rubbed her thumb across the felt and was awed by how soft ind smooth it was. Just comes to show that even those that are not knowledgable or even into hats can tell that what you make, John, is a grade A hat that hangs with the likes of Adventurebilt and Vintage Silhouettes.

Dave

I see you have your 'anti-alligator' fence up in the background, Doc!

Regards! Michaelson

Oh yeah! I've never seen one in the lake, but I've seen ducks get stunk under and never come back up . It also keeps the dogs from running a muck, taking a swim or...I don't even want to think about it...getting stunk under and never coming back . Some sort of fence is necessary in these parts if you live on a body of water.

Dave

Well, during the 3 years I lived in Tallahassee, I was told by a FHP line officer that if there was a puddle located anywhere in Florida, you could guarantee you'll find at least ONE 'gater nearby.

He proved to be right over and over again!

Ok, back to your great looking Penman!!

Regard! Michaelson

The Librarian wrote:Great! Now not only am I pacing the floor waiting for my hat, there's a mysterious secret message on the back of the card to anticipate. Unless that was just for Dr Ulloa.

Marty

[quote="p.s. The box is great, but I nearly died laughing when I saw the reverse side of your business card.

[/quote]



No secrets here and not just for dave. It's just the back of my cards. It's something every hatter used to do when hats were common place.

Yep. A 'grand' tradition. The first one I ever saw was in a vintage Peters Bros.

Regard! Michaelson

The Doctor is IN...
...an absolutely gorgeous hat!

Beautiful job (again) John!

(Dave I'm thinkin' you should change your name to "Gator Raider"...
Since your crouching by your "Gator Gate"...
Wearing your "Greater Raider"!)

Too much?

Yeah,
I know...



Back to something sensible:
JOHN! You're KILLING ME with these AMAZING HATS!!!

And to everyone who has yet to post photos (and even those of you who already HAVE):
KEEP em' COMING!

Darn fine looking hats, indeed!

(Dave I'm thinkin' you should change your name to "Gator Raider"...
Since your crouching by your "Gator Gate"...
Wearing your "Greater Raider"!)

Mitch, you forgot to add that he should be drinking 'Gator-aid'.

My turn to hide under the Plymouth...

Indiana Venkman wrote:My turn to hide under the Plymouth...

Bring sandwiches!

Regards! Michaelson

Man, those are some sweet looking lids. Great job!

Cheers!

Dan

Michaelson wrote:

Indiana Venkman wrote:My turn to hide under the Plymouth...

Bring sandwiches!

Regards! Michaelson

Will do, and a couple of coffees, too.

Dr Ulloa, wow, that is an astoundingly beautiful fedora!

Magnificent work, Oak!