My Good Ol' Magnoli Herbert Johnson

[Mitch LaRue]

Hey everyone,
Those of you who know me know that I'm a hardcore Penman Hats Fan.
Still, it doesn't mean I don't have an appreciation for other hats...
For instance:
- Prior to a year ago, my ONLY hat was an old Stetson from J.J. Hat Centre in New York...
- Just 2 or 2 weeks ago (I refuse to pay strict attention to the date) I finally ordered my Adventurebilt Fedora from Mr. Steve Delk...
- I fully intend to order one of LLS's Raiders Hats from him...
- I'm thinking that some day I'll have to order one of these Fed IV's that so many Members here at C.O.W. are so happy with, if only to see what all the fuss is about...
- And, of course, it goes without saying that I'll be ordering hats from John Penman for as long as he continues to make them...

But THIS thread is just an opportunity for me to post some photos of my mug crowned with my Magnoli Herbert Johnson
.
I ordered it from Magnoli Clothiers in June or July of last year.
Some months after I ordered it, I places my order with Penman Hats for my Raiders Clipper Grey and John speedily and masterfully made my hat and sent it to me...
But the Magnoli HJ STILL got to me first (by about a week and a half) and during that time, this hat was the ONLY one that spent any time on my head (Since getting my Grey Penman, of course, they now share custody of my noggin).

But the other day I was getting some shots taken of me and my Wested for the Jacket Forum and the Mag HJ was back on my head for some of the photos, so I had my wife take a few closer shots to try and capture some of the texture that's going on with this beautiful hat that Steve Delk himself was kind enough to "whip into shape".

(I also thought it might not be a bad idea to spend a few minutes being serious about my respect for the kinds of hats Steve Delk, Marc Kitter, John Penman, Jimmy Pierce and so many others are so adept at making. My hat collection - so far - is pretty small... but I'm proud to wear hats made by those who are such Masters at their Craft.)

Hope you like these photos...
I tried to tip and tilt my head this way & that just so those of you who are maybe newer Members here - or those of you who have maybe just never gotten a good, close-up look at the HJ's Magnoli was getting "re-worked/refurbished/re-MADE" - would get a better idea of how nice (I think) these hats are...

One LAST Note:
Some of you who might've seen the photos I posted on April Fool's Day in my "donkeyed" attempt to be HIGH-larious - may not recognize me in these shots... For that, I shall not apologize...
You'll just have to take me as I REALLY am... A scruffy lookin' nerf-herder to the very bone.













I'd love to get some feedback on these... Let me know what you think.
Thanks for lookin'
Fox

[Indy35]

Thats a sweet looking lid! The ribbon looks impressive. But i think i prefer the AB color, and the AB Henry color. I know the HJ is lighter and more SA, but i really love the hard Read undertone in the AB's. That said if i didn't own so many brown lids i might consider this one. But my AB brown and grey come next. Im saving now and hope to have the dough by October.

Sorry off topic a bit. Again, cool lid.

[mufflowne]

Really nice lid. Envious.

[Caber]

I ordered a black one with a dark gray ribbon about a month ago . They said that it would be in in about six months to four months .Cant wat to get it

[jasonalun]

Really great lid, Fox! (I just love typing that name - sorry, the X-Files fan in me! )

Like mufflowne, I'm envious. But how come you've got a Crystal Skull bash goin' on it? It looks great, don't get me wrong, but I would think with an HJ, you would want a Raiders bash, or at least an LC. I guess it could do for an LC bash, but those side dents go wayy back like CS. Again, it's a GREAT looking hat and bash, I'm just curious.

[DR Ulloa]

I love seeing these Mag/AB HJs. Thats a beautiful hat, Fox!

Dave

[jones the whip]

Great pics, great hat.
IMO, for LC style its HJ all the way.
Cheers,
JTW.

[Russian Raider]

Mitch LaRue you look a lot like Chris Bale on those pics.
Great looking lid, got me thinking about buying one.

[theinterchange]

Perfecto, that looks great!

Randy

[TheExit148]

Very nice! Always with the great hats and pics Mitch

[inexpensive_jones]

In all honesty, that's one of the best I've seen on these threads. Too many look too pristine, or maybe a better word is precise, i.e. the crease is just so, the brim is just so, etc. Your HJ looks lived in. Mrs. Landis would approve. I'm trying to get my AB to look that nice. I even like it better than your avatar.

[Mitch LaRue]

Caber:
I know we're still a ways off, but PLEASE post photos of that hat once you get it!
I think I've only ever seen pictures of that hat on the Magnoli Website (and not a REAL photo taken by a real person... if you know what I mean... No offence, Indy M!)

jasonalun:
I've gotta say... I'm GREAT at spotting a bash (or it's shortcomings) on someone ELSE's hat... and TERRIBLE at "seeing" (or fixing) it on my own hat!
To be honest, prior to reading your post (AND the one by "jones the whip" confirming it) I thought I DID have a kinda' Raiders Bash going on.
But I guess not...

I can tell you this: I've never had any luck keeping that tight narrow (S.O.C.) pinch on the front of the fedora...
I think so much of my melon goes up into the hat that it just won't allow for it... Of course, you mentioned how the side dents go "waaay back like CS"... maybe the secret is for me to have them far less deep...
Hmmm... and maybe I should be wearing it a lot higher on my head... whaddaya think?
I'd LOVE to get some good pointers on this issue.
(Cuz' buh-lieve me when I say: I'd much rather be wearing a Raiders bash... IF it can be done!)

Russian Raider:
I appreciate the compliment! At different times since joining C.O.W. I've been told I look a bit like Tom Selleck and now a little like Christian Bale... not bad company!
You know it's interesting, sometimes - from people I interact with - I get the comment (compliment, really) that I remind them of Harrison Ford:
"You look like him" or "You could be his son"...(ironically, it's often when I'm NOT "in hat" - or "Gear" - and often it's that I "have a Han Solo thing going on"...)
But yet, I never get anyone here at C.O.W. saying anything of the kind when it's just a photo of me (even in the hat)...
So, I'm starting to think that it's just a voice/inflection/body-language/mannerism/vibe thing I've got going on in person that just doesn't translate well into still photos...

Ah well...

Guess I'll have to put up some video before someone says "Hey, you kinda' look a little like him..."


To everyone else who took a moment to say a few kind - or critical - words:
Thanks very much for looking in and saying your piece!

Fox

[jasonalun]

Fox,

Don't take what I said as criticism. I really love your hat, and aren't recommending you "fix" anything! I was just a little surprised to see what seemed like a CS bash on a Magnoli HJ, since everyone seems to get that hat for the "authentic Raiders" factor. It obviously makes a great CS hat, too!

I'm not sure what to recommend about the bash - wearing it higher on your head is certainly an option, although it looks great the way it is. Does your hat fit tightly or more loosely? My Henry, being rather loose for me (they only come in whole sizes and I'm a definite "tweener"), also sits low on my head, and I can't seem to keep a tight pinch in the front either. I've found that having the front pinch start too low (lower than 4 3/4") will cause the side dents not to be able to "sink in" as deep, as the pressure of your forehead on the front of the hat pushes them out gradually. Having a pinch that starts nice and high gives the dents more room to curve in before they have to start curving back out near the ribbon and where your forehead meets the hat. Also, I used a "clothespin" of sorts, and a soft cloth (to protect the hat from the clothespin), and dampened the felt ever so slightly with a spray bottle and some distilled water, and put the clothespin with towel in between on it, and let it dry. After 30 minutes or so, I had a nice, crisp tight pinch, that hasn't really come out since, though eventually even that relaxed slightly.

But again, your hat looks great as is, IMHO! But then again I'm partial to the LC look, since that was actually the movie that hooked me on Indy, not Raiders, since I saw LC first.

Regards,
J

[albert jones]

great pics, I have one similar I like it very much.

[Mitch LaRue]

jasonalun:
No worries, my friend... I wasn't taking your comment as criticism at all.
I quite like that you "opened the door" for me to mention my curiosity about what other options I might have available to me in the way of bashing this hat.
I might experiment with it a bit, secure in the knowledge that I can always return to the safety zone of a the bash (above) that you've given the "thumbs up" to... so don't be surprised if you see me posting a few shots sometime soon called "Messin' Around With the Bash on My Mag HJ - What Do You Think?"...

Hmmmm...
Yeah, I just might do that.

albert jones:
Cool, albert! Are you saying you have a similar PHOTO or a similar HAT?
Is yours a Magnoli HJ, too?
If so, please don't hesitate to post any photos you might have in this thread, if you'd like (after all, no one said that the ONLY "Good Ol' Magnoli Herbert Johnson" in this thread HAS to be MINE.)
Even if it's not a Mag HJ though, you should definitely post any photo you may have taken that you like that shows off your lid! Start your own thread called "Dig my JPD!" or... whatever...
But speaking for myself, I'm a big fan of photos that show off a nice hat! So, if you say you got 'em... POST 'em!
(And if you don't have any photos taken YET? ...Well, get out there and GET some pictures taken!)

[JC1972]

Fox,
No matter what hat you have on, they all look great. Nice pics!

[Indiana G]

that is aging wonderfully mitch.....imo, it looks better now than when you first posted pics. gotta love that hat! i have one myself but it did not fair well with the passing of time.....i guess you are lucky

[Caber]

I will defentaly Post pics when I get my black one . But its different than the one on magnoli's website . It is a raiders fedora like yours but in black and with a dark gray ribbion. The one on the website is not a raiders i don't think

[jasonalun]

Hey Fox, I think I've got it - based on measuring your hat in the pics, using the ribbon as a guide (1 1/2"), I think you have the same issue I did - your front crease is a bit too low. You look to be right at 4.5", where it should be 4 3/4" for a Raiders pinch. That doesn't seem like much, but it makes a difference - I know from experience. I had my front crease too low initially on my Henry, and I had the same problem with my tight pinch loosening up, and after raising the crease height, it looks a lot better now and the side bashes look deeper and "stay put" much better than before. FWIW, anyway. I'm no expert, for sure, but I'm learning more all the time as I acquire more hats and play around with them...

[Mitch LaRue]

Cool, jason... thanks!
I'll give that a try.

[Holt]

nice

[maboot38]

I think the hat looks GREAT the way it is. Nice lid.

[Johnny Fedora]

Your Mag's HJ looks awesome Mitch!!! But then they always do. They just age and take on their own life so well.

Johnny

p.s. Hey look at that, I actually posted something...

[Mitch LaRue]

Whoa, Johnny!
Your first post in 4 months and it's on MY thread?
I'm honored!
Please, don't be such a stranger!

[Georgia Steve]

Nice Lid

[Pyroxene]

See, I post something about how I have declared myself done with HJs then I see your hat. Now, I'm having second thoughts....somebody talk me down.

Nice hat.

[Indycrazy5187]

sweet hat.

[Niob]

Great hat. You really have an impressive hat collection now and it looks very good on you. Makes me wish mine would look like as good as yours on me

[IndyGeek78]

Cracking hat man.
Great photos.
Nice SA stubble.

Ever thought of playing a young HF in a Raiders prequel maybe??

[Ohio Jones]

Mitch,

As always you look just steller in any lid I have seen on your head.

I often ask my wife.....Why couldn't I have been born rich (to buy more hats)....instead of so dang handsome????

Just kidding...you rock in lids...I simply dont..lol...but I sure try hard to.

Keep the pics coming!

Ps....I think you need an award for the most changed avatars on here....

[Mitch LaRue]

Ever thought of playing a young HF in a Raiders prequel maybe??

Where do I sign?
I DO appreciate you sayin' that, IndyGeek78... but I think I'm gettin' a little too grey around the temples (no pun intended) for that... Maybe I'd be better suited for everything AFTER Last Crusade and BEFORE Crystal Skull... But someone should definitely have George or Steven call me.

I often ask my wife.....Why couldn't I have been born rich (to buy more hats)....instead of so dang handsome????
Ps....I think you need an award for the most changed avatars on here....

I'll take it! In fact, I'll take any award I can get until I figure out a way that I can be more handsome (like you) and less... "weather-beaten" (like me!)
Seriously though...
Thanks for the kind words from both of you, gents... I really appreciate them.

Cheers,
Mitch

[IndyGeek78]

JUst realised that TOD was an Indy prequel Duh!!

[fedoraiders]

Hello Mitch LaRue this hat is very beautiful, me i don't have the hat with this quality, my hats are use. I have 1 Herber Johnson but is very very use.

If i play and make a modification with my hats, it's because my hats is not expensive.
This year, i would like to buy a Adventurebilt and Never i will make a modification at this hat if i buy. Never.

The beautiful pictures!


Jason aka Fedoraiders

[Mitch LaRue]

*A quick interruption on a somewhat related matter*

(The following has been posted here in this thread as well as in my "My WESTED: A bit older & (I think) ALREADY a little BETTER" thread & the "Raven Bar Line Up-Super Coolzado-IT'S A (RAVEN) BAR FIGHT!!" thread.)

Hey folks,
Just a quick note from me on an unusual topic... but it might be of interest to some on you (I'm posting it here in one of the threads that prompted this because I realize that this subject I gave it it's own thread in separate forums it would likely get locked up faster than you could say "skinjob".)

First of all, I just want to say a heartfelt thanks to those C.O.W Members who have not only had kind words to say here on these Boards about the photos I've been posting, but also in the many pm's I've received over the last several weeks.
Your compliments and encouragement are very flattering...
So, naturally I want to let you in on what OTHER craziness I've been keeping busy with...

As many of you already know, I'm also a member of Propsummit.com as well as a frequent visitor over at Filmjackets.com (Propsummit concerning primarily with all things "Blade Runner" and Filmjackets focusing on... well... Well Known Jackets in Films.)
Recently I'd purchased some articles of clothing that make up the Gear of Harrison Ford's character "Rick Deckard" (specifically, an Abbyshot Deckard Trench Coat V2 and Indy Magnoli's Deckard Blazer, Shirt & Tie.)
For those of you not familiar with Propsummit, like the community here at C.O.W., we'll often post photos of our Gear for the purpose of comment, compliment, critique & criticism.
In keeping with that practice, yesterday I posted a bunch of Rick Deckard Gear shots.
Some members here have urged me to do more photos and while I realize these Blade Runner shots have me without my well-known (locally) trademark fedora OR scruff, they ARE still "Harrison Ford Themed"... So, I thought that maybe 1 out of 5 of you might be interested.
Now, some of the photos are a bit dark and murky (but I love them because they're moody and I think they give the shots more atmosphere.)

Like many of us here, there are members there who are fussier than others about certain details might be also be tempted to point out a few problems in the finer details of my outfit - so for those of you who ARE familiar with some of the details of Deckard Gear, I feel I should say, I DO know my pants aren't quite Screen Accurate - but I like these duds... a lot.
My main goal with these photos was to show my BR Gear and how they all interact with each other in different settings (and types of lighting).
At Propsummit.com you'll find the threads in the "Replica & Screen Used Costumes" Forum.
If you DO pay them a visit, I hope you like what you see... And feel free to leave a comment or drop me a line if you DO.
All the Best,
Mitch