Club Obi Wan

After many years of banging my head, working on my fav Indy fedora, I have finally got as close as I can personally get. And, you can take this to the bank, I WILL NOT touch my Raiders block again. That is a promise, and it is on my mother's eye, to use an archaic term.

Basically I have been working towards taking the caricatures out, and after looking at this hat for over a week, I think I have succeeded. So, to Thomas, who bought this remade Christy fedora, pictured below, it is on its way to you.

Originally, I wanted no pics posted, but with time, I figured that was sort of an inane thing to request of him, so right before I packed her up, I snapped these pics. Now, to some, it might not be square enough, but I of course disagree with that group. After studying the CS fedora whose block I own, and studying the Raiders fedora, I knew I had to use that knowledge and make my final Raiders block.

Held in hand, it is my best effort to date, and I used a symetrical block to make this hat. I have my reasons for that, but no need to go into that here. What is funny to me is that when I compare it to a non tweaked Raiders block that I started out with years ago, it is remarkably similiar, although not exact. The difference is largely due to the amount of taper that I used with this new block. And, as I said, this will definetely be my last effort, and that is a promise from me to everyone here.

I also found out that this block does indeed work with my beaver bodies, that is, as long as Winchester does their job and sends me bodies with zero stiffener. With stiffener, it tapers too much, once you put in the creases. So, that means I will have to remove the shellac if they send me anymore bodies with shellac in them. But hopefully, they will remember my complaints and do me right from here on out. Since I have literally hundreds and hundreds of the no shellac bodies, I won't have to worry about that for quite some time. Ok, nuff' words. Here she is.










This last pic makes the hat appear to be taller, than it is, but it does show a good shot from above.



Height is 5 inches at the side, 4 1/2 from, 4 inches on the back. This seems to work with with most folks.

Since this felt will bulge with wear, it should take on a well worn look in a couple of weeks.

I moved away from the straight bowler style of block, to more of a fedora styled block. To me, this is what I missed in my earlier replications. But, many fedora blocks have a domey top, which the Raiders fedora did not have. Peculiarly English is all I can say about it.

So, for me, the quest is over. While not all will like it, it pleases these old eyes, and personally I feel I am, to repeat myself, as close as I will ever get. While realizing this is "in the eye of the beholder". But as with all Indy hatters, we make our own vision of what we think the hat was. This is my final vision. Thanks for taking the time to look. Fedora

It looks absolutely fantastic Steve!
I would have never believed that this was a Christy´s before I read it.
I really hope the owner will post some pictures of it when it starts to bulge, I´m sure it will have a great SoC-style look (just by going how my Christys bulged with some wear and heat).

I can´t stop looking at these pictures...

A Christy's!?!?!?!? You are the man!

Travis

I like it, Steve. I really, like it. This looks more like a fedora that WOULD have been worn in the 1930's than any other Raiders hat I've seen. I do think that the original Raiders hat was a bit of a charicature of a fedora to begin with, though not as great as it typically is made out to be. I didn't think that your old Raiders block was very charicature-like, though. I really want to see what your beaver bodies look like coming off this block becuase I really like this Christy's coming off of it. Very nice work Steve. I'm glad your journey has come to an end.

Dave

I like it Steve, and you do have a keen eye my friend.

Wow!! That's a beauty!

Very nice work, Steve!!! Can I send you my Christy's??

As Oak says, you have a very keen eye! As I ordered my AB from you last year with a Raiders bash, I guess I'll be getting it off of this new block! I can't wait!!!!!

Kind regards,
Craig

A Christy's never looked so good. I like that last picture a lot - excellent job.

The more I look at these pictures, the more I like it.

Steve, how tall is this Raiders hat open crown?

Dave

Hey, Wait!!!! I'm surprised that no one has brought up the symmetrical aspect to this hat block. There has been much energy lately over the "new" Raiders approach which had a slightly lower back to the block - I think LLS started this, not sure.

And for Steve to RETURN to a symmetrical block is VEEEEEEERY interesting to me.

Not asking for secrets but it seems almost like a 180!

That said, this hat looks incredible.

Is that true, Steve? When you say "symmetrical" you mean front to back, right?

It truly does look gorgeous in its lines. Wow. And if that HJ felt comes through, might you offer these new?

Wow.

Hey, Wait!!!! I'm surprised that no one has brought up the symmetrical aspect to this hat block. There has been much energy lately over the "new" Raiders approach which had a slightly lower back to the block - I think LLS started this, not sure.

Yes, darthjones. I always believed the hat was lower in the back. That was one of the key elements that the Raiders hat had that the others didn't. It took many picture measurements and trial and error to demonstrate this to Steve on my behalf. Great looking hat Steve. You can take a sows ear and ..... O.K., I'll stop there. The Cairo hat really shows on this hat. That last pic definitely has the top view replicated from the film.

The subtle diffence in my block is that my hat will bash to 3-3/4" on the rear. I know some have concerns that the hat will push out, but it won't. Minute details.

And yes, I too get the same block look from beaver felt. Both the rabbit and beaver felt will yeild the same crown look.

Good show, Steve.

LLS

So the old HJ block that we're using on The Henry is indeed THE block!!!

Look at the similarities: http://www.adventurebiltdeluxe.com/henry.php (look at the one that was creased Raiders style by our very own John Penman).

I can't even brag about it, the manufacturer just had that block sitting there for ages.

If I hadn't become such a DARN snob about felt over the years, I'd be wearing my Henry instead of my AB-Dlx. now

Regards,

Marc

Steve, does this mean that all the Raiders orders that you have will be made with this final block shape?

Maybe I should switch my order back to Raiders from CS.

It sure took you a long time Steve

Well it's never too late. Can't wait to see that hat on a head... and a Christy's nonetheless. So they do hold the reblock processes?

Nice work Steve.

How does the new block compare to the block used on my Raiders that I got from you a few years ago?

Great looking hat there Steve It really captures the Raiders spirit and look. Glad your work has finally came to this point, and you are happy with this new block. Can't believe thats a Christy's An awesome hat came out of it

TheExit148 wrote:Can't believe thats a Christy's An awesome hat came out of it

Christy's is an awesome hat... for 50 quids

JeffB wrote:Steve, does this mean that all the Raiders orders that you have will be made with this final block shape?

Yeah, I'm interested in the answer to this question as well, Steve...
I ordered a Raiders bash back in March... hopefully this means my hat is destined for that magnificent block!

Marc wrote: So the old HJ block that we're using on The Henry is indeed THE block!!!

Look at the similarities: http://www.adventurebiltdeluxe.com/henry.php (look at the one that was creased Raiders style by our very own John Penman).

I can't even brag about it, the manufacturer just had that block sitting there for ages.

If I hadn't become such a DARN snob about felt over the years, I'd be wearing my Henry instead of my AB-Dlx. now

Regards,

Marc

I find that hilarious in light of the fact that when it was first released, people commented that they were having issues with the Henry being too tapered. Hmm...does that mean that you're going to start blocking your custom hats on the Henry block Marc? -M

Mulceber wrote:

Marc wrote: So the old HJ block that we're using on The Henry is indeed THE block!!!

Look at the similarities: http://www.adventurebiltdeluxe.com/henry.php (look at the one that was creased Raiders style by our very own John Penman).

I can't even brag about it, the manufacturer just had that block sitting there for ages.

If I hadn't become such a DARN snob about felt over the years, I'd be wearing my Henry instead of my AB-Dlx. now

Regards,

Marc

I find that hilarious in light of the fact that when it was first released, people commented that they were having issues with the Henry being too tapered. Hmm...does that mean that you're going to start blocking your custom hats on the Henry block Marc? -M

I think the tapper issue everyone was having is the crease job that people were putting in the hat not the block shape itself.

You're probably right. -M

Not probably. He is right, Mulceber. Not many people here know how to properly crease a Raiders hat. John does. Check out his Henry. There isn't any taper there. It's all in the crease. Crease it right and it will look right.

Dave

Chill out, dude. I was merely using that anecdote to remark on the fact that some people are so critical of screen accuracy that they end up missing it when its staring them in the face. No need to get so up-tight about it. -M

Oh, I wasn't getting up-tight about it. Sorry it came off that way.

Dave

It's okay -M

Good. I wouldn't want to upset a friend.

Steve, how difficult would it be to reblock a CS AB on this new Raiders block? Is that possible? I know you kill your felt and don't know if that would affect the reblock process.

Dave

Steve, how difficult would it be to reblock a CS AB on this new Raiders block? Is that possible? I know you kill your felt and don't know if that would affect the reblock process.

While I'm not Steve, I think it would probably be something he could do without too much trouble as the felt-killing process only makes it a lot more difficult to make the felt taper - I'm pretty sure the hat can still be blocked, although it's probably more difficult.

Personally, I'm not sure I'd want to though - while I bow to Steve's authority when he says that the Raiders hat had a 5" crown, I personally prefer a 5.5" one and think it looks best on my tall, lanky frame. Next time I get my Raiders AB reblocked, I may ask for a CS block with a Raiders bash. -M

Well, the hat measured 5'' on the sides when creased. That means the hat is probably a tad taller. Probably close to 5 1/4''. I like the way a 5 1/2'' crown looks on me too, but I'll have my Penman for those dimensions.

Dave

M,
i think the 5 inches was in reference to the height of the sides after bashing... the open crown would be taller.


sorry Dave you beat me to it!

Haha, I type faster!

Just kidding, WE. Thanks for confirming that, though.

Dave

Ah ok. Yeah, that's a good point. In that case, I'll probably be making use of Steve's new block in the near future - or be sending the hat to Marc if he can use the original block for his reblocks. -M

I don't know that Marc would have the Henry block in his hands. I think it is the property of Stefan. Unless Steve sends him a set of these blocks or the specs of these blocks, I don't see why he would have them. Steve just finished these. It would be great if he had it though.

Dave

Steve, you announce your FINAL Raiders block the day AFTER I get my Raiders AB from you? What gives?

Okay, this is WEIRD - Steve announces his FINAL Raiders block in the SAME post where Marc says that the Henry block IS the Raiders block. I would love to have a tap on their phone line right now.

Marc and Steve - if you get a moment, comment on this!!!!

This is a pretty darn central thread, no?!

I was actually just thinking that. I could imagine Steve being like "D'OH! I had to swear that my search for the block was over..." -M

darthjones wrote:Okay, this is WEIRD - Steve announces his FINAL Raiders block in the SAME post where Marc says that the Henry block IS the Raiders block.

Mate, they are just opinions. I don't like to increase any "myth" around "the block" but... no one has THE block, simply what the hatters think is closer to the original, based on what they saw in the film/behind the scenes and vintage hats they have handled and that were thought to be blocked on the block used in Raiders. So of course there is a lot of experience behind their opinions but opinions are. Nothing weird if they slightly diverge.
Correct me if I'm wrong Marc and Steve.

I believe the only person that may have THE BLOCK, is Stefan. We will never know for sure, but the block ahs been in his possession, or the factory's possession, for many years and it does look right.

Dave

DR Ulloa wrote: and it does look right.Dave

"look right"... yeah that's what I was talking about

Stve, you announce your FINAL Raiders block the day AFTER I get my Raiders AB from you? What gives?

I don't have long ovals with this final block yet. I have to use my original Raiders long ovals when folks want a long oval Raiders fedora like you did my friend.

On moving back to the symetrical block, I have a reason for this. If you take a hat made on a symetrical block, and crease it Indy style, after some wear in the elements, if you pop out the crown, to the open crown shape, you no longer have a symetrical block. If you creased the back lower than the front when you creased your hat, ala' Raiders, the back will morph into an asymetrical block when you compare the front to the back. The back will appear to be lower. I have noticed this for years. And one reason I never made my blocks asymetrical. Since the hat will end up like this, anyways, I figured in order not to use LLS's work, I could still pull it off, without using his methods. Now, with that said, since LLS is putting that in the hat for you, the hat just looks fantastic, doing what he does, and it has that look right out of the box. Whereas I think what I am using will look more like a brand new Raiders hat, and then it will move into his shape once you wear it for awhile. But, this is ONLY my opinion.

None of us know exactly what a brand new custom Raiders fedora looked like in 3D that came from Mr. Swales. So, the Indy hatters work to replicate what they see onscreen. Each of us have a vision of what that hat was. And that is all that it is, OUR VISION. But with that said, even these diverse visions look so much better than what you get from other folks. IMO.

I am impressed by the hats LLS makes. Always will be. But, I have an ego, and my ego just won't let me use his work. So, I moved back to more of a classic fedora shape, or a more common shape, using what I have learned over the years, and incorporated this into the final block. And I used two particular "stills" from the Raider film, in the final design. Don't ask which ones.

LLS replicated a genuine vintage HJ's blockshape. A hat that they sold many years ago that was not symetrical. But, I cannot say that this was indeed what the hat looked like new, or if it had morphed into that asymetical back like most rabbit hats tend to do. I just don't know for sure. So, I went symetrical. As I had always done in the past. But this doesn't matter, because of what I said above in regards to the morphing. The symetrical ends up asymetrical with time and wear. If you doubt this, take a rabbit hat that was symetrical and pop it out to open crown. Most times you will see the back has a different radius, as well as it being lower than the front. Even beaver will do this, but it takes longer for this to occur.

Over the years, I have realized that the Raiders fedora was not as square as many eyes percieve it. Yes, it is certainly more square than most fedoras you see today, but it was not completely straight up on the sides, and certainly not straight up on the back or front. So, I added what most fedora blocks have, regardless of what side of the Atlantic they originated from. I added some taper, that creases out. To me, that is very logical, because you see few vintage hat blocks that don't have some taper. This taper can vary from slight to quite a bit. The blocks that don't have taper are mostly western hats, or the straight sided derbies, and a few homburgs.

So, I created a block that has taper but not that much. And it creases out, giving the hat a more compact look, when compared to the CS fedora. And I am as pleased with it as I can be. So, no more tweaks, or changes. It is my own vision of the Raiders fedora. And that is all. It would be dishonest of me to say this was a perfect match, because I really don't know. All I know is that I like it and I can't improve on it, plus I am tired of chasing it.

The good thing is, I still have my old Raiders block, so that will always be an option too. But, I will use the new block on all existing Raider orders, once I get the complete set in.(unless the old block is requested) I only have a partial set as we speak, just the common sizes. And I did not want to buy two whole sets without seeing if the block could be replicated accurately. I also have a new blockmaker although I will still use Richard for the CS blocks.

But please don't expect new block to be superiour to LLS's or John's or Marc's. I just skinned the cat differently that produces results that are on par with these guys. Nonething magical about it. And I make no claims as to be better. It is just MY vision, and that is all that it is. And it gives variety as we won't all be using the same block for this fedora. As long as the final hat looks the part, that is all that matters to me. I want to have my own block, my own work, my own vision. I am just too egocentic to copy others. I hope St. Peter still lets me in heaven due to this fault. I am sure part of this is because I was the first here to try to replicate the block and then offer it for sale. I want to remain "different" and this drove me to this last quest. I don't want my hats to look just like everyone's else's. It's a personal thing, that I know the artists and craftsmen here will relate to.

The CS block is a very old and very rare blockshape. It has "fedora" imprinted on the bottom, so it was at one time a company's fedora block. Bernie liked it more than our Raiders blocks for some reason. If I had to reverse engineer that CS block, it would be a chore, just going by the film as reference. Through experience, I know if I tried to do that, using the film, I would never get it perfect. I might get close, but it would be impossible to get it perfect. I feel the same way about the Raiders block. We can get close, but I doubt we will ever get it perfect. But thankfully, we can get it close enough to pull off that particular look. And that is all any of us are doing. Regards, Fedora

Thanks for the info, Steve. I sent you an email about changing to a Raiders style for my Dec 07 order.

I don't have long ovals with this final block yet. I have to use my original Raiders long ovals when folks want a long oval Raiders fedora like you did my friend.

You KNOW I was only joshin'! I figured you wouldn't have a long oval block yet. That's what I get for having an egg-shaped head!

I wouldn't change a thing on my new AB! It was worth the wait and then some! Congrats on your new block! Maybe the next one?

Best Regards, Dr. J

Hey, Steve -

That is a VERY interesting post. At least to me. And that hat looks just great. Still folks, I would love to hear Marc chime in a little bit on his post here - in the MIDDLE of Steve's thread he says he's got "THE" block and disappears.

Yes, I guess it is an opinion BUT I have rarely known Marc to say something he was not sure of - if anyone knows how to peg and nail down information it is Marc, no? That dude gets a LOT of backup into place before pulling the trigger on anything. I wish he did my taxes!!!!

To my own eye the Henry has always looked so very close - having spent time near real Star Wars and Indy props I have gotten VERY used to discovering that a lot of the "caricature" in these props is a product of the film screen and lense and the Henry just feels like a shape around which one might just have to eat that same amount of crow regarding all the swoops and mushrooming that one might have to digest with regard to a stormtrooper helmet.

Hmm.

Just a thought - but would love to see another Henry after some time in the elements and all beat up a la' SOC ...

Marc does do alot of digging, and is in the right place with some really good contacts that we don't know about here. He is a busy guy with his hats plus his day job, and I am surprised we hear from him as much as we do. If Marc tells me he found the original, or tells us, you can take that to the bank. Marc is a very astute guy, and does his homework. We don't get to talk much these days like we used to, so I am sure I will get a call from him soon, filling me in on what he has found, or discovered.

From watching the CS film, I can say one thing for sure. Seeing a hat on film, and then holding that same hat in hand, can make you question, "is this indeed the same hat!!!" Now, to me, I can tell it is what we made, but it is a tricky thing. Most folks might not see it in that manner. But, one thing is very obvious to me when comparing the CS fedora to the Raiders fedora. And that one thing is, the CS fedora is more square, that is, more straight sided viewed from the front than the Raiders hat ever was. But, if you push the creases way back like Bernie did, it does not show it as much, than if you did not push the creases back as far. The CS block is perfectly straight on the sides. Stove piped. You can make a Raiders fedora using this block, but then you get the caricature, but some "like" this, as that is their perception of what the Raiders fedora should be. It's all about perception, IMO.

To me, IMO, the compactness of the crown of the Raiders fedora, is an indication that the block had a certain amount of taper, but the crease jobs gets rid of it. With that said, if you look at the inside the temple scenes where the back is creased really low, and the front high, you also see the crown with taper. Pushing down the back crease that low caused the hat to taper to the degree that it did in that one scene. Now, outside the temple is a different hat, and it is creased rather high. And it is a more straight sided hat, but not to the same degree as the CS fedora, if creased in the same manner.

It may seem odd talking about this still, today, but it was not that long ago that almost every hat available to us were all too tapered, and that was what made my first ABs so attractive to many folks. You did not get that taper with an AB back then. In hindsight, I caricatured this lack of taper, and after all of these years, I just tried to move back to take that out of the hats. My final block is not a tapered hat by any means, I just feel it is closer than the caricatures of the past. My past. But I fully understand, that screen accuracy is in the eyes of the beholder too. I may personally think that such and such a hat is overkill, while many feel it is dead on. In the end, I have to remain true to my own feelings, in what I make and sell. Some will like it, some won't. But this is true with any vendor's hats. One thing is for sure though, we certainly have several great Raider fedoras in the market now, and if you can't find one that meets your perceptions, I doubt if you will ever find that hat you are looking for. Fedora

The CS block is perfectly straight on the sides. Stove piped. You can make a Raiders fedora using this block, but then you get the caricature, but some "like" this, as that is their perception of what the Raiders fedora should be. It's all about perception, IMO.

I thought the CS block had some more taper than the Raiders AB. That's what I thought I've heard... a while ago.

On the fact that "some" people like the caricature hat... it's a laugh for me to see you turning your back on 90% of your customers, and yet I'm glad of this because I've been awaiting the "return" to some amount of taper in the Raiders AB block in a long time. In 2006 I was trying to make people understand that the Raiders hat was not as straight-sided as top hat. A useless effort

Well I hope we will see some of these new hats "on heads" soon enough. You have teased us enough Steve

By the way, from the pictures you posted of the new hat it looks like you have made a Christy's block without the slight bow-side taper ... take this as a teasing compliment

I thought the CS block had some more taper than the Raiders AB. That's what I thought I've heard... a while ago.

On the fact that "some" people like the caricature hat... it's a laugh for me to see you turning your back on 90% of your customers, and yet I'm glad of this because I've been awaiting the "return" to some amount of taper in the Raiders AB block in a long time. In 2006 I was trying to make people understand that the Raiders hat was not as straight-sided as top hat. A useless effort

Well I hope we will see some of these new hats "on heads" soon enough. You have teased us enough

No, only the gray CS block has more taper.

I don't really see me as turning my back on any customers. I am only striving to fine tune the blocks I use, taking out what I now consider to be caricatures.(Bernie is the one who got my attention on this by his comments)

But with that said, none of my Raider blocks ever were 360's. All had taper in parts of the block, but not enough, to my eyes, today. I moved away from the 360 early on, when I noticed what it yielded. So, I never sold a 360 Raiders fedora. Now, granted, for awhile, I did not taper the front or back, but that was years ago, and I moved away from that in one of my earlier tweaks.

My Raiders block will never be close to the stock HJ or christy. Those blocks have too much dome, and most I have seen have too much of the taper on the sides, and when coupled with the dome throws the look way off. Of course a good stylist can work on this and present a decent looking hat, but the Raiders block should take the creases and look good without fussing over it. That is a true sign of accuracy, to me personally. If the block is pretty close to begin with, anyone should be able to get a decent Raiders look with just a little skill in creasing. If you got to spend lots to time getting the look from any hat, the block is "off".

But thanks for your comments Erri. You and I argue sometimes, but I have very high regards for you, and never any hard feelings on my side to anyone here who disagrees with this old coot. Life is too short for that. I am well aware that perceptions of any hat is in the eye of the beholder, and while at one time, I may not have held this opinion. old age and hatmaking has changed my opinions in regards to the Raiders fedora.

I still see the Raiders fedora as straightsided in final appearance. But, I don't feel you get there by using perfectly straight sided block. There is taper, plus a long radius involved in the right places. You see these same things in many vintage fedora blocks, and a number 59 block shows this slight taper and a long radius very, very well. A 59 is not the Raider block, but the same things that go on with the 59 are on my final Raider block. Just not the same amount or degree of taper and that long radius that creases out completely. So in essence, I moved to a much more traditional manner of creating a block, something that was used in so many blockshapes of the past. But are no longer used on modern hats today. I have the luxury of owning so many different vintage blocks, many of which make decent Raiders fedoras, but each may have a weak area. So, I take the best of each, plus I rely upon what has worked and not worked in the past for me, and end up with a very classic block that gives me what I now see in the Raiders fedora. Time and experience is very important when it comes to hats, or replicating. I am much more knowledgeble today than I was a few years ago. But, like any other hobby I have been involved in, I really become obsessed with any hobby, or interest. And every hobby always involves a learning curve, heck, that is much of the fun of any hobby. Fedora

But thanks for your comments Erri. You and I argue sometimes, but I have very high regards for you, and never any hard feelings on my side to anyone here who disagrees with this old coot. Life is too short for that. I am well aware that perceptions of any hat is in the eye of the beholder, and while at one time, I may not have held this opinion. old age and hatmaking has changed my opinions in regards to the Raiders fedora.

And that, my friend, is why I highly respect you (aside from many other qualities of course). It's rare to find people who are willing to change point of view radically... especially around here.

There are no hard feelings from me either, ever. If we had any arguments in the past I have hardly considered them so... clashing opinions is something that one can expect at every corner in a forum like this. Our "Erri Vs. Fedora" have often led to improvements or "a new look" on some old topic so I've never considered our "arguments" as negative.
Always remember there are never hard (or personal) feelings in my comments towards you or your work.

Hey, guys -

Thanks for the further dialogue!

Can't wait to hear anything further that Marc may have to say on this! Right now I'm thinking that a Henry might be a good idea...

Poor Marc doesn't seem to have much time. As Steve said, he's between work and hatmaking (and who knows what else!). I miss the time when he was always around!
If you have read this Marc, don't get any ideas, get back imediately on the hats because you still owe me two! My Miss has been claiming hers for a while now

Good looking hat, Fedora

Since first seeing the Adventurebilt ( about a year and a half ago ), I've never been especially hung up on the hyper-accuracy debate, with regards to block shape, etc... I first saw them at the Fedora Lounge, where screen accuracy was not debated, but the overall qualty of the hat was held in high regard. This is what intrigued me most. When I joined this site, I was initially extremely put off by what can best be described as snobbery ( I'll get back to that ), and I told myself, "I will never own anything, no matter how good it is, made by a guy with that sort of disposition." I kept up with the forums, the arguments; this is SA, this is not, blah, blah, blah...
One thing that never really seemed to be open to debate was the quality of the workmanship and materials in the Adventurebilt, regardless of whether or not the screen accuracy was agreed upon. So my interest grew again, and I revisited my thoughts on the whole thing. I started to rationalize the "snobbery" and see where it was coming from: that you don't want what YOU do being associated with what a machine does. That you don't want such and such materials being equated with AB's materials, etc... It's something you've invested time in, something you're proud of, and something you want to share ( especially looking back at the early days in the archieves ). I still can't quite square up with the SA business, but that's just not me, I guess ( cuz yeah, I still like both of my Adventurers - Christys' and DM Akubra ) That you've made concessions to the validity of some of the factory hats has been a boost to a lot of people who keep up on this forum and value your opinion. I think that was a big hang up for me, as your style seemed to not just say one is better than the other, but that one is great ( AB ) and all the others, non-custom, stink like dirty diapers in the hot Mississippi sun. And you know what? Relatively speaking, that's pretty true - I just never felt it should be said aloud.
Now I've managed to get ahold of an AB custom from another member here. I have no idea what generation the block is, but it looks like a Raiders of the Lost Ark hat. As you know, you can't go out in the yard in your bathrobe to pick up the paper while wearing ANY hat without being called INDY. With the AB though, when I get it out for it's weekly spin ( I have a lot of hats whose feelings I don't want to hurt ) and get the " HEY INDY ", I feel compelled to go over to the person and say: " As a matter of fact, yes, this IS an Indiana Jones hat, and here's why..." I did that very thing just a coupla days ago to a salesman at a high-end retail joint. He was duly impressed. I also feel confident that it simply looks like a good, quality hat. You make a good hat, sir.

Anyway, a long was to go to say; Nice Hat. It does seem to match my fave ( the Raven Bar ) the best of any AB thusfar.

When I started typing, I had a point, but I got sidetracked ... A while back you posted a Whippet you'd turned into an Indy hat
...and now these new remarks on vintage blocks. Without giving away any secrets, can you do some "compare-and-save" shots of the vintage you've accumulated and your newest open crowned so we can see this hat's relatives? Is there a particular hat ( aside from the elusive HJ ) that you would call a first cousin of your latest Raiders incarnation?

And that, my friend, is why I highly respect you (aside from many other qualities of course). It's rare to find people who are willing to change point of view radically... especially around here.

Oh, I have been called wishy washy with this Raider fedora in the past. Of course, I see it as a quest armed with an open mind. It has taken me years to finally make my mind up on this blockshape, and having tried every concievable shape imaginable, I feel any further work will just be going over where I have already been.

Since most modern hats will morp into the dropped back with wear and time, and I prefer the symetrical when it comes to hat block, that is the reason I finally settled on my Raiders block. While knowing that more than just one block shape will yield a good looking Raiders fedora. I just picked the one that was different from what is being used by other Indy hatters. But all of these blocks are more alike than different.

And again, I don't think my block is any better than my fellow hatters and friends. I just got the look by a different method. A more common method in so far as hat blocks go. By that I mean symetrical.

and now these new remarks on vintage blocks. Without giving away any secrets, can you do some "compare-and-save" shots of the vintage you've accumulated and your newest open crowned so we can see this hat's relatives? Is there a particular hat ( aside from the elusive HJ ) that you would call a first cousin of your latest Raiders incarnation?

I will take some pics of the vintage blocks that influenced my final choice, but will leave it to your imagination to figure out what I used from those blocks. I really have never posted pics of my handmade blocks, mostly because I want new hatters to do the work, because you learn alot from experimentation, and I encourage that approach. And I would be less than candid if I did not want others to make carbon copies of the blocks I use, because of the time and effort I spent in making them. I will share anything, but my blocks. That would make it too easy for others to take shortcuts. But, trust me, there is nothing special or magical about any of my handmade blocks. I have no doubt my blocks were available and used way before I made em. I copied someone else, and there were probably many different blockmakers making this same block at one point in time. As time went by and hats fell out of fashion, the multitude of block shapes shrunk, and only a handfull are used today, when compared to the old days. Our trouble in the past was, they stopped using the type of block that was used to make the Raiders fedora. But at one time, I bet many different hatters had this block in their stable. Or several that would give you that particular look. Nothing really new when it comes to hats. Fedora

Hey Steve, did you get those Raiders photos that I mailed to you? I hope they find a place of honor on the walls of your hat studio.