Club Obi Wan

and still no taper, YAY!!!
also it still isn't floppy whatsoever.

Very nice hat!

The brim on my Christy's never got floppy. The crown did, but not the brim.

Dave

Very nice looking hat! I'm thinking of getting one myself. What color did you order to best get the indy look? I see they offer many colors.
Cheers
Jonny

IMHO Sable is the best color, although I thought someone else posted that Light Sable is their most ordered option for an Indy hat.

Jonny Whip Crack wrote:Very nice looking hat! I'm thinking of getting one myself. What color did you order to best get the indy look? I see they offer many colors.
Cheers
Jonny

i got sable.
in direct sun light the sable apears to be light
sable so to me sable is a better way to go.

According to the CS Rep at Hornets Hats, the Light Sable is the most ordered. After looking at the Screenused fedora, you could make a good case for Cork. Having had these, if you could somehow (not possible yet) order a "Light Cork" it might hit the color dead on. I believe that 'Sable' is the official color, though. If I'm not mistaken, Sable was the felt color that was ordered from Herbert Johnson back in the day (circa 1980).

Here is an idea of the color comparison. All are outside pics:



Sable on the left and Cork on the right.

Which looks the most SA to you?

These two pics above are slightly different, in that the screen grab was in full sun, while my two Christy's were taken as the sun was setting. Yet, you can still discern the reddish tint from the comparison photos.

thecoolmiester wrote:

and still no taper, YAY!!!
also it still isn't floppy whatsoever.

Just received a Light Sable today, and I really like it. It looks like they have improved the felt quality recently?

Texan Scott wrote:Just received a Light Sable today, and I really like it. It looks like they have improved the felt quality recently?

thats what ive been trying to say

I like the crease you've put into this hat TCM. Nice job.

Dave

DR Ulloa wrote:I like the crease you've put into this hat TCM. Nice job.

Dave

thanks.
its a cross between crystal skull and raiders.

What's the story on the Christys exactly? Are they really Herbert Johnsons (just not labeled as such?) in disguise?
If so this could be what I'm looking for. Screen accurate including manufacturer. Even if not the exact same.

What color is closest to what was used?

It's odd, it's a bit like Hersey bars.

2009 Hersey's chocolate is not the same recipe as 1940, but the brand is the same.

So, it's like buying the 2009 chocolate bar for 1/3rd the price with another label on it.

So the short answer is: Yes, it's like buying a 2009 HJ for 1/3-1/4 the price.

Kt Templar wrote:It's odd, it's a bit like Hersey bars.

2009 Hersey's chocolate is not the same recipe as 1940, but the brand is the same.

So, it's like buying the 2009 chocolate bar for 1/3rd the price with another label on it.

So the short answer is: Yes, it's like buying a 2009 HJ for 1/3-1/4 the price.

So it IS a Hershey, made in the analogous Hershey hat factory, just without the Hershey wrapper/name?

Ok I'm just asking basically the same question twice, IS it really a Herbert Johnson.

And yeah it's not exactly the same as it was back in 1982, but if it's the same brand, and still pretty screen accurate, it would be the Collector's Item I'm looking for.

Could the liner be switched or could an HJ label be attached somehow?

So the short answer is: Yes, it's like buying a 2009 HJ for 1/3-1/4 the price

Yep, you got that absolutely correct. But you knew that! Just chiming in.

The difference between HJ and Christy is in name only. Now, IF, HJ was actually selling the Poet, the old Poet, Christy would not be selling it too. But this is just an old common block that is used on both hats today, so ANYONE can order it from the factory that makes both hats. I could order the same hat with our name on it.

IMO, the HJ and the Christy sold today is not the same hats as used in ANY of the Indy films. It is just a similiar color, but probably not the exact color as used in the films. The accuracy of these hats in indeed in the beholder's eye. If you want it to be the same hat as used in the films, you can mindbend to achieve that. My money says, neither hats use the same blocks that was used in the first 3 films. Perhaps close enough for most though.

I feel the only real Indy hats we COULD have bought, came from Swales, right after TLC. He probably still had those in stock, and was still using the same factory at that time. So, if you bought from Swales in the late 80's, early 90s, you could have owned a real deal film hat. Swales hand cut all of the hats he sold to us, whereas these new hats all come with factory cut dimensional brims. He did this even after TLC, SO, it is obvious he cut the brims for all the film hats. He still got em in with the 3 inch brim when he was in charge.

I don't understand this Christy/HJ deal today. Well, I understand the Christy deal, its all about getting a cheap hat, but I realize that neither are what was used in any Indy film. If I were looking for a cheap hat today, I would shop ebay, the vintage section. For the same price, you could get a real deal hat, that would not shrink and taper once you got it wet. And, you would be getting a hat made in the long tradition of hatmakers too. Just buy a brown vintage hat, and have it reblocked if the crown needs it. Many homburgs came with enough brim to get the right specs, once you took some off the sides.

But I understand, that going this route is just for serious hat guys. If you just wear you hats on Halloween, the Christy will fit the bill. Just don't expect it to weather a real adventure, and not turn into a cone.

Honestly, every time I look at a new HJ or Christy, it makes me mad that they would use such cheap materials, and shoddy construction. Reminds me of the Yugo. But understand, I make hats, and worship well made hats. So, that can be expected. But the dress Stetsons fair no better. So, not just picking on these brands. Its just what hatting has sunk to these days. At least both HJ and Christy got a little better felt recently. But for the price, the HJ should be using the top of the line rabbit felt from this factory. But both companies, by as cheap as they can. Which means low quality. I hate low quality, in all things. From my boots to my hats. Fedora

If you're wonder what part of my mind is considering this, it's the part that wants to get an Indy fedora that's a collector's item (at least to me) and just stick it in a glass cage. Luckily with money being a limiting factor I have plenty of time to think and think and think.

I have separate parts of my mind, or at least different uses for different fedoras.

Like my Fed IV is my wear hat. I really feel it's screen accurate or at least true to the movies since it's a nice quality rabbit fur hat.
Sometimes all I think I want is something that would be just like they would have used if it had been in the shop at the time they went picking out hats instead of the HJ.

If you want a collector's item, then the Christy's is not it. It has no ties to the film series and doesn't even look the ones in the film, in my opinion. If what you want is a collector's item, there is only one, the AB. It is the only hat that is exactly what is on film. That is the only collector's hat and the only one that will increase in value as time passes. If you can get ahold of one of the Swales cut HJs, then that would be a real collector's hat too. But those are the only two. If you get a Christy's wear it, but its no collector's item.

Dave

That's a very good looking hat. Suits you too

Fedora, you really seem to hate Christy's.

I can understand you, anyway. You are a hatter and you look for perfection in your hats. But I think that many people here think Christy's is a quite SA hat. Remember that, as you said in one occasion, 90% of the SA factor is in the bashing process. Even a DP can become SA with the correct bash. Of course YOUR SA is different from "normal folks" SA because you see details others won't see; but many here have accepted that they will NEVER be SA 100%, starting from the fact they are not Indiana Jones the MOST SA hat can be still look like @#$% on a face that doesn't match.

Going the way you suggest (ebay, reblock the vintage hat, ecc) is just too difficult or boring for many of us. With a Christy's you are sure that you will get MORE OR LESS and Indy hat, but buying a hat on ebay judging by a single photo or what can be tricky and you could come up with a lid you don't like or don't find to be good for a conversion in an Indy fedora. AND, if and when you finally find it, you have to sent it to a hatter for a reblock, ribbon change, liner replacement, repouncing...expensive, boring and unnecessary, for most people.

Plus, I would stop whining about factory hats that taper. I'm not criticizing you, I'm telling this to everyone, even me. The fact is, maybe factory hats taper because their material is cheap, but I think industries just don't care to make their hats taper-resistant because "normal people" simply don't give a youknowwhat about taper! Maybe they even don't notice, when a hat tapers: like my father, who really thinks I'm nuts when I say his wool DP has tapered VERY much since when he bought it (the crown it's like a triangle, and still he doesn't notice).

The point is that WE care about taper because we tend to compare our hats to movie screenshots. But a non-Indy-fan person who ocasionally wear a hat will probably not notice any change in his wool hat after a downpour.

So, in the end, let's be happy with our Christy's, since we can't all have an AB It's a shame that factories don't use better materials, you are right Fedora; it's a shame that the same hat is sold with two different labels and two different prices. But that's the story, and this applies to every sector of business.

It's called white labeling. Just an example 100% italian: PASTA. you guys probably all know Barilla, but in Italy there is an enormous number of pasta brands that don't reach america (just like here in Italy we just have McDonalds and Burger King, but no Starbucks, no KFC, no Hooters, etc). Well, many brands simply sell the same pasta, but with a different packaging and price. Still, many think Barilla is the best, just like some users in here still claim that the current Poet is better than the Christy's. It's an interesting phenomenon, don't you think?

Restless Dreamer wrote:Fedora, you really seem to hat Christy's.

Plus, I would stop whining about factory hats that taper. I'm not criticizing you, I'm telling this to everyone, even me. The fact is, maybe factory hats taper because their material is cheap, but I think industries just don't care to make their hats taper-resistant because "normal people" simply don't give a youknowwhat about taper!
The point is that WE care about taper because we tend to compare our hats to movie screenshots. But a non-Indy-fan person who ocasionally wear a hat will probably not notice any change in his wool hat after a downpour.

But this is exactly the point Steve has made over and over. Most of us do care a great deal about taper and the Christy's consistently do taper after moderate wear, let alone, rigorous wear. "Normal people" don't care, but to Indy fans it's the whole point. And that's the crowd Steve is addressing.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

This, anyway, doesn't make the Christy's a bad Indy hat; and doesn't make the Christy's a low quality hat - at least, not lower than other factory hats.

Let's just say that the Christy's is not "a good AND durable Indy hat". it's just good, or pretty good, or quite good. It's good for a Indy SA hat IF you don't abuse it, OR it's good to abuse of it if you don't care, as most people do, about shrinkage or taper. One must do a compromise, if he doesn't want to spend the money or wait the time for an AB. I think the Christy's it's a good compromise: you have a quite SA hat, but must be careful not to get it too wet (or accept to live with taper and go for a TOD or LC style).