Club Obi Wan

I thought the HJ was stenciled on the bag.

None-the-less, I love the work you did with the leather tag! Despite your comments about lack of distressing skills, the brand new tag blends in perfectly with the bag.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

I really like what you did with the HJ label, looks really great! I'm not a fan of backpacks really, but this German rucksack looks really nice, there is just something about it, and its not because it was featured in an Indy flick, its just a really nice backpack. Again, nice work Mike, and enjoy it on many adventures.

I'm a dork.
At first I thought that stood for Herbert Johnson. Duh.
That looks really great.
That hat looks super nice in the first photo.

C

That's a pretty brilliant idea, actually! And the bag looks insane, like maybe the MKVI to Indy's backpack!

Canasta wrote:I'm a dork.
At first I thought that stood for Herbert Johnson. Duh.
That looks really great.
That hat looks super nice in the first photo.

C

Well, come to think of it, Indy (aka Henry Jones is sort of a 'dork' as well, since he must love getting stuff that have the same initials as him. A HJ fedora, a HJ backpack, and one can only assume that maybe somewhere on his jacket and MKVII is embroidered HJ as well...

That's a great bag and pic to boot! Makes me want to find a similar pack.

Looks really great Michael. A few months ago Jens was able to get me the IJ Rucksack and I am
packing it for my trip to Mexico in a few weeks. I'll post some images of my trip when I return.
Good luck with the search for Indy V ! Let us know what you find out there.

Tim

OH NO! Not a "label vs. stencil" debate?!!?!?!

I agree that the picture from Rover looks exactly like the work you've done. Therefore it's a label.

But (to me) the picture from Citreon looks like a black stencil with white lettering.

That being said, I think if you threw a shingle up in the Bazzar offering these labels to owners of the backpack you'd get some takers. I would if I had the pack.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

I LOVE it.

LOVE the look of your gear. a cross between Raiders and CS. love the jacket in that shot.

Any recent links to who sell these?

Based on the stenciled idea for the "HJ" I thought it was military in nature. Indy had this pack from his OSS days and it was simply an army regulation to stencil his bag.

If it is, indeed, a leather patch then that would be something more custom Indy would have had to do.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

Sweet bag Michael, very well done. Am considering one of these, but my list of things to catch up on is WAY too much right now.

Tundrarider, good points about the color comparison of the label to the pack straps and about the non-stencil look of the HJ font used.

Tundrarider wrote:
Whew! Much ado about a tiny little label!
Michael

Are you kidding?! With threads dedicated to flat vs. round shoe laces and the color of socks? This is ground-breaking gear related stuff.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

This is too funny! I had no idea that selling my pack to Michael (Tundrarider) would create a whole new category for discussion. It is completely appropriate of course and is probably on par with the K vs X stitch debate, etc. Especially when all we have to go on are a very few fuzzy screenshots.

Because this is a very recent film and DVD quality has improved so much in the digital era, I would think this will eventually get resolved when someone is able to produce a good quality still shot or two. Also, the best thing about a label is that it is easily removable with only a slight change to the underlying fabric. It's not nearly as permanent as stencil paint. Therefore, because we don't REALLY know yet, I would choose the label side of this debate to monogram my own personal pack. That is, if I still had one! I just sold my last one to TheExit148 today. It is a nice one too. Oh well, if I really want another one I can find one. After all I found three in the last year of constant searching, so they are around.

Tundrarider

Great job my friend. I have a job for you if your up for the challenge?

Here's the challenge: Cut down the mightiest tree in the forrest... with a herring!

Michael, I LOVE that rucksack of yours... it's a beaut!
I'm so glad I found out about this project of yours.
SPECTACULAR end result, sir.


bink, the timing of your comment - at least for me - was just really strange:
I quite literally just finished watching M.P. & the Holy Grail about 25 minutes ago!


waitaminit...


hmmmm...


Uh oh, am I living the Truman Show?!

Mitch LaRue wrote: bink, the timing of your comment - at least for me - was just really strange:
I quite literally just finished watching M.P. & the Holy Grail about 25 minutes ago!

Ve haff people vatching you...

Can anyone clean up the Blu-Ray pic and enlarge it? Por favor?

Kyle

I have the same bag. I would love the same HJ on mine. Hint, hint , hint.

Would love one of the labels for my bag too.

Is there a small market here?

RaiderZee

RaiderZee wrote:Would love one of the labels for my bag too.

Is there a small market here?

RaiderZee

I would say there is a fairly large market for them, just from observing how many people here have an Indy backpack. I know I would sure love a label for mine!

Kyle

Wow.

Well, how's this for adulation, Michael?
I don't even OWN one of these rucksacks yet and not only did the very sight of yours convince me that I need one... but on top of that, it made me realize that if you DID do a small run (and even though I don't have one yet) I'd be in that same crowd of customers clamoring and asking you to make me a personalized label for when that day down the road finally arrives!


How's THAT for praise?


Cheers, pal!

Count me in!

Just to muddy the waters a little further...

IF a run is being considered perhaps you could offer two options: "HJ" for those going for SA and personalized initials for those looking for the vibe, but want something more personal.

Just a thought from a guy that doesn't have a stake in this either way.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

Indiana Jeff wrote: IF a run is being considered perhaps you could offer two options: "HJ" for those going for SA and personalized initials for those looking for the vibe, but want something more personal.

That is a GREAT idea.

I was gonna say the same thing...
If Michael was going to do this, I'd be asking him for my own initials (or, at least "Mitch LaRue's") instead of the "HJ".
I love the idea and the style in which it's being delivered... but I would want it to be my own.
Just my personal preference.

(Besides, at least this allows for some individuality... Otherwise, just picture it: if a number of C.O.W. Members ALL brought their "HJ" rucksacks to one of the C.O.W. Summits and "parked" 'em all in one heap (kinda' like when I see all those baby carriages in one confusing mob), at the end of the evening you'd end up with 20 "Indy's" all rummaging through - and laying claim to - the same "HJ" rucksack!)
Oh, the humanity!

Once again Michael shows us that he has one of the best looking sets of gear around!

Stellar job my friend!





W.E.

Ps. If I had a CS pack, I would want the initials to be 'HJ' as in the film for the sake of the costume. My 2¢.

Michael,

Man I hate to tell you this. I think you somehow accidentally have MY bag. You may THINK thats yours, but I think you need to mail that to me!

Beautiful bag! I am jealous! In a good way... ahahaha

Tundrarider wrote:Hi Guys and Gals,
Here’s my version of Indy’s German Army Rucksack:

Michael

Wow! I am just amazed at the interest that my old pack has generated Michael! Well done! I am sincerely glad that I sold it to you. It has obviously given you a lot of pride and inspired many others as well.

This is really good stuff.

But now I'm starting to really miss my that nice pack that I just sold! LOL I didn't think it could happen. Oh well, I'll just have to find another one. At least I know how to do that.

Tundra, as handy as you are with the leather needle and sewing, what would really look cool would be a leather bottom over sewn onto the original..........next time you need a project

Another supposition about the reason behind the "H. J." label on the backpack: perhaps the pack originally belonged to Indy's father, Henry Jones Senior!

A couple of points to support this theory:

1. The dialog in the film: "... first Dad, then Marcus." At the time of Crystal Skull, Henry Senior's passing was still fairly recent, and on Indy's mind. Indy could have inherited the bag, and taken it on the trip as a token of his father.

2. Henry Sr. definitely was of the generation when monogramming on personal items was more common.

3. To me, the font style of the label in the screenshot is reminiscent of an earlier era, more 1910s - 1920s than '30s - '40s.

4. A more esoteric and "film school snob" explanation: here we have young Mutt following the older Indy, who is carrying an item which belonged to Indy's father. It's a passing-of-the-generations symbol. Have monogrammed "H. J." items appeared in previous films, particularly so obviously? If not, that would suggest a definite purpose behind the label being visible in this sequence, which might support the credibility of the "film snob" theory.

Perhaps Steve or George could chime in here and offer a bit of enlightenment.

This is an interesting detail that I never would have picked up on were it not for this discussion.