Club Obi Wan

First some background. I bought this hat, a few years ago, it was not my size, but that didn't matter at the time. It was an HJ made in the time of the first Indy films. This hat here is the real deal Poet, as seen in TLC. The reason that I say that, is because the blockshape on this Poet is NOT what I have seen coming from HJ. Plus, it really reminds me of some of TLC hats.

Here she is from the front. This hat is completely stock. With a 1 3/4 inch brown ribbon.




One side shot...




And the other side. Now, look at the bow. It is Raiders, except for the fashion in which the knot was constructed. This one has a fold. And the Raiders hat did not. This is not my work! In fact, I dug into this bow to see how they got it so nice looking, in the flying v format.




This hat was made at 30 Bond St. It had no liner, but does have the 5 sided HJ logo glued to the felt on the inside of the crown. This logo is seen in TLC.

I don't know what this color is called, but it is a grayish tan. The felt looks vintage. I bought this hat, and promptly packed it up, and just recently pulled it out of storage. I had forgotten that I even owned it. Once I started to examine it, I was amazed. Amazed because of the nice bow work, that was not present on the LC fedora. This may have been a transitional hat, as HJ was changing suppliers. I thought of that anyways. And this is the first example of this sort of hat, from HJ, in my own personal experience. But the last pic here shows a profile that is very Raiders like. To my eyes anyways. I am somewhat puzzled by this hat. Fedora

You and your stash. You keep diggin' in there and your going to turn up an actual film hat. That is an interesting color and nice ribbon. Puts some history behind Swales claiming to using a narrower ribbon to make the hat look taller. That is a very well made ribbon.
Is the felt floppy?


LLS

Great example of the Raiders bow there. Very nice block too. What I like most is that color. Very nice...what size is it?

Dave

DR Ulloa wrote:Great example of the Raiders bow there. Very nice block too. What I like most is that color. Very nice...what size is it?

Dave

I bet it's smaller than Steve's size and that would make it to small for you.

Very interesting hat indeed my friend. What about the sweatband Steve. Ho is it sewn in? and what type and quality is it?

Dave it is a 7 1/8,in US sizing.

Is the felt floppy?

The crown is really soft LLS. The brim has a bit of stiffener.

Also, the sweatband was sewed in ABOVE the brim break, not at the brim break which helps to date this hat. It's the little things when trying to date an HJ. Which means to me, that it predated the actual LC fedora, as that was sewn at the break. I think this may have been made between Raiders and TLC. Incorporating the Raiders style bow with the LC block. But conjecture. The sweat is a light brown, and totally different from the later HJs we could buy from Swales.

Also, the hat came with a 3 inch brim. I cut it down when I first got it. But, it didn't fit me, so, I packed her up, and forgot about it! As I dig through my old hats, I keep getting surprised by what I have. Fedora

Is the hat labeled anywhere with the word "Poet"?
3" brim originally. Interesting.
Is it possible that the hat is of the same "late 70's" era HJ? I don't have at hand the list that Dakota put together showing the order of addresses for Herbert Johnson. Why I ask that is strictly due to the style of the bow. Definitely ain't Temple of Doom style.
LLS

The thing about the bow is that this was a lesson. If you take a wide bow and put the fold deeper into the ribbon, this allows for a good looking flying v. The ribbon is 1 3/4, but the knot in the middle is only 1 inch tall, by 7/8's in length. So, the more you can cinch down the bow, the better the flying v looks. Course, I knew this, but this hat reminded me of that fact.


Dave, on the dating you mentioned in 3M$ thread on the Aussie...this one is 30 New Bond.

38 New Bond St.
13 Old Burlington St.
30 New Bond St.
10 Old Bond St.
54 Saint James St

So, we can guess that the 30 New Bond address was used around the time of TLC, I THINK. But since we can't see the sweat addresses on any of the film hats, it is hard to say. I do know that the 38 New Bond hats had a totally different bow on the back of the sweat. It was made of weaved cord, with an exotic design to it. This one here has a tannish bow, that is the same looking one that is on the current HJs. Although the new bows on the HJs today are a darker brown, but look to be of the same material. So, probably the same factory. But unlike the new HJs, this one had no brim break stitches. Which is puzzling.

This hat here is a puzzle anyways. Like, the bow, and the no liner, but rather the HJ crest glued to the felt. First one for me, I think. But, I have seen other brands that did this. Probably was a summer time or sping time hat. But, another guess. Fedora

Is the hat labeled anywhere with the word "Poet"?
3" brim originally. Interesting.
Is it possible that the hat is of the same "late 70's" era HJ? I don't have at hand the list that Dakota put together showing the order of addresses for Herbert Johnson. Why I ask that is strictly due to the style of the bow. Definitely ain't Temple of Doom style.

No Poet anywhere on the sweat, outside or inside. But, these were glued on tags and probably came loose at some point in time. My paper work in with the hat said it was a Poet, as given by whomever sold it to me. I think I bought this one from England, and it came in a really thick HJ box. Which I shipped out to the Queen Mary one year, and it was never returned! The sweat does have a number on it, on the inside of the sweat, which may be the hat number, for reordering, by HJ. "743". Imprinted by the factory who made it.

Late 70's? I just don't know. But, I figure it was betwen that and TLC. But it doesn't look like the TOD hat. Looks more like some of the LC hats, to me. But does not have the key marks of that hat, like the bow and the place the sweat was sewn in. So, it is puzzling.

Also, when I punch it out open crown, it has a flat top, and I see this in one scene in TLC. When Indy is on the horse, behind the tank. Looks identical. But if you crease this hat, the way I have it creased, man, the side view says Raiders. This hat tells me that TLC fedora was NOT the same hat as we get today from HJ. I think this one is the original LC block. And since this hat is old, you really don't know if it tapered a bit, or not. I know I don't have a block that is this flat on top.

Another strange thing is where the ribbon stitches that hold the bow down were placed. Not up on the ribbon, but down low! Weird. For later HJs. Many had come loose and I had to retack them. This is a very puzzling hat. Have I said that enough? Of course, on the older, vintage HJs, they always tacked low.

All I can say is keep digging in that closet.

All I can say is keep digging in that closet

Ah, it's one of my rental storage buildings John. I am trying to clean it out so I just have to rent one. I had to rent an extra smaller one for the bodies I bought for that huge surge of orders in 07. I think I now can use my bigger storage building to house those in since there are many fewer of them today-left. I kept all of my own collection in there with the new bodies as I only wanted one moth ball smelling storage building. I think I still have around 30 hats that were mine, that I plan of selling here. Next one up is a 7x Stetson vintage, in brown, that I Indy ized years ago. In my size. I am culling down to keep only the 10x vintage Stetsons, and my Cavanagh collection. And a few Knoxes. Fedora