Club Obi Wan

No, that's not me asking that question - I'm a gearhead, I know better!
But during my Orlando trip, I was asked that very question.
After we got off the Test Track ride at Epcot and were checking out the concept car on display, a very enthusiastic gentleman - who was working there - complimented me on my gear and then told me about a radio program he was listening to where there was an hour-long discussion as to what Indy's hat was made out of. Apparently, people were calling in and debating between leather or wool and there was never a clear resolution to the discussion.
I was proud to tell the man that Indy's hat was made from neither wool or leather, but Rabbit felt (Raiders) and thanks to the plethora of knowlege I learned here at COW I was able to share more details about Indy's hat that most fans don't realize - like the fact that a different hat was used in each movie.
I found this whole thing to be quite humorous - and a little dissapointing that some people think Indy's hat was leather!

Off course it was made of leather! Dave, what was the name of that company again?

Regards, Geert

Back before I knew better, I thought it was leather, too. Can't call them stupid for just plain old not knowing any better.

The wife of an acquaintance asked me if my hat was leather or suede... And she even handled the hat in her hands.

Not many people even know hats can be made out of fur! They think hats are made from either cloth, straw or leather.

gwyddion wrote:Off course it was made of leather! Dave, what was the name of that company again?

Regards, Geert

That there you speak of is a Netchurebillin! A beast unto itself...

Many folks believe Indys hats were made of leather. Many folks don't even know fur is used for felt. So its understandable that one might not know Indys hat was rabbit felt. What I do find odd is that two people would argue over something they know clearly nothing about (if they are arguing over whether Indy's hat was wool or leather they know nothing about Indy's hat). How can two uneducated people (as far as hats go) argue so feverently about something they know nothing about? And this is what gets me. If argued with some dude who knew nothing about hats over whether Indy's hat was made of leather until I realized it was like fighting with a four year old. The ignorant will always assume they are correct...

Dave

It's not

Yeah, when the guy told me this story I was a little shocked that so many would call into the raido station and offer input on something the CLEARLY knew nothing about.
I guess I can call a laboratory and start telling them all sorts of misinformation on science or something...

Give him my number. I'll straighten him out.

I thought it was a cowboy hat when I was little (a couple years ago) not a Fedora!

BendingOak wrote:Give him my number. I'll straighten him out.

That poor guy is about to know more about hats than he ever wished to!

jnicktem wrote:

BendingOak wrote:Give him my number. I'll straighten him out.

That poor guy is about to know more about hats than he ever wished to!

Anyone who has ever had a phone conversation with John should be able to pass a written exam about hats!

Insomniac wrote:I thought it was a cowboy hat when I was little (a couple years ago) not a Fedora!

To be fair, I thought it was a type of cowboy hat too, but I didn't think at the time of it being leather, as I had personal experience with my own fur felt cowboy hat that I wore for years as a kid. I still have it in the closet to this day, and I cherish the memories I have had with it, but it doesn't fit anymore.

Here's what it looks like now:


(Ironically, the crease had come to actually resemble that of a fedora over time, rather than a regular cowboy hat, though that's what it was before)




As you can see, it is quite weather-worn, tattered, and just beat. I wore it in hard conditions like rain and snow too. When I first had it, it actually had a feather band around it, but for some reason, I wasn't too fond of that look, so I took it off. As for the stains, well, those definitely didn't exist when I was given it. This was actually my dad's old cowboy hat from the 1980s when he was a kid, I think.

Anyway, sorry to derail the topic, but yeah, that's my first exposure to fur felt. My second? Why that would be the Akubra Federation IV.

DR Ulloa wrote: The ignorant will always assume they are correct...

Dave

And therein lies the situation.

Unless you are a serious hat wearer, I think many people have more experiences seeing, handling, and wearing hats made from wool or leather. That's what they base their assumption on. Most won't pay the money for a fur felt, so they go with what they think looks good and is affordable. Also, wool felt hats are incredibly easy to come by. Heck, I've had my share of wool fedoras over the years, but since I've been a hat fan since I was a little kid, buying and wearing vintage hats though the years, I was able to handle and see a wide array of hats. When you look inside and the sweat says "beaver felt" or "fur felt," you realize that it's far different from the tags that read "100% wool."

gwyddion wrote:Off course it was made of leather! Dave, what was the name of that company again?

Regards, Geert

Leather Concessionaires. . They made it from the cloth mock up and was copied at their home office.

Just kidding. Had to throw in a little jacket thing.

LLS

The Antiquarian wrote:This was actually my dad's old cowboy hat from the 1980s when he was a kid, I think.

Woah- your dad was a kid in the 1980's???

jnicktem wrote:

The Antiquarian wrote:This was actually my dad's old cowboy hat from the 1980s when he was a kid, I think.

Woah- your dad was a kid in the 1980's???

Why's that so strange? I was a kid in the 1980's and I have a kid now.

My kid is a lot younger, but say you were 10 in 1982, and say you had a kid when you were 22. The kid would be born in 1994 and would be 16 now. Totally doable.

I actually remember having this same argument with somebody when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I was coming to the defense of my Disneyland leather Indiana Jones hat, and refused to believe my friend when he said the hat was felt.

But live and learn, I suppose...

maboot38 wrote:

jnicktem wrote:

The Antiquarian wrote:This was actually my dad's old cowboy hat from the 1980s when he was a kid, I think.

Woah- your dad was a kid in the 1980's???

Why's that so strange? I was a kid in the 1980's and I have a kid now.

My kid is a lot younger, but say you were 10 in 1982, and say you had a kid when you were 22. The kid would be born in 1994 and would be 16 now. Totally doable.

That is true... I don't know why I thought that was strange... probably because I'm from the 80's and I can't see myself having a kid for at least a few more years... and that kid will have to wait quite a few more years to be able to do things on a computer.

Oh well- back on topic!

jnicktem wrote:I'm from the 80's

Sounds like something Marty McFly might say! Don't worry, Nick, I thought the same as you until Dan put it into perspective.

Dave

DR Ulloa wrote:

jnicktem wrote:I'm from the 80's

Sounds like something Marty McFly might say! Don't worry, Nick, I thought the same as you until Dan put it into perspective.

Dave

"Don't worry ma'am, I'm from the 80's"

Randy

P.S I think you've ALL got it wrong. Indy's hat was STRAW, brown painted STRAW.

jnicktem wrote:

The Antiquarian wrote:This was actually my dad's old cowboy hat from the 1980s when he was a kid, I think.

Woah- your dad was a kid in the 1980's???

Heh, OK, well, he was a kid in the 70s too, but you know. He was more of a teenager throughout most of the 80s, but I just said "kid" to describe that age group. Maybe he actually got the hat during the 1970s, for that matter. Just for the record, I was born in 1989, and I'm 20 years old.

Whoa!!! There's someone who's 10 years younger than me on the boards!!!! dang I'm old

Seriously, there's people who were in my class in high-school who have teenagers now, so I'm not surprised at you having a dad who was a kid in the 80's

Regards, Geert

gwyddion wrote:Whoa!!! There's someone who's 10 years younger than me on the boards!!!! dang I'm old

Seriously, there's people who were in my class in high-school who have teenagers now, so I'm not surprised at you having a dad who was a kid in the 80's

Regards, Geert

Now I'm feeling old.

BendingOak wrote:

gwyddion wrote:Whoa!!! There's someone who's 10 years younger than me on the boards!!!! dang I'm old

Seriously, there's people who were in my class in high-school who have teenagers now, so I'm not surprised at you having a dad who was a kid in the 80's

Regards, Geert

Now I'm feeling old.

Don't! John, though you might have a few years on me, we're both still young enough.

Regards, Geert

...come on! The hero fedora was leather and the stuntmen used wool!

Ahhh!!! But what kind of leather? Lamb? Soft, floppy, nice drape. Goat? Nice drape, real-world adventure tough. Horsehide? Cowhide? Pigskin? Ostrich? (See the graining in some of the scenes, especially in the classroom scene in ROLA).

LJ

It is obviously suede...

um, the industry standad for Indy hats is cardigan wool

I always thought Indy used full quill ostrich....boots?

BendingOak wrote:

gwyddion wrote:Whoa!!! There's someone who's 10 years younger than me on the boards!!!! dang I'm old

Seriously, there's people who were in my class in high-school who have teenagers now, so I'm not surprised at you having a dad who was a kid in the 80's

Regards, Geert

Now I'm feeling old.

You think YOU'RE feeling old?!!!

Regard! Michaelson

Yeah. C'mon up here where we're more than twice your age and see how it feels on a cold damp morning.

LJ

Heck, ANYWHERE on a 'cold damp morning' for that matter.

Regards! Michaelson

maboot38 wrote: Why's that so strange? I was a kid in the 1980's and I have a kid now.

My kid is a lot younger, but say you were 10 in 1982, and say you had a kid when you were 22. The kid would be born in 1994 and would be 16 now. Totally doable.

So that would make Michaelson how old???

Michaelson wrote:

BendingOak wrote:

gwyddion wrote:Whoa!!! There's someone who's 10 years younger than me on the boards!!!! dang I'm old

Seriously, there's people who were in my class in high-school who have teenagers now, so I'm not surprised at you having a dad who was a kid in the 80's

Regards, Geert

Now I'm feeling old.

You think YOU'RE feeling old?!!!

Regard! Michaelson

I said feeling old , not old as dirt.

Old enough to deserve our respect, or even veneration. Old enough to know better. Perhaps even old enough to be helped across the street by a Boy Scout...

LJ