The Dirty Trucker

[Yojimbo Jones]

Hi guys,

I've been playing around with a number of hat styles lately,and had initially been avoiding distressing any of them - I wasn't interested. But then curiosity got the better of me when people kept asking for styles of hat that BEGGED to be distressed - they wouldn't look right if they didn't have their brim break destroyed, and covered with dirt, sweat and whatever. (Sorry Michaelson - best you look away now!)

Anyway, the first of the hats I made was a fusion of a few different things, but I've called it "The Dirty Trucker".

More pics at http://australianmodelhat.com/the-austr ... ker-style/

[Mark Raats]

That SERIOUSLY works for me mate and I know where I am going when the time comes to get another hat!

Regards

MARK

p.s. the shot I like best is the one where Mrs Yojimbo Jones is wrapped up in the excitement of the photo shoot..

[Indiana G]

that is sweeeeeet kurt!!! i think on my very first AB that i ordered, i asked steve to go medieval on it......sit on it, kick it, scrunch it up.....roll it around in the dirt before you send it to me. of course, he couldn't do that to one of his creations. later down the road when i started making hats for myself, i finally understood where steve is coming from.

your offering has a great balance of being 'new' and weathered/aged/distressed. i believe steve was now offering a fuller's earth treatment as well (i guess i was a couple years too early ) kudos to you for offering this, and as always, nice work my friend

[crismans]

Beautiful work, YJ!

And like KramStaar, I can feel the excitement just radiating off Ms. Yojimbo! She seems as interested in this stuff as my Mrs.

[Yojimbo Jones]

Yep. Mrs. Yojimbo often runs around the house because she simply can't contain her enthusiasm when new gear arrives or is created.

Thanks guys. Just to clarify, I don't use fullers earth.

[fenris]

Just to clarify, I don't use fullers earth.

Horse manure? Hahaha! Just kidding...

Now if you used that, you'd have a distressed hat as well as distressed owner... "Sniff... sniff... What's that smell?"

[Noah]

That hat looks great! Looks just like the truck chase hat. Great work Yojimbo

[binkmeisterRick]

Just curious, since you don't use Fuller's (unless you use REAL earth ) is the distressing reversible or permanent? Meaning, if one wants to dial it back a bit or brush it mostly clean, is it possible, or is what you use to distress the hat forever part of the hat? I've heard of folks literally bleaching their hats to achieve results, but any such thing is the last thing I'd want on any of my hats as it simply is not good for the felt.

[Yojimbo Jones]

It's not real dirt either. But thanks for the cringe / shiver you gave me at the mention of bleach! Totally unnecessary.

I wanted something that wouldn't fade and or disappear too much unless you wanted it to. Very fine sawdust, for instance, works very well at creating a look that you can remove way too easily. However, with my stuff, it comes down to how hard-core the distressing job I do is. With Dans, for instance, because there is only light dust / dirt in the WoS scene, it's reversible with some concentrated bashing and the use of a good quality paint brush (or something like that).

On this hat, it's pretty "ground in". The hat is in no way damaged, but we'd be talking serious effort to get it out completely without going a brush with a damp sponge or reblock. You'd be able to dial it back a fair way if you wanted to, though.

It just comes down to knowing what you want to achieve before I get to work. I can match any scene or shot you want, but can always go on the side of caution. Lighting in the movie makes a big difference in how full-on it looks on-screen, and with the hats I've made to date. The "dirt" will look a certain way under some lights and not others, to something like double the degree. So I've come up with a system of working in a room of bright natural light, and checking it against the harshest of downlights as I go, so it's correct for most places people want to display or wear their hat and still get the look they're after.

cheers, Kurt

[binkmeisterRick]

Good to know, thanks! I always figure if I'm spending any serious amount of cash on a hat, pre-distressed or otherwise, I'd want to know that the integrity of the hat is not compromised and that if I wanted, I could have it cleaned up or reblocked down the road with no problem. That answers my question. Now personally, I'd much rather wear my hats and let them earn theirs scuffs and marks naturally from my own (mis)adventures, but that's just me. I figure Indy has his hat and I have mine.

[Yojimbo Jones]

Yeah, I agree on all points. I see the distressed styles of my hat as having a different purpose to the "straight" ones. To me, it just made sense to have a set of offerings that are a perfect match for the different stages of the really beaten hat we fell in love with in the first place. Most hats I see on the boards are beautiful hats, but to me really lack this "X factor" that is part of the appeal... for me, anyway. Beyond the "dirt", it's all the little details - not just the block and bash - like making sure the ribbon pokes out enough at the top / front of the bow, and is left flapping just a little underneath, and the right distace from the front of the flying V. Character baby, character.

OK, I'm digressing! In any event, my own hat was the test bunny, and I did this stuff on it. It's relatively subtle but unmistakably "Raiders". I don't even think about the distressing anymore when I wear it. It just looks like a slightly dirty hat.

cheers, Kurt

Good to know, thanks! I always figure if I'm spending any serious amount of cash on a hat, pre-distressed or otherwise, I'd want to know that the integrity of the hat is not compromised and that if I wanted, I could have it cleaned up or reblocked down the road with no problem. That answers my question. Now personally, I'd much rather wear my hats and let them earn theirs scuffs and marks naturally from my own (mis)adventures, but that's just me. I figure Indy has his hat and I have mine.