Just got off a plane in London and bought a new HJ

lovemyfedora · Post by **lovemyfedora** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 2:14 pm

So, today I arrived in London for 4 days of work meetings. But I decided to take the opportunity to go visit Swaine Adeney Brigg (the new owners of Herbert Johnson). Upon my arrival, they took me downstairs and fitted me for a poet. Once they determined my correct size, they asked if I would like it shaped. I said "absolutely"! So the young lady asked me to come back in an hour as the manager was the one who could give it the "indy" look. So I went across the street to a pub and an hour later I returned. Anxious to see my new poet transformed into the familiar fedora we all know and love. When they showed me the hat, I was less than impressed. Sure, it had the basic shape, bash and a light pinch, but was far from being a Raiders hat. So I smiled, and took the hat back to my hotel room where I just spent the last two hours overhauling the hat with steam from my tea kettle here in the room. And finally, it looks great! I know alot of folks on this site have commented about the quality of the modern HJ hats, but I gotta tell you... I have had many Akubra's and this one just seems higher quality. It really is a great hat! A couple of things to note... It does not have a dimensional cut and the ribbon is tacked forward of the ear, almost covering the temple. It has those quirky traits that I remember from the movie hats but I was suprised to see them carry that over into their production hats. Makes me love it even more! Has anyone else recently bought an HJ and noticed the ribbon forward of the traditional spot? (making it more screen accurate) And my final verdict??? Love the hat! If anyone ever gets a chance to visit the SAB shop at 54 St. James's street, you really should! It is beautiful! and the staff, aside from being extremely attractive and immensly knowledgeable young ladies, are exrremely patient and helpful. Definitely worth paying them a visit if you get the chance.

Canada Jones · Post by **Canada Jones** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 2:17 pm

;0
This is my first time using this smiley thing.... but would love to see pics....I have been to that shop. Worth the visit for sure. What is the current price for the poet? Glad you are pleased.
best
Canada

Post by **Michaelson** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 2:17 pm

;0

You knew that was coming, and as usual, Gary beat me to the punch.

Regards! Michaelson

lovemyfedora · Post by **lovemyfedora** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 2:19 pm

I did manage to take some pics in my hotel, but I have no idea how to post them here... And the current price is 200 pounds...

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 2:20 pm

Who cares about pics of the hat, show pics of the "extremely attractive and immensly knowledgeable young ladies!"

Post by **Michaelson** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 2:20 pm

lovemyfedora · Post by **lovemyfedora** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 2:25 pm

Well I suppose I could go back in... lol There were two of them! very lovely!

Joeyeah_right · Post by **Joeyeah_right** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 2:43 pm

I'm glad you got your hat! It was good to meet you in Seattle airport yesterday. (My first time meeting another COW member and randomly in an airport - amazing co-incidence. Good thing I was wearing my FedIV and has my Wested with me - kind of gave me away a bit

)

Joe

Noah · Post by **Noah** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 3:12 pm

binkmeisterRick wrote:Who cares about pics of the hat, show pics of the "extremely attractive and immensly knowledgeable young ladies!"

lovemyfedora wrote:Well I suppose I could go back in... lol There were two of them! very lovely!

Of course I'd like to see your hat too.

Indyzane · Post by **Indyzane** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 3:41 pm

Congrats on your new hat!

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 4:24 pm

Walked into a shop in London and bought a cool hat....

Wait a second, do you just get a sense of deja vu?

Enjoy! Now go and visit Hornets too!

albert jones · Post by **albert jones** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 7:12 pm

congratulations please pics are also important to see your HJ.

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 9:53 pm

You can e-mail me the pics, and I will host and post. adventurejones@gmail.com

lovemyfedora · Post by **lovemyfedora** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 5:52 am

Joeyeah_right wrote:I'm glad you got your hat! It was good to meet you in Seattle airport yesterday. (My first time meeting another COW member and randomly in an airport - amazing co-incidence. Good thing I was wearing my FedIV and has my Wested with me - kind of gave me away a bit )

Joe

Hey Joe! Great meeting you as well! That was also my first meeting of another COW member. It is easy to recognize the quality gear, which makes it even easier to to tell that someone is likely a member of this forum. Glad to have met you!

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 11:10 am

lovemyfedora · Post by **lovemyfedora** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 11:25 am

Really really appreciate you hosting those pics for me strider!!!! Thank you!

whipwarrior · Post by **whipwarrior** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:24 pm

That is COOL. Very Temple of Doom! Wear it proudly on all of your adventures (My HJ Poet has been my indispensable travel companion for the past 11 years, and it only gets better with age).

lovemyfedora · Post by **lovemyfedora** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:31 pm

Thanks! I wasnt actually going for the TOD look, but I suppose it works. Really wanted a Rotl look. Any tips on getting that?

nicktheguy · Post by **nicktheguy** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:36 pm

binkmeisterRick wrote:Who cares about pics of the hat, show pics of the "extremely attractive and immensly knowledgeable young ladies!"

;0

for the "extremely attractive and immensely knowledgeable young ladies that is.....

ANZAC_1915 · Post by **ANZAC_1915** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:46 pm

Nice shop, all kinds of interesting gentlemanly attire there.

Local Land Surveyor · Post by **Local Land Surveyor** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:49 pm

Well, Well. Look where the tack stitches are on the ribbon. Raider's style tacking. They are not at the base of the ribbon at the brim break, but are located about a 1/3 of the way up from the brim break. Interersting.

LLS

Noah · Post by **Noah** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 3:00 pm

Nice looking hat! Looks more TOD than Raiders now, but it's still a good looking hat.

I'd still like to see some pics of those "extremely attractive and immensely knowledgable young ladies."

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 3:03 pm

Maybe I should lock this thread down until he complies with that request.

lovemyfedora · Post by **lovemyfedora** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 3:31 pm

Sorry, but I just dont think I will be able to make it over to the store again to get their photos... But hey, just more reason to come on over to Jolly old England and visit the store for yourself.

lovemyfedora · Post by **lovemyfedora** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 5:05 pm

So, one more question... Is it me or is the brim too narrow on the HJ? It looks fine on the hat, but when I put it on, it seems as if the brim is too narrow? Has anyone else experienced this?

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:04 pm

It depends upon the wearer. Can you post a pic of you wearing it?

Travelsonic · Post by **Travelsonic** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 1:11 am

It would be cool to see what this hat looks like from a front view.

Could it be that HJ Poets are getting [even if only slightly] better than in recent years?

[yes, yes, #### my optimism]

tekors · Post by **tekors** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 3:39 am

Yeah, my first hat was a HJ... I bought it at the shop in London. And the young ladies were something of an art apart.

teko

Noah · Post by **Noah** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 3:43 am

tekors wrote:Yeah, my first hat was a HJ... I bought it at the shop in London. And the young ladies were something of an art apart.

teko

You didn't happen to get a picture of them did you?

lovemyfedora · Post by **lovemyfedora** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 4:37 am

I will try to get some better photos of different angles of the hat tonight. Love to get everyone's opinion.

tekors · Post by **tekors** » Thu Oct 07, 2010 4:46 pm

Noah wrote:
tekors wrote:Yeah, my first hat was a HJ... I bought it at the shop in London. And the young ladies were something of an art apart.

teko
You didn't happen to get a picture of them did you?

uhh, nops

Was so fixed on the hat...

lovemyfedora · Post by **lovemyfedora** » Thu Oct 07, 2010 11:57 pm

Ok, so I am now home from the London and I have had time to spend with trying to shape the hat to my liking. And you know what??? I am not terribly happy with it. A couple of things, the hat has too much tapering on both sides and I simply cant get the brim to cooperate. So, I have decided to do one of the following:
1. Reblock the hat. (Does anyone on this board offer a reblocking service? Happy to pay.

)
2. Get an AB... (But I am leaning toward option 1)

Can anyone help me with how to transform this into a true Raiders hat? I definitely think it needs a fresh start on a better block and by someone with experience.

Can anyone help? Thanks!

adVintage · Post by **adVintage** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 3:34 am

I have reblocked some HJs in the past and I would offer you a free one. The only costs for you would be sending the hat to me and shipping back to you (might be a bit from the USA to Germany). I know that the ribbon bows HJ attaches to their Poets in the last years are terrible, so I would make you a new one for free, too.

I am just finishing a new Raiders made from the HJ felt and can send you pics in about 2-4 days, if you like to. So that you can easily decide, if this is what you want.

By the way: I will offer reblocked HJs with stabilized felt, finer surface and accurate Bows in the near future. So this is THE oportunity for me to let everyone now

(sorry for the house advertising).

Best regards
Thomas

Indiana Dymond · Post by **Indiana Dymond** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 4:45 am

You could live with it as more of a TOD hat. I belive thats what the current block shape is most like.

lovemyfedora · Post by **lovemyfedora** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 11:44 am

adVintage wrote:I have reblocked some HJs in the past and I would offer you a free one. The only costs for you would be sending the hat to me and shipping back to you (might be a bit from the USA to Germany). I know that the ribbon bows HJ attaches to their Poets in the last years are terrible, so I would make you a new one for free, too.

I am just finishing a new Raiders made from the HJ felt and can send you pics in about 2-4 days, if you like to. So that you can easily decide, if this is what you want.

By the way: I will offer reblocked HJs with stabilized felt, finer surface and accurate Bows in the near future. So this is THE oportunity for me to let everyone now (sorry for the house advertising).

Best regards
Thomas

Thomas, I would love to see photos of your reblocking! Very interested in taking you up on your offer.

albert jones · Post by **albert jones** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 5:38 pm

Great thomas, If you reblock my HJ also too for Free,I will send you soon als posible . and You can decide the bash style, for me its no problem the style just get a prfesional service.

adVintage · Post by **adVintage** » Thu Oct 14, 2010 7:53 am

Hi there,
here are some pics of my Raiders Block. This fedora is made of the new thicker Herbert Johnson sable felt (all new, no reblock, stabilized and finer surface), has a slight turn and a slightly shorter brim (7cm ad 6.5cm, any width possible).

http://www.advintagefedora.de/bilder/hj ... G_8524.jpg
http://www.advintagefedora.de/bilder/hj ... G_8518.jpg
http://www.advintagefedora.de/bilder/hj ... G_8519.jpg
http://www.advintagefedora.de/bilder/hj ... G_8521.jpg
http://www.advintagefedora.de/bilder/hj ... G_8526.jpg

If you are interested, just send me a pm or contact me via my website www.advintagefedora.de

Thanks for looking!

Best regards
Thomas

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Thu Oct 14, 2010 8:11 am

Thomas, you might want to make a new thread in the Fedora Section for this post and your offer, just to keep this thread on track.

lovemyfedora · Post by **lovemyfedora** » Thu Oct 14, 2010 11:38 am

AdVintage, I just sent you a PM.... I want my hat to look EXACTLY like that one! That is beautiful! Did you also tighten the ribbon? It looks great! I want it just like that! Thank you thank you thank you!

HerbertJohnsonFan · Post by **HerbertJohnsonFan** » Thu Dec 09, 2010 3:09 pm

Beautiful Fedora! I love it!

darthbish · Post by **darthbish** » Sat Dec 11, 2010 6:15 am

Nice....
Do you do Fed IVs??

HerbertJohnsonFan · Post by **HerbertJohnsonFan** » Sun Dec 12, 2010 1:25 am

AdVintage, I am also interested in this offer (if, that is, you are indeed offering it to more than one person

)

HJF

albert jones · Post by **albert jones** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 4:44 pm

for a few days I was in london and I bought a HJ POET, I wait for the new stock on my size but the poet hat a new Price 215GBP.
yesterday the confirmation of my order, in the nexts days will be on the post delivered the HJ SHAPED HAT, thats is new befora was always open crown style.......just wait to see the new hat!