Club Obi Wan

Thought this might be of interest to fellow collectors and fans. I posted a version of this on The Raven originally, as I couldn't find my COW account details, but it's better suited to this site.

Bates Hats, about two blocks away from HJ and one from Lock (where Harrison Ford apparently bought the Chelsea fedora) has just started selling a hat they call the Indi. Now, given that Bates, though perhaps most famous hat shop along with Lock, doesn't have a connection to the films, I had sort of dismissed it as a marketing thing.

However, this blog, which is about that very hat, reveals that the people behind it are former colleagues of Mr Swales at HJ who have since moved over to Bates.

This might merit investigation. I'll be at Bates soon (though for a different hat) but I'm far from an expert on the Raiders hat. Perhaps some London-based or London-visiting members might want to take a look?

The blogger has since posted another page about the hat; in the new one, there's a close-up photo. The bash doesn't seem to have the severity, for lack of a better word, of the Raiders one (though it is reminiscent of LC) and the ribbon seems a fair bit lighter (though it is hard to imagine a place like Bates would not replace that on request) but the block certainly seems to match up quite well. I noticed while searching back threads here that there was some discussion of Bates's having potentially supplied Mr Swales with the original block.

It would be interesting to explore this further - Bates is one of the best hat shops around and £185 is by no means a bad price for a hat from them or from Lock, especially if there turns out being more to this Indy story.

Sounds interesting indeed! Good discovery!

Go get us a report, and LOTS of photos if they'll let you.

HIGH regard! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:Sounds interesting indeed! Good discovery!

Go get us a report, and LOTS of photos if they'll let you.

HIGH regard! Michaelson

Did you look at the blog in the links? There are a fair few photos in it. Your opinion would be quite welcome!



Happiness can exist only in acceptance… Week Two #lovemyhat by Stuart Witts

Great lookin' hat. Mr. Binks looks as handsome as ever, too.

Very cool and interesting. Pretty fortunate way to receive a hat. I didn't see much though in regards to description of the hat construction. Gonna have to keep an eye on this one. Nice discovery nonetheless.

In Michaelson's defense (not that he needs one), embedded links on this site aren't exactly obvious.

Pith Helmet wrote:

Michaelson wrote:Sounds interesting indeed! Good discovery!

Go get us a report, and LOTS of photos if they'll let you.

HIGH regard! Michaelson

Did you look at the blog in the links? There are a fair few photos in it. Your opinion would be quite welcome!

Thanks for watching my back, OJ.

Yes, I did, but you can only tell so much from a photograph. We need someone to actually go and handle one of these items and tell us exactly what the story is. I don't know this guy from Adam. Is it your blog? If so, speaking in '3rd' person is what threw me, not the link. If not....well, we're still dealing with an unknown here.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words......but since the onset of the internet, that saying has kind of gone out the window. You still need someone to go and LOOK at stuff before making a decision..

As for me, my SOP has always been to never offer opinions on items I've not either personally owned or personally examined, and that practice has served me well all these years, and that's been since this hobby began in 1981 too.

Nice looking hat in the photo, but that's all I can tell from it....it's a nice looking brown fedora. Period......but I've also seen great photos of Dorfman Pacifics too.......

Regards! Michaelson

Maybe it's just me, but it doesn't look like it has the dimensional brim.

The pic on Bates' site looks promising - would be nice to see it from other angles and even open crown. Let's hope some of the London crew do some first hand investigation

It's a handsome lid, that's for sure. I just don't know how "SA" it is.

jlee562 wrote:Maybe it's just me, but it doesn't look like it has the dimensional brim.

Yeah, that's what I noticed as well... so you're not alone.

Ahh I do hope my mention of photos in the blog did not come across as dismissive. I've been reading Michaelson's posts for years now.

I didn't end up going to Bates that time because the hat I was hoping to buy (the Newbury) has been discontinued. I would gladly take a look, but I'm not sure I'm quite equipped for it. I know hats and clothes quite well and I am a huge Indy fan, but I'm not quite the most experienced at the point where those two meet. (I love the smilies here! Good to be back at COW!)

I'll have to study up before my next visit to Bates! I've been looking to get a high-crowned hat there, so I might well end up buying the 'Indi' but SAness would be a nice bonus, and a subtle one over normal clothes. If I get the hat, I will definitely take photos, but I'm not yet quite certain.

Pith Helmet wrote:Ahh I do hope my mention of photos in the blog did not come across as dismissive. I've been reading Michaelson's posts for years now.

Not at all, and I hope my reply didn't seem 'flippant'.

It's just that as nice as it looks, you really can't tell a whole lot from a photo other than 'it looks nice'.

I don't think you give yourself enough credit, though. You've been around this gear for a while, and you'll immediately recognize if something is quality or crud in a nice package as soon as you pick it up and handle the hat.

You don't HAVE to be a hatmaker/expert type to recognize if something is worth what they're asking price wise.

Anyway, I hope you do get a chance to wander down there and look one over for us. It would be nice to read a report from 'one of our own'.

HIGH regards! Michaelson