Club Obi Wan

So, we all know that when Indy jumped into the river in Peru his hat would have tapered, but hollywood being what it is and Indy's multiple fedoras aside, would Indy have had the hat reblocked or simply worn that thing ala Fred C. Dobbs style?

Just something I was contemplating as my own hat is settling in and losing that new boxy crown look just a tad.

More than likely he tossed that hat, wore his gray travel hat home and just purchased a new one when he got back.

There were hat store on just about every other corner in every town in the U.S. at that time as a hat was a tool and a 'had to have' item for men of the period, so they were readily available.

Regards! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:More than likely he tossed that hat, wore his gray travel hat home and just purchased a new one when he got back.

There were hat store on just about every other corner in every town in the U.S. at that time as a hat was a tool and a 'had to have' item for men of the period, so they were readily available.

Regards! Michaelson

And, in those days, they would have been more then happy to customize, should the Dr. have requested. W>

Jeremiah wrote:So, we all know that when Indy jumped into the river in Peru his hat would have tapered, but hollywood being what it is and Indy's multiple fedoras aside, would Indy have had the hat reblocked or simply worn that thing ala Fred C. Dobbs style?

Just something I was contemplating as my own hat is settling in and losing that new boxy crown look just a tad.

Jeremiah, had the hat been rained on a lot?

Michaelson wrote:...and just purchased a new one when he got back..

"I've had this hat since 1912... now GET OFF MY LAWN!"

rogera wrote:

Jeremiah wrote:So, we all know that when Indy jumped into the river in Peru his hat would have tapered, but hollywood being what it is and Indy's multiple fedoras aside, would Indy have had the hat reblocked or simply worn that thing ala Fred C. Dobbs style?

Just something I was contemplating as my own hat is settling in and losing that new boxy crown look just a tad.

Jeremiah, had the hat been rained on a lot?

Not a lot. It's probably more to do with the creases sinking in a hare more than actual shrinking and tapering. Definitely never been soaked to core.

Indy. Let's get to Berlin.

This is the start of the 'I'm selling this hat soon' thinking..

well, if you ever sell it and it's a 58/59 give me a ring!

Not sure you know me that well enough to make that assumption mate.
I will never sell my Indy hats even when and if they did look like Fred C dobbs.
Some missed the point of this thread me thinks.

Ok, if you're looking for a specific reply to your specifically posted question rather than exploring other possibilities, then ok.....he would have had it reblocked.

There were hat reblocking service stores with shoe repair/cleaning stores connected TO hat stores on just about every corner as well.

We had one in my hometown when I was growing up in the 50's and 60's, so they were around for a long time.

We have to look at the era and what was available. Those services and shops were as commonly available as a grocery store in every town.

Men's hats were tools, and, like their shoes, considered a 'measure' of the man. He did his best to keep it presentable when in public. When Indy was in the field, he could care less, but when he returned to civilization and back to the university, if this was his one and only hat, he would have had it serviced before wearing it again in public.

Regards! Michaelson

Been around long enough too see people sell their stuff with the slightest error or ''taper'' or jacket stitch not perfect..

It was joke. Have a laugh!

Yeah. More of just opinions. Thus far I like Indy's and yours the best M.

As to my own hats. My AB of about 1 year old made of Beaver , it has a slight taper but I like the shape it's taken so much I am afraid I send it in for an overhaul for fear of change.
Thanks gentleman.


For you holt along with a virtual laugh. Picture Sallah.

Indy Magnoli wrote:

Michaelson wrote:...and just purchased a new one when he got back..

"I've had this hat since 1912... now GET OFF MY LAWN!"

You better HOPE we do buy new ones when old stuff gets worn out, Indy, or you'll be out of business in short order!

Regard! Michaelson

I think he would have done the Fred C. Dobbs thing until the university complained about his appearance then it would have been walked down to the local hatter for a quick cleaning and blocking.

Yeah. I don't see him caring so much about the look of his adventuring fedora. Though he did like the dapper clipper one in great shape.

My personal take is that the 37 year old version of the well traveled and educated guy who was riding around the streets of Shanghai in an Auburn Speedster at the age of 35 wearing a white tuxedo, and who wore gold filled Saville Row glasses as a college professor during the Depression cares about his possessions and would take care of everything he owned, including work clothes. I always have.

He'd have it cleaned and reblocked, and would replace it if it got damaged.

I see Indy as being a very practical, get the job done, no frills kind of guy. He doesn't need a bunch of fancy new stuff.

What make is your hat? It probably shouldnt be tapering if it is that new. I have literally soaked my Garrison in sweat and rain, dust storms from Chinook winds, dirt, heck even mt dew by accident once! Ive sat on it, dropped it, had stuff fall on it and no taper. Strange indeed!

Im with M. Back when these hats were in style they could get it worked on just around the corner. Think of it like this, there is a "Lidz" or whatever in darn near every mall selling those stupid fitted flat brimmed hats.

Hey Chris. Thanks. The point was not so much about my hat. Like I said. I notice very miniscle changes and it's more likely to do with my bash settling after wear and weather.
I own two fedoras. One is the ABL and the other is a Delk AB beaver.

Not worried about taper as it can always be re blocked.
Was just thinking about reality and hats. They won't always look like they do fresh out of the hatters box.

Jeremiah wrote:Not worried about taper as it can always be re blocked.
Was just thinking about reality and hats. They won't always look like they do fresh out of the hatters box.

That's the beauty about quality hats like yours. The don't always look fresh out of the hatters box, as you say, but they can be returned TO that appearance in short order after a visit to a qualified hat maker. Good felt responds to proper care, and both your hats are top end felt.

They can be rebuilt again and again.

Excellent choices.

Regards! Michaelson

Well, according to "The Army of the Dead" book, Indy has always had but one fedora (the one Fedora put on him in his house in Utah). After adventures, he has it reblocked and cleaned up by his local haberdashery. And if it gets a hole in the felt, he has it fixed (which IS possible to a certain extent).

IndyRiv wrote:Well, according to "The Army of the Dead" book, Indy has always had but one fedora (the one Fedora put on him in his house in Utah). After adventures, he has it reblocked and cleaned up by his local haberdashery. And if it gets a hole in the felt, he has it fixed (which IS possible to a certain extent).

In the movie I would hardly call what "fedora" put on his head a fedora. Looks more like a cowboy hat. I guess Im also a stickler for sticking to originals. I had someone tell me Boba Fett escaped the Sarlac Pitt....well if it wasn't in Return of the Jedi it didn't happen. I don't need no stinking 500 star wars books to tell me otherwise!

Jeremiah wrote: They won't always look like they do fresh out of the hatters box.

True. The good ones look better.

As per Depression Era men and women both, typically, they were very conservative with their things, because the next quarter even, was difficult to come by. Guys working on the Hoover ### made 50c per day. My Dad had three suits during that time, but they were the best. It's not too far from the mark to think that hypothetically, Indy could have had a grey and brown hat, for formal occasions, to wear at the college, and for travel, but had an older brown one that was a 'beater' that he used on expeditions in the field. After his trip back form the idol caper, simply had it refurbished.

The one fedora extrapolation is immediately shot down because of the grey travel fedora. I don't know why we have to insist on the one fedora idea regardless...?

A rotation seems much more practical and probable.

ChrisMD wrote:

IndyRiv wrote:Well, according to "The Army of the Dead" book, Indy has always had but one fedora (the one Fedora put on him in his house in Utah). After adventures, he has it reblocked and cleaned up by his local haberdashery. And if it gets a hole in the felt, he has it fixed (which IS possible to a certain extent).

In the movie I would hardly call what "fedora" put on his head a fedora. Looks more like a cowboy hat. I guess Im also a stickler for sticking to originals. I had someone tell me Boba Fett escaped the Sarlac Pitt....well if it wasn't in Return of the Jedi it didn't happen. I don't need no stinking 500 star wars books to tell me otherwise!

Then I've taken it you've never read the Indy novels, or any of the comics, or even the "Indiana Jones Ultimate Guide". And heaven forbid if you even dare look at "The Lost Journal of Indiana Jones" because much of that is not in the films. I don't ever want to even hear you say you even "glanced" at any of these.

There's a reason WHY Fedora put the hat on him and WHY he's even called "FEDORA". Do you acknowledge he's known as Fedora? If so, how do you explain that? NONE of the bandits in LC were ever called out explicitly by name. Not "Roscoe", "Half-Breed", or "Rough-Rider".

I'm just saying that if you don't at least consult or acknowledge there's more info out there, then you do lose a lot in the timeline.

Never read novels, comics, lost journals, or Michaelson's Personal Diary. My timeline is 4 movies. I understand there is more to it, I just don't have any reason to delve into them. Im just barely starting to go through Young Indy on netflix for the first time since childhood and am having trouble getting into it. My post wasn't derogatory toward the add on's to the franchise, I think they're neat enough, I just haven't gone into em. Maybe now I will!

ChrisMD wrote:Never read... lost journal...

Can we have his moderator status revoked? You do know who wrote the Lost Journal, right?

Indy Magnoli wrote:

ChrisMD wrote:Never read... lost journal...

Can we have his moderator status revoked? You do know who wrote the Lost Journal, right?

According to Amazon, Henry Jones, Jr.


Dr. Nebraska S.

Looking at the "reality" of Indy, I would say that in Raiders, we don't have any information to suggest that the hat has sentimental value (as we get in LC). I think Michaelson pegs it, here - if it was his one and only hat, he would have reblocked it, or replaced it if ruined. But we know in Raiders he has two hats - his adventure/field hat, and his nice hat. Odds are, if Indy were real, he would do what was needed to extend the life of his field hat, including cleaning and reblocks from time to time (like after a serious soaking in a jungle river), but not every time it got a bit tapered or dirty... until it was beyond repair. By then, his nice hat would be getting on, so it would become his field hat, and he would buy a new nice hat.

That's how my grandparents and parents did things, anyway. Shoes and trousers were often "demoted", resusitated, and replaced that way.

Chewbacca Jones wrote:Looking at the "reality" of Indy, I would say that in Raiders, we don't have any information to suggest that the hat has sentimental value (as we get in LC). I think Michaelson pegs it, here - if it was his one and only hat, he would have reblocked it, or replaced it if ruined. But we know in Raiders he has two hats - his adventure/field hat, and his nice hat. Odds are, if Indy were real, he would do what was needed to extend the life of his field hat, including cleaning and reblocks from time to time (like after a serious soaking in a jungle river), but not every time it got a bit tapered or dirty... until it was beyond repair. By then, his nice hat would be getting on, so it would become his field hat, and he would buy a new nice hat.

That's how my grandparents and parents did things, anyway. Shoes and trousers were often "demoted", resusitated, and replaced that way.

BINGO!

Chewbacca Jones wrote:Looking at the "reality" of Indy, I would say that in Raiders, we don't have any information to suggest that the hat has sentimental value (as we get in LC). I think Michaelson pegs it, here - if it was his one and only hat, he would have reblocked it, or replaced it if ruined. But we know in Raiders he has two hats - his adventure/field hat, and his nice hat. Odds are, if Indy were real, he would do what was needed to extend the life of his field hat, including cleaning and reblocks from time to time (like after a serious soaking in a jungle river), but not every time it got a bit tapered or dirty... until it was beyond repair. By then, his nice hat would be getting on, so it would become his field hat, and he would buy a new nice hat.

That's how my grandparents and parents did things, anyway. Shoes and trousers were often "demoted", resusitated, and replaced that way.

Dead on

And besides, how many re-blocks can Indy's hat take (in terms of felt wearing out)? After 90 some years, I think that his hat would eventually look pretty horrible considering the amount of re-blocks the Raiders novel is implying...

Don't know. But I do know that I still have my father's Homburg which he wore to work in the 50s - so it's around 65 years old - and it looks almost new. My grandfathers Open Road was a gardening hat, and then was worn on all my camping trips as a Boy Scout, so it could use cleaning, but it's still pretty solid, and it may be older than the Homburg.

baddates1 wrote:And besides, how many re-blocks can Indy's hat take (in terms of felt wearing out)? After 90 some years, I think that his hat would eventually look pretty horrible considering the amount of re-blocks the Raiders novel is implying...

My understanding is that after a few reblocks a quality fur felt fedora will have the felt die and not need a future re block.

except if you bullet holes in it.....can you say, Ravenwood Bar

Jeremiah wrote:

baddates1 wrote:And besides, how many re-blocks can Indy's hat take (in terms of felt wearing out)? After 90 some years, I think that his hat would eventually look pretty horrible considering the amount of re-blocks the Raiders novel is implying...

My understanding is that after a few reblocks a quality fur felt fedora will have the felt die and not need a future re block.

From what I've experienced, a re-block reshapes the hat to it's original shape after a period of time and wear. When the felt 'dies', it doesn't taper anymore, but re-blocking to reshape a crown is something it occasionally needs.

Regards! Michaelson

Excellent. Thanks.
Yeah. Bullet holes would not be good.

Jeremiah wrote: Yeah. Bullet holes would not be good.

Tell him, Michaelson - as long as the bullet holes come from real-life wear, not by you "distressing" it on purpose with a vintage walther, it's ok.

Chewbacca Jones wrote:

Jeremiah wrote: Yeah. Bullet holes would not be good.

Tell him, Michaelson - as long as the bullet holes come from real-life wear, not by you "distressing" it on purpose with a vintage walther, it's ok.

Careful Chewie, we don't want Michaelson to have Bunker Hill flashbacks!