Club Obi Wan

I thought this hat is worth a post..

This hat traveled several countrys, had been with me on many hikes (at least 1.000 km by foot and probably the same ampunt of km's by bike), and even survived some very dangerous situations (among myself, fortunately!). If this hat could talk!

Back then adventurebilt came out as the newest "top notch" hatter. It was said this hat will hold up many years if not even decades of heavy use.

Having seen 1 inside-ou twists, 2 reblocks and 10 years of very heavy use, I can confirm: it really did!

at the beginning, very high crown, wide brim and the original purple ribbon, appr. in 2005:



at a 300km hike in Laponia, 2011 already in a changed shape and a black Mayser ribbon


and this it how it looks today:

http://s4.photobucket.com/user/Breinede ... g.html?o=5" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://s4.photobucket.com/user/Breinede ... g.html?o=7" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

enjoy

So happy to see one of Steve's early hats have so much travel on it. I have a couple of his first few hats that he made. Was a fan of his from the beginning. Don't you worry one bit that hat can be brought back to new looking. If you ever want that one re-blocked or refurbished, please let me know.

Wow it looks very tapered now compared to the first picture, did you requested it like that on one of the reblocks?

Regards,

My 3 'regular wear' hats are from 2005 and 2006, respectfully, and they've held up beautifully.

Regard! Michaelson

I think it would be good to trouble shoot this hat. Has this hat ever had a re-block from Steve?

Guess the next owner will make that decision.

viewtopic.php?f=40&t=65793" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Regards! M

It's odd - we've had so many talks about hats and how you didn't feel comfortable with the tall crown and wide brim, but seeing that first photo reminds me of just how well a proper Raiders hat actually suits you!

There had been a lot down to the hat in the last few years. During this time, the hat had been overworked and partly adaptated to my personal needs wich do not meet with screen accuracy aspects.

- reblocked once by Marc and twice by a traditional local hatter in Graz. During the process, the brim was trimmed a bit and lost the dimensional cut. brim width is 6cm all around, a classical Fedora block (appr. from the 30's) had been used

- the former pinch of the crown now sits in the back

- The hat is turned

- the collour has brightened over the years, this is why the hat had been twisted insideout and appears now daraker on the outside

- To have a more breathable hat, I had the sweatband replaced with a cloth version and the inlay removed.

- the original broaa pruple ribbon had been replaced with a less wide dark brown Mayser Ribbon

- hat shows a burn hole from the campfire on the inside of the brim

- hat shows wax marks on the inside of the brim at the backside from haging on the Bullwhip

- The inside is bleached out by the sun and show

- I never liked the height and volume of the crown on me. Despite comon usage, I wanted the corwn to shrink, which I tryed to manage by wind, rain and a bit of reshaping. A process which somehow worked on the hat, but in the end did not satisfy me.

- the hat is fairly stiff and yet very nice shapable, but with tendency to "stay as it is"







Although still an outstanding hat, I am thinking to skip to another style of felt hat with low crown and a slightly shorter brim, which can be rolled and have a slightly slimmer blockform than the Indy hat. Not sure about that yet

eaglecrow, thanks for posting the history of this hat. I was trying to find out what happen and why the look is so different. Because of the age of this hat it hasn't gone though our process that we now all 3 use. Having the hat re-worked by a different hatter and changing block shape, specs of the hat, etc etc. Is exactly what I was looking for. Even without the process this hat couldn't change that much just from rain and abuse. Photo's by themselves don't tell the entire story and that is the reason I asked.

I'm guessing this is a rabbit felt?

According to his ad in the classified:

app. 10 years old / early Adventurebilt by Steven Delk, mde from 100% beaver fur

Regard! M

Ah yes, it is beaver of course!

It is a weired thing with this hat. I really love it as the felt and its collour is just perfect to me and there are 10 years memmory in it. But after all I am doubting it I would ever wear it again

@bending oak: I am wondering your opinion on beaver felt hats. Do you think it is possible/advisable to roll them? I ended up with the need of only using packable hats. I did not yet entirely gave up on renewing this one..

Here's a thread from Steve Delk about rolling an AB for travel.

http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f ... it=rolling" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Regards,

Indiana Jeff

eaglecrow wrote:@bending oak: I am wondering your opinion on beaver felt hats. Do you think it is possible/advisable to roll them? I ended up with the need of only using packable hats. I did not yet entirely gave up on renewing this one..

The way Steve makes his hats, yes. I'm not sure about the guy who did some work on this hat. I can do the same to my hats, pop out the crease, pull down the brim and then I can roll them and pack it.


Not many can do this

https://youtu.be/UNt69cBPCPI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Not only do you have to use top felt but your thread can not be your standed thread.

thank you for the links!

@bending oak: I just sent you a PM

eaglecrow wrote:thank you for the links!

@bending oak: I just sent you a PM

You are welcome. Glad I could help trouble shoot this hat. Before I give a opinion of a hat like this I like to get as much information. As we see in this case there was much more going on then "just got caught in the rain and shrank." It was changed by another hat maker.


I have replied to your e-mail.