Club Obi Wan

It finally arrived today! I've been wanting a Last Crusade hat for years now and am very excited to be an owner of a Steele and Jones Explorador '38.

I decided to go with the "Superior" quality version with the nice goatskin sweatband, herbert johnson ribbon and HJ inspired liner.

My initial impressions:
Fit is a TAD snug, but a night in my hat stretcher or even just some repeated wear will and it be fine.
The felt quality is thick, luxurious and soft.
The ribbon is identical to my Herbert Johnson ribbon I recently bought so that is cool and it looks great.
Also love the color of the felt. Next to my Adventurebilt it's darker but perfect for Last Crusade.
The sweatband is also beautiful and very soft and the embossed branding is top notch.
The liner looks cool in that it looks very much like the old red HJ liners from some scenes in LC. Though the actual logo print isn't the best quality I've seen. It very much looks printed on. Not a big deal. It's going to get dirty and stained any way right?

Out of the box the hat needed a little shaping. But it was in the box for many weeks. First clearing Argentinian customs, and then was stuck in NYC customs before finally being dispatched to San Jose CA. Again, with some steam and comparing screen shots I can say that it is a VERY screen accurate hat, and I actually think it suits my face the best of all my fedoras to date. The more I wear it and tweak it the better it looks and feels.

As we know the hat in the movie does change quite a bit from scene to scene, but since I was using the tank scene and motorcycle chase scenes to tweak my bash, this nails it!

Overall, I am very happy with my decision to buy from Roberto and S&J. Very friendly fellow and easy to work with. And only took a little longer than I had expected to arrive so, not bad!

Thank you Roberto! Also looking forward to my LC Jacket coming soon from Diego!

I hope you enjoy the photos!

-Clipper

Another victim of Photobucket!

Charybdis wrote:Another victim of Photobucket!

what the heck!? It works in chrome. Trying to figure out how to fix this...

Clipper wrote:what the heck!? It works in chrome. Trying to figure out how to fix this...

Your Chrome browser is probably storing the images in a browser cache. If you've looked at the post before, the images are still stored in your browser. Those of us looking at the post for the first time cannot see the images (or your user icon, for that matter).

Anyone still using Photobucket needs to either spring for a paid account or find another photo host.

davidd wrote: Anyone still using Photobucket needs to either spring for a paid account or find another photo host.

Yeah....what a scam / extorsion.

Wow. Ok, well if you use the code YOUROCK you can buy a year for $49.99. I just bought it but the images still won't load.

Yeesh

Clipper wrote:Wow. Ok, well if you use the code YOUROCK you can buy a year for $49.99. I just bought it but the images still won't load.

Yeesh

OMG and that still didn't cover 3rd party hosting! Getting a refund...

OK. So I just signed up for http://imgur.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. It's free and super easy to use. I actually way prefer it to photobucket. They have always been terrible IMO. So that's one option.
-Clipper

Woo Hoo! The photos are showing up now!

The hat looks great! Nice that you show us every angle... and that the hat looks good from every angle!

Your back yard looks great, too, for that matter. We're all coming over to hang out one of these evenings!

There's a photo-hosting topic with some recent suggestions for those who are having issues with P-Bucket: http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=67625" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

davidd wrote:Woo Hoo! The photos are showing up now!

The hat looks great! Nice that you show us every angle... and that the hat looks good from every angle!

Your back yard looks great, too, for that matter. We're all coming over to hang out one of these evenings!

There's a photo-hosting topic with some recent suggestions for those who are having issues with P-Bucket: http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=67625" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Haha well it's my parents backyard but you are welcome over any time! Just bring wine

Clipper wrote: Thank you Roberto! Also looking forward to my LC Jacket coming soon from Diego!

I hope you enjoy the photos!

-Clipper

Thanks to you!
Enjoy your hat.

PS: If my calculations are correct, I'm getting your LC jacket from workshop tomorrow or this saturday.

Awesome looking new lid, Clipper!! Congrats!

Clipper wrote:It finally arrived today! I've been wanting a Last Crusade hat for years now and am very excited to be an owner of a Steele and Jones Explorador '38.

I decided to go with the "Superior" quality version with the nice goatskin sweatband, herbert johnson ribbon and HJ inspired liner.

My initial impressions:
Fit is a TAD snug, but a night in my hat stretcher or even just some repeated wear will and it be fine.
The felt quality is thick, luxurious and soft.
The ribbon is identical to my Herbert Johnson ribbon I recently bought so that is cool and it looks great.
Also love the color of the felt. Next to my Adventurebilt it's darker but perfect for Last Crusade.
The sweatband is also beautiful and very soft and the embossed branding is top notch.
The liner looks cool in that it looks very much like the old red HJ liners from some scenes in LC. Though the actual logo print isn't the best quality I've seen. It very much looks printed on. Not a big deal. It's going to get dirty and stained any way right?

Out of the box the hat needed a little shaping. But it was in the box for many weeks. First clearing Argentinian customs, and then was stuck in NYC customs before finally being dispatched to San Jose CA. Again, with some steam and comparing screen shots I can say that it is a VERY screen accurate hat, and I actually think it suits my face the best of all my fedoras to date. The more I wear it and tweak it the better it looks and feels.

As we know the hat in the movie does change quite a bit from scene to scene, but since I was using the tank scene and motorcycle chase scenes to tweak my bash, this nails it!

Overall, I am very happy with my decision to buy from Roberto and S&J. Very friendly fellow and easy to work with. And only took a little longer than I had expected to arrive so, not bad!

Thank you Roberto! Also looking forward to my LC Jacket coming soon from Diego!

I hope you enjoy the photos!

-Clipper

I gotta say that is one of the best looking lids I've seen on here!

I'll second that. Great looking lid.

Thank you guys! Ive always been in love with the last crusade hat. Its awesome to finally own one that really feels like I bought a poet in 1989. I can't wait to see how it pairs with the S&J last crusade jacket.

-Clipper

Cool fedora. Wear it in good health. By the way, is it just me or does anyone else think you look a bit like Jim Parsons.

Thanks a lot Clipper for your review!

And specially thanks for trusting us, for your cooperation, providing all the info we needed to make a custom hat that should fit you, and for waiting, but letting us work...even if it took a few more days than scheduled!

I gotta say, this is the best looking Crusade hat I've seen...I think an S&J fedora may be in my future...

...I've been buying too many hats...

Mulceber wrote:I gotta say, this is the best looking Crusade hat I've seen...I think an S&J fedora may be in my future...

...I've been buying too many hats...

Thanks! And I know what you mean... I need more hooks on my walls now. Not enough for all my hats.

I am excited to get my S&J LC Jacket in the next few weeks and to post some pictures here of how the hat and jacket will look together with full gear. Stay tuned!

Clipper wrote:It finally arrived today! I've been wanting a Last Crusade hat for years now and am very excited to be an owner of a Steele and Jones Explorador '38.

I decided to go with the "Superior" quality version with the nice goatskin sweatband, herbert johnson ribbon and HJ inspired liner.

My initial impressions:
Fit is a TAD snug, but a night in my hat stretcher or even just some repeated wear will and it be fine.
The felt quality is thick, luxurious and soft.
The ribbon is identical to my Herbert Johnson ribbon I recently bought so that is cool and it looks great.
Also love the color of the felt. Next to my Adventurebilt it's darker but perfect for Last Crusade.
The sweatband is also beautiful and very soft and the embossed branding is top notch.
The liner looks cool in that it looks very much like the old red HJ liners from some scenes in LC. Though the actual logo print isn't the best quality I've seen. It very much looks printed on. Not a big deal. It's going to get dirty and stained any way right?

Out of the box the hat needed a little shaping. But it was in the box for many weeks. First clearing Argentinian customs, and then was stuck in NYC customs before finally being dispatched to San Jose CA. Again, with some steam and comparing screen shots I can say that it is a VERY screen accurate hat, and I actually think it suits my face the best of all my fedoras to date. The more I wear it and tweak it the better it looks and feels.

As we know the hat in the movie does change quite a bit from scene to scene, but since I was using the tank scene and motorcycle chase scenes to tweak my bash, this nails it!

Overall, I am very happy with my decision to buy from Roberto and S&J. Very friendly fellow and easy to work with. And only took a little longer than I had expected to arrive so, not bad!

Thank you Roberto! Also looking forward to my LC Jacket coming soon from Diego!

I hope you enjoy the photos!

-Clipper

Is your S&J LC really stiff? Mine is.

I love the color - and I was surprised to hear that the SJ is a stiff hat - it looks similar to my Garrison which is very floppy (a good thing!). Maybe they put some extra stiffener in the hat due to the overseas journey it must make plus all of the handling it must undergo before it arrives at your doorstep.

I figure if I were a hatmaker and I had put all the time to create a nice bash per customer request - I wouldn't want the postman knocking the bash out before it got to my customer. Just a theory.

Anyway - I imagine a hat as well made and of good quality such as the one I spy in your photos will soften over time.

Looks great.

I decided to go with the "Superior" quality version with the nice goatskin sweatband, herbert johnson ribbon and HJ inspired liner.

Out of curiosity, how much does superior quality cost? I’d love to get a hat like you did, but couldn’t find anything about it on the S&J website.

Yeah it was a bit stiff right out of the box, but wouldn't really call it overly stiff for a new hat. No more stiff than a new Akubra is out of the box. From what I've heard, Garrison's are on the softer side.

It has taken some work to train the brim and really nail the bash. I don't want the sides to have too much curl. So it kept wanting to revert to its "pre-programed" brim. I'm still working on the rear dent to not keep wanting to pop out too, but either way still looks great. And there are plenty of scenes where the back is a little taller than the front, like the tank scene, which is how Roberto bashed it as. Bottom line, the more you wear it the more it will break in and soften. Its definitely much more softer and easier to form to my head now when I put it on.

Mulceber wrote:

I decided to go with the "Superior" quality version with the nice goatskin sweatband, herbert johnson ribbon and HJ inspired liner.

Out of curiosity, how much does superior quality cost? I’d love to get a hat like you did, but couldn’t find anything about it on the S&J website.

So Roberto told me that the two options were:

1-Quality: We have 2 qualities to offer.

"A-Explorador Classic: (US$ 220+shipping) - this is our best seller.
-high quality wild hare felt
-SJ 38mm dark brown ribbon
-black cow leather sweatband machine sewn
-SJ classic compass liner

B-Explorador Superior: (US$ 300 + shipping) - 100% handmade
-high quality wild hare felt
-Original Herbert Johnson 39mm dark brown ribbon
-Fine brown goatskin leather sweatband hand sewn
-SJ "HJ inspired" liner (Blue Shield or Red Pentagon)

The idea on the superior fedora is that when you see it from some distance it would look like an HJ, though it's not, but the design of the liner and sweatband are based on them."

I cannot verify that these are still their current prices, but its likely.

- Clipper

Thanks for the info! I have a Penman ABL on order right now, and every time I contemplate getting another brown fedora, my fiancé gently reminds me that I have quite a number of Indy hats already. So this might be more of a distant future purchase. Thanks again for sharing!

Mulceber wrote:Thanks for the info! I have a Penman ABL on order right now, and every time I contemplate getting another brown fedora, my fiancé gently reminds me that I have quite a number of Indy hats already. So this might be more of a distant future purchase. Thanks again for sharing!

You can always sell some...

I know I have.

Clipper wrote:It finally arrived today! I've been wanting a Last Crusade hat for years now and am very excited to be an owner of a Steele and Jones Explorador '38. ...

I hope you enjoy the photos!

-Clipper

Late to the party -- that is a GREAT-looking hat!

Wow -- we really have so many superb choices these days for fantastic Indy hats.
Must...resist...urge...to...buy...just...one...more!

Mulceber wrote:

I decided to go with the "Superior" quality version with the nice goatskin sweatband, herbert johnson ribbon and HJ inspired liner.

Out of curiosity, how much does superior quality cost? I’d love to get a hat like you did, but couldn’t find anything about it on the S&J website.

Hi, Mulceber...I'm Roberto O'Brien of Steele & Jones...
The information provided by Clipper is alright...we are working on updating our web...meanwhile we are posting news here at COW in the Vendors section, and many pics and album in our Facebook page @SteeleandJones
Like we usually say...we do this as a hobby, in our spare time...so we do our best, and actually invest more time in working in our orders than in advertising our work.

Thanks Clipper by your help!

I've updated the info of the Vendors section, so you can this all in images...
http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=68085" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks Roberto (and Clipper!) for the info! I have a feeling an Explorador '38 is the next hat on my to-buy list!

Thanks a lot for considering our work!

Wearing both my S&J Indy III fedora and S&J LC Horsehide jacket yesterday while in Sacramento California at the California State Railroad Museum (and Azuma LC shirt). Pretty cool exhibit.

-Clipper

Great pic. Nice hat, nice jacket and nice train.

A great looking jacket (and hat)! The sepia filter really suits this photo.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for sharing! They loog great on you...and great shooting location, too!