Club Obi Wan

It may be because I'm looking down to some degree, but it is a bit loose on me too. I had an AB "Ford felt" at one time, but it was a bit tight and I eventually sold it. If I added some padding in front/back to stretch it and make it tighter on my head do you think that would help it not look so overly large? I love how it's styled and I've distressed it a bit with fullers earth, but it just looks kind of goofy on me. (thin face maybe also?) And yes it looks sort of photoshopped on anyway due to the bad masking when I ran the action that gives it this look. I needed to smooth that out better previous to using the action, so I should redo it at some point.

I think it's just too big.

Putting in padding will make it feel better on your head, but it won't change the appearance at all.

I'd recommend you sending it off to one of our hat makers and getting it re-blocked to your correct size.

Regards! Michaelson

OK, thanks!
Any suggestions on which one? It went to Fedora long ago to get the ribbon changed out (it's an Akubra). I guess he's kind of out of the game? I've been off the boards for many moons.

You are pretty close to David Garrison. I would use him.

Ok, thanks. I'll check him out.

Jeremiah wrote:You are pretty close to David Garrison. I would use him.

+1 on contacting David Garrison.

Regard! Michaelson

You, Sir, are a fortunate individual!
Fold the sweat band in half and tighten the ribbon, and you'll be in Raiders territory. A Raiders hat should be about 3 to 4 sizes too big, like the original was. (IMHO)

If the hat is too big ENOUGH... You'll get that weird vertical crease in the front dent that proceeds beneath the ribbon....

without TRYING



The correct "fit" is ALL important, or the hat is just too big or too small to WEAR. It's a total disaster. Get that thing outa here!


What you don't realize, because of all that TRAUMA, .. is, that the difference in the square inches of felt on a size 57 hat compared to a size 58 hat is quite small!

.... So the number of square inches of felt in a size 57 hat would be around ... 1/57th less than in a size 58 hat.

3thoubucks wrote:You, Sir, are a fortunate individual!
Fold the sweat band in half and tighten the ribbon, and you'll be in Raiders territory. A Raiders hat should be about 3 to 4 sizes too big, like the original was. (IMHO)

I love your posts. LIke many here I do not always agree but there are so many things here that would never have been considered were in not for your input. Myself, I have been lucky and reckless enough to have purchased a set of these new HJ's. For me, as soon as I saw it posted, my gut told me that it was the hat. And when I got it open-crown I immediately saw how simple it was - an almost "flat topped" (very shallow dome) on top of a tall stovepipe with no taper at ALL.

I have not shot all the pictures yet but I hope to have that forthcoming. I have JUST finished blocking the beaver and rabbit versions but I also have access to another that is sitting open-crown for comparison. And this is my experience thus far:

When first blocked, the hat produces a serious "reverse" taper because it starts with strait sides. Makes sense, right? But any such effect in Raiders is pretty subtle/ not so overt. So my immediate working hypothesis became that the crowns in Raiders, all of them, have been worked and shaped into place before filming (to various degrees) and the hat we see on film is one that has settled into shape: none of them are "new," including the Hovitos/ idol map hat. Maybe newER but not new. In my experience, some of the hatters out here have done AMAZING jobs at producing a hat that replicates the shape of the hat on screen but not a hat that will LEAD to the shape we see on screen. Only Marc (ABdeluxe) has tried for a hat that starts a little roomy with the idea that it will shrink and settle into shape (he told me that in an email). The best made hat out here in my opinion, Penman, starts with the perfect look but if it shrinks it would pull away from accuracy in my opinion, etc.

Over here I used a water spritzer bottle and some smashing/ squeezing to block both the rabbit and beaver HJ's. And the results are spectacular so far. The rabbit one looks an awful lot like the "Screen Used" hero hat when OFF the head and when you put it on it boxes out nicely. It "behaves" like Raiders hat. The beaver one behaves differently (different material) but looks almost as nice.

And after all the water and minor shrinkage they both have the shape and profile I personally feel that I see on film. It looks slightly taller because I am not going to raise the ribbon but the shape is there.

(note: these are both my size - not addressing the "too large" or tightening dynamic - it is my personal feeling that some of those effects come from Ford's shallow skull combined with the raised ribbon but total digression).

I KNOW THAT I NEED PHOTOS!!!!! (haven't finished the project yet)

darthjones2 wrote: slightly taller because I am not going to raise the ribbon but the shape is there.
- it is my personal feeling that some of those effects come from Ford's shallow skull

Yes, Ford's head starts to dome just at the top of his ears, and his forehead slants back. Still, I think his sweat band was folded, which helps me approach his bash depth, even though I have a more straight up and down skull.