Question about the Raiders brim

[Frunobulax]

Have you seen this ?

Who is this bloke? He's pretty entertaining.

 

[Frunobulax]

Yes, I've watched it loads of times. He said it's because his hat got wet which made it droop really badly. Is that all it was?

No. See my comment above about the movie crew. It wasn't just because it "just got wet." It was painstakingly prepared to look the way they wanted it to look. It was a movie. He wasn't really running from tribesmen that were trying to kill him; there was no gold idol, Alfred Molina wasn't impaled on stakes, nobody's face melted, and Karen Allen can't really drink that much and still get up from the table.

But the Ark of the Covenant really is in a warehouse somewhere in a crate. You can bank on that!

 

[ninman]

IN all seriousness ninman, what you are asking doesn't have a set answer. You can't do a, followed by b, and c, and get the exact look you want.

Harrison Ford had an army of prop managers, wardrobe designers, photographers, and lighting experts all working in concert to convey the look the hat has on the screen. If it didn't look exactly right in a shot, I'm sure they adjusted some things and then filmed the scene. The hat was likely different from different angles throughout the course of the film. From that perspective, Alan's comment about camera angles is spot on.

Additionally, the hat is supposed to be a representation of a well-worn hat. You have a new hat. You see in the above video, the fellow has painted enamel on the hat to mimic the dirt look Indy has on his hat. Now, maybe that's just the kind of thing you're looking for, but personally, I'm not going to trash one of my Akubras that way. Nope not gonna do it.

Now, if you wear the hat daily for 7-8 years, in all weather, and "mistreat it" in the correct way, you may just get yourself to a look that at least captures the spirit of the Indy Raiders hat. It will be beat up, dirty, droopy, and have tons of "character." It may not look exactly like Indy's hat, but it will look like ninman's well-worn fedora. That may be better, in the end. Put your own mark on it. Hell, the folks walking down the street are only going to notice it looks like Indy's hat in the general sense. I've seen all the Indy movies multiple times, Watched the Young Indy chronicles, and consider myself a fan. And I never heard of the "Raiders Turn" until I joined this forum. Believe me, 98% of the movie-going public has never heard of the "Raiders Turn," Herbert Johnson, or notices the droop in the back. They see a brown fedora and think "Indiana Jones!"

Alright, thanks for that. I appreciate it. I just really love that kind of droopy style brim that he has. Thanks again though.

 

[Bob Roberts]

Soak the brim down in the back (and/or front) and set it wet to droop accordingly, using some weights to keep it down then let it dry in the shape/position you chose.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Just get a freakin' outback hat & be done with it.

 

[moontheloon]

interesting to see how this scene was originally filmed

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154096027771006

 

[johnnycanuck]

I have a Federation III with red lining from about 15 years ago and it has a very close Raiders look. Getting it wet every chance I got. Walking in the rain. playing with the brim and crown all the time. bending and twisting. At one time I tried to stiffin the hat but the stuff beaded all over the hat so I got my knife and shaved it all off. Gave up and put it in a C crown for a while. About ten years later it looked like a very well loved beated raiders hat. Becasue it was a well loved beated hat.
Play with it, tweak it and one day it will get there. Or as they say go get a Penman, Garrison, Peter Brothers, I hear good things about Northwest Hats".
BTW are you over on COW yet?
Probably not what you wanted to hear but I hope that helps.
Johnny

 

[RJR]

I have a Federation III with red lining from about 15 years ago and it has a very close Raiders look. Getting it wet every chance I got. Walking in the rain. playing with the brim and crown all the time. bending and twisting. At one time I tried to stiffin the hat but the stuff beaded all over the hat so I got my knife and shaved it all off. Gave up and put it in a C crown for a while. About ten years later it looked like a very well loved beated raiders hat. Becasue it was a well loved beated hat.
Play with it, tweak it and one day it will get there. Or as they say go get a Penman, Garrison, Peter Brothers, I hear good things about Northwest Hats".
BTW are you over on COW yet?
Probably not what you wanted to hear but I hope that helps.
Johnny

Agree,wear it,beat it,etc.

 

[bendingoak]

Two

So, I tried to put a proper raiders bash into my new Fed 4, but the brim doesn't droop in the rear like Indy's does. I was just wondering how you can get that really nice sweep and droop that he gets in his hat? I mean at both the front and the rear.

Two things you must have to get what you want. First your hat/felt can't be that stiff and 2nd and most important the hat must be creased off center or as some call it "the turn."

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

After many trials and tribulations, I was able to shape one of my hats into an accurate Raiders look.

View attachment 51357

I am having trouble with the brim, tho...

Glad to see Raider Nation being represented here.

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

Have you seen this ?

I nearly had to stop watching after hearing the use of enamel paint on the hat. Hurts to see felt being treated that way But is was a decent job of adding character to the hat.

 

[ninman]

I have a question though. Why is it that Harrison Ford can have his hat so that it's almost touching his ear, but the centre dent in my hat touches the top of my head way before it gets that deep? I have to wear it quite high up on my head to avoid that.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Ninman. You are reminding me of myself back in 2001. Watching the movie and fussing with my hat. One thing is you don't need a deep dent to look like a deep dent. Just a dent that's one centemeter deep will look deep from the right angles. So if you push the crown out pulling the hat down to your ears it may have too deep a dent.
Hope that helps
Johnny

 

[ninman]

Ninman. You are reminding me of myself back in 2001. Watching the movie and fussing with my hat. One thing is you don't need a deep dent to look like a deep dent. Just a dent that's one centemeter deep will look deep from the right angles. So if you push the crown out pulling the hat down to your ears it may have too deep a dent.
Hope that helps
Johnny

Ok, but the thing is I put a dent in that's 4.5 inches at the front and 4 inches at the back. I didn't make it especially deep, but it seems to have sunk in on its own. So how would I make it shallower without raising the height of the crown at the front and rear?

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Even if you had one of the screen used hats worn by Ford in 'Raiders', it wouldn't sit on your head as it did on his. We're all different, varying cranium heights, size & placement of ears etc. .........all you can do is get the hat to fit & suit you in the style of, you will never be cool & debonair like Indy so stop worrying about insignificant details, which incidentally, are taking you even further away from the spirit of the Raider's hat.

 

[bendingoak]

Ok, but the thing is I put a dent in that's 4.5 inches at the front and 4 inches at the back. I didn't make it especially deep, but it seems to have sunk in on its own. So how would I make it shallower without raising the height of the crown at the front and rear?

Block shape is the problem.

 

[moontheloon]

@ninman go look at the most recent post on the John Penmans Instagram ... it is exactly what you are looking for ... 100%

 

[emigran]

Also... Ford probably had to wear more than twenty hats during the filming of many many scenes... each tailored to the look needed in the scene... it's "Make -up"...

PS Save up for a Penman ... he makes a really nice one.... I've seen it

 

[Gromulus]

PS Save up for a Penman ... he makes a really nice one.... I've seen it

I have four Fed IV hats and while they get a lot of wear, I am not trying to be Indiana Jones.

While I fail to understand some people's need to exactly replicate a film character's hat, if that was my intent I would also just spring for a Penman.

P.S. Besides his Indy hats, John can make any fedora you want!

 

[ninman]

Even if you had one of the screen used hats worn by Ford in 'Raiders', it wouldn't sit on your head as it did on his. We're all different, varying cranium heights, size & placement of ears etc. .........all you can do is get the hat to fit & suit you in the style of, you will never be cool & debonair like Indy so stop worrying about insignificant details, which incidentally, are taking you even further away from the spirit of the Raider's hat.

Yeah, I hear what you're saying, I'm just not sure how one is supposed to wear a fedora. I find it most comfortable with the brim a little above the ears and the crown almost touching my head, but not quite. I'm just wondering if it should be that deep, or should it sit with a bit more space between the bottom of the dent in the crown and the top of my head?