Fedora
Vendor
- Messages
- 828
- Location
- Mississippi
I read a bit on the Dillinger thread, but could not respond to this, due to it being locked down. I just need to clarify my side.
For everyone's information, the block I used for the Indy 4 fedora was a very old block, with "fedora" imprinted on the bottom of the block. I did not make it myself. That was for the brown hats. So, if it was wonky, it was wonky back when they used it. lol And, it was a regular oval block. I don't own any round ovals.
The gray hat used another old vintage block, the number which I will keep to myself, for obvious reasons.
Now, I cannot speak for John, I make only Indy fedoras, and in doing so, I try to replicate the first 3 film hats. Warts and all. That's my niche. The last hat was my own, or rather, Bernie's pick of what I sent. He picked the old vintage blockshape over our handmade Raiders blocks. He picked the block with "fedora" imprinted on the bottom. And, from what I know, this is a very rare block, as I have found only one hatter who had this exact same block in his stable. ( I was looking to buy a full set after Indy 4, could not find it, and had a set replicated at Lamodes Blocks.)
Regarding the ribbon work, again, I replicate the Raiders bow work, as this is what my customers want. Warts and all. But back when I used to make other hats, I used the hidden stitches that don't show, instead of the ones that do show, i.e. the Indy fedoras.
On the pounce, while I do pounce finer than the film hats were, prior, again, I am replicating, but do offer finer pounced hats, if requested. I just don't get any requests. lol But on my own hats, I pounce those finer than anything from the other hatter mentioned. I know, since I once bought 3 of his hats.
Personally I don't think comparing Graham to me is fair. I am not in his market. I am an Indy hatter only. And, my gig is to give my customers what THEY want. Sometimes this falls outside the realm of a fine hatter. But, everything I do is intentional, and for a purpose.
I know that I can make hats on the level of that other hatter from the Midwest. I have done so in the past. That just isn't my niche market. As I said, I replicate old HJs, and then made my own contribution to the Indy series. Personally, I would not have chosen the block Bernie liked, but he made the calls. I did like the gray hat block that I used though. If it would have been left up to me, I would have used that gray hat block, for the brown, just shortened the hat up, as that gray hat was 5 3/4 open crowned. The brown hat was 5 1/2, but one 5 1/4 with a bit larger brim accidently got into the film. Thanks to Western Costume who aged the hats prior to sending them to the set. They accidently grabbed a sample, as I sent different blocks, different brim widths and crown heights in as samples.
Later on, after the film was in the can, Bernie expressed to me, that when he recieved my hat, the first one, he had been in a panic, on finding a hat suitable for Steven. My hat put him at ease. He finally found a hatter who knew basically what an Indy hat should look like. Afterall, he had many samples in from other hatters, and all came up short. So, my specialization in Indy fedoras paid off, in a really big way.
So, those big hatters with nice shops, containing high production factory equipement, could not "out do" a guy who handmakes his hats in a 30 foot gutted out camper. And that supercedes ANYTHING said about me, and my hats. If my hats were good enough for Steven to pick them, my quest was realized. At the end of the day, that trumps everything. And, insures me making the Indy 5 hats, IF, that does happen.
And again, and I cannot say this enough. I make replications of a film(s) hats, but use better materials. I am not in the general hat market. How many hatters dust up their new hats with Fuller's Earth??? lol How many move up the stitch points that hold down the ribbon, to match the bespoke Raiders hat? Not something I would do on a regular hat, that is for sure. At least on the CS fedora, I placed them low, at the very bottom of the ribbon. But, that was the only Indy hat that did so.
I come to this site when I have time, just to partiscipate, and NOT to sell hats. I don't want your business. I don't need any additional business, and do not seek it here. I am just a member, and that is how it will remain. As I said in another thread, any inquiries I get on non Indy hats, I recommend my friend Art Fawcett. I don't have the time to make non Indy fedoras. Plus, I have this hat down pat. Making non Indy fedoras would take me 3 times as long to do so. Because I don't have that high production equipment, used by the big boys. Everything I do is manual. By hand. And, I would have it no other way! I don't have girls to do the ribbon work, I do it all myself. In fact, no one touches my hats but me. Good or bad, that's just the way it is.
If the point ever comes where I have to invest in hatmaking machines, I will stop making hats. To me, those machines belong in a high volume factory, not some small shop. But mass production never was my thing anyways. You do get a real consistent product, good or bad, but it's consistent, with little leeway for personal quirks that identifies your hats. Most who own my hats, could pick it out from a pile of other brands, without looking inside. In fact, most who know my hats, could pick it out just by looking at the bow. I happen to like that. lol
If I am to be compared with other hatters, at least let's compare apples to apples. Compare me with H.J. and the hats they provided for the first 3 films. Compare my workmanship to theirs. I know I will win this comparison every time. If you don't believe it, buy an HJ, and then put my hat next to it.
I hope this post does not sound harse, as that is not my intention. I just wanted to set the record straight, and from the horses mouth. I have to admit the 'wonky" comment actually made me laugh. Here was a hat made from a real deal really old fedora block, that was used at one time for fedoras, and it was deemed wonky. And I can't take any credit for it. It was made for some old hat making company, who used it for one of their fedora styled hats. A genuine real deal vintage block, created for a fedora. Perhaps the name of that hat back then, was Wonky. lol But from the look of this block, I do think it was made for the Homburg type top crease, instead of the teardrop or C dent. It is a really straight block on the sides, but does have front and back taper. The mistake made for this hat in the last Indy film, was Benrie wanted the creases to be put in too high. Both the front and back creased height, should have been lower. It completely changes the look of the hat, if you did so. And, pulls in the sides a bit, the way it was designed to be creased. Just this one tweak would have changed the look, for the better, IMO. But a hatter does what he is told to do, when working with costume designers. And I did. Fedora
For everyone's information, the block I used for the Indy 4 fedora was a very old block, with "fedora" imprinted on the bottom of the block. I did not make it myself. That was for the brown hats. So, if it was wonky, it was wonky back when they used it. lol And, it was a regular oval block. I don't own any round ovals.
The gray hat used another old vintage block, the number which I will keep to myself, for obvious reasons.
Now, I cannot speak for John, I make only Indy fedoras, and in doing so, I try to replicate the first 3 film hats. Warts and all. That's my niche. The last hat was my own, or rather, Bernie's pick of what I sent. He picked the old vintage blockshape over our handmade Raiders blocks. He picked the block with "fedora" imprinted on the bottom. And, from what I know, this is a very rare block, as I have found only one hatter who had this exact same block in his stable. ( I was looking to buy a full set after Indy 4, could not find it, and had a set replicated at Lamodes Blocks.)
Regarding the ribbon work, again, I replicate the Raiders bow work, as this is what my customers want. Warts and all. But back when I used to make other hats, I used the hidden stitches that don't show, instead of the ones that do show, i.e. the Indy fedoras.
On the pounce, while I do pounce finer than the film hats were, prior, again, I am replicating, but do offer finer pounced hats, if requested. I just don't get any requests. lol But on my own hats, I pounce those finer than anything from the other hatter mentioned. I know, since I once bought 3 of his hats.
Personally I don't think comparing Graham to me is fair. I am not in his market. I am an Indy hatter only. And, my gig is to give my customers what THEY want. Sometimes this falls outside the realm of a fine hatter. But, everything I do is intentional, and for a purpose.
I know that I can make hats on the level of that other hatter from the Midwest. I have done so in the past. That just isn't my niche market. As I said, I replicate old HJs, and then made my own contribution to the Indy series. Personally, I would not have chosen the block Bernie liked, but he made the calls. I did like the gray hat block that I used though. If it would have been left up to me, I would have used that gray hat block, for the brown, just shortened the hat up, as that gray hat was 5 3/4 open crowned. The brown hat was 5 1/2, but one 5 1/4 with a bit larger brim accidently got into the film. Thanks to Western Costume who aged the hats prior to sending them to the set. They accidently grabbed a sample, as I sent different blocks, different brim widths and crown heights in as samples.
Later on, after the film was in the can, Bernie expressed to me, that when he recieved my hat, the first one, he had been in a panic, on finding a hat suitable for Steven. My hat put him at ease. He finally found a hatter who knew basically what an Indy hat should look like. Afterall, he had many samples in from other hatters, and all came up short. So, my specialization in Indy fedoras paid off, in a really big way.
So, those big hatters with nice shops, containing high production factory equipement, could not "out do" a guy who handmakes his hats in a 30 foot gutted out camper. And that supercedes ANYTHING said about me, and my hats.
If my hats were good enough for Steven to pick them, my quest was realized. At the end of the day, that trumps everything. And, insures me making the Indy 5 hats, IF, that does happen. And again, and I cannot say this enough. I make replications of a film(s) hats, but use better materials. I am not in the general hat market. How many hatters dust up their new hats with Fuller's Earth??? lol How many move up the stitch points that hold down the ribbon, to match the bespoke Raiders hat? Not something I would do on a regular hat, that is for sure. At least on the CS fedora, I placed them low, at the very bottom of the ribbon. But, that was the only Indy hat that did so.
I come to this site when I have time, just to partiscipate, and NOT to sell hats. I don't want your business. I don't need any additional business, and do not seek it here. I am just a member, and that is how it will remain. As I said in another thread, any inquiries I get on non Indy hats, I recommend my friend Art Fawcett. I don't have the time to make non Indy fedoras. Plus, I have this hat down pat. Making non Indy fedoras would take me 3 times as long to do so. Because I don't have that high production equipment, used by the big boys. Everything I do is manual. By hand. And, I would have it no other way! I don't have girls to do the ribbon work, I do it all myself. In fact, no one touches my hats but me. Good or bad, that's just the way it is.
If the point ever comes where I have to invest in hatmaking machines, I will stop making hats. To me, those machines belong in a high volume factory, not some small shop. But mass production never was my thing anyways. You do get a real consistent product, good or bad, but it's consistent, with little leeway for personal quirks that identifies your hats. Most who own my hats, could pick it out from a pile of other brands, without looking inside. In fact, most who know my hats, could pick it out just by looking at the bow. I happen to like that. lol
If I am to be compared with other hatters, at least let's compare apples to apples. Compare me with H.J. and the hats they provided for the first 3 films. Compare my workmanship to theirs. I know I will win this comparison every time. If you don't believe it, buy an HJ, and then put my hat next to it.
I hope this post does not sound harse, as that is not my intention. I just wanted to set the record straight, and from the horses mouth. I have to admit the 'wonky" comment actually made me laugh. Here was a hat made from a real deal really old fedora block, that was used at one time for fedoras, and it was deemed wonky. And I can't take any credit for it. It was made for some old hat making company, who used it for one of their fedora styled hats. A genuine real deal vintage block, created for a fedora. Perhaps the name of that hat back then, was Wonky. lol But from the look of this block, I do think it was made for the Homburg type top crease, instead of the teardrop or C dent. It is a really straight block on the sides, but does have front and back taper. The mistake made for this hat in the last Indy film, was Benrie wanted the creases to be put in too high. Both the front and back creased height, should have been lower. It completely changes the look of the hat, if you did so. And, pulls in the sides a bit, the way it was designed to be creased. Just this one tweak would have changed the look, for the better, IMO. But a hatter does what he is told to do, when working with costume designers. And I did. Fedora
