What do you think of the Indiana Jones hats?

[Jerekson]

I'm glad you approve. The Indiana Jones comment has always been an embarassing one for me, so I tried to come up with a way to redirect all that embarassment into my "attacker". Usually when they discover you don't know who Indiana Jones is, they feel that it was a stupid comment and retreat back to the "nice hat"s.

 

[Jovan]

Of course. The best way to defuse a ridiculous comment or insult is to feign ignorance of what they're saying. The look of confusion on their face is worth the price of admission.

 

[Jerekson]

Most definitely.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm considered strange; I lie in bed at night thinking of new ways to counter remarks made about my hats.

 

[NonEntity]

Official Indy Hats

OK, first to answer your question, Donato:

There are actually two official Indiana Jones hats in the same basic style Harrison Ford wore in the films.

One is wool felt, $65, and the other, the Dressed Up Indy, is fur felt, $125.00. I've seen these hats a lot of places, and those two prices have been consistently the same. Both have leather sweatbands, full satin linings, grosgrain ribbons, and the obligatory IJ trademark pin. Both hats are overpriced for what they are, the wool felt one being the lesser rip-off. To my eyes, which have seen all the IJ movies many times, these official hats don't look exactly like the ones HF wore in the films. Perhaps they are replicas of the hat he'll wear in the new film coming out this spring. They sure got out early this time with co-branded products, eh?

The Akubra Explorer is it's newest fedora, and is the same shape, style, and mid-brown color as the one HF wore in the old IJ films. What a coincidence! It has an 5 1/2-inch open crown, 1 3/8-inch grosgrain ribbon, and dimensional brim (2 7/8 front and back, 2 5/8 on the sides). It's made with their Imperial Quality fur felt, the usual reeded roan leather sweatband, in typical high Akubra quality that will take abuse and still last a long time.

At $104 plus $7 shipping from David Morgan, it's probably the best Indy knock-off on the market, and a far better hat while less expensive than the "real" thing. DM provides good instructions on how to put in the Indy bash, too.

Now, on to contribute to thread drift:

When people "accuse" me of wearing an Indiana Jones hat any time I have any sort of fedora on, I know they know nothing about hats and are not even observant. I'd be less irritated if someone told me they dug the sound of the 351 Cleveland in my Corvette. At least the engine's hidden under the hood.

When people do such things, they are attempting to spuriously connect and inflate their image in your eyes, thereby enhancing their self-esteem. In their mind, it's something along the lines of "see how I know all about what you're interested in and doesn't that make me cool? Now validate my existence by telliing me so."

The play-dumb act you guys use works because it sucks hollow the space momentarily filled by their plastic self confidence. My response does the same thing, only fills that hollow space with crap, steaming heaps if it, until they smother. It goes something like this:

Idiot: Oh, you've your Indiana Jones hat on today. Yep, I know that's an Indiana Jones hat all right. I bet you didn't know that I knew that was an Indiana Jones hat.

Me: You like Harrison Ford, don't you? Yep, I figured you liked that Harrison Ford. I bet you didn't know that I knew you liked Harrison Ford. Did you know that we're related?

Idiot: Really?!

Me: Yeah. My mothers maiden name is Harrison, and her great uncle's fourth wife had a second cousin twice removed and once replaced who bore a ba***rd boy by her first cousin once removed twice replaced, and the second time he was replaced, it came back none other than Harrison Ford, you follow?

Idiot: Yes, oh yes.

Me: Well, since we were so close and all, I gave Harry--that's what insiders call him--a call, and he invited me out to Hollwood when they were shooting Temple of Doom. I liked his hat so much that he gave it to me, and here it is on my head, but I can't let you touch it because it's so precious. See this leather jacket? Harry gave me that, too, the very one he wore in the movies!

Idiot: My, oh my, that was quite an adventure, but...

Me: And he gave me his bull whip, also. Can you Imagine my wife's reaction when I give it a loud crack?

Idiot: Pretty frightened, I'd guess, but back to the...

Me: Oh no, she smiles wide, because she LOVES a good whippin'!!!

And so forth and so on until the idiot finally realizes I'm much better than she is at spewing bull and runs, not walks, away.

 

[Jovan]

lol :eusa_clap

 

[Edward]

Most definitely.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm considered strange; I lie in bed at night thinking of new ways to counter remarks made about my hats.

My all-purpose response to anything anyone says is usually along the lines of "the last person who took the p*** was wearing it."

As to the official hats, I'd like to see them again. I remember a few years ago when I didn't know the half of hat I know now about hats (thanks to the few short months I've spent in these parts) I saw a bunch of Indys at Disneyland Paris. Back then I was interested in wearing a fedora again, but hadn't quite bought any, and the USD60 equivalent that the wool ones were going for seemed a lot of money. Nowadays I'd consider that reasonable for a good wool hat, though I definitely now have a preference for fur. Screen accuracy was iffy at best (I'm sure I remember them having a C crown), but in and of themselves they weren't bad hats at all for what they were. By the same token, though I've not handled one of the furs, they look to be nice hats in and of themselves, though being unconcerned with "official" status, I think there are better deals to be had elsewhere. Primarily, I'd look to the Akubra Federation from Hats Direct (or equivalent from other dealers - the Adventurer?), which is what I have recently purchased, or for those able and ready to spend the necessary, a custom from the guys who produced the hats for the films. All in all, the official hats aren't bad hats IMO, but there are better value and more accurate looking Indiana Jones hats elsewhere.

 

[The Wingnut]

Wingnut, about your dillema with the leather jacket and hat; this one always works for me.

Get on your most confused face and tone: "What's an Indiana Jones?"

Trust me.

See my new sig line.

I've contemplated this response in the past. Now I'm definitely going to use it. Might not be nearly as effective or believable within the U.S., but maybe that'll drive the point home even further.

NonEntity, well played. I suppose if I had a particularly bad yahoo I could pile it on.

 

[Rick Blaine]

What the hell is an 'Indiana Jones'?

That's what happens to a homesick Hoosier.... >ducks, runs<

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Most definitely.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm considered strange; I lie in bed at night thinking of new ways to counter remarks made about my hats.

With the new IJ flick on the horizon, you can bet on a whole new generation of IJ comments and critiques of our beloved headwear. My usual response to such things is simply, "Was? Was bedeutet das? Ich verstehe die Frage nicht." Now that gets a strange look and probably answers the question - "Oh! A FOREIGNER!"

I still wear my original IJ from the early 70's - the liner fell out years ago so I really don't know if it's a Stetson or a DP. I have attached my favorite pic for your edification!

-Zarautz, Espana' 1983

-dixon cannon

 

[skyvue]

I prefer to look as if I'm not trying to be Indy...

Amen, brother! The fascination with Indiana Jones is mind-boggling and more than a little maddening to me. In fact, I refuse to wear my fedora with my leather jacket to avoid looking anything like him. Not that it matters, though -- the maintenance guy at my office saw me the other day sporting a grey woolen car coat and dark grey fedora with a center crease and said, "Hey, it's Indiana Jones!"

It's as if those are the only movies people have seen in which a major character sports a fedora, which is just so strange to me. I'm an old movie buff, so I see a dozen (if not two or even three dozen) movies a month that feature characters sporting fedoras. Indiana Jones is the last character who would come to mind for me if you were to offer the word "fedora" in a word assocation game.

The IJ movies were fine, as far as that goes. I saw them when they came out and enjoyed them well enough, but the ongoing fascination with them baffles me (see also: Star Wars).

These movies benefited greatly from the rise of cable television and video tapes. When I was a kid -- and I'm not that damned old, I don't think, at 49 -- we got to see a favorite movie once or twice, and that was it. Maybe one more time when it finally made it to TV.

But those who were kids in the late 1970s and after were able to see their favorite movies dozens of times, and as a result (and I hate to say it, but it's how I feel) to their detriment, they now are convinced that these movies are greater than they are.

I never thought any generation would match the Baby Boomers (a generation of which I am at the tail end of) for the overrating of its popular culture, but the ensuing generations have proved up to the task.

Indy Jones in a fedora is fine, I suppose, but he's no Rick Blaine, Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, Nick Charles, Cody Jarrett, Jeff Bailey or ... well, I could go on and on.

 

[NonEntity]

Kaleponi Craig,

That Adventurebilt is, indeed, the most authentic-looking Indy I've ever seen. At $350 according to Donata, I hope it's quality is impeccable. Looks great on you in the avatar. The Indy style fedora, with the dimensional brim and tall, straight-sided crown, just looks dorky on me, but at least I realize that.

 

[Donato]

Kaleponi Craig,

That Adventurebilt is, indeed, the most authentic-looking Indy I've ever seen. At $350 according to Donata, I hope it's quality is impeccable. Looks great on you in the avatar. The Indy style fedora, with the dimensional brim and tall, straight-sided crown, just looks dorky on me, but at least I realize that.

Yes, NonEntity, I am with you on the crown size. I look like a pure dork in a crown that is anything over 5 inches. That's why the Federation and Bushman are out. What about the IJ fedoras made by Lee Keppler Fedora at Adventure Gear? Does anyone have one of those? They sell for a reasonable $140 but I don't know the dimensions. I may just settle for a brown tear drop fedora and be done with it.

 

[The Wingnut]

The IJ movies were fine, as far as that goes. I saw them when they came out and enjoyed them well enough, but the ongoing fascination with them baffles me (see also: Star Wars).

These movies benefited greatly from the rise of cable television and video tapes. When I was a kid -- and I'm not that damned old, I don't think, at 49 -- we got to see a favorite movie once or twice, and that was it. Maybe one more time when it finally made it to TV.

I never thought any generation would match the Baby Boomers (a generation of which I am at the tail end of) for the overrating of its popular culture, but the ensuing generations have proved up to the task.

Very interesting point. Just how well-remembered would the Jones trilogy be without videotape, or many, many other movies for that matter? From another angle, suppose someone had invented in the early 1930s an inexpensive 35mm movie playback projector for the home that gave the same quality as a theater; how would that have impacted popular culture, and what movies would have rocketed to the cult popularity that so many from the late '70s to the present now enjoy?

The 'Hey, look, it's Indy' phenomenon is an interesting cultural study. Media recording / playback devices have given us the ability to watch something over and over again that we would probably only see once or twice and eventually forget forever, otherwise.

...someday somebody's going to say 'Hey, look, it's Tokyo Joe!' and I'll be tickled pink.

 

[Samsa]

Indy Jones in a fedora is fine, I suppose, but he's no Rick Blaine, Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, Nick Charles, Cody Jarrett, Jeff Bailey or ...

Who?

 

[Mulceber]

They sell for a reasonable $140 but I don't know the dimensions. I may just settle for a brown tear drop fedora and be done with it.

Like the AB, Federation and all the other screen-accurate lids, the Lee Kepler fedora is 5.5" tall. -Mulceber

 

[Jerekson]

See my new sig line.

I've contemplated this response in the past. Now I'm definitely going to use it. Might not be nearly as effective or believable within the U.S., but maybe that'll drive the point home even further.

NonEntity, well played. I suppose if I had a particularly bad yahoo I could pile it on.

Oh, very nice, Wingnut. I'm quite happy to see that

Everything that has been said is true, really. The fascination with the character in particular is expected, because well, he's a really kick-a$$ guy, but why in blue blazes the fedora had to be sucked into the wormhole is beyond me.
It's a period costume. Of course he has a hat. 3/4 of the characters in the movie are also wearing hats. Why is the fedora singled out so? It's just a period piece. If you ask me, the bullwhip should be the icon here. That was definitely unique for 1936. Yet, modern bullwhips can be easily overlooked by the comment-flingers.
You'd swear that fedoras didn't exist before 1982 [huh]

 

[Donato]

Like the AB, Federation and all the other screen-accurate lids, the Lee Kepler fedora is 5.5" tall. -Mulceber

Thanks for the info Mulceber. Is the Keppler fedora a quality hat? I mean, I know it's not AB or Federation, but how does it compare to these in terms of quality? Is there a way to bash the crown to reduce its height to let's say, 5 inches?

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Thanks for the info Mulceber. Is the Keppler fedora a quality hat? I mean, I know it's not AB or Federation, but how does it compare to these in terms of quality? Is there a way to bash the crown to reduce its height to let's say, 5 inches?

About the AB; if you ask for a lower crown or different brim measurements, you will get it. So if you like the style and want the great quality of an AB, but you know you need diffferent measurements, the hat is made-to-order.

As for the Federation, it is not a good hat if a high crown is bad for you.
I once owned a Keppler, but it was second hand. Not a bad hat, but very stiffy. Supposedly, they get softer if you crumple them up. Anyway, I don't know if you can get a Keppler with a shorter crown, but it won't hurt to ask. It's a nice hat, and at $140 it's not bad. It's nothing compared to an AB, but holds up well compared to an Akubra.
There's also Peter Brothers, who will modify the dimensions as per your request. There are so many ways to get Indy hats and sort-of-Indy hats. All of the hats you've mentioned are good hats, but ultimately, you get what you pay for (or overpay for in the case of a Dorfman).

As far as liking the Indy hat style, which more than a few here hate... I happen to like it, but it has nothing to with wanting to be Indiana Jones. I just like the hat. I wear the hat. And I accept that not everyone will like it, just as I don't like certain other hats. Anyone who thinks a hat is going to make them an adventurer has deeper issues than hat taste.

 

[Kaleponi Craig]

Kaleponi Craig,

That Adventurebilt is, indeed, the most authentic-looking Indy I've ever seen. At $350 according to Donata, I hope it's quality is impeccable. Looks great on you in the avatar. The Indy style fedora, with the dimensional brim and tall, straight-sided crown, just looks dorky on me, but at least I realize that.

Thanks. I wear this hat all the time. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have never, EVER, been called Indiana Jones. Amazing, huh? I rarely get any comments, except "Cool lid!" or the likes.

I don't know, a lot of the time it's just how you bloody wear the thing. I've worn fedoras for quite awhile and I just wear it like any other piece of clothing. I think some people freak out about wearing a fedora and how people will react. If you just look like it belongs on your head, very few people are going to say anything negative about it.

By the way, I bought the Adventurebilt for around $250. I'm a member of Club Obi Wan and Steve gives good prices for members. If you price hand made pure beaver hats on the market, you are usually looking at $600 to $700 with a year's wait to get it made.

I have three Indy fedoras, the AB, a Akurba Fed and a Lee Keppler. By far, the AB is the best, not even a contest. It's lighter, but more durable because of the beaver fur felt. The Akurba is next. A great lid, just maybe a little heavier. The Lee Keppler is a beautiful hat, but in the first substantial rainstorm it was in it tapered terribly, which is what any true Indy fan never,ever wants. For a lid in the $100 range, I'd go with the Akurba.

Although I've been an Indiana Jones fan since the movie first came out, it wasn't just the character that got me to wear fedoras. I've also been watching Bogart movies since I was a teenager and just loved the styles of that era.

I'm a fairly big guy with a huge head, so I guess the high crown and wide brim doesn't look quite as dorky. But remember, it's how you FEEL you look in it and how you carry yourself while wearing it...KC

 

[Kaleponi Craig]

Indy Jones in a fedora is fine, I suppose, but he's no Rick Blaine, Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, Nick Charles, Cody Jarrett, Jeff Bailey or ... well, I could go on and on.

I love all those guys you mention (well, I can't say really all, because I'm not sure who a couple of them are). But Indy is pretty cool, too. We're talking fictional characters here, and as a fictional character, I think Indy is up there with most of them.

But I will say this. Bogart was the king of them all...KC