Re: Go easy on the tear drop crown!

Posted by Amejo Joe from mlknfrw1.milliken.com on December 01, 1999 at 13:16:33:

In Reply to: Re: Go easy on the tear drop crown! posted by Dakota Ellison on November 30, 1999 at 21:49:59:

: : : : : I don't know what compells you people to obsess about the tear-drop crown. Granted, the "Raiders" one is cool, but I frankly don't get why a fedora without that is somehow inauthentic. You must also think that the young indy hat isn't because GUESS WHAT? It's a tear drop. Thanks for the advice on the new hat, but I would like to hear from someone who has actually seen this new licenced fur felt hat. It might be quite nice, so please don't dismiss it out of hand.

: : : : Just a quick question...what's with the "you people" statement? Don't you consider yourself one of us? This forum is a level playing field, or at least that has been my understanding to date. The tear drop discussion is describing a fedora that has that characteristic pre-formed and blocked into the hat. None of the Indy fedoras have had that feature, including the young Indy version, as all have had the correct fedora fore to aft bash, so regardless of what it looks like, if it does indeed have this feature listed as being on the hat, it is then incorrect in a purist light. In my opinion, though, what ever any individual chooses to buy and wear as their personal Indy fedora, no matter who makes it or what it looks like, is totally correct in their choice as it represents THAT individuals response to this hobby, and so is just as correct as anybody's Herbert Johnson you want to stack up against it. That being said, go easy on the forum, we're all on the same side. We can just have different opinions. Regards. Michaelson

: : : My sentiments exactly. Wear what you like and enjoy it how you will, but go easy on the purists. That's one of the things I really enjoy on this forum - those of us who do obsess about authenticity (selectively at times, I'll admit) interact and share space with others who enjoy other areas of the "Indy" hobby. We cover a broad spectrum of interest and have an opportunity to share and interact. What more could you ask for?

: : : Cheers!

: : : Patterson

: :
: : Hi. I guess I'm one of those people who is obsessed with not having the tear drop bash . Nothing wrong with the tear drop as long as you don't care if it looks like Indy's fedora. I personally want my fedora to look as close to his as possible. I have noticed that on a lot of old movies, the tear drop crown is prevalent, in one form or another. I really pay atention to fedoras on these movies, and there seems to be something distinctive about Indy's. His just has a "cooler" look. The only thing I would have against the hat you have mentioned is I will bet you that at most it sports a 5 inch open crown height. Why, because that seems to be the max crown height that factories produce in this country in the dress hat. To get a proper crown height, you have to buy from overseas, or pay 350.00 like I did and have one custom made. But if you want a squatty crowned hat with the tear drop crown, thats your perogative. I have owned many of them, in my search for a good replica. Regards, Steve

:
: I too, am interested in the Indiana Jones fedora and having
: one as close in looks as I can get to the original. Before I
: came accross Indy Gear and the other relatively new sites I was
: doing the best I could, my best being a mink xxx fur felt Resistol
: cowboy hat which I reshaped from teardrop to Indy-dent bash and
: pinched front. I robbed the ribbon from one of my old wool felt
: TOD hats and cut and sanded the brim myself. Cowboy hats are not
: snap brim but I never thought the hat in "Raiders" was either. If
: the Poet that it evolved from was a snap brim, then Harrison or
: the prop guy steamed it out. As to the "dent", though basicly a
: simple front to rear, I'd guess that in a few shots Steven or
: someone decided the crown wasn't square enough from the front, so
: they put a finger on each side of the dent and pulled sideways,
: creating a somewhat diamond shape. There's definately some real
: creative hat "bashing" at work here.
: Since finding these sites and the wealth of information here, I
: have obtained a Stetson "Temple" from the shop in St. Joseph by
: mail. I removed the ribbon which was too wide and replaced it
: with a gross grain from a fabric store. I bought enough so I could
: experiment. It was white so I mixed black and brown Qiwi shoe dye
: {with the sponge applicator} until I got the right shade of dark
: brown. I steamed and shaped the hat until I got a pretty good
: replica of the TOD hat. The top dent I left alone. You really have
: to work at dropping the brim on these hats and still have a very
: slight turn up in the rear. If I knew how to post photos, I'd
: show you the result, which I wear every day. I suppose some day
: I'll get a Herbert Johnson, but for now I'm pleased.
: Oh, one more thing about the Young Indy series. When it was a
: TV series, it would start with a bunch of quick shots that
: finally disolved to about a second of Indy's hat laying on his
: whip. I have this on tape so I paused it and took a picture. I
: just activated this free AOL web page and had to shrink the picture
: down below 30k, but it's the only way I could think to try to
: post it. It might not work but I'll try anyway.

: Sorry if I've blathered on too long.

: Ellison

I bought a few hats looking for an Indy fedora, and one, form Shushan's was a fur felt fedora with a teardrop crown. It is a good hat. And well made. But the teardrop shape uses a lot of material and makes to back of the hat too low. When I tip it back on my head, the top of my head touches the top of the hat. I have another hat, not an Indy, made by the same company, and called a "Nairobi". It is a safari-type hat, fur felt, a small leather hat band, and vents. It probably started out as the same hat. It has a creased crown. It does not touch my head at all, looks better, and, frankly, feels better. I wish I liked my Indy hat that well. Forget authenticity, the creased hat just is a better hat. Now I want to find an Indy hat which is "right" out of the box, so I don't have to try and fix it.

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: : : : : : I don't know what compells you people to obsess about the tear-drop crown.  Granted, the "Raiders" one is cool, but I frankly don't get why a fedora without that is somehow inauthentic.  You must also think that the young indy hat isn't because GUESS WHAT? It's a tear drop.  Thanks for the advice on the new hat, but I would like to hear from someone who has actually seen this new licenced fur felt hat.  It might be quite nice, so please don't dismiss it out of hand.

: : : : : Just a quick question...what's with the "you people" statement? Don't you consider yourself one of us? This forum is a level playing field, or at least that has been my understanding to date. The tear drop discussion is describing a fedora that has that characteristic pre-formed and blocked into the hat. None of the Indy fedoras have had that feature, including the young Indy version, as all have had the correct fedora fore to aft bash, so regardless of what it looks like, if it does indeed have this feature listed as being on the hat, it is then incorrect in a purist light. In my opinion, though, what ever any individual chooses to buy and wear as their personal Indy fedora, no matter who makes it or what it looks like, is totally correct in their choice as it represents THAT individuals response to this hobby, and so is just as correct as anybody's Herbert Johnson you want to stack up against it. That being said, go easy on the forum, we're all on the same side. We can just have different opinions. Regards. Michaelson

: : : : My sentiments exactly. Wear what you like and enjoy it how you will, but go easy on the purists.  That's one of the things I really enjoy on this forum - those of us who do obsess about authenticity (selectively at times, I'll admit) interact and share space with others who enjoy other areas of the "Indy" hobby. We cover a broad spectrum of interest and have an opportunity to share and interact.  What more could you ask for?

: : : : Cheers!

: : : : Patterson

: 
: : : 
: : :      Hi. I guess I'm one of those people who is obsessed with not having the tear drop bash . Nothing wrong with the tear drop as long as you don't care if it looks like Indy's fedora. I personally want my fedora to look as close to his as possible. I have noticed that on a lot of old movies, the tear drop crown is prevalent, in one form or another. I really pay atention to fedoras on these movies, and there seems to be something distinctive about Indy's. His just has a "cooler" look. The only thing I would have against the hat you have mentioned is I will bet you that at most it sports a 5 inch open crown height. Why, because that seems to be the max crown height that factories produce in this country in the dress hat. To get a proper crown height, you have to buy from overseas, or pay 350.00 like I did and have one custom made. But if you want a squatty crowned hat with the tear drop crown, thats your perogative. I have owned many of them, in my search for a good replica.     Regards, Steve

: : 
: :    I too, am interested in the Indiana Jones fedora and having
: : one as close in looks as I can get to the original. Before I
: : came accross Indy Gear and the other relatively new sites I was
: : doing the best I could, my best being a mink xxx fur felt Resistol
: : cowboy hat which I reshaped from teardrop to Indy-dent bash and
: : pinched front. I robbed the ribbon from one of my old wool felt
: : TOD hats and cut and sanded the brim myself. Cowboy hats are not
: : snap brim but I never thought the hat in "Raiders" was either. If
: : the Poet that it evolved from was a snap brim, then Harrison or
: : the prop guy steamed it out. As to the "dent", though basicly a
: : simple front to rear, I'd guess that in a few shots Steven or
: : someone decided the crown wasn't square enough from the front, so
: : they put a finger on each side of the dent and pulled sideways,
: : creating a somewhat diamond shape. There's definately some real
: : creative hat "bashing" at work here.
: :   Since finding these sites and the wealth of information here, I
: : have obtained a Stetson "Temple" from the shop in St. Joseph by
: : mail. I removed the ribbon which was too wide and replaced it
: : with a gross grain from a fabric store. I bought enough so I could
: : experiment. It was white so I mixed black and brown Qiwi shoe dye
: : {with the sponge applicator} until I got the right shade of dark
: : brown. I steamed and shaped the hat until I got a pretty good
: : replica of the TOD hat. The top dent I left alone. You really have
: : to work at dropping the brim on these hats and still have a very
: : slight turn up in the rear. If I knew how to post photos, I'd
: : show you the result, which I wear every day. I suppose some day
: : I'll get a Herbert Johnson, but for now I'm pleased. 
: :    Oh, one more thing about the Young Indy series. When it was a
: : TV series, it would start with a bunch of quick shots that
: : finally disolved to about a second of Indy's hat laying on his
: : whip. I have this on tape so I paused it and took a picture. I
: : just activated this free AOL web page and had to shrink the picture
: : down below 30k, but it's the only way I could think to try to
: : post it. It might not work but I'll try anyway.

: :  Sorry if I've blathered on too long.

: : Ellison

: 
: I bought a few hats looking for an Indy fedora, and one, form Shushan's was a fur felt fedora with a teardrop crown.  It is a good hat.  And well made.  But the teardrop shape uses a lot of material and makes to back of the hat too low.  When I tip it back on my head, the top of my head touches the top of the hat.  I have another hat, not an Indy, made by the same company, and called a "Nairobi".   It is a safari-type hat, fur felt, a small leather hat band, and vents.  It probably started  out as the same hat.  It has a creased crown.  It does not touch my head at all, looks better, and, frankly, feels better.  I wish I liked my Indy hat that well. Forget authenticity, the creased hat just is a better hat.  Now I want to find an Indy hat which is "right" out of the box, so I don't have to try and fix it.

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