Re: This is what an old Hat Maker told me like 10 years ago.

Posted by Michaelson from leo2space140.utsi.edu on January 10, 2001 at 20:17:27:

In Reply to: This is what an old Hat Maker told me like 10 years ago. posted by Matthew Walker on January 10, 2001 at 18:17:56:

: He said the original hat was made by Mr Stetson himself like 80 years ago(I think, either that or he made it in 1880) and was a studio prop in storage in LA for many years. When it was time to make the costume Ford went to the prop storage facilities and looked through all the hats and picked one out. He said then it was replicated by another hat company for the movies. Now whether this guy knew what he was talking about or not I have no idea. He did seem to know alot about the hat saying it had a taller crown than most fedoras. He told me all of this before I really had any knowledge of the Indy costume. He also mentioned that the original Stetson was a collectors item being so old and made by Stetson himself. Well that hat store is now out of business or else I would go back and ask him about it again. Oh well.

: Matt

I've heard a like story years ago, but the one I had heard was it was based on an original "Dobbs" hat, which is what this particular fedora was originally called in the 1920's and 30's, and not a Stetson. As with all stories, though, I could never confirm one way or another the truth of the tale, and like others was forced to just leave it at that. Regards. Michaelson

Follow Ups:

Re: Dobbs, Stetson and Biltmore are a few of the hat companies that are still in business today, but in the 20's and 30's hatmakers were everywhere. This smells like unfounded urban legend.(nm) The Spatsman 08:00:21 1/11/2001 (0)

Post a Followup:

Name:    
E-Mail:  
Subject: 
Comments:

: : He said the original hat was made by Mr Stetson himself like 80 years ago(I think, either that or he made it in 1880) and was a studio prop in storage in LA for many years.  When it was time to make the costume Ford went to the prop storage facilities and looked through all the hats and picked one out. He said then it was replicated by another hat company for the movies.  Now whether this guy knew what he was talking about or not I have no idea.  He did seem to know alot about the hat saying it had a taller crown than most fedoras.  He told me all of this before I really had any knowledge of the Indy costume.  He also mentioned that the original Stetson was a collectors item being so old and made by Stetson himself.  Well that hat store is now out of business or else I would go back and ask him about it again.  Oh well.

: : Matt

: I've heard a like story years ago, but the one I had heard was it was based on an original "Dobbs" hat, which is what this particular fedora was originally called in the 1920's and 30's, and not a Stetson. As with all stories, though, I could never confirm one way or another the truth of the tale, and like others was forced to just leave it at that. Regards. Michaelson

Optional:

Link URL:   
Link Title: 
Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Indyfan Forum ] [ FAQ ]