GOT MY PB TODAY! Here's a BIG hat review...

[ Reply ] [ The Indyfan Forum ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Indy Sean from 66.108.17.93 on May 24, 2001 at 23:12:47:

Here's a little background first:

Well, I have now owned 6 fedoras, 5 of them Indy hats.

The first Indy hat was a crappy disney one. When I first got it, I
thought it looked cool. Then I started doing some research on
the Internet to see if there was an actual Indy hat. I looked on
ebay, and did some searches, till I found Indygear.com.

There I found out about many alternatives. I never thought the PB
was any good because the picture on Indygear shows a very
visible taper. Besides, I wanted the original, so I got a Herbert
Johnson. Right out of the box, I was disappointed with my HJ. It
also had a highly visible taper to it and the brim just wan't shped
cortrectly at all. I thought about sending it back for a few days.
After A LOT of reshaping, I was able to get rid of most of the taper
(I pushed the side dents in more) and also fix the brim. The brim
took a little longer to fix.

My next hat was a Stetson Nostalgia. I wanted a cheaper hat to
wear every day, and save the HJ for "special" occasions (Lord
knows it's expensive). I had liked the way the Nostalgia looked
on Indygear. It looked like a real Raiders hat and I was intrigued
by the low price, but unfortunately, it was out of production.
Luckily, by this time I had found the forum here and met
someone who was willing to sell me his Nostalgia. I liked this
hat when I received, and still do. It's definitely the best of my
opinion of all the stetson Indy hats (I've seen the others). I would
recommend picking one up, if anyone can still find one. The
price is right for an everyday, get dragged behind a truck hat.

Next? I had heard about the Fed, and when it came out, I bought
it on principle. The reviews were fantastic, Akubra is a respected
manufacturer and the price was irresistible. It was mostly the
price. I absolutely loved my Fed. I believe it is the best hat you
can buy for that price. PERIOD. It's open crown and wider brim
allow the fan to customize EXACTLY to their liking. I plan on
buying more when I get the money, in gray and maybe another
brown. I also have to say that dealing with Ron at Hats Direct
was a pleasure.

Now, at this point, all this talk about PBs was just getting to me.
Everyone here at the forum swore up and down that the PB was
the ultimate Raiders hat. I didn't understand because the one on
Indygear didn't look all that. At first, I just blew it off. But I kept
reading about more and more satisfied PB owners. People
started posting pics, and I said to myself, "Wow, these hats
actually look pretty nice!" Some had no taper at all! Finally, when
Dakota Ellison posted pics of his PB, I threw in the towel. It was
a gorgeous, spot-on Indy Raiders replica. I told myself that when
i got enough dough, I hat to get me a PB!

If you've read this far, you want to know my reaction to the PB,
right? Well, I spec'd out everything for Joe Jr., since this is a
custom hat, then I called him up and I must say he is very friendly
and nice to talk to. He didn't make me feel intimidated at all, and
was very helpful. He even emailed me to ask specifically how tall
I wanted the unbashed height of the crown, which I had not been
specific enough.

I received the box today, and upon opening it, the first thing I
noticed was the color. I ordered mink brown, and it is definitely
lighter than my other hats, except for the Nostalgia. It has more
red in it and reminds me of the color of powdered cocoa. When I
took it out, I noticed the stiffness. I happen to like a bit of stiffness
to my hats. I had asked Joe to go light on the stiffener and it was
perfect, not too stiff and not floppy at all. When I put it on, I noticed
immeditely the high crown in relation to my other hats. It'd much
higher than the HJ (I went with the 5 7/8). But the more I look at it,
the more I think it's accurate to Raiders. Overall, it's a beauty. I
supplied Joe with about 10 pics and he did a great job.
Downsides? It's so nice I don't want to wear it out and mess it
up! :P Also, it's stiffness means it doesn't automatically mold to
my head so it leaves a red mark, but I'm sure it will get more
comfortable with time. The only reshaping I will do to this hat is
swoop the front of the brim down a little more. Other than that, it's
great!

SO-only the hat lovers will have read this far, so you deserve a
comparison, right? Right.

They are different hats, so who wins in various categories? Here
goes:

Overall best hat: The PB. It is customized to your liking and out of
the box, nothing really has to be done to get that perfect look. It
seems resilient, and the price is not bad for what you get.

Best bargain: Definitely the Fed. Not only is this a bargain, it is
my second overall favorite hat. I can customize how I want. It
takes work cutting the brim, bashing and replacing the ribbon,
but for the price, it's the best value.

Best overall shape accuracy: Out of the box, the PB. After
reshaping, the Fed and the HJ. The Fed is better overall for the
look, but the HJ has that broken in look that I couldn't achieve
with the Fed.

Best crown height accuracy:
I think it's the PB and the Fed. I used to think the HJ was correct,
but now it seems too short. Who knows??

Best color accuracy: This is a tough one. I've heard that the hats
look lighter on film than in real life. I'm no film expert, so I'll have
to go with what I see on film for the correct color comparison.
The closest color to the hat I see on film is definitely the HJ. The
Akubra is an extremely close second (it's a tad darker than the
HJ). The Akubra has lightened with exposure to the sun, though,
and is becoming a closer color match. The PB is closer in color
to the photo stills from the movie I have seen, which tend
to have a bit more richness in them. The Nostalgia's color looks
like the Cairo hat without the dust. It is a very specific color and
not really Raidersish, but still a nice rich brown that I like.

Best comfort: The Fed. It came a tad bit too large, but within a
week, it fit my head perfectly. No lampshade required. I'm sure
the PB will fit better with time. The HJ and Nostalgia shrank a bit
and are now both tight.

Best ribbon:I have replaced or gotten all my hats upon request
with a black ribbon. I prefer the contrast and while not maybe the
most accurate, it is my personal favorite look. However, as far as
authenticity for a Raiders ribbon, the HJ wins. The Nostalgia is
the worst replica, coming with a ribbon that is way too wide. I
ordered my Fed with a black ribbon, which Ron supplied me in
addition to the stock ribbon. The stock ribbon is close to Raiders
style, but the color varies from the HJ and is not dark enough.
The Disney ribbon is pretty close, but again too light.

I hope you've enjoyed my "hat" review. If you've read all this, you
are a true Indy hat fanatic like me. c);>)

If I left anything out (yeah right!) or anyone has any
questions/comments, please feel free to email me or respond.

This concludes my post.

May God be with you in your quest.

-Indy Sean



Follow Ups:


Post a Followup:

Name:    
E-Mail:  
Subject: 
Comments:

Optional:

Link URL:   
Link Title: 
Image URL:

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