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

Posted by Fedora from ppp-195.col.cableone.net on May 24, 2001 at 23:49:17:

In Reply to: GOT MY PB TODAY! Here's a BIG hat review... posted by Indy Sean 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.

Welcome to the club of satisfied PB owners. I love this hat too, with the Fed coming in second. I actually like the various shades of brown, as I wear hats all the time, and the change is nice. I plan on getting another PB and Fed as well. I think my next PB will be styled like the one from TOD, the bridge scene. That is my next favorite look after the Raiders look. Then, later on, I am going after the LC look, like the fedora in the motor cycle chase scenes. Got to cover all the bases. Regards, Fedora

: -Indy Sean

Follow Ups:

Re: GOT MY PB TODAY! Here's a BIG hat review... _ You Too Cool Mozzle-Tov! - BTW I have some PB comments & questions for the Hat "mavens" Tony Parker 00:57:02 5/25/2001 (0)

Post a Followup:

Name:    
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Subject: 
Comments:

: : 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 <i>photo stills</i> 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.

:     Welcome to the club of satisfied PB owners. I love this hat too, with the Fed coming in second. I actually like the various shades of brown, as I wear hats all the time, and the change is nice. I plan on getting another PB and Fed as well. I think my next PB will be styled like the one from TOD, the bridge scene. That is my next favorite look after the Raiders look. Then, later on, I am going after the LC look, like the fedora in the motor cycle chase scenes. Got to cover all the bases. Regards, Fedora

: : -Indy Sean

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