I'm putting my "dukes" down (grin).

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Posted by Rundquist from adsl-63-201-187-189.dsl.lsan03.pacbell.net on July 19, 2001 at 21:04:13:

In Reply to: Understood... posted by Fedora on July 19, 2001 at 19:41:44:

Hey Fedora, no hard feelings. I have found that it is difficult to support one product without trashing another, even when that is not your intention. Sometimes a products virtues are best exemplified with a comparison to an other. I am also not the most descriptive writer and have found that I need to really choose my words more wisely. Cheers


xxxxx


: : I believe that's what Travis was asking for. Now he has mine, and now he has yours. I'm calling them as I see 'em. I own a PB. I've seen other PB hats. I'm 29 years old. I've been after a Raiders fedora since I was 9. I guess I'm not "qualified" enough to own an opinion, but seeing as I'm one of the few on the forum to own both the PB and the Keppler so far, I figured I'd give it a go. Here is my opinion in a nutshell, restated. The PB is a quality hat, no question. Now here's the tricky part. To me, there is something that is esoterically wrong with it and and on the flip side of the coin, "right" with the Keppler hat. I gave a review of the Federation with trepidation, as I didn't own one. I won't do so again.

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: : : I own or have owned a Miller, a Peter's Brothers, and a Lee Keppler hat. To me the Keppler hat has them all beat for the Raiders look. Of course, I'm not knocking any of the hats. They're all good quality. The Miller is in fact reigning champion (except for maybe a Herbie J) for the Crusade look. The PB is of the utmost quality. But I believe we are talking about the "Indy" raiders look and for that my vote goes to the Keppler. We'll disqualify the Miller right off the bat since you have one and it is never really in the running for a Raiders look. That leaves us with the PB, the Keppler, and the Fed. (which I don't own). The two reasons I choose the Keppler are: a) it looks the most right and b) you don't have to do a dang thing to it to achieve the look. In my opinion the PB has a crown that is just a little too high. I've looked at photos and compared them to the hat and it pains me to say that the crown is a little high. The ribbon that came with mine is also too narrow and not the right color for my taste. Mine is also stiff as cardboard. If you choose to get one, I recommend little to no hat stiffener. I also recommend getting as wide a brim as you can (within reason) to help offset the crown height. That being said, I recently saw one with some of those changes and it looked much better. The crown was still high for my taste, though. Lee Keppler's hat doesn't need any modifications. The color is right and the details are right. The hat is a soft beaver felt. I've heard some people (I don't think any of them actually have the hat) complain about a taper in the back of the crown. The Keppler hat looks much better in the back to me than the PB. It is very hard to explain why. The crown of the PB from a profile just doesn't look right. The ribbon of the Keppler is black. This is a point of debate, but I do know this. It looks more authentic than the shade of brown that came with my PB. I heard Joe is working on a new ribbon from someone on the forum so I'd definitely ask if I were to order one. I don't have a Federation. I hear it's a great hat and most definitely worth the price. I own a western Akubra and it's a great hat, so quality is not an issue. The thing about the Akubra is that you have to heavily modify it to get the look. A dimensionally cut brim is needed. A ribbon change is needed. And the color is a little dark for a raiders look. Of course this is only what I have heard. I may be 100% wrong. I'd start with Lee Keppler if I were you. Just my two cents. Happy Hat Hunting.

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: : : : I'm going on my fourth fedora but I wanted to consult all you guys first. My first one was a Disney fedora, second was the Indiana Miller, current one is a Stetson Temple. I want to make a better choice this time around. What do you think? I want to go for the Raiders look, either the scene where he fights the German mechanic, or the desert chase when he is driving the troop truck. What are some good fedora options for either of these two scenes? I definitely can't afford a Herbert Johnson. A Peter Bros.? A Lee Keppler? An Akruba Federation?

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: I have always stated that my impressions are very subjective, and I wasn't putting you down in anyway. I guess I just want more input on this matter from folks that own, or have seen both hats. If I get several positive reviews, I will probably get one myself. Heck, I do love fedoras, and wear them all of the time. Regards, Fedora




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