I think they used a particular blocked HJ that isn't available anymore

Posted by Fedora from 24.116.26.211 on January 10, 2001 at 17:13:57:

In Reply to: Re: The origins of "the look"? posted by Daniel on January 10, 2001 at 16:20:45:

: Interesing that someone brought that up... I have been looking for a hat that is exactly like the one in Raiders, but I haven't found one either. The ones made by Herbert Johnson and other companies are really close, but not EXACTLY the same. Personally, I think that they probably found an original hat from that time period and used it. That's why nobody can find a company making hats that are exactly the same. I started thinking this because I have an original fedora from the 1940's. The shape of it is exactly like the one in Raiders! The only thing is that the color is a little bit too dark. I got it from a good friend of mine who said that it had belonged to his dad. It didn't fit him and he knew I really liked it, so he gave it to me a while back. And when I compare it to the hats available today, mine is of a much higher quality. It's soft and thick, yet it retains it's shape and it repells water very well because it's made of dense felt. The ones you can get today aren't made quite that well. And from watching Raiders, I saw that his hat in that film was the same way. I noticed that when watching the scene at the beginning of Raiders where he jumps in the river and flys away in the float plane. My hat would look the same under those conditions. So I think that the one in that movie was an old hat that they might of got in a small shop somewhere. Then of course, it could just be that it was a Herbert Johnson hat that got reshaped a little from use... It is at times like these that I wish I had Harrison Fords phone number so I could just call him up and ask him and do away with all the guesswork! :-)

: -Daniel

I think they just changed suppliers and started getting a differently blocked hat altogether. I have noticed on alot of old movies, that there were many variations in the fedoras worn by the actors. Also, the Raiders fedora is a thinner felt than the hats that followed. I don't know if the wet fedora scene in Raiders is indicative of what his hat would have looked like from just a plunge into the river. Remember the water scene at the beginning of TLC? In my opinion, the Raiders fedora was a square blocked fedora, with the top of the crown not rounded as much as say the Miller, and others. The shape of the top of the crown before bashing, dictates what the end result will be. Regards, Fedora

Follow Ups:

Re: I think they used a particular blocked HJ that isn't available anymore WndJameR 18:34:05 1/10/2001 (2)
- Pretty sure we all recognize that dozens of hats were used. I'm saying that ALL of them had "the look". (nm) Austin Powers 20:49:25 1/10/2001 (0)
- Forgive the Typos, I never claimed to be a typist (NM) WndJameR 18:36:56 1/10/2001 (0)
Re: I think they used a particular blocked HJ that isn't available anymore WndJameR 18:31:45 1/10/2001 (0)

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: : Interesing that someone brought that up... I have been looking for a hat that is exactly like the one in Raiders, but I haven't found one either. The ones made by Herbert Johnson and other companies are really close, but not EXACTLY the same. Personally, I think that they probably found an original hat from that time period and used it. That's why nobody can find a company making hats that are exactly the same. I started thinking this because I have an original fedora from the 1940's. The shape of it is exactly like the one in Raiders! The only thing is that the color is a little bit too dark. I got it from a good friend of mine who said that it had belonged to his dad. It didn't fit him and he knew I really liked it, so he gave it to me a while back. And when I compare it to the hats available today, mine is of a much higher quality. It's soft and thick, yet it retains it's shape and it repells water very well because it's made of dense felt. The ones you can get today aren't made quite that well. And from watching Raiders, I saw that his hat in that film was the same way. I noticed that when watching the scene at the beginning of Raiders where he jumps in the river and flys away in the float plane. My hat would look the same under those conditions. So I think that the one in that movie was an old hat that they might of got in a small shop somewhere. Then of course, it could just be that it was a Herbert Johnson hat that got reshaped a little from use... It is at times like these that I wish I had Harrison Fords phone number so I could just call him up and ask him and do away with all the guesswork! :-)

: : -Daniel

: 
:     I think they just changed suppliers and started getting a differently blocked hat altogether. I have noticed on alot of old movies, that there were many variations in the fedoras worn by the actors. Also, the Raiders fedora is a thinner felt than the hats that followed. I don't know if the wet fedora scene in Raiders is indicative of what his hat would have looked like from just a plunge into the river. Remember the water scene at the beginning of TLC? In my opinion, the Raiders fedora was a square blocked fedora, with the top of the crown not rounded as much as say the Miller, and others. The shape of the top of the crown before bashing, dictates what the end result will be. Regards, Fedora

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