Has anyone purchased the 'official' Poet Fedora from Herbert Johnson?

eazybox

Member
Given their recent reboot and focus on premium quality, Herbert Johnson is understandably reluctant to put out wool felt budget versions of their Indy hats. But such hats might prove very successful and popular with fans who can't afford or are unwilling to spend a lot of money on a hat. If made well and treated with care, wool felt hats can last for many years. The chance to own a Raiders fedora made on the original block at a price within reach of every budget could more than make up for the sacrifice in quality. It might happen, but firm plans are nowhere near within sight at this time.

Jack
 

eazybox

Member
Herbert Johnson asked to be removed as a member of Club Obi Wan, so you will no longer find the HERBERT JOHNSON REBOOT thread there, at least for the time being. The reason given was that they want to focus attention on their production schedule. You can still contact them on their Facebook page, HERBERT JOHNSON HATTERS PICCADILLY and they are also on Instagram. That COW thread was highly informative, and hopefully it will be up again soon in some form.

Jack :hat:
 

eazybox

Member
The man who recovered the original Raiders block for Herbert Johnson reportedly is very ill and undergoing treatments. That is all I know and of course I wish him a speedy and complete recovery. Jack (no relation to this writer) recently had left HJ to start his own hat business. He's a greatly skilled craftsman and hopefully he'll be able to pursue his dream again soon. :hat:

Jack
 

Major West

Member
I think he left HJ and took the block with him, because the HJ hats just don't quite look right now if you've been following their instagram.
 

eazybox

Member
I agree. If that's true, the window might be closing on getting an a truly authentic Raiders hat, but, naturally, the important thing right now is that he hopefully gets well soon.

Jack
 

eazybox

Member
Major West said:
I think he left HJ and took the block with him, because the HJ hats just don't quite look right now if you've been following their instagram.
This theory has been all but confirmed by HJ:

"We had new blocks made up using the vintage HJ blocks from our storage as our base design. The old blocks are in a terrible state...I am very happy with this block shape."-- Michelle

"Base design" seems to be the key phrase. The new blocks are apparently idealized re-imaginings based on what the current HJ team thinks the Raiders hat SHOULD look like. But Jack was using new molds cast off the original blocks, and took those blocks with him when he left HJ.

Jack.
 

eazybox

Member
Major West said:
I see, that's interesting and unfortunate. I would look at John Penman, penmanhats.com for an alternative.
Well, I was lucky enough to get one of Jack's "originals," but I feel sorry for anyone who wanted a Raiders hat made on the original block from HJ, but waited too long to order one for whatever reason. That era seems to be past history and was all-too short-lived. :(

Jack
 

Major West

Member
Yes the block is the thing. HJ without the block is just a name, as the business has changed hands several times over the years. Unlike say Wested, who had Peter Botwright still running Wested until very recently. (Rest in peace).

Fortunately there are a a handful of other hatters who can turn out a great looking screen accurate Raiders Fedora without charging the earth for it.
 

eazybox

Member
That's right, and unless I'm mistaken, I believe you can even get a vintage HJ liner with Advantage. Regarding screen accuracy combined with good value, I really like the examples I've seen from them. Although I don't own one, I've read nothing but glowing reviews of their hats.

Jack
 

eazybox

Member
Just a note about a feature on which some members of COW have commented, and I have also noticed. One reason the Raiders crown looks taller in some scenes than in others may be the positioning of the ribbon. In the scenes where the crown appears a bit shorter, the ribbon may be hiked up about a quarter of an inch, making the crown appear shorter and the brim wider. This feature can be seen especially in some close-ups from the Streets of Cairo scenes, where the ribbon is clearly above the brim break (the point where the brim ends and the crown begins). On hats, small measurements can make a world of difference.

Jack
 

eazybox

Member
For anyone interested in updates on Jack's health, I have learned from a post on COW that Jack was suffering from advanced bowel cancer, and has either undergone or will soon undergo additional surgery. My prayers for a complete recovery are with him.
 

eazybox

Member
damonbus said:
I just ordered the Raiders Beaver Poet, I?m so excited. Let the waiting begin. :D
You have chosen wisely-- if it's anything like the HJ reboot that I have. I was late seeing your question about overseas shipping on another thread before that thread was closed. You should be perfectly fine, but just to inform you, sometimes there are Customs delays, and occasionally the hats get bumped around a little during the inspection. They can take it and will just pop right back into shape.

HJ had been shipping FedEx Overnight,but that promotion may now be over. There used to be a duty on overseas packages(between $25 and $35 in my case, I believe) that you would have to pay at the time of the item's delivery, but I haven't had to do that in years and I think the duties are now pre-figured into the shipping costs.

I hope this covers it and that you enjoy your new Poet.

Jack
 

damonbus

New member
eazybox said:
You have chosen wisely-- if it's anything like the HJ reboot that I have. I was late seeing your question about overseas shipping on another thread before that thread was closed. You should be perfectly fine, but just to inform you, sometimes there are Customs delays, and occasionally the hats get bumped around a little during the inspection. They can take it and will just pop right back into shape.

HJ had been shipping FedEx Overnight,but that promotion may now be over. There used to be a duty on overseas packages(between $25 and $35 in my case, I believe) that you would have to pay at the time of the item's delivery, but I haven't had to do that in years and I think the duties are now pre-figured into the shipping costs.

I hope this covers it and that you enjoy your new Poet.

Jack

Thanks for the info, I just hope nothing goes wrong or gets damaged.
 

damonbus

New member
eazybox said:
You have chosen wisely-- if it's anything like the HJ reboot that I have. I was late seeing your question about overseas shipping on another thread before that thread was closed. You should be perfectly fine, but just to inform you, sometimes there are Customs delays, and occasionally the hats get bumped around a little during the inspection. They can take it and will just pop right back into shape.

HJ had been shipping FedEx Overnight,but that promotion may now be over. There used to be a duty on overseas packages(between $25 and $35 in my case, I believe) that you would have to pay at the time of the item's delivery, but I haven't had to do that in years and I think the duties are now pre-figured into the shipping costs.

I hope this covers it and that you enjoy your new Poet.

Jack

Do you have any recommendations for storing the hat when not in use? Also general maintenance?
 

ThrowMeTheWhip

Well-known member
damonbus said:
Do you have any recommendations for storing the hat when not in use? Also general maintenance?

I hang mine on a coat rack. You can get a hat stand or store it in a hat box if you have the room.

Occasionally brush it with a hat brush. If it gets a little wet, pop it open crown to dry naturally. Don?t try to dry it with heat. Once dry, pop the bash back in.

Lastly, only ever pick it up by the brim, never the pinch.

That?s it, really. Don?t stress it, and don?t overthink it. It?s a perfectly durable thing and doesn?t need an exorbitant amount of fussing.
 

damonbus

New member
ThrowMeTheWhip said:
I hang mine on a coat rack. You can get a hat stand or store it in a hat box if you have the room.

Occasionally brush it with a hat brush. If it gets a little wet, pop it open crown to dry naturally. Don?t try to dry it with heat. Once dry, pop the bash back in.

Lastly, only ever pick it up by the brim, never the pinch.

That?s it, really. Don?t stress it, and don?t overthink it. It?s a perfectly durable thing and doesn?t need an exorbitant amount of fussing.

Is it better to store it upside down?
 
Top