The Secret of Indiana Jones' Hat919015

You want Indiana Jones' hat.

You don't have any purpose except...well, you want 1. If you lived 75 years ago, it wouldn't even be a query: of course you'd own a hat. And you'd really feel naked if you left the house without it.

Following all, just look at it! The sharp brim. The distinctive shape. The flavor of class and dignity that comes with that 1930s style.

Ah, the fedora!

But, in an age of superstores, low prices and reduce quality, exactly where does 1 acquire such a factor of beauty?

For me, the answer was apparent: why not get in touch with the man who produced Harrison Ford's hat? Marc Kitter, along with his partner Steve Delk, hand-made all the fedoras used in the newest Indiana Jones film, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull".

Bernie Pollack, costume designer for "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" contacted Kitter. "He'd been told that that Steve and I had specialized ourselves on the Indy fedora and wanted to know if we could answer some questions. After quizzing us on brim widths, crown heights, ribbon width, fur quality and many other particulars, Pollack asked us for some samples. We sent in a number of sample hats and could do nothing but wait."

According to Pollack, Spielberg had been worried. "Ah, I'm so relieved he [Spielberg] stated. I lost sleep wondering if you would be in a position to come up with the perfect hat."

Kitter stated, "But, after a test shooting with Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg, the dream came true and we got the order. My wife went on vacation and we started creating hats up to 18 hours a day."

Eighteen hours a day? If that sounds like a lot, it helps to know what goes into creating a genuine Indiana Jones fedora. The best fedoras are produced from fur-felt, by no means wool. In fact, the highest quality fedora is made from beaver.

It's a lengthy and difficult process. The fur is manipulated, treated and transformed into actual "felt", arguably the toughest fabric recognized to man. (The fibers are interlocked and arranged in each feasible direction creating it almost impossible to tear.)

"The pure beaver felt used on my hats are specially produced to my specs from a traditional manufacturer. This is the highest density felt I've ever worked with and that adds to the durability of the final hat. We even add water-repellant to the felt throughout the manufacturing procedure." From there, the very best fedoras are hand-crafted more than a wooden block. "Wooden hat blocks have the benefit of letting the felt "breath" whilst it dries on them. This is one of the many details that isn't usually visible but prove beneficial in the lengthy haul."

Ironically, one of the most essential pieces of a higher-quality fedora might be some thing that you seldom see: the sweatband. Since this is the only part of the hat that really touches the wearer's head, having the correct material ensures comfort and durability.

Kitter's hats use exclusive sweatbands made from kangeroo hide the hides are traditionally tanned by a family-owned business in Australia. From there, they're cut and turned into the most shrink resistant leather sweatbands accessible, recognized and loved by clients all more than the globe.

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