The Secret of Indiana Jones' Hat8313920

You want Indiana Jones' hat.

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

Following all, just appear 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 lower high quality, exactly where does 1 acquire such a thing of beauty?

For me, the answer was obvious: why not contact the man who made Harrison Ford's hat? Marc Kitter, along with his companion Steve Delk, hand-produced all the fedoras used in the latest 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. Following quizzing us on brim widths, crown heights, ribbon width, fur quality and many other details, Pollack asked us for some samples. We sent in several sample hats and could do absolutely nothing but wait."

According to Pollack, Spielberg had been worried. "Ah, I'm so relieved he [Spielberg] said. I lost sleep questioning if you would be able to come up with the perfect hat."

Kitter stated, "But, following 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 began making hats up to 18 hours a day."

Eighteen hours a day? If that sounds like a lot, it assists to know what goes into making a genuine Indiana Jones fedora. The very best fedoras are made from fur-felt, never wool. In fact, the highest quality fedora is made from beaver.

It's a long 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 every feasible direction making it nearly not possible to tear.)

"The pure beaver felt utilized on my hats are specially produced to my specs from a conventional 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 during the manufacturing process." From there, the best fedoras are hand-crafted over a wooden block. "Wooden hat blocks have the advantage of letting the felt "breath" whilst it dries on them. This is 1 of the numerous particulars 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 component of the hat that really touches the wearer's head, getting the correct material guarantees comfort and durability.

Kitter's hats use exclusive sweatbands made from kangeroo hide the hides are traditionally tanned by a family-owned company in Australia. From there, they're cut and turned into the most shrink resistant leather sweatbands available, known and loved by customers all over the globe.

Detailed info on Indy's Brown Fedora  can be found on the main website.