Herbert Johnson

[Alan Eardley]

I recently bought a vintage Herbert Johnson fedora on ebay (about $50) with no wear but rather dusty from storage and a little too small. Yesterday I called in at their London shop and they cleaned it and reblocked it for me, so now it looks like new. No charge! They told me that any time I was in town I could leave my hat with them for a free clean. That's what I call old-fashioned service. I think I'll be buying another Herbert Johnson. Maybe this time for $40...

Alan

 

[Matt Deckard]

Good deal... and we have to see pics of the hat.

 

[DanielJones]

Great deal on the HJ Alan! What color is it? Will you be posting pictures?

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Andykev]

Welcome!

Alan, I don't think we've met. The LOUNGE has grown rapidly lately, and I have been busy at work, and just finished a 4 week vacation! (Yes it was hard to go to work today).

I assume you are "in LONDON". Please ...can you or will you snap pics of some of the spots, and post in "The Steamer Trunk" for us Yanks to see? Maybe your favorite pub, the local hat shop (will they mind a camera poking around inside)?

Good job on the hat buy. We would love a shot of it!

 

[Alan Eardley]

Nice to 'meet' you. Andykev. I've been on the forum for some time, but I don't post much 'cos I'm naturally reticent.

Herbert Johnson hats are something of a legend among a..er...certain sort of hat afficionado, as HJ supplied the Indiana Jones fedoras for Raiders of the Lost Ark etc. They were taken over by Swain, Aideney and Brigg a few years ago. If you've never been into this type of gentlemens' outfitter (they seem only to exist in London) it would be worth the cost of a 'red eye' just for the experience. The display doesn't seem to have changed for 30 years and it's really difficult to get the staff to tell you the price of anything. They can sort of tell whether can afford it or not. If they think you can't, they won't tell! I managed to find out that one of their leather suitcases costs around $3,000... A lifetime of free hat cleaning has to be worth something, though.

Just down the street is Truetts, who seem to sell nothing but old fashioned hot shaving accessories. You know, badger hair brushes for $100, that sort of thing.

Sorry, I have difficulty posting photos. It's still the 1960s with me. I'll try and get someone who has a digital camera to take a few photos of the hat. Trust me, London's not that interesting.

 

[besdor]

Alan ,have you even been to Locke hats . I was there a few years ago , and was pretty impressed with the store . They clame to be the oldest hat store in the world . there seems to be some sort of rivalry between them and the gents at HJ.

 

[nicolasb]

I assume you are "in LONDON". Please ...can you or will you snap pics of some of the spots, and post in "The Steamer Trunk" for us Yanks to see? Maybe your favorite pub, the local hat shop (will they mind a camera poking around inside)?

I'm in London too, incidentally. Was there any particular thing you wanted a photo of? (Might take me a while, mind you - I'm waiting patiently for a good deal on a new digital camera on eBay).