Adventurebilt hats - anyone ordered from?

Mobile Vulgus · Jan 25, 2011

I certainly don't want to see any contemporary hat maker fold his tent. There aren't enough real hatmakers as it is, whether they make niche Indy hats or not.

I guess the only thing I could think of that he should do is to announce a freeze on new orders until he's caught up and then start fresh with his new business plan in place. I am sure that big Indy fans will understand that things got backed up and would be willing to wait until things are well in hand and they can get their orders in a timely fashion.

I wish the guy luck, in any case. He has a legion of satisfied customers, it seems, and his quality seems beyond dispute. I hope he's able to get things sorted out, for sure.

monbla256 · Jan 25, 2011

I commented earlier about all this and since have re-thought things. First I like the Indy movies. Second I DON'T want to look like Indy so I DON'T care about Indy style hats so all of this is as been said "... is what it is" so as John said "... let it be." In the greater scheme of things, it don't matter.

Onward thru the Fog

Bebop · Jan 25, 2011

I don't think anyone wants to "see a train wreck" at all. I think all of the comments are based on the perspective of the customer. It's not up to the customer to come up with "genuine ideas" on how to help his business. We don't know his business. Not one of us will have "ingenuous ideas" since we don't know or as some have said "have no idea" what he is going through with all the orders. We just know it from the customers point of view. Ordering a hat that you know will take several years to make is being a pretty loyal and understanding customer in my book. I don't think that discussing Adventurbilt hats from the customers point of view is destructive at all. I think Steve should read this thread (not that he has time to do so) and use it as constructive criticism.

danofarlington · Jan 25, 2011

Bebop said:
I don't think anyone wants to "see a train wreck" at all. I think all of the comments are based on the perspective of the customer. It's not up to the customer to come up with "genuine ideas" on how to help his business. We don't know his business. Not one of us will have "ingenuous ideas" since we don't know or as some have said "have no idea" what he is going through with all the orders. We just know it from the customers point of view. Ordering a hat that you know will take several years to make is being a pretty loyal and understanding customer in my book. I don't think that discussing Adventurbilt hats from the customers point of view is destructive at all. I think Steve should read this thread (not that he has time to do so) and use it as constructive criticism.

Hats sure is a funny business.

Tango Yankee · Jan 25, 2011

Not having a dog in this fight, but having read about it, all I can observe is that from here it looks like Steve has done what he can. By all accounts he is making steady, if slow, progress. Sure, he can stop accepting orders... but why do so, when at this point anyone who orders from him is likely to know the situation? His offer of a higher-cost hat made during his "day off" is more than fair if you should want one that badly. I can think of only two things that will help this situation:

1. Patience on the part of his customers who are in line for a hat (and I know, we're talking remarkable patience here!)

2. He either hires someone or a friend volunteers to act as business manager for him; someone who can handle the e-mail traffic (obviously a large issue judging from the comments) and deal with the paperwork, perhaps deal with the shipping as well.

Perhaps he already has someone doing some of that, a family member or such. I don't know. But if I lived close enough to him I'd offer to help out that end of it, perhaps in return for some training. I still have hopes of learning the hat-making trade myself, but that's on the back-burner while I work on a Masters degree in IT.

In the end, as Johnny says, it is what it is. At the moment it is rather ugly, but given time it should work itself out (or rather, Steve will work himself out of this, if he doesn't work himself into an early grave first!)

Regards,
Tom

jlee562 · Jan 25, 2011

Steve has said on Club Obi Wan that 99% of his time goes to back orders. The fact of the matter is, he's not getting very many new orders at the $650 price (which was by design). As John/BendingOak noted earlier, we're talking about a handful of hats. Since the price raise I can think of 3 maybe 4 people who have posted on COW with their $650 AB. New orders isn't the issue. It's just a matter of volume. You have one man making hundreds upon hundreds of handmade hats.

EggHead · Jan 25, 2011

I was going down the escalator the other day (in SF) and a drunken street musician yelled at me "Indiana Jones!". I smiled at him and continued to the trains. I was wearing brown Akubra Leisure Time.
Or maybe he wasn't drunk, but high. Or just feeling good and happy.

I paid $106 including shipping for the hat.

bendingoak · Jan 25, 2011

Great. All you need is for everyone drunk out of their mind.

jlee562 · Jan 25, 2011

In Downtown SF? He was probably high!

scottyrocks · Jan 25, 2011

EggHead said:
I was going down the escalator the other day (in SF) and a drunken street musician yelled at me "Indiana Jones!". I smiled at him and continued to the trains. I was wearing brown Akubra Leisure Time.
Or maybe he wasn't drunk, but high. Or just feeling good and happy.

I paid $106 including shipping for the hat.

Getting an Indy hat from Steve, John, or Marc is not about other people thinking its an Indy hat. Its about you knowing you have one of the three best, most accurate IJ hats out there, and if its from Steve, it was made by the guy who made THE HATS for Harrsion Ford. If you want a Steve hat that badly, you put up with the price and the wait. If any of it sounds fishy, or you dont want to wait that long, or its too much money, then dont order. Thats the beauty of a free market economy.

Mobile Vulgus · Jan 26, 2011

scottyrocks said:
Getting an Indy hat from Steve, John, or Marc is not about other people thinking its an Indy hat. Its about you knowing you have one of the three best, most accurate IJ hats out there...

Now THAT is the truest thing I've seen on this thread. If you want an authentic Indy hat you can't just settle for some hat that someone that lacks all knowledge about the movies thinks might sortta, kinda look like an Indy hat. I know from "authentic" and if you want authentic you have to go to the best.

Bruce Wayne · Jan 26, 2011

jlee562 said:
Steve has said on Club Obi Wan that 99% of his time goes to back orders. The fact of the matter is, he's not getting very many new orders at the $650 price (which was by design). As John/BendingOak noted earlier, we're talking about a handful of hats. Since the price raise I can think of 3 maybe 4 people who have posted on COW with their $650 AB. New orders isn't the issue. It's just a matter of volume. You have one man making hundreds upon hundreds of handmade hats.

And two of those were mine.

warbird · Jan 26, 2011

Mobile Vulgus said:
Now THAT is the truest thing I've seen on this thread. If you want an authentic Indy hat you can't just settle for some hat that someone that lacks all knowledge about the movies thinks might sortta, kinda look like an Indy hat. I know from "authentic" and if you want authentic you have to go to the best.

This is very true. This is 'the' hat and 20 years from now that hat will actually be worth more than any other Indy style hat. Just like an old Herbert Johnson is still worth a lot.

And since you are not big into the Indy thing I'll clue you in further. Now I am by no means a huge Indy fanatic. i do like the hats and the movies and have read these guys stuff on COW and here and some of the other sites. these guys don't just want an Indy hat. They want hats that are styled like certain particular movie. And not just that, but certain scenes from a particular movie. Steve talks their language, he knows the scene and he can make that hat look just like what they want with the 'turn, the 'swoop', the jumping on the plane after just coming out of the water scene, whatever. Actually that last one I can do myself pretty well and have accidentally.

That is what Steve's customers want and that is why they go to him.

jlee562 · Jan 26, 2011

Hey, I'm an Indy fan and sometimes I get lost in COW. There are members there who can tell you the differences between the hat from shot to shot practically! Steve, as well as John (and Marc, and Garrison Hatters, and Schubert Hats, et al), understand these fans' quest for their perfect Indy hat and they provide.

Like I said, it's just a different segment of the hat market.

DanielJones · Jan 26, 2011

jlee562 said:
Hey, I'm an Indy fan and sometimes I get lost in COW. There are members there who can tell you the differences between the hat from shot to shot practically! Steve, as well as John (and Marc, and Garrison Hatters, and Schubert Hats, et al), understand these fans' quest for their perfect Indy hat and they provide.

Like I said, it's just a different segment of the hat market.

And that is exactly why they patiently wait for their coveted hats, that will give them the look they are after. Of course, they also make different styles too. The customer just has to ask.

Cheers!

Dan

The Good · Jan 26, 2011

Adventurebilt hats are supposed to be excellent quality, no doubt about it, but I think I've stopped looking for a "perfect Indiana Jones hat," myself. The thing is, I don't believe exact Indy proportions suit me (too high and un-tapered crown), and I don't think I'm willing to spend that kind of money on one. A Federation IV will suffice for something resembling Dr. Jones' hat, in my opinion, and that comes pretty darn close, although more tapered and c-crowned shaped, now. I wish Mr. Delk the best of luck on fulfilling all of his orders. I guess making the fourth Indiana Jones fedora came with a great responsibility, and demands hard work ethics.

Duck · Jan 26, 2011

Ok, I have stayed out of these threads, but I feel I need to add my $0.2 worth. I am one of the people that has a hat on order from Steve. Am I upset about the wait......No. I knew it would be a long wait when I ordered it, just before the movie came out, but being an Indy fan, I wanted THE HAT. One from the guy that made THE movie hats, not a hat that looks kind of like a Indy hat.
Johnny said it best in that it is what it is, and everyone who has ordered one knows this. It appears that the people that are protesting the most don't even have a hat on order or care to order one.
Please lets keep the discussion civil so the thread does not get locked.

Rant off now

Jedwbpm · Jan 26, 2011

Just out of curiosity how many of these hats are worn and how many end up in display cases? No judgment just curios.

Jeff

warbird · Jan 26, 2011

I would say the vast majority are worn and worn often and proudly. As for the comment by The Good, I would say he is a wise man. Truth is these hats don't look good on everyone. I have seen some people wearing them who,looked seriously awkward in them. If you want one fine, but if you really don't look god in them, then find other hats you can wear that have a style that fits your body and face type.

EggHead · Jan 26, 2011

Well guys, my post was meant to be humorous - "posthumorous"? and release some tension built up here. I know that Leisure Time does not look like an IJ hat, but I happen to like it a lot and wear it a lot too. In general I prefer to wear hats that look good on me, not on Harrison Ford, but that is neither here nor there. We all have different reasons for buying hat, mine are meant to be part of my daily wardrobe and I simply cannot wait for many months, but that time I my head will either expand or shrink

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