Art? What happened to the Bwana?

[MDFrench]

Hey Art,

Just trying to find out what ever happened with the Bwana project. Spring and summer will be here in a few months, and I'm really hoping to get one of those hats we talked about all that time ago...

Mike

 

[Art Fawcett]

HI MD,
Sorry about the delay but construction came first.
Here is the latest edition of the "Bwana". I think I have finally nailed the ribbon..what do you think?

Whatcha think folks? Since I was away for so long I am also bringing up the original thread to let people that joined after I left to catch up.

 

[Baggers]

Looks interesting. Is that a full two layers, or is it just the brim? How wide is the brim anyway? And how do the two ends of the pagri (the ribbon) finish up on the other side? Also, would this one have a liner, or would one really be appropriate in a true bush hat?

Questions, questions, questions...

Oh boy, just what I need, another hat!

Cheers!

 

[fedoralover]

Really Really close

It looks really close to my eye. I think the only thing that makes them look a little different is the one in the Avatar is beat up some from many safari's and the ribbon is riding up a bit off of the brim onto the crown more. But the ribbon itself looks spot on, as well as the rest of the hat. You need to go for a ride up the mountain in that Polaris through the brush in the rain and I'd bet it would be a dead ringer.

I just found these other pics and it looks like they may have used several different hats in the movie. Look at how different it looks in the top photos from the bottom especially the ribbon. Either that or it's the same hat and as the movie progressed the ribbon slumped down more, exposing more crown above the ribbon.

Here's some straight on shots to compare. Too bad Indiana Jones didn't wear a hat like this, nobody would have to worry about the crown tapering, in fact everyone would be trying to achieve "the taper".

fedoralover

 

[Baggers]

Thanks for the extra screen grabs, Fedoralover. Actually, I like the look of the hat in the second and third pair of shots. It looks a lot like the ones I've seen in period photos of the "great white hunters" and soldiers during the Boer War period. The wide, wide brim and the crown taper are pretty much standard features in those old pictures. The British influenced ones also seemed to favor a simple front to back crease for a bash. The straight on shots also show Hollywood's rather inadequate attempt at recreating the overlapping, interlocking folds in the ribbon (or pagri, or puggaree as it was called) at the front (and back). It seems like they just did some loose folds for around the sides, but when it came time to do something with the ends of the fabric they just folded the ends under and stitched them in place!

FYI, I recall reading that the original purpose of the pagri was as a place to stash mosquito netting when not in use. One simply wrapped it about the hat or foreign service helmet to get it out of the way! It later evolved into a distinctive uniform item, sometimes including colored strips of cloth in the folds to indicate different regiments.

Obviously Quatermaine's pagri wouldn't look nearly as neat, but I think the information would be useful in order to reverse engineer the finer details of the one for the "Bwana."

Cheers!

 

[Hemingway Jones]

That is a very nice hat and instantly evocative of the Great White Hunter period. It looks somehow both rugged and elegant, not an easy feat. It's marvelous.

How is that split brim achieved? And what is the purpose of it?

Thanks,
-Hj

 

[Biltmore Bob]

No double brim for me, please...

I like the hat but would only want it in single brim configuration. I believe there was some talk of that treatment.

I assume it is a western body, but what blend?

 

[Art Fawcett]

Baggers, it is a 5 1/2" crown and 3 1/4" brim. I was and am trying for the most rugged of the shots, just like MDFrench's avatar. He sortof commissioned this early last year and it was fun until I had to start the construction of my new place.
BB, this is two full pure beaver western bodies in "Natural" that are blocked, joined, then the inner body is cut below the leather line. Two full bodies are SO heavy that it didn't make sense to me. I am also working with a single brim version of this that we decided would be called "Honcho". I still have it on my counter unfinished but will be working on it as time allows.
The pugaree is actually Gurka military in the film, but somehow it changed to the current look. I haven't seen the film in years but i assume that there were reasons. Through help from Loungers we located a firm that still sells them but I wanted to be different. This pugaree is linen that is the right weight to get the "distressed" effect. It is sewn at the rear with no "dip", making it easier to personalize ( I hope). The current one pictured isn't even sewn down yet as i wanted to get MD's reaction before making it permanent.

 

[MDFrench]

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It looks amazing Art! Dreams really do come true! I wear an Adventurebilt in a 7 3/8 and an Akubra in a 59....So where does that put me with this fine hat??????????

 

[Art Fawcett]

Hi MD,
This one was made for you!!! It is already a 3/8 so I just need to finish it off and it's yours!! PM me for specifics.
Is there any other interest out there?