The RJ (The Thing 1982)

The "R.J.", inspired by the "mutated Campaign hat" that Kurt Russell wears in the John Carpenter remake of "The Thing" falls into the third category. A week doesn't go by when someone doesn't either come into our shop, or e-mails us about making this one-of-a-kind!

It's rather fascinating, since the hat actually has a short life span in the film. It is seen only in a few shots in the first act when Russell goes off to see the crashed saucer in the snow crater, and never appears again (see the film clips below).

Kurt Russell's hat may symbolically be a foreshadowing of "things" to come. The story is about an alien that mutates into the form of the person (or animal) it enters, changing it into a grotesque version of the original. And the hat seems to have gone through the same transformation. Its' origins comes from the classic US Army's "Campaign Hat" that was popular in the early 1900's, what with the "Montana Peek", and wide brim. But something has happened to this hat on the way to Kurt Russell's head! The crown has been elongated, and the brim has been boxed and "flutter-squared" on all four sides, making it into something almost "extraterrestrial"!

It is finished with a rough, double-layered leather hatband with a center hand-woven "arrow weave" braiding, and "cinch strap" stampede strings, that hang loosely at their ends, and tie like a chin-ribbon. These overlong "stings" allow Russell to keep the hat firmly on his head in the harrowing winds of the ice desert, or the blades of his helicopter, and also lets the hat also hang macho-like on his back. 

Due to felt shortages please allow 8-10 months for delivery. For more information contact mail@baronhats.com

Store credit or exchange only.  

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By submitting this order you understand, agree and accept all conditions as set forth in our Service Agreement, including, but not limited to our custom hat refund policy. Unless otherwise noted, shipping dates as they appear on your invoice, are approximations. Conditions beyond our control including, but not limited to availability of special custom materials can effect completion dates.

Interested in having the hat in a different color than the original? E-Mail us with your color choice and we'll let you know if we can custom craft it in that color for you.