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Interesting. But Denys Finch=Hatton almost certainly hunted in a Pith helmet

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You're probably right there; I've seen pictures of him in a slouch hat, but far more in the pith helmet. Redford refused to wear one, saying it looked preposterous. Frankly, nothing could be more preposterous to me than casting a blatantly-American actor as a British colonial aristocrat, although I think he was a great actor in more appropriate roles. It certainly spoiled the movie for me, just like that arrogant turd McQueen totally ruined The Great Escape.

On a related headgear point, all the photos I've ever seen of Bror Blixen show him in a big slouch hat.

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Finch-Hatton, 100% a pith helmet.

Redford tried to do Colonial Brit but couldn't do it. So we get some sort of 1960's attitude and laid back American "style" used for Finch-Hatton.

I really enjoyed the movie, and still do, but Redford is such a distraction with the "modern rebel", "modern free spirit" BS it distracts so much from the movie.

And the Bror Blixen character is destroyed and demonised. Bror was a very popular and liked man. Not an arsehole.

As for affairs, all the aristocrats got up to them.

Karen Blixen bankrupted herself with her spending. She would go to Paris and buy entire collections of clothing and dresses from Paris designer houses. Imagine doing that today. Spent about 110,000 pounds of her families money keeping the farm financed. And her other spending. Imagine that sort of money today.

Her books are not non fiction but often a collection of semi fictional stories. Same based on fact, some completely fiction. Like Kamukli (splg?) , the African boy with the sick leg. Completely a fictional story.

Still an interesting period. And I do like her stories and writing.

Wear the hats!

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+++1 on all points. And yes, do wear the hats! I for one, am very much looking forward to seeing those pith helmets....

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A story of a hat.

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Looking good gentlemen.

My first "safari hat". Worn in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe back in 1988 or 1989.

A simple cotton cloth slouch hat with studs on both sides.



A funny little story.

I was wearing this hat in Malawi and we were camping on the shores on the beach of Lake Malawi. On the way into town one afternoon, I hitched a ride with the others on the truck but got dropped off a few kilometres from the Lake, at some tourist curio stalls at the side of the road, planning to walk back afterwards.

I wanted to buy some souvenirs and curios. First I walked along all the stands, looking over everything the guys had. Of course the Africans tried the hard sell, but I told them I was going to look over everything first then come back to what I wanted to bargain over. They were pretty good and didn't pester me then. I also told them, the truck would be coming back from town in about an hour and then they would have lots of tourists to sell to. That made them happy.

So I looked over everything.

Then went back and started bargaining at the stalls for the stuff I wanted. I remember getting a few things, a "redwood" set of three monkeys, see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil. A "redwood" fish which I planned to giveaway at home. I kept it. A "Malawi warrior" armed very offensively with a multiple of spears, clubs and choppers. Made of ebony and with a beautiful polish in places.

I also planned to trade some old ripped Levi jeans. I needed space in the backpack for one thing.

At one stall I had admired a chess set, but the guys wanted too much for it. They had in turn admired my hat, and the conversation went something like this.

"Buy this chess set, it is only 800 Kwacha!"

"No, No." I replied "it is much too expensive. I can not afford that."

"Give us a price, we can bargain" the guys said.

"No, I can't afford it, or carry it, it is too expensive" I said.

The two Malawians said: "We like your hat, trade your hat, and you can have it for 700 Kwacha."

"Oh no" I replied, I need the hat, it is hot and sunny and I will faint in the heat without my hat!" I replied.

We bargained for another of their items, and made a deal, and they came back to the hat and chess set.

"We really like you hat, 400 for the chess set and the hat."

I replied again, "I have many more weeks in Africa, and need this hat until I leave."

So it went on, when they got to 25 Kwacha and the hat, for the chess set. I said "YES!!!".

They laughed and said, "On NO, we are not serious, it was a joke. But you would sell the hat" they laughed.

I knew they weren't serious either, so just laughed as well.

Walked back to the Lake with a full daypack.

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John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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My favorite hat, purchased at the Indiana Jones concession at Disneyland, California.



This duiker, shot in the Limpopo region of South Africa scored quite high in the Rowland Ward's Records of Big Game.

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A nice one. I could use one to go with all my other usual "Indiana attire" minus the whip.

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John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

Post Extras:

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Looking good gentlemen.

My first "safari hat". Worn in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe back in 1988 or 1989.

A simple cotton cloth slouch hat with studs on both sides.



A funny little story.

I was wearing this hat in Malawi and we were camping on the shores on the beach of Lake Malawi. On the way into town one afternoon, I hitched a ride with the others on the truck but got dropped off a few kilometres from the Lake, at some tourist curio stalls at the side of the road, planning to walk back afterwards.

I wanted to buy some souvenirs and curios. First I walked along all the stands, looking over everything the guys had. Of course the Africans tried the hard sell, but I told them I was going to look over everything first then come back to what I wanted to bargain over. They were pretty good and didn't pester me then. I also told them, the truck would be coming back from town in about an hour and then they would have lots of tourists to sell to. That made them happy.

So I looked over everything.

Then went back and started bargaining at the stalls for the stuff I wanted. I remember getting a few things, a "redwood" set of three monkeys, see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil. A "redwood" fish which I planned to giveaway at home. I kept it. A "Malawi warrior" armed very offensively with a multiple of spears, clubs and choppers. Made of ebony and with a beautiful polish in places.

I also planned to trade some old ripped Levi jeans. I needed space in the backpack for one thing.

At one stall I had admired a chess set, but the guys wanted too much for it. They had in turn admired my hat, and the conversation went something like this.

"Buy this chess set, it is only 800 Kwacha!"

"No, No." I replied "it is much too expensive. I can not afford that."

"Give us a price, we can bargain" the guys said.

"No, I can't afford it, or carry it, it is too expensive" I said.

The two Malawians said: "We like your hat, trade your hat, and you can have it for 700 Kwacha."

"Oh no" I replied, I need the hat, it is hot and sunny and I will faint in the heat without my hat!" I replied.

We bargained for another of their items, and made a deal, and they came back to the hat and chess set.

"We really like you hat, 400 for the chess set and the hat."

I replied again, "I have many more weeks in Africa, and need this hat until I leave."

So it went on, when they got to 25 Kwacha and the hat, for the chess set. I said "YES!!!".

They laughed and said, "On NO, we are not serious, it was a joke. But you would sell the hat" they laughed.

I knew they weren't serious either, so just laughed as well.

Walked back to the Lake with a full daypack.

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One of my little stories. Still got this hat as a relic.

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John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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My first, an Akubra Stockman hat.

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This thread needs my new hats. The bigger Cobber Pedy Akubra. My summer Akubra.

My Andean Peruvian Gauchos hat, I call myself indigenous when wearing it. I self identify as Best Nations Indigenous.

And my dress hat I bought when shopping for a soure at the Governor's Government House. Eventually it might become a broad brimmed hunting hat. The last two are wool based and hats for winter and rain.



SHOW US YOURS!




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John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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Adding the photo here. Worn on my last African safari in 2006, and to the Territory and many other hunts down South.

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Oops missed page 2, here is the Akubra Coober Pedy worn by some bushie mountain man ...

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John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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