A 'tougher' fedora

[Lexybeast]

Hey everyone,

Long time lurker, first time poster here. I've got a small collection of lids, and I'm looking at adding another- call it the fedora I'm not afraid to wear. Think Harrison Ford/Indiana Jones or Tom Baker/Doctor Who; one that I can use going outdoors, hiking, in the rain, etc., that's fairly tough and will take to a bit of the elements nicely.

After reading up on this forum, it looks like the Akubra Federation is the way to go. This brings the question- Federation or Federation Deluxe? Is there a big difference between the two? Also, it looks like hatsdirect.com is pretty much the only way to order this hat in the States. Is this the case?

One more thing- if anyone has any other suggestions as to 'tough' fedoras to look at, I am quite open to suggestions. Also, if there's some kind of sprays or anything I can add to further protect the hat, I'd like to hear about that as well. Thanks everyone!

 

[RBH]

WELCOME!!!!

You cant go wrong with a Federation, although after awhile I believe you will want a custom. But by that time you will be sure of what you want and like.

 

[johnnycanuck]

The only problem I ever had with Akubra is if you sweat, and I do, the sweat band will shrink a bit. Go for a Federation Deluxe. The new ones have a pre-shrunk sweat band.

My two cents worth.

Johnny

 

[Spellflower]

Considering that the falling U.S. dollar no longer buys as much in Australia as it once did, the Federation is no longer the deal it once was. The Federation deluxe is even less of a deal.

I'd suggest you check out Camptown Hats. The owner, Ken, is a member here (goes by "Jersey Jones"), and he may give you a deal if you let him know you are too. Even if he doesn't, the price of a shipped Camptown is only $15 more than a shipped Fed Deluxe, but since it's 50% beaver fur, it should be much tougher in the long run.

I've never worn either hat, but I know they both get great reviews here.

 

[Kaosharper1]

DM Akubra Adventurer

Check out the Adventurer at David Morgan. Its a great Indy style hat, similar to the Federation with faster shipping. The price is higher because its already in the US, but with shipping the cost is about the same.

 

[Slouch-Hat]

You might also want to try the Jaxon Iconoclast from Village Hat Shop. I own two and love the fit, look and durability. At $60.00 they're a steal, and shipping is nice and low.

http://www.villagehatshop.com/jaxon_iconoclast.html

 

[Rick Blaine]

Considering that the falling U.S. dollar no longer buys as much in Australia as it once did, the Federation is no longer the deal it once was. The Federation deluxe is even less of a deal.

I'd suggest you check out Camptown Hats. The owner, Ken, is a member here (goes by "Jersey Jones"), and he may give you a deal if you let him know you are too. Even if he doesn't, the price of a shipped Camptown is only $15 more than a shipped Fed Deluxe, but since it's 50% beaver fur, it should be much tougher in the long run.

I've never worn either hat, but I know they both get great reviews here.

Good point, that and I have always wanted a lid from Newark!
HHhmmmmm...

 

[feltfan]

I recommend any vintage Stetson with a
Mode Edge. Tough and stylish.

 

[Lexybeast]

Thanks for the welcomes and advice everyone!

Feltfan, I was looking at vintage Stetsons for a while. I really like them, but the problem is it's tough to find my size (7 1/2).

Spellflower, I am really digging those Camptown hats. You're making me seriously reconsider the Federation now. Hmmm... anyone here own a Camptown?

 

[Stoney]

One word.

Vintage.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

...Federation or Federation Deluxe? Is there a big difference between the two?

One more thing- if anyone has any other suggestions as to 'tough' fedoras to look at, I am quite open to suggestions. Also, if there's some kind of sprays or anything I can add to further protect the hat, I'd like to hear about that as well.

Both hats are made of rabbit fur. I have a DeLuxe. The only substantial difference is that the DeLuxe is supposed to be made of the finer underbelly hairs. The "HATTERY" (hatsdirect.com) says it takes eight (8) rabbits to make one Federation DeLuxe. In theory, the two hats should be just about equally durable. The only question would be whether you want the slightly finer felt, for possible dress occasions.

What I'm about to say may raise some hackles, but it's an honest observation. The Federation (and/or Federation DeLuxe) is basicly a fedora made out of "cowboy hat felt" (not that there's anything wrong with that). If cost is a factor (You don't suggest that it is, but it is for some.), it is possible to turn an old cowboy hat into a very durable fedora. We've had several threads on doing that very thing.

Whatever you settle on, enjoy it. And don't settle for just one hat. Everybody needs several!

 

[Mulceber]

One word.

Vintage.

He said he wanted an Indy/Doctor Who style hat. Unless you can point to some vintage Herbert Johnson Poets, that's not the way to go. I'd recommend the Camptown as well - I know Jersey Jones by reputation and he's extremely well-thought-of. He even has a deal going now where he'll ship and bash your hat for free. -Mulceber

 

[Stoney]

Um... Try thinking outside the box.

You can reshape any hat however you would like it, provided that the basic crown height and brim width is there. An Indy hat is quite easy to do. All that you need is a tall crown, 5 1/2" to 6 " open , no or very little taper, and a brim width from 2 1/2 ( for small heads ) to 2 3/4" (for bigger heads). If the brim is larger you can aways cut it down to size. You can also do the dimensional brim cut.

Checkout COW for notes on how an Indy hat should be shaped.
http://www.indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?t=10903


The size ribbon on the donor vintage hat is irrelevant as it will most likely be replaced with a new one to look like an Indy hat.
Tutorial here. http://dalexs.whitvani.net/hat/hatpage.html


Still if you want a tough hat, get a vintage one and style it as an Indy hat.

1) You can pick up a vintage hat cheap on e-bay if you are not in a hurry.

2) No modern felt is as good as that from a quality vintage hat. I don't care who makes it.

3) For the price of a new hat you could buy a vintage hat along with a block and flange and have money left over. The block and flange will come in handy as you collect more hats.

 

[Mulceber]

Um... Try thinking outside the box.

As an Indy fan, I'm pretty particular about my hats. There's more to an Indy hat than the stats you quoted. The block is rather quirky, meaning that a lot of hats can get close, but very few can actually capture the Raiders hat. Lexy wants an Indy hat, so I'm pointing him to the best source.

2) No modern felt is as good as that from a quality vintage hat. I don't care who makes it.

Not true. The reason old felt is "so good" is because the felt has had a chance to die - thus it won't shrink or taper as easily. It is not, however, as resistant to water, and I've heard stories about beautiful old hats coming apart like wet-tissue paper after having been exposed to too much rain. I've also heard plenty of statements by old-timers who have experienced the old felt - when handed an optimo, Art Fawcett or Adventurebilt they generally say that it's better than the hats they had back in the day.

Oh and by the way, I've seen both of the links you just posted before - if you look me up on COW, you'll see I've been around for a while. -Mulceber

 

[Stoney]

I'm pointing him to the best source.







Not true. The reason old felt is "so good" is because the felt has had a chance to die - thus it won't shrink or taper as easily. It is not, however, as resistant to water, and I've heard stories about beautiful old hats coming apart like wet-tissue paper after having been exposed to too much rain. I've also heard plenty of statements by old-timers who have experienced the old felt - when handed an optimo, Art Fawcett or Adventurebilt they generally say that it's better than the hats they had back in the day.

-Mulceber

Mulceber,

No need to get upset. You're entitled to your opinion, as am I. However, vintage felt coming apart like tissue paper. lol Most Indy blocks are tall and straight sided, unless you count some of the production hats which really don't look anything like that hats from the films. Besides he said Indy or Dr Who type so I doubt he is quite as particular as you about the exact shape.

You are telling him the easiest way to get an Indy Fedora. Not, IMHO, how to get a tough one. The only hats I've heard of that "may" fill that bill are Adventurebilt's and similar high end customs.
I'm not sure that Lexybeast wants to either wait that long, or spend that much to get one.

A Federation although a nice hat is not that tough. I own one and would not put it through what he is describing. I have really punished some of my vintage hats. I have re-blocked some of them and they still look fine. A pure beaver vintage hat will beat a Federation for toughness any day of the week. I have no experience with Camptowns, but assume from what I've read that they are a very nice hat. They are, as I understand , a blend of rabbit and beaver which again is not quite comparable to a vintage pure beaver hat.

If I were planning on punishing a hat, as he has described, I doubt that I would do it to a new and expensive one that may not take it. Given a limited budget for hats, I would buy a tall vintage hat a straight sided block. Flange is optional as an Indy hat's brim is flat. Again IMHO.

 

[Feraud]

The problem I notice with giving advice to someone who is new to hats is falling into discussing the details and semantics of the hobby.
New guys do not need to wait a year and a half, spend a couple of hundred dollars, or have to learn the nuances of felt.

Go for the Fed Deluxe. The best new production fedora considering money/toughness/wait time.

 

[Mulceber]

No need to get upset. You're entitled to your opinion, as am I. However, vintage felt coming apart like tissue paper. lol

Just to point out, if you're telling someone not to get upset, laughing at them in the next breath is probably not the best way to go about it. Regardless, you can laugh all you want, but I have definitely heard of vintage hats coming apart after being soaked.

A Federation although a nice hat is not that tough.

This coming from the man who quotes Club Obi Wan to me? For shame. lol Don't try telling that to Renderking Fisk - or any of the veterans over there. You'll be laughed at and then given a lecture on the many merits of the Akubra.

A pure beaver vintage hat will beat a Federation for toughness any day of the week.

Entirely possible, but how common are vintage pure-beaver hats? More common than they are now, I'd wager, but they certainly weren't the standard and most hats you'll see on ebay are likely to be a blend or even pure rabbit. -Mulceber

 

[Spellflower]

I think a good vintage hat, an Akubra, or a Camptown could hold up well to "outdoors, hiking, in the rain." Yes, the more beaver, the better. But all these hats should provide a decent amount of water repellency and still come out looking okay. The Akubra may taper sooner, but it's not going to fall apart.

When shopping for vintage, it is important to remember that there was a wide variation in quality even back then. I've never heard of a vintage hat falling apart in the rain, but I'd guess that the one Mulceber heard about wasn't one of the better brands.

The problem I have with wearing my vintage hats for intense outdoor activities is that while they will surely serve me well in those conditions, I don't like to expose them to so much risk. If I'm going on a camping trip, I don't want to wear my Whippet, because I know that there's an excellent chance that it's going to get muddy, smooshed, heavily sweated into, etc. Sure, it would be fine after a cleaning and a reblock, but why put it through that when I can grab my Federation and just not worry about it. My Fed will still keep me dry, keep the sun off me, etc., but if it gets bent out of shape, I don't mind so much. And if it got lost, I could easily order another, unlike any of my vintage hats.

By the way, Lexybeast, I have a vintage Stetson cowboy hat conversion in your size that I would be willing to part with. It may be just what you're looking for. If you're interested, post your email address (in code so the bots won't get it) and I'll send you more info.

Oh, and if you do a search for Camptown, you'll find lots of posts. Daniel Jones is the member who has the most experience with them, and he adores his.

 

[Lexybeast]

Oh man. I didn't mean to stir up so much controversy.

Thanks everyone for the wealth of information. I've looked at the vintage route for a while (via ebay and other sources), but haven't been able to find anything that's both a style/colour/etc. that I like and also my size.

Spellflower, thank you kindly for your offer, but I think after reading here about the Feds and Camptowns, I'm steering away a bit from the vintage hats and leaning towards the Camptown Fieldmaster. I did some searches on it last night, and I'm liking what I see. Thanks again to all for the wealth of information. Once I've decided and received, pics will be posted.

 

[Spellflower]

Glad to be of service! I hope you enjoy your new hat. You have many fine options, and all of them should give you years of happy wearing through many a downpour.