Want to order a Fed IV...questions

[Chuck Bobuck]

Hi all,
First post for me
After reading these forums for the past couple of weeks I have finally done it and ordered a Carbon Grey Fed IV
I've had the page open on my browser for the past week and had the order page set up and ready to go all day today and finally clicked the "send order" box and paid for it.
I am really excited now. I can't wait to get it!

Just thought I'd mention it

Joe

Welcome Joe, we'll be expecting a review and pictures.

 

[royhobbs]

Carbon Gray

I got an Akubra Fed IV in carbon gray a couple of weeks ago and I absolutely love it. I have four of the Fed IV's now and they are, without a doubt, my favorite of all my hats. I, too have used the sizing strips and removed them later as the hat has shrunk down to fit my head perfectly. I am sure I will be buying more Akubras in the future. Great service and communication.

 

[Ian]

Hi,

I've got both the regular and the deluxe. I'm subscribing to the 'they run a little big' way of thinking. Although, both mine have shrunk a little so that I no longer need the foam pads. I find that the bash seems make them a little more snug as well, but that may be because I use steam.

 

[VickHick]

As for the hat size I normally wear a 7 1/8 and got the Fed IV in a size 57. The fit is perfect. So if you wear a 7 you may want to look at a 56.

 

[chum]

As for the hat size I normally wear a 7 1/8 and got the Fed IV in a size 57. The fit is perfect. So if you wear a 7 you may want to look at a 56.

Did not notice these responses...thanks to all. I measured my head per their instructions and sent them an email. They replied within 10 minutes and suggested a 57...so that's what I ordered. As I stated in first post a 7" is just a teeny bit snug.
If I have to use the strips at first I will do so without the adhesive

 

[Zombie_61]

Chum, given your uncertainty about which size to order, IMO the best thing you could have done was exactly what you did--contact the manufacturer/vendor and ask their advice before placing your order.

I bought my first real hat in summer of 2008--a Fed IV standard. I measured my head per the "size advice" posted on Hats Direct's website (60 cm spot on) and ordered my hat. When it arrived, naturally the first thing I did was try it on (unbashed), and it slipped right down over the tops of my ears. Since I had done my homework on Club Obi Wan, this was to be expected, so I wasn't concerned. I slipped the provided "adjustment tape" under the sweatband (without using the adhesive) and the hat fit much better, but I didn't like the way the tape deformed the sweatband so I removed it and, instead, wore the hat around the house for a few days. During that time the sweatband shrunk as expected, and the hat fits me perfectly IMO. Admittedly, I don't wear it often (I'm convinced fedoras just aren't "me"), but I love it when I do.

 

[Chinaski]

Keep hanging around the Lounge, Zombie. Fedoras will start to look different to you, and my guess is you'll start feeling like they are more "you." Your mind will expand and you'll need a higher crown to contain it.

 

[Zombie_61]

Oh, I've been lurking here for quite some time; a few years, in fact. Finally decided to join the fun.

As for fedoras, I've loved the look as long as I can remember...on other people, that is. On me, not so much. Mind you, I've always been a jeans-and-tee-shirt, blue collar, child of the 60s/70s kind of guy. At the age of 48 I still have shoulder-length hair and a beard (though my forehead has grown and the beard is much grayer than it used to be) and, at this point in my life, I think I'm better suited to a good old Newsboy cap. Then again, I only started wearing hats in the last couple of years, so it's still a bit new to me. But I thank you for the vote of confidence! :cheers1:

 

[Spats McGee]

Welcome to the Lounge, Zombie!

 

[scottyrocks]

One thing that makes the right fedora look good with both long, and facial, hair is some, um, 'maturity' - iow, some gray, not to mention the weathered lines of skin thats had some time to show real character.

 

[chum]

Chum, given your uncertainty about which size to order, IMO the best thing you could have done was exactly what you did--contact the manufacturer/vendor and ask their advice before placing your order.

I bought my first real hat in summer of 2008--a Fed IV standard. I measured my head per the "size advice" posted on Hats Direct's website (60 cm spot on) and ordered my hat. When it arrived, naturally the first thing I did was try it on (unbashed), and it slipped right down over the tops of my ears. Since I had done my homework on Club Obi Wan, this was to be expected, so I wasn't concerned. I slipped the provided "adjustment tape" under the sweatband (without using the adhesive) and the hat fit much better, but I didn't like the way the tape deformed the sweatband so I removed it and, instead, wore the hat around the house for a few days. During that time the sweatband shrunk as expected, and the hat fits me perfectly IMO. Admittedly, I don't wear it often (I'm convinced fedoras just aren't "me"), but I love it when I do.

Thanks for your reply! Hat has arrived...fit is just a tad loose! I am sure it will be perfect before too long!

I think a nice fedora looks great on a guy with long hair. Sam Elliot looked good with his on the movie Ghost Rider!

 

[Chinaski]

Oh, I've been lurking here for quite some time; a few years, in fact. Finally decided to join the fun.

As for fedoras, I've loved the look as long as I can remember...on other people, that is. On me, not so much. Mind you, I've always been a jeans-and-tee-shirt, blue collar, child of the 60s/70s kind of guy. At the age of 48 I still have shoulder-length hair and a beard (though my forehead has grown and the beard is much grayer than it used to be) and, at this point in my life, I think I'm better suited to a good old Newsboy cap. Then again, I only started wearing hats in the last couple of years, so it's still a bit new to me. But I thank you for the vote of confidence! :cheers1:

Welcome, and glad you decided to join the fun. If you really do follow along (and I'm not sure how you could if you aren't really interested in hats) you'll be hard-pressed not to slap a fedora on your melon. I see it in your future! I don't have ANY problems with a t-shirt and fedora or long hair and a fedora. It's your style - wear it with hattitude, brother...

 

[Zombie_61]

Thanks to all for the warm welcome! Quite honestly, I think part of my problem with the way I look in fedoras is two-fold.

First, the Fed IV, though it's a great hat, may simply be the wrong type of fedora for me; I wish haberdashers still existed in southern California.

Second, when I received mine one end of the shipping carton was crushed inward about two to three inches. Although this didn't damage the hat per se, it did push the front of the brim upward towards the crown. As such, it removed what little "snap brim" properties the hat had, and I've never been able to shape the front of the brim to my liking. Lately I've been considering sending it to a professional hatter to have the brim re-formed (sorry, I'm not sure of the correct terminology) to put that "snap brim" quality back into it. If anyone has any recommendations, I'm open to suggestions.

 

[chum]

Thanks to all for the warm welcome! Quite honestly, I think part of my problem with the way I look in fedoras is two-fold.

First, the Fed IV, though it's a great hat, may simply be the wrong type of fedora for me; I wish haberdashers still existed in southern California.

Second, when I received mine one end of the shipping carton was crushed inward about two to three inches. Although this didn't damage the hat per se, it did push the front of the brim upward towards the crown. As such, it removed what little "snap brim" properties the hat had, and I've never been able to shape the front of the brim to my liking. Lately I've been considering sending it to a professional hatter to have the brim re-formed (sorry, I'm not sure of the correct terminology) to put that "snap brim" quality back into it. If anyone has any recommendations, I'm open to suggestions.

The Fed IV's brim is like that...it is not a "snap brim". Read up on the posts about it. You have to shape the brim yourself.

 

[jlee562]

Wear it out in the rain and shape the brim afterward. Well, that, or you can give it some steam or spray water on it. The brim takes some working to shape, but it does shape eventually.

 

[Zombie_61]

The Fed IV's brim is like that...it is not a "snap brim". Read up on the posts about it. You have to shape the brim yourself.

Well, there's the rub. I've read several posts on Club Obi Wan that stated it was a snap brim fedora (though, admittedly, the snap is stated to be not quite as prevalent as that of a traditional snap brim fedora). I know, I know, "Don't believe everything you read."

Wear it out in the rain and shape the brim afterward. Well, that, or you can give it some steam or spray water on it. The brim takes some working to shape, but it does shape eventually.

I have tried both (rain and water spray, that is) but the brim seems to want to return to it's former misshapen "floppiness" regardless.

Considering both of your posts, I suppose the real problem is simply my inexperience in shaping hat brims. Bashing the crown was easy, but the brim...the horror...the horror... I suppose I can consider myself fortunate that I simply wanted a decent "Indy-esque" brown fedora and not the "perfect" Indy fedora. Thank you both for the suggestions and assistance; I'll keep working with it until it's something I can live with. :cheers1:

 

[scottyrocks]

Well, there's the rub. I've read several posts on Club Obi Wan that stated it was a snap brim fedora (though, admittedly, the snap is stated to be not quite as prevalent as that of a traditional snap brim fedora). I know, I know, "Don't believe everything you read."

Its not a snap. Snap-brims need to be bound or sewn at the edge, with a circumference ever so slightly smaller than the actual raw edge, so that the brim is essentially stressed a bit. This way, the brim wants to go one way or the other, either up or down, enabling it to 'snap.'

When shaping your Fed's brim, wet it (I use a spray bottle with distilled water), shape it with your fingers, and then it sit overnight to dry. It should hold its shape after that, although not perfectly, due to normal wear.

Also, if your head shape is not the shape of the hat, as is my situation, the brim could distort slightly as you wear it. For example, the hat is a regular oval. My head is a long oval. When I got the hat, I used the included sizing foam so that the sides of the sweatband would touch my head. As the sweat shrunk and conformed to my head, in addition to removing the foam, I also started pulling on the hat front to back to help it conform to my head, and the brim took on a more dramatic swoop, which I like.

It takes a lot of work to make a Fed IV into a proper Raiders hat. But I never had the intention of perfectly duplicating any of the IJ hats, anyway. Guys on COW talk about 'screen accurate.' Im good with 'screen reminiscent' for mine.

 

[AlterEgo]

Zombie_61,

First, welcome, dude!

A new Fed IV comes with a totally flat brim--absolutely no snap or up-/downward curve. It and the Military Slouch are the only two open-crown Akubras that I know of that come with flat brims.

I think the best way to prepare a fur felt hat for shaping is to simply wear it in the rain until it is very, very wet. Then come inside, sling the excess water off, and go to work.

One way to get curve into the brim is to use a wine glass as a form. I learned that here, but you can only put so much muscle into it until the glass breaks. Shards of glass in the brim make an aggressive statement, but that is somewhat over-masculine for my tastes. Plus, you then must drink your wine straight from the bottle!

Better is to use a ball. Yes, a ball. Select a ball with about the same curvature as you want in the hat brim; the smaller the ball, the more the curve. For example, use a softball for a very gentle curve, a baseball for intermediate, a tennis ball for a tad more, a lacrosse ball for still more, and a handball for a dramatic curve.

Whatever the ball, you can really bear down forcefully with your hands on one side of the brim and the ball on the other. Just keep ooching (you do know how to ooch, now don't you?) the ball around the parts of the brim you want to curve up or down.

Key is letting the hat dry. When finished with the bashing, hang it by the inside of the sweat on a blunt knob so that the hat dangles freely, and do it at room temperature, which may take up to a day if it's very humid.

Final advice: I was persuaded by the folks here to get a Fed IV because everyone has nothing but raves for the hat, but, like you, the inherent shape--tall crown with no taper--makes it look "Heighty McDitey" on me with the traditional center crease Indy bash. So, I punched that out and rebashed with a deep front-pinch telescope (AKA teardrop) while retaining the sharp crease between the side dents. I also curved the rear of the brim up and folded the front down.

Now, my moonstone Federation IV Deluxe has a 4 1/4-inch front crown height sloping to 3 3/4-inch at the rear. With a greatly reduced crown height, it looks like a totally different hat and is quite flattering on me. The dome of the telescope is well off the top of my head, and a further reworking could easily take another 1/4 inch of crown height out if I wanted to.

 

[scottyrocks]

A new Fed IV comes with a totally flat brim--absolutely no snap or up-/downward curve. It and the Military Slouch are the only two open-crown Akubras that I know of that come with flat brims.

My Fed IV standard came with an upwardly curled brim all the way around. Initially, all I had to do was wet the front and pull and roll it down into shape, and I was essentially done - the hat was wearable in public. The rest of the brim already had a nice gentle upward curl.

 

[Zombie_61]

Also, if your head shape is not the shape of the hat, as is my situation, the brim could distort slightly as you wear it. For example, the hat is a regular oval. My head is a long oval. When I got the hat, I used the included sizing foam so that the sides of the sweatband would touch my head. As the sweat shrunk and conformed to my head, in addition to removing the foam, I also started pulling on the hat front to back to help it conform to my head, and the brim took on a more dramatic swoop, which I like.

Apparently my head is a regular oval, as the sweat band conforms to my head with no distortion and no gaps between my head and the band. And "the turn" didn't work for me at all; instead of a nice "swoop", the brim simply distorted like an old vinyl LP that had been left in the sun.

It takes a lot of work to make a Fed IV into a proper Raiders hat. But I never had the intention of perfectly duplicating any of the IJ hats, anyway. Guys on COW talk about 'screen accurate.' Im good with 'screen reminiscent' for mine.

"Screen reminiscent". I like that! As I stated in my previous post, like you I wasn't looking for an exact duplication of any of the hats seen in the four Indy films, just a nice fedora that was "Indy-esque". In fact, the hat I liked best was the style seen in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull because it looked the most like a regular fedora (no tight pinch, no "Indy swoop").

First, welcome, dude!

Thank you. I must say, I've received quite a warm welcome here.

I think the best way to prepare a fur felt hat for shaping is to simply wear it in the rain until it is very, very wet. Then come inside, sling the excess water off, and go to work.

Except for a couple of weeks ago, rain and southern California didn't co-exist much, and when it did rain it was only light showers that barely dampened the surface of the felt. I think I'll need to try again using a spray bottle. As I understand it, distilled water is preferred since tap water often contains chemicals that can affect the dyes used on the hat, correct?

Better is to use a ball. Yes, a ball. Select a ball with about the same curvature as you want in the hat brim; the smaller the ball, the more the curve. For example, use a softball for a very gentle curve, a baseball for intermediate, a tennis ball for a tad more, a lacrosse ball for still more, and a handball for a dramatic curve.

Whatever the ball, you can really bear down forcefully with your hands on one side of the brim and the ball on the other. Just keep ooching (you do know how to ooch, now don't you?) the ball around the parts of the brim you want to curve up or down.

"Ooch". Interesting terminology; it that a professional hatter's term? lol

I understand what you're describing--the tighter the curve you want, the smaller diameter of the ball you use to shape it. I must say, however, that it's only the downward turn at the front of the brim I'm having trouble with; the egdes of the rest of the brim curled up nicely during the first few days after receiving my hat, and I'm quite satisfied with the look.

Final advice: I was persuaded by the folks here to get a Fed IV because everyone has nothing but raves for the hat, but, like you, the inherent shape--tall crown with no taper--makes it look "Heighty McDitey" on me with the traditional center crease Indy bash. So, I punched that out and rebashed with a deep front-pinch telescope (AKA teardrop) while retaining the sharp crease between the side dents. I also curved the rear of the brim up and folded the front down.

Actually, I quite like the tall taperless crown. In fact, for me it may be a necessity--even with what I consider to be a rather shallow center dent (only an inch or less) the top of my head rests against the inside of the crown (or vice versa) when I'm wearing the hat, and this tends to push the center dent out a bit. A teardrop bash might be better suited to my melon, but, a) I'm not crazy about the look, and b) I think I'm far too inexperienced at hat bashing to try it in the first place.

The easiest way to solve this would be to post photos of me wearing the hat so you could all tell me, "Ah, you're crazy, it looks fine." But I don't have any. Maybe one of these days I can sweet-talk my wife into taking a few...