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  1. jlee562

    I love the Fed IV!!

    https://hatsdirect.com/pages/the-federation-iv The Federation comes "Open Crown" ready for you to shape. Crown height is 5 5/8ths inches (142mm). Made from an original wooden hat block set which have not been used for over 35 years. The brim is dimensional cut to 2 1/2" (63mm) on the sides and...
  2. jlee562

    Ask a question, get an answer

    So I pulled mine out, still looks good! The felt is super soft and supple now that it's "aged" a bit. Tacking stitches are a bit obvious, but marginally nicer than Hatco ( no poly thread for one). I again, can't vouch for durability, only that if you treat it like a nice dress hat, it stays a...
  3. jlee562

    Ask a question, get an answer

    It's not that Akubras 'never' shrink. On the contrary, they are infamous for their shrinking sweatbands. They are, on balance, more resilient to weather than other brands, especially at their given price point. However, we have also recently seen a fairly tapered Fed IV posted to the lounge, so...
  4. jlee562

    OTHER THAN eBAY Hats: Victories, Defeats, Gripes & Items of Interest

    7 3/8 big 'ol Stetson What's your size Joao? Heck, there's more than enough felt to reblock to your size...
  5. jlee562

    Hat color selection

    Hey Jonesy, shifting this over from WHAYWT, here's a comparison shot from this morning (a bit overcast, per SF usual) of my Optimo in Oxblood on the left, VS Black Cherry (suede finish) on the right, and a Black Sheep Hatworks 100% beaver black cherry swatch in the middle.
  6. jlee562

    Akubra Campdraft

    Nothing has been said about Akubra that hasn't been said about a modern Borso or Stetson. Suddenly everybody is aghast when I suggest sending a CD back, but nobody bats an eye about that silverbelly strat, because, Hatco, apparently.
  7. jlee562

    Akubra Campdraft

    I don't necessarily disagree with the above comments, but I still think it's worth asking if there's been a measurable decline in quality. The amount of spidering in that hat is beyond what seems to be the norm for many here. Maybe it's a one off/bad luck. Those things happen. But maybe it's not.
  8. jlee562

    What Hat Are You Wearing Today 1?

    this one is my Optimo Dillinger in Oxblood. Black Cherry and Optimo's oxblood are very close shades. To my eye, oxblood has a hint more reddish tone and black cherry has a slightly bluer tone. But we are talking very minor differences.
  9. jlee562

    HUFVUD HATMAKER | Lund, Sweden

    Lock & Co. finally added a listing for the Cambridge bowler online, although they don't sell it through the website apparently. Theirs would be the classic Oddjob bowler from the Bond movies. I also really like what Jude Law wore as Holmes in the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes movies:
  10. jlee562

    What Hat Are You Wearing Today 1?

    Ok, taking requests now! :D
  11. jlee562

    HUFVUD HATMAKER | Lund, Sweden

    I eagerly await a picture of a Cambridge bowler! That's a style that's definitely on my list.
  12. jlee562

    What Hat Are You Wearing Today 1?

    No, knew that the full 5 3/4" open crown was going to be too tall for me, so I asked for a slightly lower crown when I ordered.
  13. jlee562

    What Hat Are You Wearing Today 1?

    Penman Pork Pie today: this was my first ever custom hat. Initially it was a center dent fedora modeled after the Public Enemies Dillinger hat. After acquiring the actual Optimo Dillinger lid, I creased this one into a pork pie because I didn't have one. Beautiful vintage ribbon on this one.
  14. jlee562

    Akubra Campdraft

    +1 on this. The worst thing they can say is no. spidering is indeed not uncommon in modern hats, but what the pic showed is beyond the norm for a fairly shallow crease IMHO. If you're intent to keep it anyway, I would definitely steam and brush it. You can likely minimize the effect. A spritz...
  15. jlee562

    Akubra Campdraft

    Open Crown Stetsons: A Call (Plea) to Retailers!! And:
  16. jlee562

    Akubra Campdraft

    Yup. That's felt spidering, as was referenced from the Open Crown Stetson thread. The consensus we reached back then is that this happens with too much stiffener on a felt with below optimal density. See Joshbru's comments in the link. I would actually push harder for a return even though you...
  17. jlee562

    Akubra Campdraft

    Well, we've had discussions on this in the past. Check out the open Crown Stetson thread, for example. Stiffness isn't indicative of quality, especially in modern felts. Ideally, an open crown hat isn't going to have too much stiffener in the crown. Too much often causes spidering of the felt...
  18. jlee562

    Akubra Campdraft

    So apparently since 2015, Akubras have been made from imported European rabbit fur. Akubra shuttered their fur processing facility in the same year. The same article notes that Akubras have not been purely Australian fur since the 90's. Perhaps significant, perhaps not. I recall that Steve has...
  19. jlee562

    Akubra Campdraft

    Yup, that's the article I had in mind. I mean, Hatco pumps out their fair share of clunkers too...The original premiere strat I received was apparently part of a batch made with the wrong grade of felt (royal bodies for the blocked in crease version were used in place the royal deluxe felt for...
  20. jlee562

    Akubra Campdraft

    Now I'm curious.... How many Loungers have picked up an Akubra post-2014 and the switch to imported fur? we have experiences like Al's, which seem to be the archetypal Akubra (shrinking sweat, but holds up for the long haul). But we've also recently seen a pretty decently misshapen Fed IV, and...

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