Akubra Federation IV with a lighter band? (Looking for input)

[wrvavra]

Hi fellas,
Sniffing around the Lounge and looking at the Hats Direct site, I've suddenly got the itch to get a dark brown Akubra Federation IV. I think I'd like to go with a lighter ribbon than the default, though. I'm looking for something coppery or fleshy rather than a darker brown. Any comments?

(Also maybe noteworthy: before I started leaning towards the Fed IV I was looking at getting a mink Stetson Temple. Basically what I'm going for is a hat with a tall-ish crown and a wide ribbon.)

All input is greatly appreciated. Thanks, fellas.

 

[Jingo Mastapone]

I say do it! A distinctive ribbon is a great way to make a hat memorable and contrast is a great way to achieve distinction. A coppery color would be awesome.

Something you might try is simply pulling the ribbon off and giving it a quick bath in a dye remover solution or, if you're brave, a light bleach solution. It's fun to see what you end up with this way. I once put a couple black ribbon swatches in pure bleach (very bad idea) and one came out pretty much white and the other was a pinkish hue. And they would only fall apart if you touched them... Time is a factor and you can pull it out whenever you like where it's at, rinse it out and dry it, and slap it back on your hat. Or... you could then re-dye it with another color. I'm itching to try this.

 

[wrvavra]

Interesting. I don't know if I'm looking to get that funky, but that sounds like it could turn out to be something very cool. You would do that with the default brown ribbon? (Heh, this is a little evocative of tie-dying to me.)

 

[Jingo Mastapone]

Yeah, I'm talking about using the stock ribbon but it's not tie-dying at all! It will simply turn the ribbon a lighter color. A uniform color. The longer you leave it in the solution, the more it will change.

 

[wrvavra]

lol, yeah, I just thought my mental comparison to tie-dying was kind of funny. I'd love to see pictures of anyone who has a darker hat with a not-too-stark lighter band on it. They seem to be relatively rare compared to darker bands.