Akubra Overload

[Zombie_61]

...The Fed IV. Well these will take getting used to. Somewhat cartoonish in brim width and crown height...

I agree with Johnnycanuck. You're used to wearing hats with narrow brims and short, tapered crowns, so even a moderately wide brim and taller crown like the Fed IV has will take some getting used to.

...They come with an open crown which is WORK...

Work? Shaping the crown on your hats is supposed to be fun.

...Each of the Fed IV's that I purchased have a different character. The bash I did for one will not work exclusively for all of them. You need to find what works with each individual one...

Many of us here have found this to be true of almost all hats. You can start out with a specific crease in mind, but the hat will let you know what it wants.

 

[Frunobulax]

Work? Shaping the crown on your hats is supposed to be fun.

Hear, hear!

 

[Sonero]

Can you ever ruin a hat by working the felt so much that it won't bend into anything else ? Or can they be stiffened up again at a hatter ?
That is partly what gets me concerned while working with an open crown. Otherwise coming up with a design can be fun.

On the other hand I do like hats with a bash already in them. The " Work " that goes into them is part of the creation from the hat maker. I somehow feel cheated with an open crown hat....that I have not been sold a complete work.

 

[Mm25]

Hey Sonero,
As with everything discretionary, it's up to you. I guess everyone views things their own way. I feel an open crown is my chance to make a hat uniquely mine. Pre-creased is someone else's idea of a hat. I want a hat not like any other, and I get that by doing the bashing myself.
But does it really matter how we enjoy our hobbies? As long gone as we do enjoy them, I think not.

 

[Bob Roberts]

I like em both. I've seen some hatters creases/bashes/pinches on certain hats that I like and will have them do it for me as I kno it wont come out exactly the same if I do it myself. Other times I want to work my own open crowns.

 

[moontheloon]

Can you ever ruin a hat by working the felt so much that it won't bend into anything else ? Or can they be stiffened up again at a hatter ?
That is partly what gets me concerned while working with an open crown. Otherwise coming up with a design can be fun.

On the other hand I do like hats with a bash already in them. The " Work " that goes into them is part of the creation from the hat maker. I somehow feel cheated with an open crown hat....that I have not been sold a complete work.

There were no pre creased hats until probably the 1940s when it was used as a sales pitch stating the hats were "hat check girl proof " or something of that nature.... even then it didn't really catch on until much later when hat wearing was pretty much long gone

To me creasing your own hats it what it is all about ... not to mention it is one of the easiest things you will ever do in life and some of the most fun you can have with a hat

There is nothing I despise more in the world of hats than a pre creased fur felt hat ... they just look cheap and horrible to me ... Even worse though is a hand creased hat that looks blocked

To each their own though

 

[GLB Pro]

Even worse though is a hand creased hat that looks blocked

What does that mean, please?

 

[Michael R.]

What does that mean, please?

Too Perfect , or like it was formed by a machine .

 

[Hurricane Jack]

There is nothing I despise more in the world of hats than a pre creased fur felt hat ... Even worse though is a hand creased hat that looks blocked

I don't like the blocked, machine pressed look either but I would add that I personally don't like the look of finger knurled knuckles put randomly into big pinches to make a hat look more vintage.

 

[moontheloon]

I don't like the blocked, machine pressed look either but I would add that I personally don't like the look of finger knurled knuckles put randomly into big pinches to make a hat look more vintage.

not sure I understand how knurled knuckles are put randomly into pinches ... the felt either buckles or it doesn't

 

[Hurricane Jack]

not sure I understand how knurled knuckles are put randomly into pinches ... the felt either buckles or it doesn't

I don't have any examples to post but suffice it to say I'm not talking about the single random buckle in the felt that sometimes occurs in a deep pinch. I'm talking about examples with as many as 4-5 knuckles bunched up in a pinch. It's done for the effect of making the fedora look more vintage & random, same as painting or spraying salt water on a western or perhaps an Indy to distress & age its appearance. It's not something I care for.

 

[moontheloon]

I don't have any examples to post but suffice it to say I'm not talking about the single random buckle in the felt that sometimes occurs in a deep pinch. I'm talking about examples with as many as 4-5 knuckles bunched up in a pinch. It's done for the effect of making the fedora look more vintage & random, same as painting or spraying salt water on a western or perhaps an Indy to distress & age its appearance. It's not something I care for.

I honestly have no idea what you are talking about ... so I would have to see it

not even sure how one would achieve this if it is modern thick felt that does not buckle

 

[Frunobulax]

I don't have any examples to post but suffice it to say I'm not talking about the single random buckle in the felt that sometimes occurs in a deep pinch. I'm talking about examples with as many as 4-5 knuckles bunched up in a pinch. It's done for the effect of making the fedora look more vintage & random, same as painting or spraying salt water on a western or perhaps an Indy to distress & age its appearance. It's not something I care for.

I think I understand what you mean but I'm not certain how it makes it look "more vintage." I'm usually "intentionally careless by design" when creasing my hats, because I like the random look on most. The result is the result (he said, tautologically).

 

[moontheloon]

I think I understand what you mean but I'm not certain how it makes it look "more vintage." I'm usually "intentionally careless by design" when creasing my hats, because I like the random look on most. The result is the result (he said, tautologically).

but if the felt is thick modern felt that doesn't ripple how would you randomly make it ripple?... and furthermore why?

I too am in the careless crease camp ... you know that ... what comes out comes out ... but if the felt doesn't ripple , it doesn't ripple

 

[Cap_7597]

but if the felt is thick modern felt that doesn't ripple how would you randomly make it ripple?... and furthermore why?

I too am in the careless crease camp ... you know that ... what comes out comes out ... but if the felt doesn't ripple , it doesn't ripple

When I got this Fed Deluxe in, I went for random. Just pinched it and put it on. Snapped a pic.

I had in mind that it would look like one of your 50's OR's that looks literally bashed and thrown on the head!!!

But with the thick felt, even with a half hazard effort of creasing, it still almost looks blocked!! No way you could put a ripple in it!
Other than than the small imperfections I can notice and the center dent not exactly straight, it looks almost blocked!

But, I know I put it in and that's what matters to me. And I figure over time it'll look like hats of old.... Maybe? Haha



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I think I understand what you mean but I'm not certain how it makes it look "more vintage." I'm usually "intentionally careless by design" when creasing my hats, because I like the random look on most. The result is the result (he said, tautologically).

What I'm talking about did not happen randomly. The only thing random about it is the fact it's not symmetrical. It makes the big pinch look like a cauliflower ear or something. Looks contrived & it didn't happen naturally over time. JMO & YMMV.

 

[moontheloon]

What I'm talking about did not happen randomly. The only thing random about it is the fact it's not symmetrical. It makes the big pinch look like a cauliflower ear or something. Looks contrived & it didn't happen naturally over time. JMO & YMMV.

even on vintage hats those ripples do not happen "over time"

they happen the second you pinch it ... it is the nature of the thin dense felt

this is not something that happens with some sort of aging process

 

[Bob Roberts]

When bashing an open crown sometimes they crease, buckle, "knuckle" get gnarly and sometimes they don't. If they dont, Im not gonna make em just to give them a broken in well worn "road weary" effect. If they do and the crown/brim can keep and maintain a fairly balanced and pleasing conformation between creases/pinches/bashes I'll enjoy them as something of my own creation. As far as something (bash, pinches, brim flange, etc) thats neat, crisp, clean, well structured and beautifully rendered by a talented hatter I enjoy wearing and enjoying those also. Just like I have well worn broken in boots and shoes that I wear with blue jeans that I certainly wont wear with a dress suit. I'll put on my hatters bashed creation or my nicely bashed clean and crisp creation with my dress suit and polished dressier shoes/boots.

 

[moontheloon]

When bashing an open crown sometimes they crease, buckle, "knuckle" get gnarly and sometimes they don't. If they dont, Im not gonna make em just to give them a broken in well worn "road weary" effect. If they do and the crown/brim can keep and maintain a fairly balanced and pleasing conformation between creases/pinches/bashes I'll enjoy them as something of my own creation. As far as something (bash, pinches, brim flange, etc) thats neat, crisp, clean, well structured and beautifully rendered by a talented hatter I enjoy wearing and enjoying those also. Just like I have well worn broken in boots and shoes that I wear with blue jeans that I certainly wont wear with a dress suit. I'll put on my hatters bashed creation or my nicely bashed clean and crisp creation with my dress suit and polished dressier shoes/boots.

I completely respect that and you look damn good in them ... but all the "talented hatter" did was put the hat on a block with that shape and steam it in.

I put "talented hatter" in quotes because most of the time these hats are assembly line mass manufactured hats blocked by someone punching a clock.

whoever carved the block may be of more credit ... most of the time that is not the hatter ... and today they are often not even wood blocks

 

[Bob Roberts]

I completely respect that and you look damn good in them ... but all the "talented hatter" did was put the hat on a block with that shape and steam it in.

I put "talented hatter" in quotes because most of the time these hats are assembly line mass manufactured hats blocked by someone punching a clock.

whoever carved the block may be of more credit ... most of the time that is not the hatter ... and today they are often not even wood blocks

Thank you Anthony. I like to have the option of wearing both and not limit myself to one style or look. Im making the distinction between factory production and the custom hatters that we all know and love who may crease and bash by hand a certain specfic design (at our request) or possibly even put their work on one of their own shaped blocks... thats the distinction between those factory bashed hats that you're referring to. I prefer open crown but have no issues with custom hatters rendering a certain bash/crease/pinch and brim flange work to my design.