Dissapointment

[daizawaguy]

Wonder if any fellow Fedoraissimos have had the same experience? First I ordered a Cooper Pedy a few years ago before my interest in Fedora`s. Unfortunately was`nt my style, and it blew off my balcony. Next was a Safari (All Akubras), and the Federation - no matter now I bashed or trimmed it, it never really looked the part. Next...a style master - arrived a few weeks ago. Frankly, it looks a little cheapo...any ideas on how to make it look less `machine made`? Any with similar experiences? Frankly, best to go for a $300 hat and love it, instead of 3 $100 cheapos? Thanks for any comments! Don`nt get me wrong - Akubra are fine casual hats, but not very dressy...know what I mean?

 

[Stoney]

Change the ribbon to something with a little more flair, contrasting color without going overboard.

Bash the crown and brim by hand.. study some photos here and google image search for fedora first, especially early hats from back in the day like 1930s and 1940s style. A hat should have style, which means it must be as individual as you are, not look like it came off of a factory floor. It's fine if the bash is not perfect. Just check out some old film noir and look closely at the hats. They look great and most of them were blocked by hand.

BTW.. most don't consider Akubra hats "cheapos", the felt is fairly well made , though I admit that the sweatbands could use a little improvement. Overall a pretty good value for a decent hat. If you want something better that is not custom... then buy vintage.

 

[ScottyBlues]

Common experience

I think it's fairly common for people to struggle with the first few hats they buy as they learn what style looks best on them. And, yes, there's always a little bit of looking around until you find a maker who matches your expectations.

I have an Akubra Federation Deluxe. It's a very well-made hat, but not what I would consider a "dress" hat. For special occasions I turn to my Stetsion Pinnacle in black or my new Vintage Silhouettes Brooklyn.

Price is no guarantee that you will get something that works. Once you have a clear idea of the style you are looking for, you can have Art at Vintage Silhouettes make that for you. Note that most of his crowns are taller than contemporary hats. It's a great look, but may not work for everyone. I'd guess he could craft something with a shorter crown, if you prefer.

I agree with the advice posted by Stoney. Start with old movies and find something you see that you really like. Then try on as many hats as you can that are simlar to pin down the details of brim size and bash.

Lastly, I do think it is better to have fewer better quality hats. If you rush out and buy a lot of lower quality hats, you'll find that as you acquire more hats you wind up with ones you just don't wear very often.

 

[NonEntity]

Akubras are among the highest quality fur felt hats being manufactured today. At $90 to $135 depending on the model and vendor, they are by far the best hat value.

Keep in mind that most Akubras are outdoorsy styles that are somewhat stiff and made for durability. They do make other styles, though, that are soft and super-comfortable right out of the box, like my new open-crown Sydney fedora. Like Stoney said, to get the look you seek, peruse the many threads here on bashing/pinching crowns; it's something you just have to learn to do to get it right. Also, the crown height and taper, if any, as well as brim width, of certain hats will never look quite right on particular individuals no matter how the hat is bashed.

Once you've ruled out the bash and inherent shape as sources of the problem, if you still think an Akubra looks "cheapo," then about the only options left are to find a vintage or custom-made fedora that typically run $300 to infinity.

However, there are a few--repeat FEW--Borsalinos that are still fine hats you may find to your liking priced below a vintage or custom. For example, the superb Como, made of a soft and thin, lightweight felt constructed of a combination of beaver and rabbit fur, features a classic fedora shape and comes in a wide variety of colors. Bencrafthatters.com currently has it for $210 plus S & H.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

daizawaguy, your experience is not unusual in that people have to find what suits them. What is unusual is that you started out with a top modern manufacturer and they aren't good enough for you. Most people start further down and are dazzled by Akubras when they finally get one.

This is not a bad thing, though. While Akubras are good hats in their price bracket, they are not top-rung by any means. You sound like you want a hat that has character, style, durability, and comfort in way that aren't that common anymore. Time to go custom-made! I think you would appreciate the personal touch and artistry that goes into a custom hat. Personally, I always turn to Art Fawcett, but there are others out there. At least consider it.

Oh, and a word for the wise - price does not always correspond to quality. Even the illustrious Borsalino has some $200+ duds! And a $700 hat is probably never worth it.

 

[HDRnR]

Sounds to me like a vintage Stratoliner is in your future.

 

[Spellflower]

I struggled for some time to get the bash of my Federation to look right on my head. It looked great on other Loungers, but I just didn't feel that it fit me. After many attempts, I finally got it into a shape that suited me.

Still, it was a very big hat, so I bought a Fedora (Sydney), which I hoped would solve the problem. I liked the hat its self, and it looked okay on me, but I didn't LOVE the way I looked in it, no matter what the bash.

Eventually, I had the luck to obtain some vintage hats, and I finally found THE hat I always wanted, a Dobbs Twenty. Part of what I love is the dimensions- they just happen to work. But part of it is also the certain quality that vintage hats have that modern ones don't.

Now I think of my Akubras as my second string hats, the ones I wear when I'm not feeling like dressing up too much, or when I might get dirty. They're good hats, for what they're worth, but they just don't compare to my Dobbs.

Still, I'm glad I bought them. They serve their purpose well, and they helped tide me over until my Dobbs came along. Also, they helped me figure out what dimensions I did need. If I had gone to Art without a clear idea of what I wanted, I would have wasted $300 on a lower crown and wider brim than I actually need. Now I know exactly what I'd ask him to make me (if I had the money).

 

[Justdog]

Great Advice

Slowly worming my way through what works and what does not.
Variety also allows you to wear a hat if in a different mood.
Recently aquired several different style vintage and am more than pleased.
Price for 4 of them does not scratch the price of modern higher end lids.
Custom is great of course because it tailors to your exact taste and fit.
Here is one that is particularly reminicent of classic fedora style.
Vintage of course.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/WormserSteele22.jpg

 

[dr greg]

HFC

Akubras reflect the culture that spawned them, they are tough and not too flash, and in this country a 'town' hat is still expected to be fairly durable. Akubra made Stetsons here for many years, and they were a bit more dressy, but still that durability in all conditions was a part of the image.
Having recently acquired a decent Borsalino for the first time I was amazed at the softness and pliability etc etc as I'd never owned a true dress hat before. I could never wear it down to the cattle sales though, whereas any Akubra would pass muster no problems.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

As others have said, look at pictures of hats from the era that are what you're trying to achieve in the bash and see how it compares to what you actually did on your own. How about taking your hat & pictures of what you'd like it to look like to a local hat shop and have them do the bash for you? Carefully watch how they do it. As with anything else, the pros have little tricks of the trade, they've done it for years, and they make it look so easy, but I find if you show interest and comment and ask questions as they're doing the work, (Ah, so that's how you do that!" or "I kept trying to get that, but it never worked for me. How did you do that again?") they'll probably show you what they're doing more closely. Everyone likes to show off some of the knowledge and skills they've acquired, and when someone shows real interest, they're usually happy to show and explain how the process works.

And as others have posted - hats are something of a learning process. It takes a few hats to find what you like, what looks good, what looks right for you. If you'd plunged into a custom hat as your first, you probably wouldn't be happy with it in the long-term. But by trying and buying a few, you're narrowing the field down to what you really, truly want.

A year ago, I tried on an Akubra Squatter and thought the brim looked absolutely huge on me, and I bought the Sydney instead. A few months ago, I bought a Federation. I think now, if I were to try on the Squatter again, the brim wouldn't be that huge on me, because I've gotten used to the look, I've grown accustomed to it.

 

[thunderw21]

It's normal to have a difficult time finding the right hat, especially when you first begin. I'm glad to see that you're keeping up the search; many would have quit by now saying "I just don't look good in a fedora".

For me it's finding the right bash. I have a tall head that doesn't go well with a deep center crease unless the crown is ultra tall. So, I always fall back on the trusty diamond and C bashes.

 

[KeyGrip]

I find it helps if you have a cheap hat with which to experiment. My friend and I have share a cheap wool fedora which we've bashed into a few different styles. As I type this, I'm in my kitchen next to a boiling kettle trying to get a decent looking C crown; practicing for when I get my first Akubra. It's a fun way to get a feel for different styles without getting a whole new hat.