Fed IV Question

[Krash1974]

View attachment 106762 View attachment 106760 View attachment 106761 Finally got her shaped like I like! After a long day, here she is!

Lol, these pictures are coming to you the way life’s been comin’ at me the last two days: sideways.
Sorry about that. Every time I try to edit them, they’re deemed too large to upload. Maybe they just need a V8!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

View attachment 106762 View attachment 106760 View attachment 106761 Finally got her shaped like I like! After a long day, here she is!

You have an Indy look going on. I think it looks great.

 

[Krash1974]

You have an Indy look going on. I think it looks great.

Thank you, sir. Much appreciated. Yeah, I got the Indy thing a few times today. I’ll take it; the guy’s got style! Haha.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Thank you, sir. Much appreciated. Yeah, I got the Indy thing a few times today. I’ll take it; the guy’s got style! Haha.

I dig the Indy look. I've thought about it several times but it has never happened for me yet. I'm also in the camp that does not like the "turn."

In any case, your hat looks great.

 

[Krash1974]

I dig the Indy look. I've thought about it several times but it has never happened for me yet. I'm also in the camp that does not like the "turn."

In any case, your hat looks great.

Yeah, I don’t think the turn is for me, either.
I didn’t expect my hat to be so tall. After seeing my first bash in it, my wife’s first reaction was that it was ok. Not a good sign, knowing how excited I was. She didn’t want to burst my bubble. I reminded her that she was gonna be the one walking around with me wearing it for years to come and she said, “Okay, it’s too tall.”
Determined, I eventually took the side dents way back and brought the center bash down in the back as far as it would go and curled the sides to keep from looking like a 12 year old wearing his dad’s hat.
When I then modeled it for my wife, she straightened up on the sofa, tilted her head and asked, “What did you do? That looks great!”
That was all I needed to hear. I am extremely happy with the result. I tried a teardrop but that left the crown looking too wide on me.
Thank you for the compliment! Coming from a fellow hat-man with good taste in hats, that means a lot.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Yeah, I don’t think the turn is for me, either.
I didn’t expect my hat to be so tall. After seeing my first bash in it, my wife’s first reaction was that it was ok. Not a good sign, knowing how excited I was. She didn’t want to burst my bubble. I reminded her that she was gonna be the one walking around with me wearing it for years to come and she said, “Okay, it’s too tall.”
Determined, I eventually took the side dents way back and brought the center bash down in the back as far as it would go and curled the sides to keep from looking like a 12 year old wearing his dad’s hat.
When I then modeled it for my wife, she straightened up on the sofa, tilted her head and asked, “What did you do? That looks great!”
That was all I needed to hear. I am extremely happy with the result. I tried a teardrop but that left the crown looking too wide on me.
Thank you for the compliment! Coming from a fellow hat-man with good taste in hats, that means a lot.

Isn't it nice to be able to customize a hat to your liking? My wife also doesn't like tall crowns, but I do. And I like wide brims and my wife likes my stingy brims. I'll dress for my wife when going out with her, just like she does for me (be still my beating heart), but when I'm at work or with the guys I wear what I like.

 

[Krash1974]

Isn't it nice to be able to customize a hat to your liking? My wife also doesn't like tall crowns, but I do. And I like wide brims and my wife likes my stingy brims. I'll dress for my wife when going out with her, just like she does for me (be still my beating heart), but when I'm at work or with the guys I wear what I like.

Yeah, that’s why I thought that this hat would be a great choice; I can be very picky about a hat and this one seemed very customizable. Unfortunately, we don’t have any shops in town to be able to try different ones on, so I had to resort to the internet. Turns out, Hats Direct was perfect!
Yeah - talking about wives - it’s fun to make someone happy who likes to make you happy!

 

[Zombie_61]

...Yeah, I got the Indy thing a few times today. I’ll take it; the guy’s got style! Haha.

I've worn my Dark Brown Fed IV with my Wested "Raiders" leather jacket, and I've never had anyone make an Indy reference. Of course, I don't look anything like Harrison Ford so that might have something to do with it.

I think your new Fed looks great, and looks good on you Krash!

 

[Krash1974]

I've worn my Dark Brown Fed IV with my Wested "Raiders" leather jacket, and I've never had anyone make an Indy reference. Of course, I don't look anything like Harrison Ford so that might have something to do with it.

I think your new Fed looks great, and looks good on you Krash!

Hey thanks, man! That’s quite a compliment coming from you, whose Tawny fits you perfectly! I was actually trying for a shape similar to your picture where they are all lined up (on a bench?), but had to go with what I got. I’m very happy with it.
I really want to get a Wested Raiders or Crusader. Those are great looking jackets. Don’t know whether to get goat or lamb. Probably in the fall, I’m hoping. Which leather did you go with?

 

[Scuttle]

I love the before-and-after, and the hat looks great on you! Well done.

~ S.

 

[Krash1974]

I love the before-and-after, and the hat looks great on you! Well done.

~ S.

Thank you, sir! Much appreciated!

 

[scottyrocks]

View attachment 106762 View attachment 106760 View attachment 106761 Finally got her shaped like I like! After a long day, here she is!

Great job on the crease!

 

[Krash1974]

Great job on the crease!

Thanks, man! Took a while, but I finally got it.

 

[Zombie_61]

Hey thanks, man! That’s quite a compliment coming from you, whose Tawny fits you perfectly! I was actually trying for a shape similar to your picture where they are all lined up (on a bench?), but had to go with what I got. I’m very happy with it...

And thank you Sir! Yeah, I've been using that little old wood bench as a low budget photo platform for a while now. It was originally part of a backyard/patio table set, the rest of which is long gone. How and why it survived I have no idea, but it's slight curve makes it easier to show off my meager hat collection.

Speaking of which last year I finally managed to give my Dark Brown Fed a Diamond crease. I previously hadn't had much luck with Diamond creases, so I was surprised by how easily it accepted it's new shape. I liked it so much that I went a little crazy and re-creased my other Feds as well, but reading through this and the other Akubra threads recently made me realize I hadn't taken any photos of them on my head, so I remedied that a couple of weeks ago.

And back on the bench, to show the shapes from above.

I clearly have a preferred "look" for my Feds. The Dark Brown looks a little dusty in the photos, but it isn't; that's just how the felt photographs after nearly a decade of handling.

...I really want to get a Wested Raiders or Crusader. Those are great looking jackets. Don’t know whether to get goat or lamb. Probably in the fall, I’m hoping. Which leather did you go with?

After doing quite a bit of research I went with their Novapelle which is a "pre-distressed" cow hide. I like the looks of the jacket and wanted to wear it as a practical jacket rather than simply a costume item, and thought the cow hide would be more durable in the long-run than goat or lamb. Also, I went with a "custom" jacket because the measurements of their "off the rack" version didn't quite match up to my own measurements. At the time (2008) I had read a number of complaints about the quality of their work, but the jacket I received had none of that and fit exactly as I wanted it to...with one minor exception--the sleeves. At the time a lot of people advised adding an inch or two to the sleeve length to compensate for the wrinkling/creasing at the elbows as the jacket gets worn and broken-in. I had experienced this with previous leather jackets, so it made sense and I added an inch to my measurements. The end result is that the sleeves are a little longer than I'd like and haven't "shrunk" due to the expected wrinkling/creasing, but that's really a minor quibble. Another minor complaint is that the "distressing" done to the Novapelle has rendered the leather anything but water-resistant; in fact, mine absorbs water like a sponge, so I don't wear it when it's raining. Otherwise, the jacket is exactly what I wanted, was soft and very comfortable the first time I put it on, and has gotten softer and even more comfortable as I've worn it and broken it in a bit.

 

[Krash1974]

And thank you Sir! Yeah, I've been using that little old wood bench as a low budget photo platform for a while now. It was originally part of a backyard/patio table set, the rest of which is long gone. How and why it survived I have no idea, but it's slight curve makes it easier to show off my meager hat collection.

Speaking of which last year I finally managed to give my Dark Brown Fed a Diamond crease. I previously hadn't had much luck with Diamond creases, so I was surprised by how easily it accepted it's new shape. I liked it so much that I went a little crazy and re-creased my other Feds as well, but reading through this and the other Akubra threads recently made me realize I hadn't taken any photos of them on my head, so I remedied that a couple of weeks ago.

And back on the bench, to show the shapes from above.

I clearly have a preferred "look" for my Feds. The Dark Brown looks a little dusty in the photos, but it isn't; that's just how the felt photographs after nearly a decade of handling.

After doing quite a bit of research I went with their Novapelle which is a "pre-distressed" cow hide. I like the looks of the jacket and wanted to wear it as a practical jacket rather than simply a costume item, and thought the cow hide would be more durable in the long-run than goat or lamb. Also, I went with a "custom" jacket because the measurements of their "off the rack" version didn't quite match up to my own measurements. At the time (2008) I had read a number of complaints about the quality of their work, but the jacket I received had none of that and fit exactly as I wanted it to...with one minor exception--the sleeves. At the time a lot of people advised adding an inch or two to the sleeve length to compensate for the wrinkling/creasing at the elbows as the jacket gets worn and broken-in. I had experienced this with previous leather jackets, so it made sense and I added an inch to my measurements. The end result is that the sleeves are a little longer than I'd like and haven't "shrunk" due to the expected wrinkling/creasing, but that's really a minor quibble. Another minor complaint is that the "distressing" done to the Novapelle has rendered the leather anything but water-resistant; in fact, mine absorbs water like a sponge, so I don't wear it when it's raining. Otherwise, the jacket is exactly what I wanted, was soft and very comfortable the first time I put it on, and has gotten softer and even more comfortable as I've worn it and broken it in a bit.

Man, those are some good lookin’ Feds; not only the forward view but I love that profile look. Suits you well. That profile is what I was trying to achieve with a tear drop. Thanks to your aerial view, I think I’ll try the diamond.
Looking around for a good brown leather jacket, it looks like Wested has the best quality/price ratio from the reviews, which is kinda odd because folks do pick their jackets for costuming. Their Raiders just has that timeless, classic look that I really dig. It just doesn’t look dated.
I think that my 20 year old black jacket from Wilson’s leather is goat (has that pebble look, almost like a football but less uniform) and it really has stood up well to daily wear for all this time so I think I’ll go with a goat Raiders. Thanks for the info on the distressed version. Think I’ll go non-distressed.
That bench looks like a great place to sit and enjoy some home grown oranges!

 

[Krash1974]

And thank you Sir! Yeah, I've been using that little old wood bench as a low budget photo platform for a while now. It was originally part of a backyard/patio table set, the rest of which is long gone. How and why it survived I have no idea, but it's slight curve makes it easier to show off my meager hat collection.

Speaking of which last year I finally managed to give my Dark Brown Fed a Diamond crease. I previously hadn't had much luck with Diamond creases, so I was surprised by how easily it accepted it's new shape. I liked it so much that I went a little crazy and re-creased my other Feds as well, but reading through this and the other Akubra threads recently made me realize I hadn't taken any photos of them on my head, so I remedied that a couple of weeks ago.

And back on the bench, to show the shapes from above.

I clearly have a preferred "look" for my Feds. The Dark Brown looks a little dusty in the photos, but it isn't; that's just how the felt photographs after nearly a decade of handling.

After doing quite a bit of research I went with their Novapelle which is a "pre-distressed" cow hide. I like the looks of the jacket and wanted to wear it as a practical jacket rather than simply a costume item, and thought the cow hide would be more durable in the long-run than goat or lamb. Also, I went with a "custom" jacket because the measurements of their "off the rack" version didn't quite match up to my own measurements. At the time (2008) I had read a number of complaints about the quality of their work, but the jacket I received had none of that and fit exactly as I wanted it to...with one minor exception--the sleeves. At the time a lot of people advised adding an inch or two to the sleeve length to compensate for the wrinkling/creasing at the elbows as the jacket gets worn and broken-in. I had experienced this with previous leather jackets, so it made sense and I added an inch to my measurements. The end result is that the sleeves are a little longer than I'd like and haven't "shrunk" due to the expected wrinkling/creasing, but that's really a minor quibble. Another minor complaint is that the "distressing" done to the Novapelle has rendered the leather anything but water-resistant; in fact, mine absorbs water like a sponge, so I don't wear it when it's raining. Otherwise, the jacket is exactly what I wanted, was soft and very comfortable the first time I put it on, and has gotten softer and even more comfortable as I've worn it and broken it in a bit.

Also, your orange trees make me think of “The Two Jakes”. If you haven’t seen it, it’s pretty good.

 

[Zombie_61]

Man, those are some good lookin’ Feds; not only the forward view but I love that profile look. Suits you well. That profile is what I was trying to achieve with a tear drop. Thanks to your aerial view, I think I’ll try the diamond...

The funny thing is, when I first joined The Lounge I didn't care for the Diamond crease. "Why would someone put straight lines on a round hat?" But the more I saw hats with Diamond creases, both here and in movies on TCM, the more it grew on me. So I tried it on one of my Campdrafts, and failed miserably. Felt too stiff, fists of ham, fingers of butter, whatever the reason it looked like a malformed Teardrop so I stopped trying.

Now, I've always liked fedoras, but thought I'd look like even more of a goon wearing one when I was younger. But after seeing the hat Harrison Ford wore in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which was creased far more "normally" than the Raiders hat, I finally decided I had waited long enough and was old enough to not care about what anyone else thought. So I got my first real hat, the Dark Brown Fed IV. I wanted to keep it "Indyesque", but every time I put it on my head would push out the Center Dent crease no matter what I did. So I got other hats--a Campdraft, another Fed IV, another Campdraft, and so on, and never wore the dark brown Fed. Eventually I concluded it was foolish to own a hat I never wore, so I gave up on the "Indyesque" idea and tried to give it a Diamond crease, and it worked! I liked it so much that I went a little crazy and gave my other Feds Diamond creases as well (obviously).

...Looking around for a good brown leather jacket, it looks like Wested has the best quality/price ratio from the reviews, which is kinda odd because folks do pick their jackets for costuming. Their Raiders just has that timeless, classic look that I really dig. It just doesn’t look dated.
I think that my 20 year old black jacket from Wilson’s leather is goat (has that pebble look, almost like a football but less uniform) and it really has stood up well to daily wear for all this time so I think I’ll go with a goat Raiders. Thanks for the info on the distressed version. Think I’ll go non-distressed...

Somewhere around here I still have my first leather jacket, a Wilson's "biker" jacket that I got about 35 years ago. It has held up very well over the years and the fit is more snug these days, but I can still wear it as long as I don't plan on raising my arms or zipping it up.

I think the Raiders/Indy jacket has that timeless look because wardrobe designer Deborah Nadoolman decided not to include the knit cuffs and hem from the A-2 jacket it was based on. Don't get me wrong, I love the A-2. It has a classic look, and it's both practical and very comfortable. But because of it's history most people will see one and immediately think "World War II". Removing the knit cuffs and hem somehow also removes that association for most people, and the end result is another classic look from an era most can't quite pin down.

...That bench looks like a great place to sit and enjoy some home grown oranges!

Yeah...the towel is there for a reason--it hides a lot of chipped paint and splinters, and protects my hats from them. But the oranges are good! And I have seen The Two Jakes. Not as good as Chinatown, but worth seeing at least once.

 

[Cornshucker77]

Here is a good shot of my Carbon Gray:

View attachment 105805

I don't wear it as often as I should. My Moonstone got customized by Henry the Hatter:

View attachment 105806 -- trimmed brim (a little too much, but now I like it) and a matching ribbon. A bit dressier than the Carbon Gray, I think.

Reading this thread, I find myself wanting a dark brown one. . . .

I like them very much. Great looking hats.

 

[Cornshucker77]

The funny thing is, when I first joined The Lounge I didn't care for the Diamond crease. "Why would someone put straight lines on a round hat?" But the more I saw hats with Diamond creases, both here and in movies on TCM, the more it grew on me. So I tried it on one of my Campdrafts, and failed miserably. Felt too stiff, fists of ham, fingers of butter, whatever the reason it looked like a malformed Teardrop so I stopped trying.

Now, I've always liked fedoras, but thought I'd look like even more of a goon wearing one when I was younger. But after seeing the hat Harrison Ford wore in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which was creased far more "normally" than the Raiders hat, I finally decided I had waited long enough and was old enough to not care about what anyone else thought. So I got my first real hat, the Dark Brown Fed IV. I wanted to keep it "Indyesque", but every time I put it on my head would push out the Center Dent crease no matter what I did. So I got other hats--a Campdraft, another Fed IV, another Campdraft, and so on, and never wore the dark brown Fed. Eventually I concluded it was foolish to own a hat I never wore, so I gave up on the "Indyesque" idea and tried to give it a Diamond crease, and it worked! I liked it so much that I went a little crazy and gave my other Feds Diamond creases as well (obviously).

Somewhere around here I still have my first leather jacket, a Wilson's "biker" jacket that I got about 35 years ago. It has held up very well over the years and the fit is more snug these days, but I can still wear it as long as I don't plan on raising my arms or zipping it up.

I think the Raiders/Indy jacket has that timeless look because wardrobe designer Deborah Nadoolman decided not to include the knit cuffs and hem from the A-2 jacket it was based on. Don't get me wrong, I love the A-2. It has a classic look, and it's both practical and very comfortable. But because of it's history most people will see one and immediately think "World War II". Removing the knit cuffs and hem somehow also removes that association for most people, and the end result is another classic look from an era most can't quite pin down.

Yeah...the towel is there for a reason--it hides a lot of chipped paint and splinters, and protects my hats from them. But the oranges are good! And I have seen The Two Jakes. Not as good as Chinatown, but worth seeing at least once.

My leather jacket shrunk just like yours did. Funny how they do that.

 

[Cornshucker77]

I dig the Indy look. I've thought about it several times but it has never happened for me yet. I'm also in the camp that does not like the "turn."

In any case, your hat looks great.

Agree about the turn. The Crystal Skull Fedora is my favorite of the bunch.