Fed IV Question

[Cornshucker77]

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.

Looking good Zombie. Great photos.

 

[Zombie_61]

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

Leather can be a finicky and fickle beast. I've lost about 30 pounds over the last year, so mine might have "unshrunk".

...I'm also in the camp that does not like the "turn."...

Agree about the turn...

My only problem with "the turn" is that it isn't comfortable to wear my hats that way.

Looking good Zombie. Great photos.

Thank you Sir, I appreciate it!

 

[scottyrocks]

My only problem with "the turn" is that it isn't comfortable to wear my hats that way.

It takes a little wear-time, and the hat conforms to your head, much the same way a new hat can need some head time to break in, when that is necessary, as it often is with these hats.

 

[Zombie_61]

It takes a little wear-time, and the hat conforms to your head, much the same way a new hat can need some head time to break in, when that is necessary, as it often is with these hats.

Sounds like too much trouble just to make the brim wonky.

 

[scottyrocks]

Sounds like too much trouble just to make the brim wonky.

Depends how much value you put on wonkiness.

 

[Zombie_61]

Depends how much value you put on wonkiness.

I can sincerely appreciate wonkiness, but only when it's earned honestly through years of dutiful service. When I was doing the research before buying my first "real" hat back in 2008 I spent a good amount of time on the Club Obi Wan forum, and was somewhat shocked by the comments from people who were intentionally damaging their hats, jackets, boots, etc., by using various methods to give them that "well used/lived in" look. I understood it from a costumer's perspective, but the rational part of my brain said, "Just wear the damn things and let them get there on their own!"

 

[Rogera]

I can sincerely appreciate wonkiness, but only when it's earned honestly through years of dutiful service. When I was doing the research before buying my first "real" hat back in 2008 I spent a good amount of time on the Club Obi Wan forum, and was somewhat shocked by the comments from people who were intentionally damaging their hats, jackets, boots, etc., by using various methods to give them that "well used/lived in" look. I understood it from a costumer's perspective, but the rational part of my brain said, "Just wear the damn things and let them get there on their own!"

Amen!

 

[scottyrocks]

I can sincerely appreciate wonkiness, but only when it's earned honestly through years of dutiful service. When I was doing the research before buying my first "real" hat back in 2008 I spent a good amount of time on the Club Obi Wan forum, and was somewhat shocked by the comments from people who were intentionally damaging their hats, jackets, boots, etc., by using various methods to give them that "well used/lived in" look. I understood it from a costumer's perspective, but the rational part of my brain said, "Just wear the damn things and let them get there on their own!"

True, but there is a difference between intentionally damaging a hat to make it look worn (aka adding 'character'), and turning it on your head a little to get a brim shape.

I have never, and would never, intentionally beat up a hat, or apply anything such as Fullers Earth to a hat to make it look older than it is (or was a few minutes prior to application of said product).

My older hats look older because I have worn them for a long time - some of them for days or weeks on end.

I had said earlier that now that I have more hats than I did years ago that many of them get worn less often, so they look new, or the aging process has slowed or stopped. And that's okay.

My brown Fed IV has recently been reblocked, and it looks a lot better than it did just prior. I also reblocked my Fed III but it is to that point that not much I can do is gonna help. And that's okay, too. It earned its character the old-fashioned way - via time and use.

 

[Krash1974]

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.

The diamond reminds me of Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy and other actors during that era. I grew up watching those types of movies because that’s what my parents would put on and I’m thankful that they did.
My Wilson’s is my only leather jacket so I’m looking for a heavier brown one. Not too much heavier, also one that’ll go with the Fed.
I find myself fiddling with it at every opportunity, by the way. I wonder how much fiddling a Fed can take?
It’s good to have a chance to get back on The Lounge. Not to change the subject or the mood but my wife’s father (who lived in New Orleans) passed away last Thursday. We were going down to New Orleans that day anyway, but after coming back Sunday (the funeral was Saturday) my wife headed down again to help her sister with various things. I’ll be happy to have her back home. I know Sam will. I’m not as good a cook, haha.
Sorry if it’s an inappropriate place to post such information, this just happens to be my most visited thread. And again, not trying to bring the mood down.

 

[Krash1974]

Leather can be a finicky and fickle beast. I've lost about 30 pounds over the last year, so mine might have "unshrunk".

My only problem with "the turn" is that it isn't comfortable to wear my hats that way.

Thank you Sir, I appreciate it!

“Unstuck”! That’s a good one.

 

[Krash1974]

My Fed IV has a white liner. Not at all complaining, but I thought it was supposed to be champagne. I wonder if they changed or mine is an oddity.

 

[Zombie_61]

The diamond reminds me of Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy and other actors during that era. I grew up watching those types of movies because that’s what my parents would put on and I’m thankful that they did...

Those are two of my all-time favorite actors, so I'll accept that as a serious compliment and thank you most sincerely. When I started re-creasing the Dark Brown Fed my only thought was to see if it would take a Diamond crease--any Diamond crease. But once it began to take shape, it reminded me of so many hats I'd seen in those movies from the 1930s and 40s that I decided to go with what, in my mind, was a "traditional" Diamond crease. So I'm very pleased that you recognized at least a little of that in the shape(s).

...My Wilson’s is my only leather jacket so I’m looking for a heavier brown one. Not too much heavier, also one that’ll go with the Fed...

If by "heavy" you mean "good for cold weather", as much as I like my Wested jacket I tend to think of it as a leather windbreaker because it's too warm for me in temperatures above low-70s (°F) and not warm enough in temperatures below low-60s unless I wear something like a sweatshirt under it because it has no insulation beyond what the leather and thin lining provide. If you're referring to the jacket's actual weight, I've never weighed any of my jackets but it's probably slightly heavier than most other leather jackets I've worn. But it's so soft and comfortable that I really don't notice.

...I find myself fiddling with it at every opportunity, by the way. I wonder how much fiddling a Fed can take?...

As long as you don't physically damage the felt by somehow cutting it or burning it, I think you'll be okay; Akubra has built a reputation for producing durable hats. They're not indestructible, of course, but like most fur felt hats a little care goes a long way.

...It’s good to have a chance to get back on The Lounge. Not to change the subject or the mood but my wife’s father (who lived in New Orleans) passed away last Thursday. We were going down to New Orleans that day anyway, but after coming back Sunday (the funeral was Saturday) my wife headed down again to help her sister with various things. I’ll be happy to have her back home. I know Sam will. I’m not as good a cook, haha.
Sorry if it’s an inappropriate place to post such information, this just happens to be my most visited thread. And again, not trying to bring the mood down.

First, I'm sorry to hear of your loss and you have my sympathies. I obviously don't know what your relationship with your father-in-law was like, but I'm hoping it was a good one and nothing like the stereotypical in-law relationships that most comedians joke about.

I think you'll find most (if not all) of the members here are very sympathetic and many have experienced the loss of a loved one, so there's no need to apologize.

My Fed IV has a white liner. Not at all complaining, but I thought it was supposed to be champagne. I wonder if they changed or mine is an oddity.

All of my Feds have white liners, as do two of my three Campdrafts, so it's not at all unusual.

 

[Scuttle]

I find myself fiddling with it at every opportunity, by the way....

To me, its my own downside to open crown hats. If a hat comes pre-bashed, or with someone else's crease? Cool!

If I crease it myself...?

Fiddle...

fiddle...

fiddle.

{{tweak}}

~ S.

 

[BobHufford]

Not to change the subject or the mood but my wife’s father (who lived in New Orleans) passed away last Thursday.

Sorry for this loss to you and your family Krash.

 

[scottyrocks]

My Fed IV has a white liner. Not at all complaining, but I thought it was supposed to be champagne. I wonder if they changed or mine is an oddity.

All of mine have white liners. Or they started out that way, anyway.

 

[scottyrocks]

The diamond reminds me of Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy and other actors during that era. I grew up watching those types of movies because that’s what my parents would put on and I’m thankful that they did.
My Wilson’s is my only leather jacket so I’m looking for a heavier brown one. Not too much heavier, also one that’ll go with the Fed.
I find myself fiddling with it at every opportunity, by the way. I wonder how much fiddling a Fed can take?
It’s good to have a chance to get back on The Lounge. Not to change the subject or the mood but my wife’s father (who lived in New Orleans) passed away last Thursday. We were going down to New Orleans that day anyway, but after coming back Sunday (the funeral was Saturday) my wife headed down again to help her sister with various things. I’ll be happy to have her back home. I know Sam will. I’m not as good a cook, haha.
Sorry if it’s an inappropriate place to post such information, this just happens to be my most visited thread. And again, not trying to bring the mood down.

No, that's okay. We get lots of sharing of personal info here. My condolences to you and your family.

 

[scottyrocks]

To me, its my own downside to open crown hats. If a hat comes pre-bashed, or with someone else's crease? Cool!

If I crease it myself...?

Fiddle...

fiddle...

fiddle.

{{tweak}}

~ S.

I don't think I could ever again buy a hat that has a machine-made crease in it. They never come out exactly the way I like them, and changing them can be considerably more difficult than changing an open-crowned hat that was creased by hand - either someone else's or mine.

After you have been at this for a while, you should be able to tell what types of creases individual hats will look best with or prefer, if you will. I do all my fiddling over a steaming tea kettle, which makes changing and fine tuning easy-peasy.

 

[Zombie_61]

To me, its my own downside to open crown hats. If a hat comes pre-bashed, or with someone else's crease? Cool!

If I crease it myself...?

Fiddle...

fiddle...

fiddle.

{{tweak}}

~ S.

I was very much like this when I started wearing hats nearly a decade ago. Over the years I've come to realize I'm a little OCD when it comes to symmetry (and not just with hats) so if both sides of the brims or crowns were somehow uneven I'd "fiddle fiddle fiddle". Part of the problem with that is that my head and face are asymmetrical, so I struggled with that for a while. But thanks to the members here and their wonderful daily display of hats of all shapes and vintages I soon accepted and embraced the asymmetry as "the nature of the beast" and allowed my hats to develop their own individual and unique character. The moment I did that, hat collecting and wearing became a lot more fun.

 

[Scuttle]

After you have been at this for a while, you should be able to tell what types of creases individual hats will look best with or prefer, if you will. I do all my fiddling over a steaming tea kettle, which makes changing and fine tuning easy-peasy.

... I soon accepted and embraced the asymmetry as "the nature of the beast" and allowed my hats to develop their own individual and unique character. The moment I did that, hat collecting and wearing became a lot more fun.

Thanks, guys.

I know it's a combination of a few different factors for me, starting with being much more of a perfectionist with my own amateur efforts/outcomes than others' (vs. commissioning and expecting professional/custom results-- a whole other ball o' wax) regardless of the subject at hand.

Specific to the hat thing, I'm still learning what interplay of crown/brim dimension, crease, and my own features leads to what I want (how I hope to look and what actually Happens, heh), all of which is currently leading to extra fiddling.

But is also fun.

~ S.

 

[scottyrocks]

Thanks, guys.

I know it's a combination of a few different factors for me, starting with being much more of a perfectionist with my own amateur efforts/outcomes than others' (vs. commissioning and expecting professional/custom results-- a whole other ball o' wax) regardless of the subject at hand.

Specific to the hat thing, I'm still learning what interplay of crown/brim dimension, crease, and my own features leads to what I want (how I hope to look and what actually Happens, heh), all of which is currently leading to extra fiddling.

But is also fun.

~ S.

That's the process. Glad you are enjoying it!