I love the Fed IV!!

[Woodfluter]

For Doublegun:

Dittoing what ScottF and FFF said about steaming. Including times needed. I'd just add that you might find it easiest to go by stages instead of steaming the entire hat. For example, steam the top of the crown and get the center dent or diamond or approximate C-crown shape in there, then steam the front and work on any pinches or side dents, then maybe the front of the brim, followed by the back and sides. Then revisit anything that doesn't look right. It will stay pliable for a while but it helps to work fairly fast and re-steam promptly if something isn't quite right. And I reckon you know how useful a mirror is here. I do a lot of final shaping in front of one.

For CyberGent:

I'm no expert by a long shot, but by trial and no serious errors I've found you can do an number of things by hand and without specialized gear if you are careful and have a good eye. Stuff like a pencil edge on a Western is fairly easy.

Dishing the back of the brim was done by steaming (maybe wetting a little too, can't remember) and using curved stemless glasses to press the brim against a hard surface, while raising the hat up...having trouble describing this exactly...

You want to shorten the outer circumference, the part closest to the edge, so you squish that together while softened and it starts looking all wrinkly and awful, but then you steam it *really* hot there, lift up so only the outer part touches the counter and work from sides to back rolling the glassware hard against it. Repeat as needed. Ends up smooth and un-wrinkled but dished. Yeah, I know I'm crazy but I don't have a flange and will try stuff with replaceable hats.

- Bill

 

[cybergentleman]

progress

"replaceable hats." a sign of the highly improved standard of living since the days when a man owned one hat ;-)

think what the future holds- replaceable suits, cars and eventually houses ;-)


seriously though, i like your idea- if i do it i'll be sure to post the results.

 

[Gilgamark]

Been gone for a while due to work, but I had to post this:

I just walked past my hat rack and thought, "If I could only keep one of my possession, it would probably be my moonstone Fed IV Deluxe."

Damn straight.

 

[cookie]

Been gone for a while due to work, but I had to post this:

I just walked past my hat rack and thought, "If I could only keep one of my possession, it would probably be my moonstone Fed IV Deluxe."

Damn straight.

The only hat that is anywhere better than mine it is my Schoble beaver...

 

[CRH]

...

Dishing the back of the brim was done by steaming (maybe wetting a little too, can't remember) and using curved stemless glasses to press the brim against a hard surface, while raising the hat up...having trouble describing this exactly...

You want to shorten the outer circumference, the part closest to the edge, so you squish that together while softened and it starts looking all wrinkly and awful, but then you steam it *really* hot there, lift up so only the outer part touches the counter and work from sides to back rolling the glassware hard against it. Repeat as needed. Ends up smooth and un-wrinkled but dished. Yeah, I know I'm crazy but I don't have a flange and will try stuff with replaceable hats.

You might be crazy, Woodfluter, but I might be a little slow.

Could you possibly post a picture of a curved stemless glass?

 

[scottyrocks]

ScottF made a good point.

Although I was trying for an Indy-like hat, I was not intent on recreating any of them exactly. I wet the hat down and started messing with it until it had the shape and dimensions I wanted, but I let the hat itself have some say in what it would eventually look like. I wanted a high crown with a tight pinch, center dent, the front of the brim to swoop down a certain amount, and the back and sides to be up, but not too up. As it turned out, the back and sides, right out of the box, were perfect.

 

[CRH]

ScottF made a good point.

Although I was trying for an Indy-like hat, ...

My impression is that the Fed was designed originally for the Indy crowd. The flat brim makes sense in this respect.

If I were ever to get a Fed it would be brim down front and back with the sides curled up just the right amount.

 

[Goose.]

Not an expert by any stretch, but I have never steamed a Fed in my Federation Tugboat Fleet...Standard or Deluxe.

Having typed such, I have used a spray bottle with tepid water to get the point of the crown to "tugboat". That's it.

Don't get why one would want to steam one. Maybe I'm missing something.
Everything else done dry including the rear curls. The whole enchirito...dry.

Inquiring Goose wants to know....

Yes sir, I agree with you. Maybe I'm used to seeing the lower, tugboat crown, but it seems so much better. Great look!

HEY CHUCK! Thanks and thanks again for the pics of the Squatter in the other thread. Thought I'd post here as my Willow Green Sqautter now looks like one of my Feds except for a bound edge Tugboated it.

 

[ScottF]

Not an expert by any stretch, but I have never steamed a Fed in my Federation Tugboat Fleet...Standard or Deluxe.

Having typed such, I have used a spray bottle with tepid water to get the point of the crown to "tugboat". That's it.

Don't get why one would want to steam one. Maybe I'm missing something.
Everything else done dry including the rear curls. The whole enchirito...dry.

Everything but the dents and brim could have been done dry. No way the dents were staying without liquid assistance.

I'm surprised you could get the brim to do anything without water - I tried repeatedly to get mine to swoop a little dry, and it refused. Probably more patience would have done it...but hey, the steam was already steaming.

 

[Goose.]

Everything but the dents and brim could have been done dry. No way the dents were staying without liquid assistance.

I'm surprised you could get the brim to do anything without water - I tried repeatedly to get mine to swoop a little dry, and it refused. Probably more patience would have done it...but hey, the steam was already steaming.

HAH! Great point ScottF. Didn't think of it when I posted the previous. You are correct...the dents were sprayed when I did the front crown point.
However, as an example, I did my Squatter w/o any water. The dents were not as resilent as they are now as I have sprayed it for the tug gig. But, they were there dry. Posted as my most recent gig from yesterday for reference.

And the Fed brims I have...took time, indeed. The Moonstone FIVD was the toughest for some reason. And, it's needs a tune up as I look at it now. Wavy gravy. But, Gospel, no water except for rain or when turning on the sprinkler to water the yard. But I sit here on calls for work or watching the tube working them. A labor of love or OCD...depends on if you are asking my wife or me

Squatter yesterday, totally dry bashed before I sprayed it this AM for the tugboat.
Keep in mind, it is a true snap brim...but the dents and crown were done by my mitts w/o H2O...

 

[Chuck Bobuck]

HEY CHUCK! Thanks and thanks again for the pics of the Squatter in the other thread. Thought I'd post here as my Willow Green Sqautter now looks like one of my Feds except for a bound edge Tugboated it.

Goose, love your green Squatter. The pics were fun, I bashed and rebashed mine and I'm happier with the way it turned out. Appreciate your Fed photos also. Carbon Fed now on the way from HD.

 

[Woodfluter]

You might be crazy, Woodfluter, but I might be a little slow.

Could you possibly post a picture of a curved stemless glass?

Good grief...It's bad enough that I spend time photographing hats, now I'm illustrating glassware for heaven's sake.



The one in the middle is a stemless wine glass - no pedestal bits on the bottom - the others aren't but together these give a range of curvatures that are helpful for shaping different places. Somewhere around here but not found is a blue glass pill bottle that has even tighter curves, found in a stream bed. You get the idea. Sharp edges will make creases, so you keep away from those and just press with the curved sections.

I'd show you a mock-up of me doing this but was too lazy to dig out the tripod.

- Bill

 

[ScottF]

Squatter yesterday, totally dry bashed before I sprayed it this AM for the tugboat.
Keep in mind, it is a true snap brim...but the dents and crown were done by my mitts w/o H2O...

I really like that squatter - I'm guessing it also has slightly thinner felt than the Fed IV? I handled a 'Sydney' a few weeks ago, and figured it would be easy to hand-bash because of the thinner felt.

This Fed IV will be my last hat for a while, so it's a good one to end on. My gf is moving in to my tiny place and I am reducing the hats to 10 total. The Fed IV makes the cut easily.

 

[babs]

Ok gents.. I so very much apologize for these questions if already covered at nausium. (newb here).... I've learned sofar, that the "Akruba" hat is a brand of the maker, and I guess hatsdirect is an Australian distributor? or factory direct?

No real matter, but just wondering how silly would it be for me to order one of these obviously fine hats vs just a local online dealer?
(in Asheville, NC .. Home of the Biltmore House.. come visit us)

I assume they have some sort of big U.S. distribution maybe? Or it's done all the time, every day?

... Just wondering as I figured the great continent on the other side of the big ball would be a bit far for me to be doing online orders. Just wondering. Would love one of their hats maybe in a gray fedora or other similar dress felt.

OR.. I guess maybe I should be asking, is there a more appropriate place I should be shopping for my neck of the woods for one of these Feds or similar Akubra hats?

 

[Doctor Strange]

You gotta order long-distance!

You're pretty much out of luck re buying Akubras domestically. Only a couple of dealers carry them, and there's no price advantage. You'll have to buy from Australian dealers via the web like the rest of us! (You can't buy from the factory directly, but there are many Aussie dealers.)

Once you're reasonably sure of your size, it's a snap. And with the VAST amount of expertise and pictures here (compared to a few years ago), you'll have guidance and help.

HatsDirect is a great dealer. They carry a huge inventory, and their shipping is very fast. (And they are the only dealer that has the beloved "Federation" model of this thread.) The downside is, their prices and their shipping are more expensive than some other dealers.

Among the other dealers, Everything Australian and Aussie Bush Hats & Oilskins are good bets (I've had good transactions with both). They mostly carry the country and western models in stock, and it will be a three-month wait for a lot of styles. And their shipping is slower - but their prices are definitely lower.

For example: if you want a nice (very) dark grey fedora, it's hard to beat the Mid-Grey Stylemaster from Everything Australian - which was only about $87 shipped when I checked a couple of days ago. (But for another $25, you can have it here faster from HatsDirect - and in the lighter, more flexible Moonstone Grey color, if you prefer.)

 

[Chuck Bobuck]

Ok gents.. I so very much apologize for these questions if already covered at nausium. (newb here).... I've learned sofar, that the "Akruba" hat is a brand of the maker, and I guess hatsdirect is an Australian distributor? or factory direct?

No real matter, but just wondering how silly would it be for me to order one of these obviously fine hats vs just a local online dealer?
(in Asheville, NC .. Home of the Biltmore House.. come visit us)

I assume they have some sort of big U.S. distribution maybe? Or it's done all the time, every day?

... Just wondering as I figured the great continent on the other side of the big ball would be a bit far for me to be doing online orders. Just wondering. Would love one of their hats maybe in a gray fedora or other similar dress felt.

OR.. I guess maybe I should be asking, is there a more appropriate place I should be shopping for my neck of the woods for one of these Feds or similar Akubra hats?

babs, if you're referring to the Akubra Federation IV (Fed, as we call it), it's only available through Hats Direct in Australia...

http://www.hatsdirect.com/

David Morgan is the only U.S. Distributor, they sell various Akubras.

 

[babs]

Thank you gentlemen.

So I get the impression their "Akubra" rabbit fur felt is pretty much inline or better maybe than the typical fur felts or felt blends in "non-wool" felt hats... With variance a bit between their two grades).

Given what I've been seeing in the pricing on a lot of sites, $100+ on into the $200-$300 range even... $85 strikes me as a serious bargain if it's equal quality.. Even if more well traveled over the pacific ocean than I am.

I fear a collection coming.. That stylemaster is very sharp.. I'd love a gray with black or darker band like that.. And the hampton definitely looks like a good pick.. and if they had a non-black homburg (as I just bought one), I'd be all over it as well.

 

[Goose.]

...
I fear a collection coming.. That stylemaster is very sharp.. I'd love a gray with black or darker band like that.. And the hampton definitely looks like a good pick.. and if they had a non-black homburg (as I just bought one), I'd be all over it as well.

Babs...
Given a choice between the Hampton or the Akubra Homburg...get the Homburg. Hands down my favorite lid. If one were to count the frequency of wear, I wear mine more than all my others combined. Probably a good four days out of the week...easy. And, I get more compliments on it than any other. Just an hour ago, a friend introduced me to a lady that mentioned at least three times how much she liked my hat (Homburg). I'll post that conversation in the "nicest comments" thread later...more to the story.

My Hampton, probably worn less than a dozen times. But, your mileage may vary. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. Don't run with scissors.

Anyway, don't "fear" a collection coming on. Accept the addiction and embrace it. Nothing to fear. We're not a cult or gang...we're"enthusiasts"
So, "welcome".

Hampton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Akubra Homburg

.

EDIT: This being The Fed Thread, I should post that "I like the Feds on my head". Now I can sleep tonight.
.

 

[babs]

I got impulsive and am actually winning a new black Miller (Biltmore) stingy brim on ebay currently.. I think I may have the bug. uh oh!

 

[cookie]

Not an expert by any stretch, but I have never steamed a Fed in my Federation Tugboat Fleet...Standard or Deluxe.

Having typed such, I have used a spray bottle with tepid water to get the point of the crown to "tugboat". That's it.

Don't get why one would want to steam one. Maybe I'm missing something.
Everything else done dry including the rear curls. The whole enchirito...dry.

Inquiring Goose wants to know....

HEY CHUCK! Thanks and thanks again for the pics of the Squatter in the other thread. Thought I'd post here as my Willow Green Sqautter now looks like one of my Feds except for a bound edge Tugboated it.

The Tuggie is the go for the Fed IV Goose ...no question about it...