I love the Fed IV!!

[Landman]

Alex,

Your "before crease" and "after crease" pictures are a perfect example of how the Akubra's snug up after bashing one. The first Campdraft I bought I almost sent it back open crown for being too big but after getting some advice from the Lounge I kept it and put a crease in it. The hat ended up fitting perfect but I never would have expected that based on the way it fit open crown.

 

[Qvist]

Alex,

Your "before crease" and "after crease" pictures are a perfect example of how the Akubra's snug up after bashing one. The first Campdraft I bought I almost sent it back open crown for being too big but after getting some advice from the Lounge I kept it and put a crease in it. The hat ended up fitting perfect but I never would have expected that based on the way it fit open crown.

Strange. My Campdraft Deluxe fits exactly the same after creasing as it did before creasing. No snugging to be detected. But maybe the standard version shrinks more easily?

 

[Landman]

I am in between sizes and buy the larger size. I have standard and Heritage grade Campdrafts. Both were big initially but after creasing the fit is much better. Putting a crease in it really doesn't do much for the fit of the sweatband but prevents it from dropping down over your ears. Once it is creased then wearing it awhile will snug up the sweatband. I also usually mist an Akubra with distilled water to crease them. I find that gives me more time than just steaming it to get the crease the way I want it and probably helps with tightening the sweatband.

 

[carranty]

Strange. My Campdraft Deluxe fits exactly the same after creasing as it did before creasing. No snugging to be detected. But maybe the standard version shrinks more easily?

Same here, mines a little large without foam and didn't snug up any from creasing. That said, the top of my head does touch the crown once creased, which stops the hat from resting on my ears. Maybe that's what people mean??

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk now Free

 

[gtdean48]

None of my CDs touch the top of my head, no hat I own does that = couldn't stand to wear it.
It does depend on the type of crease you do as well.
I prefer rather long side dents with a good "tugboat" profile to my creases = a good drop from the front pinch to the rear crease with a gentle rise in between.
If you are doing a relative flat teardrop or diamond, the impact to the fit will be less much like a telescope crease. JMHO

 

[carranty]

It does depend on the type of crease you do as well.
I prefer rather long side dents with a good "tugboat" profile to my creases

Ah, that's probably it, I usually just bash in a shallow diamond. I guess maybe it alters the shape of the hat as well, so perhaps if someone's head is 'X' oval (where X=regular long, egg etc), a crease makes the hat more 'X' oval and therefore fits better?

Yes, I do have a Silverbelly Campdraft. Here are the two hats together:

Thanks Zombie, great pics as always. Your photos are making me want a tawny fawn more and more every day!

 

[Zombie_61]

Alex,

Your "before crease" and "after crease" pictures are a perfect example of how the Akubra's snug up after bashing one. The first Campdraft I bought I almost sent it back open crown for being too big but after getting some advice from the Lounge I kept it and put a crease in it. The hat ended up fitting perfect but I never would have expected that based on the way it fit open crown.

I didn't experience this to such a degree with my dark brown Fed IV because I gave it a simple Center Dent crease, which is relatively shallow (3/4" deep) because my head takes up quite a bit of room inside the crown and lightly touches the underside of the Center Dent. On the plus side, with the hat resting on the top of my head, it was held in place nicely while the sweatband shrunk and conformed to my head.

The difference in the fit between "open crown" and "creased" was far more noticeable with my new Fed IV because, I think, the gentle "S curve" transition between the outer crown and the inner "bump" of the Teardrop crease uses up more felt and draws the felt around the circumference of the crown slightly inward. And because the center bump of the Teardrop crease yields more head space inside the crown than a Center Dent crease, there's a bit of space between my head and the underside of the bump on both my new Fed IV and my Campdraft even though the profile of the crowns is lower than that of my older Fed IV.

...I also usually mist an Akubra with distilled water to crease them. I find that gives me more time than just steaming it to get the crease the way I want it and probably helps with tightening the sweatband.

I concur, though I don't know how or why this happens. I not only noticed an improved fit between the "open crown" and "dry bashed" shapes of my new Fed IV, but I noticed the fit was improved even further between the "dry bashed" and "sprayed with distilled water and refined" shapes. As I mentioned previously, the sweatband still has a little shrinking to do (if I bend forward so that my torso is parallel to the floor, my hat will shift slightly), but even if that doesn't happen the hat is very comfortable to wear and will certainly get a lot of head time.

...Thanks Zombie, great pics as always. Your photos are making me want a tawny fawn more and more every day!

We sure are enablers on this forum, aren't we? lol Since it was ManofKent's photos that convinced me to get my Tawny Fawn Fed, I'll chalk it up to the "pay it forward" concept.

Speaking of enabling...

 

[xbeatles4x]

Man I am starting to think that in heritage grade I should have purchased a 59 instead of a 60. Even with felt strips it still feels just a tinge loose on me and it has been a few weeks now and many good sweats. Im going to leave my hat in my car tonight and retrieve it tomorrow around 10am or so. Lets see how that goes.

 

[nigeloscar]

Spare a thought today guys for the good people from the community of the Blue Mountains, where most of you perhaps have purchased your Feds.. Terrible bush fires have run riot in Sydney and its surrounding areas destroying hundreds of homes, pets and dreams...

 

[carranty]

Im going to leave my hat in my car tonight and retrieve it tomorrow around 10am or so. Lets see how that goes.

I wouldn't recommend this. Leaving it in a hot car will almost certainly shrink it some, but it'll shrink the felt, not just the sweatband. You could end up getting quite a bit of taper once you stretch it back out to fit you, and I wouldn't be surprised if the brim will distort some.

If you really don't like it, resell it on the lounge while its still in good condition, and put the funds towards a new one. I doubt many people will want it if it shrinks too much.

 

[Crazy Dave]

Spare a thought today guys for the good people from the community of the Blue Mountains, where most of you perhaps have purchased your Feds.. Terrible bush fires have run riot in Sydney and its surrounding areas destroying hundreds of homes, pets and dreams...

Ouch, mojo sent.

 

[xbeatles4x]

Alright guys I think that maybe my hat is a size too big. I just measured my head again and now I am getting a perfect 59, or when in inches a 23 and in between 1/4 and 1/8 inches.

I am contemplating seeing if a forum member would trade my 60 for an equal grade 59. Thoughts? Does the heritage grade shrink as much? My main concern at this point is that the hat will fit great for the first few weeks and then shrink a little.

 

[xbeatles4x]

This is the amount of sizing tape I am using.

 

[xbeatles4x]

I have not worn it in the rain yet. Is it possible I just need to wear it even longer to get an even more snug fit? and eventually I can start to remove some foam strips?

 

[gtdean48]

...Does the heritage grade shrink as much? My main concern at this point is that the hat will fit great for the first few weeks and then shrink a little.

Not as much as an Imperial, no. Any hat even custom made, will fit great & get a little tighter because leather does that & that is what the sweatband is made from. If you perspire on a sweatband & it dries off your head, it will shrink some. As your sweat evaporates it takes oils in the leather with it & the leather pores collapse causing it do draw up. New felt continues to felt, fibers get tighter. The Imperial is "looser" than Heritage thus it will felt more over time.
Now one item that keeps a sweat the same size is the reed. That is what it is there for.
The amount of foam padding you have isn't that much. Depending on what material you used, it could be compressing more than you need. That is why I use felt strips & not foam. Foam has much more air pockets than felt. JMHO

 

[Blackthorn]

Alright guys I think that maybe my hat is a size too big. I just measured my head again and now I am getting a perfect 59, or when in inches a 23 and in between 1/4 and 1/8 inches.

I am contemplating seeing if a forum member would trade my 60 for an equal grade 59. Thoughts? Does the heritage grade shrink as much? My main concern at this point is that the hat will fit great for the first few weeks and then shrink a little.

The heritage grade doesn't shrink at all, in my experience. And the last few imperial grades haven't shrunk either, so I've realized that I have to order my real size. They may have changed something in the leather they use for sweat bands.

 

[xbeatles4x]

Hmm. I was worried that I was using too much. After thinking more I am using foam and not felt. Maybe I should stop by a craft store like michaels and pick up some felt and try that. Believe it or not I am sitting in my front yard in a lounge chair studying for a test with my hat on and it feels fine now.

Honestly I think the problem lies in my head. Both literally and figuratively.

Ill try the felt thing and go from there, but as of now it seems to be fine. I was worried I was using way too much.

 

[xbeatles4x]

The heritage grade doesn't shrink at all, in my experience. And the last few imperial grades haven't shrunk either, so I've realized that I have to order my real size. They may have changed something in the leather they use for sweat bands.

Ok so I will try the whole felt strip rather than foam. If I have any problems I will probably try to trade it for a heritage grade in 59 then. I hope it doesnt come to that.

 

[Lotsahats]

There's another part to this, too, though: you want to wear your hat, not think about whether it's right for you. Even if it's all in your head, you might end up being happier with a different hat. I've bought hats that were absolutely fantastic looking, but I ended up selling them because I was too worried about how they felt on my head. Fit, comfort, style--they all have to be there for the hat to be right.

In the long run, if you don't like the way it feels, it might be time to try another hat. YMMV, of course.

A

 

[ManofKent]

There's another part to this, too, though: you want to wear your hat, not think about whether it's right for you. Even if it's all in your head, you might end up being happier with a different hat. I've bought hats that were absolutely fantastic looking, but I ended up selling them because I was too worried about how they felt on my head. Fit, comfort, style--they all have to be there for the hat to be right.

In the long run, if you don't like the way it feels, it might be time to try another hat. YMMV, of course.

A

Wise advice!