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I love the Fed IV!!

At this point I think I will just sell the hat and buy a 59.

from personal experience, I'd rather have one a little loose than tight. I had a 58 fed that fit ok at time of purchase, but over the ~4 years I've had it it's shrunk ~ 1/2 size and now every couple of weeks I throw it on a wood block and steam it a little so it's not too tight. I've recently purchased a used 59 heritage model and there's nothin' better than a comfortable hat.

I'm sure my two cents is late, but enjoy your hats reguardless of which one you keep
 

xbeatles4x

One of the Regulars
Messages
104
Location
Miami
See that is the thing. It is a comfortable hat but today with a small wind I damn near lost the hat multiple times.

I caught myself trying to pull the hat further down than usual today in the wind and that is what tipped me off to maybe it is just too big.
 

BlackMaskPulp

New in Town
Messages
43
Location
Ont.CAN
It's been about 2 months now and I have taken out all felt strips. I've worn it in the rain, snow and sweated in it. The hat has shrunk enough so it fits perfectly without extra stuffing. I ordered a 61 but I'm a 60 so that bit of advice proved to be true. Thanks for the help everyone. Really diggin' this hat!
 

Rogera

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,365
Location
West Texas
I am a 57 and ordered a 58 and it is beginning to settle nicely. I like to wait until the weather cools but the sun still heats the inside of my truck to about 85 degrees and leave my hat in there while I am at work. After a few "treatments" it shrinks up nicely.
 
Messages
12,003
Location
Southern California
Interesting. My head measures 23-5/8", which is almost exactly 60 cm. My Campdraft and both of my Fed IVs (all Imperial Grade felt) are size 60, and they all fit just right (in my opinion) without me having to have taken any extreme measures to shrink them; I just shaped them and wore them until they snugged down. Of course, there's always the possibility that I measured my head wrong and just got lucky on the sizing. :D
 

carranty

One of the Regulars
Messages
108
Location
England
Well I finally took the plunge and ordered myself a tawny fawn fed, only to be told there won't be any available in my size until January. Darn :-(

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk now Free
 

fedoracentric

Banned
Messages
1,362
Location
Streamwood, IL
I finally got a Fed IV. I am not that impressed. The brim is a bit too floppy for me and I find I don't like the brim shorter on the sides. I guess I like the same brim size all the way 'round (this is the first hat I've had with a brim shorter on the sides). Plus it suffers from "modern day" feel to me. It just lacks the quality of a vintage. But, I don't come to hat wearing from an Indiana Jones direction, so that probably adds to my less than enthusiastic impression of the hat.
 
Messages
12,003
Location
Southern California
I'm not sure any modern hatter who is selling their hats at Akubra's rather reasonable (in my opinion) price point is producing anything that has the "vintage quality" you're looking for. You could always trim the brim to a uniform width all the way around, but that might not make you like it any more than you do now.

I'm sure I'm telling you something you already know, but you should decide whether or not you want to sell the hat before you make any drastic alterations to it. This thread is confirmation that the Fed IV has a lot of fans, so passing it on to someone who likes the Fed IV as-is shouldn't be too difficult.
 

viclip

Practically Family
Messages
571
Location
Canada
I finally got a Fed IV. I am not that impressed. The brim is a bit too floppy for me and I find I don't like the brim shorter on the sides. I guess I like the same brim size all the way 'round (this is the first hat I've had with a brim shorter on the sides). Plus it suffers from "modern day" feel to me. It just lacks the quality of a vintage. But, I don't come to hat wearing from an Indiana Jones direction, so that probably adds to my less than enthusiastic impression of the hat.

I'm curious as to which version of the Fed IV you acquired ... the standard or the deluxe?
 

m0nk

One Too Many
Messages
1,004
Location
Camp Hill, Pa
Fyi, for my moonstone I did trim it to a 2 3/8" uniform width and it works well... of course it is floppy and the crown definitely doesn't look like my vintage hats, but for the price I think it gets the job done.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
 

fedoracentric

Banned
Messages
1,362
Location
Streamwood, IL
I'm curious as to which version of the Fed IV you acquired ... the standard or the deluxe?

I guess it is the standard. It just says fed IV on the sweat.

As to messing around cutting on it, I would never do that, for sure. I am considering putting it up on ebay. But the seller emailed me right after I got it and he told me that the guy that came in second place on the bidding was very interested and that if I wanted to sell it to let him know.

I haven't decided yet, though. But I am pretty sure I won't much wear it.

I just prefer vintage hats made before 1960, I have to say. All the ones I've bought that were made after 1965 just don't hat "it" as far as I am concerned.

Well, I'll have to think on it, I guess.
 

Blackthorn

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,566
Location
Oroville
I finally got a Fed IV. I am not that impressed. The brim is a bit too floppy for me and I find I don't like the brim shorter on the sides. I guess I like the same brim size all the way 'round (this is the first hat I've had with a brim shorter on the sides). Plus it suffers from "modern day" feel to me. It just lacks the quality of a vintage. But, I don't come to hat wearing from an Indiana Jones direction, so that probably adds to my less than enthusiastic impression of the hat.
I don't like the dimensional brims either. I"d rather have the hat built just as it is, but with a normal brim.
 

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