I love the Fed IV!!

[jkingrph]

Has anyone tried to get a Fed IV in long oval from Hats Direct? I'd really rather get one from them if possible than to go through the expense and wait of having one custom made. I want a felt fedora before the end of the felt season. Having it arrive in July or August would not do my attitude any good, at all.

No. I generally need a 7 1/4 LO myself, but have several Akubra hats in size 58 and find them soft enough to conform readily to my head shape. Possibly their blocks tend more toward the long oval shape than a rounder shape. Just my impression.

 

[m0nk]

Has anyone tried to get a Fed IV in long oval from Hats Direct? I'd really rather get one from them if possible than to go through the expense and wait of having one custom made. I want a felt fedora before the end of the felt season. Having it arrive in July or August would not do my attitude any good, at all.

Hats Direct, while a great vendor, is strictly a vendor and can't take any custom orders (I've asked about getting a Fed with specific brim widths), so I don't think they can get the Fed in any shape other than the standard shape it comes in. I think, personally, it tends towards a good oval as it is, and like jkingrph noted, the hat itself conforms fairly well.

 

[Oldsarge]

Okay, then. That's what I needed to know. So long as it can be easily conformed to the personal noggin, perhaps with a little misting, life is good.

 

[scottyrocks]

Just wear it, preferably in warm/hot weather for a coupla weeks. They get quite cozy on your head.

 

[monbla256]

Just wear it, preferably in warm/hot weather for a coupla weeks. They get quite cozy on your head.

Having worn Akubra's for over 30 years now, I concur 100%. Put it on your head come rain, snow or sun and wear it They only get BETTER as they get dirtier and worn

 

[jkingrph]

Okay, then. That's what I needed to know. So long as it can be easily conformed to the personal noggin, perhaps with a little misting, life is good.

Let us know how it works out! I just got a Fed !V Deluxe in Heritage Fawn about two days ago. Size 58 and it fits good. I honestly like the looks of my Campdraft better and ordered one of those from Everything Australian in Bluegrass Green.

 

[m0nk]

I'm still waiting on a moonstone fed, can't wait much more cause I know it'll be my main hat.

 

[tealseal]

Yet another lurker

Hello all,

I am guilty of lurking for quite a while now and decided that I should post my first post here. The reason for this decision is that, after reading all the relevant threads and taking the plunge from Hats Direct, I can confidently say that "I love the Fed IV!" in Tawny Fawn.

My first fedora was a brown modern Stetson Saxon, followed by a Magill Panama, then a black Magill Robert Hall stingy. However, I have to say that after experiencing the Federation, the Stetson makes me look like a cartoon, not to mention the fact that my head pushes out the centre dent. The panama is a turn-down, so I look rather foolish, but the other Magill, despite a 2" brim, has a fairly tall relatively untapered crown that looks pretty good on me with a black suit.
Right now I've got the Federation creased in something resembling a 4-point asymmetrical diamond. I like it, since if I was looking for perfection I would have ordered a factory crease. The one I have now has just the right amount of "human-organic-ness" to it that I quite enjoy (or, possibly, that's how I've decided to justify my ineptitude for now..)

My primary questions, for the Federation thread (though I have others that I'll post on the Akubra Overload thread) is this: My Fed came with a decent curl to the brim all around, and the front actually has a pretty decent snap. I steamed in the crease and the swoop of the brim on the front. Should I unsnap the brim to store this hat when I'm not wearing it (like my Saxon), or leave the brim down in front and rest it on a stand? I've read lots of discussion on this hat and know that it wasn't "designed" to be a snap brim...hence the confusion.
Follow-up: If I try to make the brim of the Saxon swoop down futher, would that affect the ability of the hat to maintain snap when snapped up?

I apologize for what may be the longest first post ever, and hope that I haven't degraded the focus of this thread too much by asking these questions.

You all are an amazing resource! It's a pleasure to be a part of the community.

 

[monbla256]

Hello all,

I am guilty of lurking for quite a while now and decided that I should post my first post here. The reason for this decision is that, after reading all the relevant threads and taking the plunge from Hats Direct, I can confidently say that "I love the Fed IV!" in Tawny Fawn.

My first fedora was a brown modern Stetson Saxon, followed by a Magill Panama, then a black Magill Robert Hall stingy. However, I have to say that after experiencing the Federation, the Stetson makes me look like a cartoon, not to mention the fact that my head pushes out the centre dent. The panama is a turn-down, so I look rather foolish, but the other Magill, despite a 2" brim, has a fairly tall relatively untapered crown that looks pretty good on me with a black suit.
Right now I've got the Federation creased in something resembling a 4-point asymmetrical diamond. I like it, since if I was looking for perfection I would have ordered a factory crease. The one I have now has just the right amount of "human-organic-ness" to it that I quite enjoy (or, possibly, that's how I've decided to justify my ineptitude for now..)

My primary questions, for the Federation thread (though I have others that I'll post on the Akubra Overload thread) is this: My Fed came with a decent curl to the brim all around, and the front actually has a pretty decent snap. I steamed in the crease and the swoop of the brim on the front. Should I unsnap the brim to store this hat when I'm not wearing it (like my Saxon), or leave the brim down in front and rest it on a stand? I've read lots of discussion on this hat and know that it wasn't "designed" to be a snap brim...hence the confusion.
Follow-up: If I try to make the brim of the Saxon swoop down futher, would that affect the ability of the hat to maintain snap when snapped up?

I apologize for what may be the longest first post ever, and hope that I haven't degraded the focus of this thread too much by asking these questions.

You all are an amazing resource! It's a pleasure to be a part of the community.

When I'm wearing my felts in the cooler weather they all go on a hook on the hat rack/hall stand by my front door. When I put them up for summer they go in the boxes they came with and I "snap" all brims up to store 'em. When I get 'em out a little steam gets the front of the brims just right for wearing with rain doing the rest of the work as the season advances.

 

[Sam Craig]

First of all, tealseal, welcome to the Lounge

I think each hat is a little different

If you have a hat that obviously can be snapped at will, then go ahead and store it snapped up

On the other hand, if it's got a more "Safari" brim that doesn't snap easily, just store it that way.

The important thing is to not hang it or set it on a table in a way that pushes against the brim.

On the other hand, getting the angle back in the brim is as easy as applying a little steam or even a small spritz of water. Just reshape it

That's why we choose fur felt hats in the first place

Again, Welcome to the Lounge,

Sam

 

[scottyrocks]

A true snap-brim won't have it's brim shape distorted even by long term storage with the brim up, even if you normally wear it down, because it truly snaps up and down. In a hat like a Fed IV, if you store it with the brim up, you will have to put a little effort, even if only a small amount, to get it back to the way it was when you were wearing it down because it doesn't have the slightly tighter bound edge to force it up or down.

 

[1961MJS]

A true snap-brim won't have it's brim shape distorted even by long term storage with the brim up, even if you normally wear it down, because it truly snaps up and down. In a hat like a Fed IV, if you store it with the brim up, you will have to put a little effort, even if only a small amount, to get it back to the way it was when you were wearing it down because it doesn't have the slightly tighter bound edge to force it up or down.

Hi

Has anyone had the Fed IV flanged into a real snap brim? I had that done by Levin's Hat Shop in StL to a Beaver Brand and it worked great.

Later

 

[Kirk H.]

Okay, then. That's what I needed to know. So long as it can be easily conformed to the personal noggin, perhaps with a little misting, life is good.

Oldsarge, I too have a long oval and I ordered a size 59. After wearing it for a few days it conformed to my head shape just fine. The people at Hatsdirect told me that they run a little small so the 59 is more like a 58.5.
Hope this helps.

 

[scottyrocks]

My experience was the opposite. I'm a true 59. I ordered a 59 and there was room to spare. Over time, it shrank and conformed to my head.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Hi

Has anyone had the Fed IV flanged into a real snap brim? I had that done by Levin's Hat Shop in StL to a Beaver Brand and it worked great.

Later

I've sent my Moonstone Fed to Henry the Hatter in Detroit for a brim trim back to 2.5", a flanging, and a replacement of the stock black ribbon by a matching gray one. When they call for final details, I'll be sure to tell 'em to flange it into a snap brim.

 

[Kirk H.]

My experience was the opposite. I'm a true 59. I ordered a 59 and there was room to spare. Over time, it shrank and conformed to my head.

Must have been from an older batch. I just got mine and that was a question I had. I am between a 58 and a 59 and they e-mailed me and told me about the size running small. My 59 fits great. I am now comtemplating getting a Carbon Grey one. I even found that size 59 in the Adventurer was the same.

 

[m0nk]

My experience was the opposite. I'm a true 59. I ordered a 59 and there was room to spare. Over time, it shrank and conformed to my head.

This was my experience as well. I measure an exact 56 (21 7/8") and both the Fed IV standard and Bushman in size 56 were a tad big when I got them, but after a few months of wear they are both a perfect fit. I bought these two hats a year apart.

 

[jkingrph]

When I'm wearing my felts in the cooler weather they all go on a hook on the hat rack/hall stand by my front door. When I put them up for summer they go in the boxes they came with and I "snap" all brims up to store 'em. When I get 'em out a little steam gets the front of the brims just right for wearing with rain doing the rest of the work as the season advances.

Sounds like my house!!

 

[Chuck Bobuck]

Must have been from an older batch. I just got mine and that was a question I had. I am between a 58 and a 59 and they e-mailed me and told me about the size running small. My 59 fits great. I am now comtemplating getting a Carbon Grey one. I even found that size 59 in the Adventurer was the same.

The word about the Fed IV from the start was that it ran small. Like scotty, my head measures 59 also and my Feds, size 59, were slightly large at first. I never bothered putting tape under the sweatbands, I just wore them and they conformed nicely after wear.

 

[tealseal]

First of all, tealseal, welcome to the Lounge

I think each hat is a little different

If you have a hat that obviously can be snapped at will, then go ahead and store it snapped up

On the other hand, if it's got a more "Safari" brim that doesn't snap easily, just store it that way.

The important thing is to not hang it or set it on a table in a way that pushes against the brim.

On the other hand, getting the angle back in the brim is as easy as applying a little steam or even a small spritz of water. Just reshape it

That's why we choose fur felt hats in the first place

Again, Welcome to the Lounge,

Sam

Thanks for the welcome, Sam. It's good to be here.

A true snap-brim won't have it's brim shape distorted even by long term storage with the brim up, even if you normally wear it down, because it truly snaps up and down. In a hat like a Fed IV, if you store it with the brim up, you will have to put a little effort, even if only a small amount, to get it back to the way it was when you were wearing it down because it doesn't have the slightly tighter bound edge to force it up or down.

scottyrocks and Sam, thanks for helping me understand this a bit better. As answers lead to more questions, how does one identify a brim that's designed as a true snap and one that's designed to be merely shaped?