I love the Fed IV!!

[Zombie_61]

Seems to have some pretty odd taper to it front and aft. How did that happen? A side effect of shrinking to actual size?

I think it's because of the way the side dents are shaped--they create some negative taper beneath the band, and the angle of the photos gives the illusion that the back of the crown is tapered similarly.

 

[Joshbru3]

Seems to have some pretty odd taper to it front and aft. How did that happen? A side effect of shrinking to actual size?

The taper is created by the very tight front pinch, wide side pinches, and the fact that the front crease is started above the natural curve of the open crown shape.

 

[ManofKent]

The taper is created by the very tight front pinch, wide side pinches, and the fact that the front crease is started above the natural curve of the open crown shape.

Mine are similar- possibly not quite as pronouced, but that could be camera distortion. Of course when they're on the head they tend to be tilted back slightly so that the slight reverse taper is close to a vertical plane.

 

[chum]

That is a nice looking hat. Are these recent photos or from when you received the hat?

I took these pics the day I posted this...I bought it Feb 2010...it has been soaked in rain several times and most recently a lot of snow!

 

[chum]

Seems to have some pretty odd taper to it front and aft. How did that happen? A side effect of shrinking to actual size?

It does taper like you said and camera makes it look more pronounced. If I take out the front pinch it magicly goes away.
Do you guys think it looks bad? I never paid attention before...

 

[The Fedorable]

I took these pics the day I posted this...I bought it Feb 2010...it has been soaked in rain several times and most recently a lot of snow!

Oh, wow. How's the fading on the hat? I'm looking into buying one in a few months, and I'm curious about the fading. I currently have a what used to be a dark grey Jaxon, but it looks like a lighter grey along with some pink to it.

 

[The Fedorable]

It does taper like you said and camera makes it look more pronounced. If I take out the front pinch it magicly goes away.
Do you guys think it looks bad? I never paid attention before...

I'm pretty sure no one here thinks your hat looks bad. Why else would the thread name be the way it is? It's probably that the Fed IV is known for straight crowns, so a tapered Fed IV is a bit of surprise. Fine hat nonetheless.

 

[chum]

Oh, wow. How's the fading on the hat? I'm looking into buying one in a few months, and I'm curious about the fading. I currently have a what used to be a dark grey Jaxon, but it looks like a lighter grey along with some pink to it.

First...thanks for saying "nice hat"! The hat is not fading at all...the camera flash makes it almost look like Moonstone...in most lighting the hat is a basic dark grey. Lighting makes a huge difference.

 

[chum]

Oh, wow. How's the fading on the hat? I'm looking into buying one in a few months, and I'm curious about the fading. I currently have a what used to be a dark grey Jaxon, but it looks like a lighter grey along with some pink to it.

You will not regret buying a fed IV...mine is the regular Imperial Grade felt...
A little background...I went to St. Louis' oldest hat store(Levine Hats) and shopped their fedoras. When I found one I liked that was priced around $130, I asked about wearing it in the rain. The salesman gave me a dirty look and said "no, it will ruin it!" I started researching online and found the Lounge! When I asked Hats Direct about wearing the Fed IV in the rain, the response was "Oh, WE WANT YOU TO WEAR IT IN THE RAIN! It will only make the felt a little softer and more natural feeling."
Turns out that I ended up paying less for the Fed (even with shipping)...but keep tabs on the aussie dollar compared to US dollar.

 

[Zombie_61]

...Do you guys think it looks bad? I never paid attention before...

My apologies for not addressing the issue of the hat's appearance. No, I think it's a very good looking crease on that hat. If I tried to make the side dents so large on either of my Fed IVs my enormous head would simply push them out from the inside. lol

 

[The Fedorable]

First...thanks for saying "nice hat"! The hat is not fading at all...the camera flash makes it almost look like Moonstone...in most lighting the hat is a basic dark grey. Lighting makes a huge difference.

You will not regret buying a fed IV...mine is the regular Imperial Grade felt...
A little background...I went to St. Louis' oldest hat store(Levine Hats) and shopped their fedoras. When I found one I liked that was priced around $130, I asked about wearing it in the rain. The salesman gave me a dirty look and said "no, it will ruin it!" I started researching online and found the Lounge! When I asked Hats Direct about wearing the Fed IV in the rain, the response was "Oh, WE WANT YOU TO WEAR IT IN THE RAIN! It will only make the felt a little softer and more natural feeling."
Turns out that I ended up paying less for the Fed (even with shipping)...but keep tabs on the aussie dollar compared to US dollar.

You're mighty welcome. I'm surprised your hat isn't fading at all.

I've been following the price of the Fed IV since I first learned of it over the summer. It was $100USD at the time. It was around $113 last I checked and it's a little over $116 right now. I have 3 more months until my birthday, here's to hoping the price drops. I'd like to get the dark brown and moonstone grey.

 

[chum]

Hey...you are lucky you're Birthday is only 3 months away...mine is 24 months! Truth...born Leap Year day!

 

[The Fedorable]

Considering I've had a change of heart, the FedIV is going to have to wait, fellas. I'm needing and wanting some stuff for my guitar, so that's going to set me back quite a bit. Oh well. We do what we need to do for the things we love doing, at least that's the overall message I interpret in my visits to the lounge postings.

Then I could say next birthday, but there's this guitar that got my attention, so I'm getting that instead for next year. What can I say? Pretty gal like that cross your path, you lose control of your senses for a bit.

If there is room in my currently non-existent budget down the line, then for sure I'll be getting the hat. Even if it's just one of the two.

 

[kidroyal]

I know the feeling! With guitar there's always another guitar or another pedal just around the corner. A friend of mine bought a tube screamer that belonged to SRV yesterday. There's a another one and I'm really fighting the urg!

 

[The Fedorable]

I know the feeling! With guitar there's always another guitar or another pedal just around the corner. A friend of mine bought a tube screamer that belonged to SRV yesterday. There's a another one and I'm really fighting the urg!

SRV? Dang! THE SRV?

Well, my hat funds are going towards a pair of TV Jones T90 pickups for my Epiphone Wildkat and hopefully a tube amp. Then a Gretsch for my 21st birthday... Other than that, I shall fight any other urges that are not guitar or hat related!

 

[Hercule]

Just yesterday pulled the trigger on a Carbon Gray Fed IV. Though I'm excited to replace a well loved and well worn hat that was recently lost in gale force winds, I'm on pins and needles about the sizing issue. I followed all the instructions and ordered accordingly but just how much shrinkage can be expected/hoped for? Wouldn't the reeding come into play preventing shrinkage? I would think that should run true to size regardless, in which case I probably ordered a hat that's a size too big. Any insight?

 

[ManofKent]

Just yesterday pulled the trigger on a Carbon Gray Fed IV. Though I'm excited to replace a well loved and well worn hat that was recently lost in gale force winds, I'm on pins and needles about the sizing issue. I followed all the instructions and ordered accordingly but just how much shrinkage can be expected/hoped for? Wouldn't the reeding come into play preventing shrinkage? I would think that should run true to size regardless, in which case I probably ordered a hat that's a size too big. Any insight?

My head measures almost exactly 23.75". In most Akubras a 60 fits me perfectly, but the 60 I bought in a Fed is rather snug, and needs a slight stretch occasionally. The next two I bought in a 61, and after a few months wear with the supplied padding, I've now removed the padding from one, and the other is getting there.

 

[Zombie_61]

Just yesterday pulled the trigger on a Carbon Gray Fed IV...I followed all the instructions and ordered accordingly but just how much shrinkage can be expected/hoped for?

My head measures 23-5/8", which is as close to 60cm as makes no difference, so I order size 60. After the sweatbands on my two Fed IVs had shrunk I measured them, and they both measured 59.5cm. The good folks at Hats Direct/The Hattery told me the Fed IV tends to run 1/2 size small, and my measurements bear that out.

Now, here's the thing. When they arrived, my Fed IVs were so oversized that I could pull them down far enough for my head to fill the open crown comfortably. I didn't take any measurements at that time, but I'd guess they started out being closer to a size 61 out of the box, which would mean they shrink a full size-and-a-half.

On a related note, I own two Campdrafts that are also size 60. Unlike my Fed IVs, they both fit only slightly loose out of the box, and after they'd shrunk they both measured approximately 58.5cm--again, a full size-and-a-half. Oddly, Hats Direct/The Hattery told me the Campdraft runs true-to-size, which was not my experience. But, although my Campdrafts fit slightly more snug than my Fed IVs, they're not at all uncomfortable for me to wear; after all, we're talking only a fraction of an inch difference, and I don't really notice it unless I remove one of my Fed IVs and immediately put on one of my Campdrafts.

Also, my four hats are all made with the Imperial Quality felt. I mention this only because I've read Akubra hats made with the Heritage Quality felt shrink less. I don't know if this is because of the difference in felts, or because Akubra uses different leathers for their sweatbands, or both, but I felt it was worth mentioning.

I sincerely hope this information helps rather than making the issue more confusing.

 

[Hercule]

I sincerely hope this information helps rather than making the issue more confusing.

Thanks, I actually find it reassuring.

 

[Hercule]

Update -

Well, the hat arrived (6 days!). A bit loose, but certainly not overly so. The foam strip provided will work quite nicely until the hat tightens up with wear. As for bash, I started with a center denth wit a fairly tight pinch and it evolves back and forth with a diamond and a C crown and back to a center dent-I seem to change it every time I put it on.

first impressions:

- Boy it sure is boxy looking even after the bashing (will work on trying to minimize that a bit).
- On the blueish side of grey/charcoal. Not objectionable, just wasn't expecting it. Like it nonetheless.
- The band seems to be tacked on a little high in my opinion. Will live with it though.
- I don't seem to notice the dimensional brim, actually expected the wider front to be more pronounced. Hmm, go figure.

In all I'm really enjoying the hat more and more as I wear it. Sure glad I put a wind cord on it though, as I still have that feeling of having a hat blown off my head from about a month ago when I lost my previous one.

Glad to have joined the Fed IV club!