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Posting our Fed IV's, yet!

Woodfluter

Practically Family
Messages
784
Location
Georgia
Owing to the great website data crash of '08, I cannot post this where it belongs at present. But might as well put this out for the benefit of those ordering the Federation IV from Hats Direct.

Bartenters, please feel free to move this if/when the "No one posted your Fed IV's yet?" thread is recovered.



May 2nd, my doorstep. Ouch! Not what I wanted to see. Apparently they applied a few short strips of packing tape to the standard hat box, and off it went. This doesn't absolve USPS in the matter, however.



All looked OK inside the box...whew. BTW, this is the best representation of the actual color indoors - I didn't play with color balance in the other shots, but they are close to what it looks like in sunlight.



By woodfluter
Front view: Notice very straight sides of open block hat, even a hint of reverse taper.



Side view: Just a bit of taper in the crown.

Now what had me worried was the size. Hats Direct was very forthright and sent me an e-mail saying the new (actually old, from storage since 1940's or 1950's) block was making the hats run about 1/2 size too small. Said I, good news! I am in-between a 59 and 60 anyway, so send the 60! Well, the unblocked hat felt really big and loose on my head! Not what I expected. I thought about sending it back...but didn't. Went to work creasing it instead.



It responded very easily to a very light pass through steam - softened up nicely for a minute or so, enough to alter something, check proportions, and then give it another pass to continue. I was able to get what I wanted much quicker than I expected - in about 5 minutes.







Then I worked a bit on the sizing issue. I made a tapered nozzle from aluminum foil and placed that on the spigot of the teakettle. Then I used that to direct steam only the area at the base of the crown and adjacent brim. I steamed it pretty aggressively - while moving it often enough to be absolutely sure I didn't overheat the sweatband. I kept my hand on the sweatband to feel the heat and pulled it out a bit where I was working, and kept rotating the hat slowly. After it cooled, it had shrunk just enough to be a good fit. Best of all, it has held that size...so far.

See my new avatar for an impression of what it looks like in use.

So what I know so far:
1. Hats Direct are good folks to deal with. Good communication.
2. Hats Direct ought to wrap stuff properly for shipment from Terra Australis, dadgummit!
3. This is a fine hat...has proportions that hatmakers should have been using for decades, but weren't.
4. Felt softens up a bit with use and flexing but holds shape nicely. Crown seems to have a bit less stifener than my Banjo Paterson.
5. It takes a lot of steam and a lot of heat to shrink the Akubra the least little bit. Way more than you'd ever expose it to for shaping purposes. This is true in the case of their "Heritage" quality anyway. Steam away without fear!

- Bill
 

Woodfluter

Practically Family
Messages
784
Location
Georgia
kabuto said:
But will it blend?

???
Help me out please, Kabuto. Blend with clothing? My background in case I want to hide against that tree in my avatar? Or bend - as in, is it flexible? Or bleed in the rain? I know it won't do that, the Banjo Paterson sure doesn't. Or can it be put in a blender? Nope, my blender is too small! lol
- Bill
 

kiltie

Practically Family
Messages
732
Location
lone star state
Uuuuhhh...

I'm not sure, but I think he's talking about the tree. I think your post may have just put me over on one of these. Very nice, indeed!
 

indycop

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,325
Location
Jacksonville, Florida
kiltie said:
I'm not sure, but I think he's talking about the tree. I think your post may have just put me over on one of these. Very nice, indeed!
Where ya been??
Just call it Georgia pine instead of Tawny!:D That is definitely my favorite color Federation!
 

Woodfluter

Practically Family
Messages
784
Location
Georgia
Hey, Georgia pine, great color name!

Be aware that the color of the "hat in the box" pic is pretty much what it looks like indoors. Get it outside in the sunlight and it really morphs into a lighter shade. I like that.

- Bill
 

Woodfluter

Practically Family
Messages
784
Location
Georgia
kabuto said:

Oh ho! Now I get it. I was two steps behind. Reminds me of Saturday Night Live's first season, when Dan Ackroyd did the famous "Bass-O-Matic" routine. Now that's great bass!

The scientist side of me really wants to know...maybe fur felt would prove the downfall of even these machines of destruction. I have an industrial-strength blender that turns whole oranges into smoothies - anybody want to donate a completely trashed hat? If I do this, I promise to film it.

- Bill
 

ProfessorShak

New in Town
Messages
27
Location
New York
Great Fed You got there.
The Fed IV is a fabulous hat. I use it as my dress hat, it just works perfectly with my suits.
IMG_0368.jpg

And next to my camptown
IMG_0364.jpg


These and my soon to come panama are the only hats I need.
 

Woodfluter

Practically Family
Messages
784
Location
Georgia
Yours are fine-looking hats too, Prof. Shak! Yes, can be used in settings from casual to wear with a suit. I like the differences between Fed IV and Camptown - this is your 1936 Fieldmaster I assume. Think this is the first I recall seeing them side by side - both great, and gives you an excuse to have one of each! Thanks for posting these pictures.

- Bill
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,069
Location
London, UK
Anyone have any comparison photos with the previous model Fed yet? I think I remember correctly that the Fed IV is half an inch or a little less shorter in the crown. Any perceptible difference in that?

I currently have a previous model Deluxe in the brown and regular in the carbon grey. I'd like to add a couple more (eventually one in each of the colours) as the Federations are by far my favourites of all my hats. Maybe for the winter.....

BTW, I can't find the thread now, but I'm sure I remember it being said that moonstone Grey would be an option on the new Fed. I'd just adore that. I did check Hats Direct the other day and they didn't seem to have it listed as an option. Has that changed, does anyone know?
 

Doctor Strange

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,242
Location
Hudson Valley, NY
Edward, the Moonstone is definitely listed - the trick is that the new Feds are on a different page:

http://www.hatsdirect.com/cgi/products.cgi?group=Federation

Am I the only one who doesn't understand all the commotion over just slightly changing the dimensions and ribbon on the old Federation? It will appear as virtually the same hat to anybody less than a hardcore Indy hat buff...(Though offering it in a lighter gray like the Moonstone is certainly a nice option.)
 

Fletch

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,865
Location
Iowa - The Land That Stuff Forgot
YES. Makes it more wearable in dress or non-Indy contexts. Long overdue!

Now, the Fed IV Deluxe. It's offered in a "Heritage Fawn" as well as the brown.
fed4del-heritagefawn-large.jpg

The pic looks greyer than the Tawny Fawn of the standard Fed.
fed4-tawnyfawn-large.jpg

Anybody know more?
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,069
Location
London, UK
Doctor Strange said:
Edward, the Moonstone is definitely listed - the trick is that the new Feds are on a different page:

http://www.hatsdirect.com/cgi/products.cgi?group=Federation

Aha! Thanks!

Am I the only one who doesn't understand all the commotion over just slightly changing the dimensions and ribbon on the old Federation? It will appear as virtually the same hat to anybody less than a hardcore Indy hat buff...(Though offering it in a lighter gray like the Moonstone is certainly a nice option.)

I'm sure you're right and it's unnoticeable - I just love the high crowns on my feds so much that I'm wary of the idea of them looking shorter at all. Call it the paranoia of the guy who found a hat design that was everything he liked in a fedora, only for them to change it... lol
 

Jerekson

One Too Many
Messages
1,620
Location
1935
Okay, what are the comparable differences between the Fed IV and Fed III?

If I were to get a Fed IV in a different color, could it really be considered a "different hat" than my Fed III?
 

rbbrock

Familiar Face
Messages
58
Location
Le Mars, Iowa
Jerekson said:
Okay, what are the comparable differences between the Fed IV and Fed III?

If I were to get a Fed IV in a different color, could it really be considered a "different hat" than my Fed III?

It's a whole new block (shorter, flatter dome), and the brim is slightly smaller. Basically the idea was to make it into a more accurate Indy hat.
 

Lensmaster

One of the Regulars
Messages
177
Location
Saginaw, Michigan
I see the Deluxe is not listed as available in the greys. How much difference is there in the felt quality of the Deluxe versus the regular Federation?
 

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