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South Africaner Fedora

31 Model A

A-List Customer
Messages
484
Location
Illinois (Metro-St Louis)
For the better part of ten years or more, I've been trying to find a fedora like the two in this youtube video or one that I can shape myself. I think hopefully I've found the fedora I just ordered from Akubra Federation IV Deluxe. Here is the video in it's original form so unless you can understand Boer, the lyrics are useless but the two hats mentioned you can see the crown shape stating at 2 min into the video.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...43EA3F436EA7C1CE7A0843EA3F436EA7&&FORM=VDRVRV
 

Winston Carter

Practically Family
Messages
675
Location
Seagoville, Tx.
For the better part of ten years or more, I've been trying to find a fedora like the two in this youtube video or one that I can shape myself. I think hopefully I've found the fedora I just ordered from Akubra Federation IV Deluxe. Here is the video in it's original form so unless you can understand Boer, the lyrics are useless but the two hats mentioned you can see the crown shape stating at 2 min into the video.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...43EA3F436EA7C1CE7A0843EA3F436EA7&&FORM=VDRVRV
Distress the Akubra. A spray bottle of water and a lot of shaping and rubbing.
 

Winston Carter

Practically Family
Messages
675
Location
Seagoville, Tx.
Sorry for multiple posts but I found som distressed Akubra's to show you.
image.jpeg
akubra-federation-iv-fedora-hat-dark_1_b992aeae704c4768dce9f2069a5fa6e9.jpg
BrownGray4.jpg
 
Messages
12,017
Location
East of Los Angeles
Since you mentioned the Fed IV, for the moment I'm assuming you're referring to the hat on the left:

p531gzh.jpg


Difficult to get a good shot of it because the camera keeps moving throughout the video. I think the brim on the Fed IV might be slightly narrower than the one on that hat, but as long as you're attempting to replicate the look of the hat and not an exact duplicate I think the Fed is a good starting point. It will take work and patience to get the felt to take that shape, especially on the Deluxe, but water or steam and a lot of bending/flexing the felt to soften it up will help.
 
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
Since you mentioned the Fed IV, for the moment I'm assuming you're referring to the hat on the left:

p531gzh.jpg


Difficult to get a good shot of it because the camera keeps moving throughout the video. I think the brim on the Fed IV might be slightly narrower than the one on that hat, but as long as you're attempting to replicate the look of the hat and not an exact duplicate I think the Fed is a good starting point. It will take work and patience to get the felt to take that shape, especially on the Deluxe, but water or steam and a lot of bending/flexing the felt to soften it up will help.

What about sizing issues? Does the Fed IV shrink at all?

:)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

31 Model A

A-List Customer
Messages
484
Location
Illinois (Metro-St Louis)
Since you mentioned the Fed IV, for the moment I'm assuming you're referring to the hat on the left:

p531gzh.jpg


Difficult to get a good shot of it because the camera keeps moving throughout the video. I think the brim on the Fed IV might be slightly narrower than the one on that hat, but as long as you're attempting to replicate the look of the hat and not an exact duplicate I think the Fed is a good starting point. It will take work and patience to get the felt to take that shape, especially on the Deluxe, but water or steam and a lot of bending/flexing the felt to soften it up will help.
The left one does have the band but both have the crown shape I'll be trying to duplicate. I tried to get that shape on a Cooper Petty but didn't quite get it to becaue of the preformed crown and trying to re-shape it exactly was unsuccessful.
 
Messages
12,017
Location
East of Los Angeles
...just the shape on the crown is what I want...
I think I understand better now--you want to replicate the crease, not necessarily the overall look. Based on the photos Scuttle posted below, it seems to be a C-Crown:

5zJnWZU.jpg


Similar shapes, but the C-Crown has a defined "break" and straighter lines between the curved back of the crown and the pinch, while the Teardrop has continuous curves on each side that meet at the pinch.

The singer's hat:
J4HjoCG.png


Looks like a possibly bigger brim than on a Fed(?-- not so much from the side, but from the top), but with a crown/crease I've seen achieved on a number of hats featured here, especially Akubras...
That hat definitely has a wider brim than the Fed IV; I'd guess closer to 3" unless he wears a very small size. That shot makes it look quite a bit like the C-Crown crease I formerly had on my Taupe Fawn Campdraft (on the right below)...

I3jE1eV.jpg


...because of that obvious break between the front and rear of the brim. @31 Model A, whether you decide on a Teardrop or a C-Crown, shaping an open crown hat is much easier because you won't have to undo the factory crease first. Also, the Fed IV has a straighter/less tapered crown than the Coober Pedy, so that will also be closer to the look you want.
 

Lean'n'mean

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,087
Location
Cloud-cuckoo-land
I tried to get that shape on a Cooper Petty but didn't quite get it to becaue of the preformed crown and trying to re-shape it exactly was unsuccessful.

That's because the Coober Pedy's crown (if that's what you're talking about) is too low & tapered to get a good pinched telescope crown. If you really want an Akubra I think the 'Snowy River' is more what you're after, a bit of tweakng here & there with steam, stick a pretty ribbon on it & Bob's your aunt.
If however, all you want is the crown & aren't bothered by it's narrow brim then the Fed IV will be fine. There are plenty of vids on TouYube showing you how to crease a crown.
 
Last edited:

31 Model A

A-List Customer
Messages
484
Location
Illinois (Metro-St Louis)
I think I understand better now--you want to replicate the crease, not necessarily the overall look. Based on the photos Scuttle posted below, it seems to be a C-Crown:

5zJnWZU.jpg


Similar shapes, but the C-Crown has a defined "break" and straighter lines between the curved back of the crown and the pinch, while the Teardrop has continuous curves on each side that meet at the pinch.

That hat definitely has a wider brim than the Fed IV; I'd guess closer to 3" unless he wears a very small size. That shot makes it look quite a bit like the C-Crown crease I formerly had on my Taupe Fawn Campdraft (on the right below)...

I3jE1eV.jpg


...because of that obvious break between the front and rear of the brim. @31 Model A, whether you decide on a Teardrop or a C-Crown, shaping an open crown hat is much easier because you won't have to undo the factory crease first. Also, the Fed IV has a straighter/less tapered crown than the Coober Pedy, so that will also be closer to the look you want.
Exactly, the Coober didn't form well because of the crown height.
 

Scuttle

One of the Regulars
Messages
114
Perhaps obvious, but the hat in question is not a "South Afrikaner" hat, but a modern hat (circa 2005) chosen by the singer-- Bok van Blerk (Louis Pepler)-- for effect.

While the hat could have been procured for him by a costume department, Pepler bills himself as an "Outdoors man!" (emphasis his). Maybe the hat was actually his, and/or maybe he knows from whence It originated...? Meaning, you may be able to discover the exact hat modified, instead of guessin'.

Ask him!
https://www.instagram.com/bokvanblerkreal/

Just an idea. o_O

~ S.
 

Winston Carter

Practically Family
Messages
675
Location
Seagoville, Tx.
I think I understand better now--you want to replicate the crease, not necessarily the overall look. Based on the photos Scuttle posted below, it seems to be a C-Crown:

5zJnWZU.jpg


Similar shapes, but the C-Crown has a defined "break" and straighter lines between the curved back of the crown and the pinch, while the Teardrop has continuous curves on each side that meet at the pinch.

That hat definitely has a wider brim than the Fed IV; I'd guess closer to 3" unless he wears a very small size. That shot makes it look quite a bit like the C-Crown crease I formerly had on my Taupe Fawn Campdraft (on the right below)...

I3jE1eV.jpg


...because of that obvious break between the front and rear of the brim. @31 Model A, whether you decide on a Teardrop or a C-Crown, shaping an open crown hat is much easier because you won't have to undo the factory crease first. Also, the Fed IV has a straighter/less tapered crown than the Coober Pedy, so that will also be closer to the look you want.
Yep, all he is looking for is Teardrop Pinch Front. I thought he wanted to distress it like video.:):):)
IMG_20180826_092605.jpg
IMG_20180826_092437.jpg
IMG_20180826_092543.jpg
 

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