I ordered my very first fedora today

Mat Cauthon · Post by **Mat Cauthon** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 1:25 am

well I finally ordered a fedora. I ordered the acubra federation in a size 57 cm Color mid Brown. I hope it gets here quick. I am really woried if it will fit or not. I rounded the size up .5 cm from 56.5 so I just hope it fits. If not I guess I can use the foam they give you for it.

Brendon

Indiana Jess · Post by **Indiana Jess** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 1:46 am

You're going to enjoy the Akubra Fed. They are the work horse of fedoras. I have the Fed Delux and it's held up in all kinds of weather.

Mat Cauthon · Post by **Mat Cauthon** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 2:21 am

Thats great news. How do they do in the rain. I live in Washington it it has a tendency to rain all day long. It doesnt rain really hard it is just constantly raining.

Brendon

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 2:22 am

Oh yeah, it'll fit. .5 CM isn't going to make or break the way it fits on your head. When you get your hair cut, it will be just fine. The hat will come open crowned, and if you aren't well versed in how to shape your own hat, I suggest you check out Indy John's tutorial on how to shape your Akubra here:

http://www.whyaxis.net/indy/hatshaping/hatshaping.html

Hope that helps, and enjoy your hat!

Regards,

Mat Cauthon · Post by **Mat Cauthon** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 2:27 am

Glad to hear that the .5 cm won't make a differance. Now all I have to do is wait for it to get hear then I get to bash it.

Brendon

Luisiana Jones · Post by **Luisiana Jones** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 2:44 am

lol, you seem pretty excited!

congratz on your akubra!

Merrick · Post by **Merrick** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 6:14 am

Yep good choice. Bashing is easier than you'd first imagine, and if you bugger it up, you just resteam it and start again. The foam will help with any minor size problem, but I cant imagine you'd even notice 5mm.

VP · Post by VP » Wed Mar 16, 2005 6:55 am

Strider wrote:Indy John's tutorial on how to shape your Akubra

JohnNdy's.

Colby · Post by **Colby** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 7:26 am

Congradulations! Unfortunately I'm still stuck with the disney fedora that doesn't even fit anymore!......

I need a new hat

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 8:30 am

Good job, Mat! You'll get a lot of milage out of that hat. If you're nervous about steaming the bash, just take it a little at a time. I found it was really quite easy to do. You can also use a spray bottle and spray it with cold water if you don't want to use the steam. Either way, show some pix when it comes in! And don't worry, when I ordered my Akubra a while back, I was surprised at how quickly it showed up on my doorstep.

bink

VP · Post by VP » Wed Mar 16, 2005 8:31 am

Mine took 2 ½ weeks.

Nicht Storen · Post by **Nicht Storen** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 1:16 pm

I love my Fed. My wife ordered it in December for x-mas and it took eight days to get to Chicago. I hope yours arrives just as fast.

Indiana Jess · Post by **Indiana Jess** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 1:41 pm

Mat, I'm in the Seattle area and my Akubra has withstood every rainstorm we've had over the last couple of years with no tapering.

Feraud · Post by **Feraud** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 2:15 pm

Enjoy the hat Mat! The Akubra is a good hat and bashing is easier than it sounds.

Don't forget the pics.

Mat Cauthon · Post by **Mat Cauthon** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 6:33 pm

Thanks guys. After I get it bashed I will do my best to show some pics of it and my wested I got for christmas. I might need some assistence in getting the pics posted when the time comes cause I have never done it befor.

SO when it comes to bashing the fed. All I am basicly doing is getting it wet with steam and pressing it into the desired shape. Is that right. I plan to use the tutorial but for a general idea thats what it involves right.

Brendon

Snakewhip_Sable · Post by **Snakewhip_Sable** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 6:48 pm

I dunno about getting it full-on wet with steam, but it should get a bit moist anyway. That's the basic idea, yeah. I used a steam iron (just the steam jets, not the metal!!), because I have no kettle, to work my Robert Hall fedora and my old wool Tilly fedora. Worked like a charm on both.

Mat Cauthon · Post by **Mat Cauthon** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 6:55 pm

Indiana Jess wrote

Mat, I'm in the Seattle area and my Akubra has withstood every rainstorm we've had over the last couple of years with no tapering.

Should I apply some kind of water profing to it.

Brendon

ij1936 · Post by **ij1936** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 6:57 pm

Congrats on you purchase!

I think it will hold up well in ANY kind of weather! If the Federation is anything like the HJ that I have you shouldn't have any problems!

Indiana Jess · Post by **Indiana Jess** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 7:20 pm

Mat Cauthon wrote:Indiana Jess wrote

Mat, I'm in the Seattle area and my Akubra has withstood every rainstorm we've had over the last couple of years with no tapering.
Should I apply some kind of water profing to it.

Brendon

I never did. However today I should have applied some kind of SUV proofing, but that's another story.

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 7:22 pm

You don't need to on an Akubra, but I've always practiced putting a decent coat of Scotchgard on a new hat, just to help in keeping it clean (easier to brush dust off), as well as a bit more water proofing. Not required, but never hurts. Regards. Michaelson

3thoubucks · Post by **3thoubucks** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 8:55 pm

If it's way too big, you might just fold the sweat band. Tuck it indside itself. Very easy to do, and I believe the Raiders hat had a folded band. But if you have a roundish head, I'd use the foam in front and back to mimic Ford's long head. I ordered a special Akubra in January, and they say it won't be here untill May!

Mat Cauthon · Post by **Mat Cauthon** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 12:13 am

Well they emailed me and told me it was in stock and would arrive between 7 and 21 days. I hope its more twards the 7 day end rather than the 21 day end of the spectrum

Brendon

thefish · Post by **thefish** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 10:56 am

When I purchased my Fed Deluxe last year, (from Hats Direct,) I was told 7-21 days. I had it in about 7 1/2 to 8. Very fast!

I think the "21" days is just to cover their butts, as they have to deal with international shipping and typically the Australian and US Postal service. My wife has an online business, and after having to deal with both, I don't blame them. So, barring shipping sillyness, you should have it soon indeed!

If you're really worried about stains and taper due to rain, as Michaelson says, Scotchguard it lightly, but I've never done anything to mine. And I live in Southeast Ohio, where are motto is, "Don't like the weather? Wait a few minutes."

I once read that Athens County, (where I live,) is just shy of annual rainfall to be classified as a rainforest. I haven't verified the validity of that statement, but I sure as H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks wouldn't doubt it.

My hat has been blown from my head, landed in mud, landed in petroleum, (general goo on the concrete at the gas station,) been to a VERY dusty machine gun shoot in Louisville, KY, covered in chalk dust, (I'm a college professor,) repeatedly knocked from my head while practicing bullwhip, and the more abuse I give it, the better it seems to look.

You'll love it!

-Dan

Post by **Michaelson** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 11:07 am

thefish wrote: And I live in Southeast Ohio, where are motto is, "Don't like the weather? Wait a few minutes."

Really? I was born and raised in Scioto County, my family even started the settlement of Wheelersburg and Porter township (ever heard of it? (grins), and I never heard that said before. All we ever did was cuss the mud in Spring, the heat in Summer, leaves falling in Fall, and snow in Winter. Other than that, we were always at peace with the weather down on the river.

Regards. Michaelson

Renderking Fisk · Post by **Renderking Fisk** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 11:22 am

When you get your new Akubra, send the pics to me and I'll be happy to host them for you.

They're great hats and from what I've been told they're really easy to reblock by the pros.

thefish · Post by **thefish** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 12:55 pm

Sayeth The Michaelson

Really? I was born and raised in Scioto County, my family even started the settlement of Wheelersburg and Porter township (ever heard of it? (grins), and I never heard that said before. All we ever did was cuss the mud in Spring, the heat in Summer, leaves falling in Fall, and snow in Winter. Other than that, we were always at peace with the weather down on the river.

I was raised in Scioto county. My father was raised in Wheelersburg, (first class to graduate from the new high school that's still there,) and I lived there for most of my life.

Believe me, the weather patterns are VERY different in Athens and Meigs counties.

If it's sunny in Wheelersburg, it's raining in Athens. If it's cloudy in Columbus, it's raining in Athens. If it's snowing in Portsmouth, it's a mixure of sleet-rain in Athens. I know lots of people from the UK that liken Athens to a redneck London.

Whenever I go out, my Feds on my head, (really...whenever. I went out to dinner night before last, and that was the first time I've left the house without my Federation since I got it. I felt almost...naked!) 9 times out of 10, it arrives wet. The last few days have been really nice, though. Which have been great for whip cracking, (in the fedora, of course. I tell everyone it's for protection, but it's really all about the style!)

Post by **Michaelson** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 12:59 pm

The High School on Dogwood Ridge? (Please excuse the off topic rant folks...it's rare I find someone from the 'old country' on our board!

) Regards. Michaelson

thefish · Post by **thefish** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 3:16 pm

PM Sent to spare people from our stroll down memory lane, (look, that's me over on the burm with a flat tire.)

Anyway. Back on topic: The Akubra will survive just about everything save a nuclear strike, and even then, it will probably fare better than you ;-)

I don't however recommend experimenting in this area.

-Dan

Post by **Michaelson** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 3:21 pm

You could try it over by Goodyear Atomic...nah. We only enriched uranuim there. Never mind. (grins) Got the PM. Thanks! Regards. Michaelson

thefish · Post by **thefish** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 3:55 pm

Yeah, and that was just uranium out of the Piketon plant near Portsmouth. Doesn't explain why the trees are humming ;-)

Post by **Michaelson** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 3:57 pm

They still have trees left? Hummm.

I worked there for 13 years, so yep, you're right! (grins) Regards. Michaelson