ANYONE HAVE NEWS ON THE NEW FEDERATIONS?

BoilermakerJones · Post by **BoilermakerJones** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:29 am

Too bad about the video. However, here is a page off Akubra's site that shows how they make hats. The drawings are actually illustrations of frames from the video.

http://www.akubra.com.au/creation.html

Matt

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:29 am

Steve, I'd still like to know if you've shown pics of the regular FedIV or the deluxe FedIV. Please?

Bink, Ron sent Michaelson and I both Deluxes.

Some folks feel challenged when having to crease their own hats. But, really guys, you eventually have to learn to do so anyways. These bashes, or creases are always popping out, if you wear it in activities. So, sooner or later, you gotta learn to crease your own hat anyways.

The best thing to do is to play with the creases when you first get it. Grab a photo of the hat you like, and then spend some great Zen moments getting into the hat. What's the sound of one hand clapping, er, one hat dropping?

Fedora

Iowa · Post by **Iowa** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:03 pm

citRon wrote: Are yhe other colors available now...or are they coming later?

According to Ron, the Moonstone Fed IV is expected to be in stock on Wednesday. Hopefully that means I will have mine in hand sometime next week!

WarrenJones · Post by **WarrenJones** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:45 pm

I still havent heard from ron or anyone at hatsdirect, I sent an email last night but nothing yet, any advice? I have worked with the public I dont like to bother sales people, but this is my 1st fed deluxe...

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:50 pm

Hi everyone - Ron from Hatsdirect here. This is my first post, I will drop by now and then to address any concerns and answer questions. Firstly my thanks to Mark and Steve who have been providing us wonderful advice and feedback over the years, and especially in recent times.

Like you I am a fan of Fedoras, not just a vendor.

Regarding e-mail we have a mountain of replies relating to the Fed 4, we are working our way through them and expect to be up to date within 24 hours. Some replies involve a history of e-mail going back months. If you have not heard from us within 24 hours please follow up, in these days of spam filters not all mail we send makes it.

Fed 4's are being dispatched as we speak and all back orders should be out by this Wednesday. Again we will be in touch, if not feel free to drop us a line.

WarrenJones · Post by **WarrenJones** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:11 pm

Thanks Ron,

thats why I hate bothering salespeople they are always busy!!

Iowa · Post by **Iowa** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:13 pm

Excellent, it's always great to have a vendor participating in a forum, especially when the vendor is a fellow enthusiast!

Piker · Post by **Piker** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:32 pm

......we have a mountain of replies.....

Hence the moniker?

Bob's yer Uncle!

Piker

Post by **Michaelson** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:36 pm

Who WAS that masked man?

Glad to see you FINALLY made it in, Ron!!!

HIGH regards! Michaelson

Chewbacca Jones · Post by **Chewbacca Jones** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:44 pm

Ron,
Welcome, and more importantly; Thank You.

PyramidBlaster · Post by **PyramidBlaster** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:59 pm

Welcome aboard, Ron!

Really wish I'd known about your place back a few years ago when the wife and I spent a day or two honeymooning at Lillianfels!!!

So close...So close...Maybe when the kids get a couple more years on 'em...

I'm patiently waiting for my Fed Dlx. IV as well---Sorry for the flip-flopping size info! You guys have been great so far....

swcrazyfan · Post by **swcrazyfan** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:11 pm

Is it just me, or does the Raiders fedora have a slight reddish tint? I see this in the poet and the Christy's and I love the color of those, but the federation doesn't seem to have any reddish tint. The federation looks just brown. The color of the HJ and Christy's is sable and the fed is dark brown. I know that each company has different color names, but does anyone have any say in this matter?

Then again, up until now all I have seen is photos, and fedoras can look everything from gray to black depending on the lighting, so I may just need to check when I look at my federation when I get it.

Thanks!

Josh K

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:21 am

Woo hoo! Tawny Fed IV is on it's way to me! Ron emailed me back, and it's out the door today! -er, yesterday...or tomorrow today, which is...? -They're 12+ hours ahead of me on the other side of the world.
I had ordered Tawny back in the begining of February, and my size was out of stock. -I'm glad it was now! This was way before we knew about Fed IV's. -and they honored the price I paid at the time it was backordered too.

I must say HD's service is outstanding!

Steve27752 · Post by **Steve27752** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:39 am

G`day Ron,
Welcome to COW! I am looking forward to receiving my dark brown Federation 1V.
I will email you when it arrives here in the U.K.
Steve

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 10:14 am

Is it just me, or does the Raiders fedora have a slight reddish tint? I see this in the poet and the Christy's and I love the color of those, but the federation doesn't seem to have any reddish tint. The federation looks just brown. The color of the HJ and Christy's is sable and the fed is dark brown. I know that each company has different color names, but does anyone have any say in this matter?

I just had a customer who did not like his AB because it had some red undertones.

What everyone must realize is that hat factories and felt makers will show inconsistency in color from time to time. The hats are still brown, but the undertones, and lightness/darkness of the color will vary a bit. It is part and parcel of making hats, and the reaon hatmakers in the old days hated gov't contracts. The gov't specs were very difficult to do, in so far as exact color from one run to the next. Not all fur takes the dye the exact same way. Why? I have no clue, except perhaps variation in furs from different animals.

Some of the pics of the Raiders fedora look quite reddish to me, others do not. You can blame the lighting, but many times it is not the lighting, but the hat color itself. HJ has a color called Sable. I have seen 3 or 4 different shades of Sable over the years.

The only sane approach to this is to just buy brown hats. The Indy fedora was brown, and the chances of us finding one the exact same shade is probably impossible. We may luck up every now and then, but that is all it will be, is luck. Felt will also "wash out" in color over time, so the dark brown hat you used to own has now weathered and aged to be lighter in color. That was the primary reason Marc and I decided to lean towards a little darker brown that what we thought the original hat was. A lighter colored brown looks great when new. But if you wear them in the sun, just like the paint job on your car, it will fade over time and exposure. A lighter brown hat when washed out in color will be too light, while a hat tha was darker to begin with will age into a closer color. If your hat is to be an old friend, with many years sitting on your head, don't buy light browns, unless it is to be a disposable hat, and you plan on replacing it often. You may end up with a beige hat otherwise. Most folks get heavier with age, hats get lighter. Wish I was a hat!

Fedora

Canasta · Post by **Canasta** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 10:34 am

Hey Fedora,
Any chance you could snap us a photo of the bow side of your new Fed without too much trouble?

Warmest Regards,
C

WeeMadHamish · Post by **WeeMadHamish** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 10:49 am

swcrazyfan wrote:Is it just me, or does the Raiders fedora have a slight reddish tint? I see this in the poet and the Christy's and I love the color of those, but the federation doesn't seem to have any reddish tint.

Looks reddish to me in this pic Steve posted on the previous page, comparing it to the AB:

The AB is a little more "pecan", but the Fed IV isn't that far off. And the AB can be called a screen-accurate color.

The ribbon is still a little light in my eyes, but I guess I'll wait 'til I see it in hand. Yep, I'm sold.

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:01 am

I STILL want to know if the FedIV in that pic is the regular or deluxe! Ron, Steve, you're killing me!

Post by **Dr. Nebraska S.** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:31 am

Fedora wrote:
Steve, I'd still like to know if you've shown pics of the regular FedIV or the deluxe FedIV. Please?
Bink, Ron sent Michaelson and I both Deluxes.

Um, Bink, he answered your question...

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:35 am

8-[ I can't tell you how many times I read through the thread and STILL missed it! My bad!

So... what was it again? (ducks)

Post by **Michaelson** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:38 am

I have yet to recieve the hat myself. Ron sent both to Steve by mistake, so Steve is going to forward it up to me to look at the first chance he gets.

Regard! Mark

Kittlemeier · Post by **Kittlemeier** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 2:33 pm

How's the ribbon look? Color, texture?

WeeMadHamish · Post by **WeeMadHamish** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:03 pm

I think it was said that the ribbon is the same as on the Fed III. The bow is just shaped differently.

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:52 pm

I just had a customer who did not like his AB because it had some red undertones.
Fedora[/quote]

Well Sir, you just send that ruddy puppy to me then! I'll give it a fine home.

Vegeta · Post by **Vegeta** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 10:11 pm

I wonder why they cant get the color better???

swcrazyfan · Post by **swcrazyfan** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:01 am

Vegeta wrote:I wonder why they cant get the color better???

It works the same way with paint. You may use a specific color number to order a specific color to paint your bedroom. then you want to buy more of the paint, so you order the same color number. However since you are mixing multiple colors to get the results you want, it is very hard (or impossible) to get the exact same amounts of each color replicated perfectly.

In the same way each of the hats in the movies may not be exactly the same color.

WeeMadHamish · Post by **WeeMadHamish** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:09 am

Vegeta wrote:I wonder why they cant get the color better???

Define "better."

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:48 am

Define "better."

That is a great phrase, or question. What we see on film is probably not the actual color. Go to Screenused pics, the comparison pics of his real film hat sitting next to a still from the film. Screenused Raiders fedora is redder than what appears on the film. Natural Fullers Earth also tones down the colors, or lightens them up. Just a light even dusting can change the color of the hat.

I have never seen hat bodies from different runs that were the exact same color as another run. I am pretty certain that even in Raiders, the hat color varied just a little bit.

The best thing to use when buying an Indy fedora is just to make sure it is BROWN.

Or if you like the gray hat, make sure it is gray/grey.

Some hats in the films appear to have an olive undertone, others seem to have a reddish undertone. I think you are accurate with either one. Fedora

IndianaSolo · Post by **IndianaSolo** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:15 pm

Great explanation Steve, and I think the most important thing is that YOU like the ribbon and hat. Ken had to remind me that while I want an Indy hat, no one can EVER get as SA as Ford with the original hats and frozen in the pose of the style you're looking for.

WeeMadHamish · Post by **WeeMadHamish** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:04 pm

Fedora wrote:The best thing to use when buying an Indy fedora is just to make sure it is BROWN.

What kind of brown?

Seriously, though. The new Federation seems to be a good medium brown color. Though they call it "dark brown", it seems to be a sight lighter than the "mid brown" of the old Federation, which seemed more dark brown than the "dark brown"

People don't seem to get that the ambient light affects the color. What is "screen accurate" to one scene is not "screen accurate" to another or to the whole.

uncle ogs · Post by **uncle ogs** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 2:41 pm

Hey guys,
Just found out htis morning that my hats are on the way. Then i remebered how much i got clobbered in duty on my US wings Navy G3. Is there anyone here from the UK who has bought from hatsdirect before who knows how much it will cost me in duty here in the UK. I am starting to panic a little here that after waiting so long i am gonna be stiffed at thid end

imagine671 · Post by **imagine671** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:49 pm

Hey there, uncle ogs:

I live in the UK too, but I've never ordered from hatsdirect before. I ordered a Magnoli HJ, and when Steve sent it to me, I wasn't charged any customs fees, amazingly! I think it all has to do with how much they say it's worth on the outside of the parcel. If it's £30 or less, there isn't a customs charge TYPICALLY (unless they just feel like screwing you over, which they have done me). Anyway, my Fed is supposed to be here any day now also - let's keep our fingers crossed that our wallets aren't pinched even more!!

Best,
-Steve H

uncle ogs · Post by **uncle ogs** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:52 pm

Hi there imagine671, good luck with yours too. Fingers crossed.

swcrazyfan · Post by **swcrazyfan** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:11 pm

One way i know people have avoided the customs fee is by having hats direct write gift all over the box and hand write the address. This is what i asked for mine, and i'll keep you guys posted if it works out the way it did for the other guy who did it.

Nobody · Post by **Nobody** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:16 pm

swcrazyfan wrote:One way i know people have avoided the customs fee is by having hats direct write gift all over the box and hand write the address. This is what i asked for mine, and i'll keep you guys posted if it works out the way it did for the other guy who did it.

That is what they did for my Fed III, I think it's standard.

WeeMadHamish · Post by **WeeMadHamish** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:50 pm

Just pulled the trigger on my order. Can't wait.

Indiana Strones · Post by **Indiana Strones** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:40 am

Hello everyone! I'm a new member from Italy, and this is my very first post! I received 10 minutes ago my new Federation IV. I would like to share with you the opening of the box:

EDIT: Other pics moved in the Fed IV Display Page!

imagine671 · Post by **imagine671** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 7:21 am

That hat looks fantastic!! Interesting to see it next to the Fed III. Can't wait for mine! Come on Royal Mail...sort yourself out (and don't charge me a customs fee)!! =)

Indiana Strones · Post by **Indiana Strones** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:44 am

I paid 39 euros of customs fee...

Anyway, the hat is a reddish brown color compared to the old Fed (both are reg). The old Fed was very soft, the new one is stiff and I presume this will help to bash it.

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:47 am

Welcome, Strones! I love your avatar!

It's nice to see a comparison of two generations of Federations. Is your new one the Regular FedIV or the Deluxe FedIV? I think it's nice to get a representation of what both of these new hats look like.