Thought I'd ask the experts
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Thought I'd ask the experts
I'm looking to buy a fedora, but I'm a recent college grad with very little money. So, while I would love to order a beaver felt like an AB or a Camptown, I cannot right now afford it. I was just wondering which of the less than $100 fedoras would work the best. I was considering ordering a Nostalgia from the Stetson Outlet Store and abashing it myself. Just wondering if the forum could help me.
Thank You,
Mike Wallace
Thank You,
Mike Wallace
- blueoakleyz
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Yeah the federation is by far the best choice...I have yet to get an IV but im pretty sure my old one could take a bullet and come out looking all the better....There TOUGH as nails imo...and to top it the new IV is far more screen accurate with height and ribbon and all ...its a no brainer for a reasonable fedora with screen accurecy with Steve Delk's recommendation!!
Cheers
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Deluxe is sanded and finished a little finer and from slightly better fur.carolinamike wrote:What's the difference between the Fed IV and the Fed Deluxe? Akubra doesn't have them on their website. Hats direct just says that the Fed IV has Akubra Imperial Quality felt and that the Fed Deluxe has the highest quality felt.
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Just to keep things democratic, if you're wanting to delve into the world of 'custom', you may also want to look at the Peters Brothers soft rabbit/hare blend Indy fedora too.
Custom made to order, and $200 plus shipping. A bit more than the Fed IV deluxe, but like I said, custom made.
Something else to ponder.
Regards! Michaelson
Custom made to order, and $200 plus shipping. A bit more than the Fed IV deluxe, but like I said, custom made.
Something else to ponder.
Regards! Michaelson
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what's the myth? if a fedora can actually be stapled to your head to prevent it from blowing off while riding an arabian horse? adam is gonna need some band aids for this one........ob1al wrote:Indeed - I'm waiting for it to show up on TV so I can bore my good lady with cries of 'Look! There's my hat!'.
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not fair, he's using a chin strap......cheater.........
it seems the train is tipping on this thread, i'll give it a good kick back on the tracks.
i ordered a fed 4 deluxe on the weekend as i don't have a fedora to go with my gear {ducks a punch from my wife}.....all right, i don't have a KOTCS fedora to go with my {steps away from a kick from my wife}....'k, i wanted i hat that i could practice throwing on the pavement and pick up and put on my head while staring at my shadow (r u happy honey?!?!).
i confirmed with jenny at hats direct to measure that hat so that it fits my noggin as there has been some sizing issues. i believe she's in the air right now.
from what i've seen of the felt, it looks very smooth and rich....i can't wait to bash it. will post pics when she gets here.........
it seems the train is tipping on this thread, i'll give it a good kick back on the tracks.
i ordered a fed 4 deluxe on the weekend as i don't have a fedora to go with my gear {ducks a punch from my wife}.....all right, i don't have a KOTCS fedora to go with my {steps away from a kick from my wife}....'k, i wanted i hat that i could practice throwing on the pavement and pick up and put on my head while staring at my shadow (r u happy honey?!?!).
i confirmed with jenny at hats direct to measure that hat so that it fits my noggin as there has been some sizing issues. i believe she's in the air right now.
from what i've seen of the felt, it looks very smooth and rich....i can't wait to bash it. will post pics when she gets here.........
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you'll be happy with the new fed IV deluxe, I have the fed III deluxe and a reg. fed IV, the deluxe is much softer than the reg., the reg. almost felt like cardboard out of the box, but since I have been breaking her in she is getting nice and soft...has just taken longer than the deluxe...love em both...
http://www.hatsdirect.com/federation/felt.html
As far as color goes, you would need to ask the SA HardCore.Imperial Quality
Akubra Hats reputation for tough wearing qualities and fine fedora styles is based on this grade of felt. It is tough, hard wearing and can take any punishment dished out to it. These hats like hard wearing.
The Heritage Quality
This felt is a relatively recent addition and is made from finer fibres taken from a select part of the rabbit pelt and mixed with the native Hare resulting in a grade which is denser and smoother than the Imperial grade. Parts of the pelt not required are discarded. It is more stable over time and less prone to shrinkage and distortions such as the tapering of the crown.
The Heritage Grade is the closest rabbit fur grade to Beaver Felt.
Last edited by Piker on Wed May 28, 2008 3:18 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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So is that saying that the Fed IV is tougher than the Fed IV Deluxe, or that the Deluxe is just as tough but softer?http://www.hatsdirect.com/federation/felt.html
Quote:
Imperial Quality
Akubra Hats reputation for tough wearing qualities and fine fedora styles is based on this grade of felt. It is tough, hard wearing and can take any punishment dished out to it. These hats like hard wearing.
The Heritage Quality
This felt is a relatively recent addition and is made from finer fibres taken from a select part of the rabbit pelt and mixed with the native Hare resulting in a grade which is denser and smoother than the Imperial grade. Parts of the pelt not required are discarded. It is more stable over time and less prone to shrinkage and distortions such as the tapering of the crown.
The Heritage Grade is the closest rabbit fur grade to Beaver Felt.
As far as color goes, you would need to ask the SA HardCore.
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I believe he is upping the beaver content and changing the ribbon. I think that is all, but I am not sure. If the manm himself could shed some light on the matter, that would be great. I have to say, I am loving my Keppler and could not possibly be happier with it. I believe he told me that the batch of felt he had for my hat was recieved from Fedora. I may have missunderstood him though. If that one is in the running, my vote goes for the Keppler. You won't be let down.
Dave
Dave
Last edited by DR Ulloa on Wed May 28, 2008 8:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Lee Keppler
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Boy, let me nip this in the bud! Fedora does NOT supply the felt. This a higher grade of Portugese felt obtained by Beaver Brand. The new crown is now 5 1/2" unbashed. The ribbon is dark brown. The brim is 2 1/2" on the sides and 2 3/4" front and rear. This felt is very soft, resulting in a very comfortable hat to wear.
Now, should they have a white liner or a gold liner? I may run a seperate post on this. All in all, this is a hand bashed, very high quality factory hat. I am quite proud of it.
I know,"this thread is worthless without pictures", but I'm an old guy and a bit challenged when it comes to things like this. I can e-mail a pic I took with my phone of the prototype, however. My daughter may be able to walk me through my new camera.
I have a big batch arriving in about 3 weeks.
Now, should they have a white liner or a gold liner? I may run a seperate post on this. All in all, this is a hand bashed, very high quality factory hat. I am quite proud of it.
I know,"this thread is worthless without pictures", but I'm an old guy and a bit challenged when it comes to things like this. I can e-mail a pic I took with my phone of the prototype, however. My daughter may be able to walk me through my new camera.
I have a big batch arriving in about 3 weeks.
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Found this on ebay. What do y'all think. Anyone heard of these hats?
If Indiana Jones had really existed back in 1936---assuming that he was, after all, only a fictional character---what kind of fedora would he have worn? Something brown and broad-brimmed, obviously, but would it have had his name stamped in gold on the sweatband and a little logo pin with his name on the hatband?
No, all those modern reproductions you can buy at Disneyland and so on are pale imitations of a classic original---a traditional fedora in rich brown fur felt that Indy probably bought off the rack in some upscale big-city haberdasher's shop before years of gritty adventure, combined with dust and sweat, turned it into the personal trademark that we have come to know and love. As a cultural icon, it ranks right up there with Dorothy's ruby slippers, Sam Spade's trench coat, or Darth Vader's helmet.
The hat Indy bought in 1936---when Harrison Ford was still just a twinkle in his daddy's eye---might well have been something like this vintage fedora from the venerable (and now defunct) New York/Boston haberdashery Rogers Peet, which first opened for business in 1874. This hat's probably not as old as 1936, but it has just about the right style to capture the Indiana Jones mystique: 2 1/4" brim; tall, vertical 5" pinch-front crown, and wide 2" grayish-brown grosgrain ribbon hatband to match the color of the felt. The inside is unlined; the brown leather sweatband is gold-embossed with the Rogers Peet script and the model name EDGELEY. The size tag is marked 7 1/4, and the interior circumference is almost 22 1/4".
This is a high-quality, well-made hat. Just run your fingers over that soft fur felt: it's gotta have a high fur content, maybe beaver. Look at the classic welted edge on the brim: that's what they used to call the Cavanagh Edge, a felted-in welt with no visible seam or stitching, very expensive to make. This is no cheesy Disneyland hat!
Condition: Although it has a vintage look about it, this old fedora hasn't seen much adventure so far. There are no apparent rips, holes, moth bites, or globs of organic crud; your biggest clue that it's been around the block a couple of times is the small worn spots on the welt around the bottom of the sweatband, and nobody will ever see that if you don't take the hat off (and Indy never did, did he?).
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Attention: Lee Keppler
Are you still offering the Indy Fedora in "China Clipper Gray"?