I'm getting a Fed IV, too and I've heard from some on COW that they shrink over the first several weeks. Does the Keppler do that (especially with the rain).theinterchange wrote:You'll get used to a tall crown, just wear it constantly and pretty soon, you'll put it on and not notice it's there.
I've been going most everywhere in mine since I got it. Has withstood two pretty good rains with no taper.
Randy
New Keppler Fedora Showcase: You Got it? Flaunt it!
Moderators: Indiana Jeff, Dalexs
- lpa53
- Laboratory Technician
- Posts: 140
- Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2008 7:00 am
- Location: Wheaton, IL
- Contact:
Do Kepplers Shrink?
-
- Museum Curator
- Posts: 1705
- Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:47 am
- Michaelson
- Knower of Things
- Posts: 44484
- Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2002 12:55 pm
- Location: Out here knowing stuff and things and wishing I were with the family at Universal Studios Orlando
Well, the old 'apples to oranges' comparison again. ;-)
The Fed IV is a rabbit/jackrabbit fur blend, and fights shrinkage... but straight out rabbit felt will shrink.
The Keppler is a beaver/rabbit blend, and with that combination it's a pretty stable platform for outdoor use, and rarely if ever shrinks.
The sweat bands WILL shrink a bit with use, and that's normal.
Regards! Michaelson
The Fed IV is a rabbit/jackrabbit fur blend, and fights shrinkage... but straight out rabbit felt will shrink.
The Keppler is a beaver/rabbit blend, and with that combination it's a pretty stable platform for outdoor use, and rarely if ever shrinks.
The sweat bands WILL shrink a bit with use, and that's normal.
Regards! Michaelson
-
- Museum Curator
- Posts: 1705
- Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:47 am
Just snapped a new shot of myself in the Keppler on my phone's camera, I've not seen this cruddy of a shot in a while, forgive the quality.. Will get a new better shot when I've got someone to take it for me.
This is after a couple of good rains, and earlier today I used the Keppler hat softening method. [which I was almost scared to do!] That did improve the already soft felt!
Randy
P.S I was going for my best HF glare in the pic.
This is after a couple of good rains, and earlier today I used the Keppler hat softening method. [which I was almost scared to do!] That did improve the already soft felt!
Randy
P.S I was going for my best HF glare in the pic.
Last edited by theinterchange on Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Museum Curator
- Posts: 1705
- Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:47 am
-
- Dig Worker
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Tue Sep 23, 2008 1:37 pm
- Location: ... the jungles of... well, where else?... Indiana
- lpa53
- Laboratory Technician
- Posts: 140
- Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2008 7:00 am
- Location: Wheaton, IL
- Contact:
Keppler Arrives
Well, I finally got my Keppler, which is also my first Indy fedora. I think it fits well and am surprised that I don't feel overwhelmed by its height. Lee does the bash for you so that's great in that it'll give me something to work toward when I get another (unless of course, the other comes from Lee again).
Since I called Lee and wanted to change the size I'd ordered earlier this year (glad I changed it, too) this is a 7 he had on hand that someone had cancelled on and he addressed the package as we spoke on the phone. It was originally ordered to have Fullers Earth on it but what it has is pretty subdued, which is fine.
It does touch the tip of the ears - should it sit a bit higher? If so, I could put some foam in the band.
One other thing - there is a tiny irregularity at the front of the brim that must have been made when trimming. Looks like what happens when a scissors cut doesn't end exactly where it started (see 5th pic). Could this be easily fixed and if so, how?
http://s371.photobucket.com/albums/oo16 ... pplerF.jpg
http://s371.photobucket.com/albums/oo16 ... lerF34.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo16 ... lerR34.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo16 ... pplerL.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo16 ... pplerX.jpg
... and me (oldIndy):
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo16 ... randMe.jpg
Since I called Lee and wanted to change the size I'd ordered earlier this year (glad I changed it, too) this is a 7 he had on hand that someone had cancelled on and he addressed the package as we spoke on the phone. It was originally ordered to have Fullers Earth on it but what it has is pretty subdued, which is fine.
It does touch the tip of the ears - should it sit a bit higher? If so, I could put some foam in the band.
One other thing - there is a tiny irregularity at the front of the brim that must have been made when trimming. Looks like what happens when a scissors cut doesn't end exactly where it started (see 5th pic). Could this be easily fixed and if so, how?
http://s371.photobucket.com/albums/oo16 ... pplerF.jpg
http://s371.photobucket.com/albums/oo16 ... lerF34.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo16 ... lerR34.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo16 ... pplerL.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo16 ... pplerX.jpg
... and me (oldIndy):
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo16 ... randMe.jpg
-
- Dig Leader
- Posts: 624
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:57 pm
- Location: Hyde Park UT
- lpa53
- Laboratory Technician
- Posts: 140
- Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2008 7:00 am
- Location: Wheaton, IL
- Contact:
Sitting on It?
And that method is ... ?theinterchange wrote:...This is after a couple of good rains, and earlier today I used the Keppler hat softening method.
Sitting on it? What?
-
- Museum Curator
- Posts: 1705
- Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:47 am
Oh, he used to have a video up on his site, there's one similar on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LVl7pFrIqQ be prepared for semi disturbing heavy breathing and no other noise.. or just turn your sound down..
It actually made my hat look more lived in than it already is.
R
It actually made my hat look more lived in than it already is.
R
- mark seven
- Dig Leader
- Posts: 528
- Joined: Mon Jul 17, 2006 12:50 pm
- Location: Bath,UK
-
- Museum Curator
- Posts: 1705
- Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:47 am
-
- Museum Curator
- Posts: 1705
- Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:47 am
- Solent MKIII
- Museum Curator
- Posts: 1332
- Joined: Tue May 27, 2008 7:42 am
- Location: Sharing living space with a near-sighted scrap pile
Got my Keppler on Friday but couldn't post pics until today. First, it's a terrific hat, just feels terrific. I had Lee bash it in an idol grab without the turn, but, once I got the hat, I just had to go for the turn (even though Lee's bash was great). So I turned it and rebashed it. Not perfect but I'm really happy with how it came out. So, remember, if you think the bash looks crummy, that's my work, not Lee's. Awesome hat!
-
- Legendary Adventurer
- Posts: 7011
- Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:21 pm
Yeah, the brim is doing a few funky things because of Lee styling it without the turn and then myself restyling it with the turn. Is it too much on the left side or not enough curl on the right?BendingOak wrote:I think you did a good job bashing it. I think the curl in the back is having some problems.
-
- Legendary Adventurer
- Posts: 7011
- Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:21 pm
-
- Museum Curator
- Posts: 1705
- Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:47 am
I have to say in comparing a Federation IV and my Keppler, that the Federation feels like a DP.
Yes, the Fed is floppy, but the felt feels rough. I'm using it for my yard work hat, I in honesty wouldn't wear it much otherwise, I dislike it that much in comparison. Though, I give it credit, it feels very tough, and have no second thoughts about abusing it while working.
I'm glad I got the Fed though, I had wanted one, and this satisfied my curiosity. I can't speak for the Deluxe but the regular is nowhere in the same league as the new Keppler.
Randy
Yes, the Fed is floppy, but the felt feels rough. I'm using it for my yard work hat, I in honesty wouldn't wear it much otherwise, I dislike it that much in comparison. Though, I give it credit, it feels very tough, and have no second thoughts about abusing it while working.
I'm glad I got the Fed though, I had wanted one, and this satisfied my curiosity. I can't speak for the Deluxe but the regular is nowhere in the same league as the new Keppler.
Randy
-
- Museum Curator
- Posts: 1705
- Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:47 am
I knew there'd be a quality difference, But I was able to get the regular for just at $100 so it won out, and I was getting it to beat around in anyway.crismans wrote:The Deluxe is a quite a bit closer to the Keppler in terms of give and feel. I think the Keppler still has it on softness, but the margin is much smaller.
- DR Ulloa
- Legendary Adventurer
- Posts: 3257
- Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:28 pm
- Location: Miami, FL
- Contact:
Though I agree with you, Randy, thats an unfair comparison. The Federation is a rabbit felt and the Keppler is a rabbit/beaver blend. Thats like comparing a v6 engnine to a v8...and I think Lee's beaver content has gone up since I got mine so throw a blower onto that v8.theinterchange wrote:I have to say in comparing a Federation IV and my Keppler, that the Federation feels like a DP.
Yes, the Fed is floppy, but the felt feels rough. I'm using it for my yard work hat, I in honesty wouldn't wear it much otherwise, I dislike it that much in comparison. Though, I give it credit, it feels very tough, and have no second thoughts about abusing it while working.
I'm glad I got the Fed though, I had wanted one, and this satisfied my curiosity. I can't speak for the Deluxe but the regular is nowhere in the same league as the new Keppler.
Randy
crismans, the brim looks much better. Good work, I like the bash.
Dave
- binkmeisterRick
- Stealer of Wallets
- Posts: 16926
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2004 3:22 pm
- Location: Chattering with these old bones
-
- Museum Curator
- Posts: 1705
- Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:47 am
True, true, I in retrospect should have clarified what I was refering to. The look of the felt, it appears more like wool than fur. Thus the DP reference. Which like you said is comparing apples to oranges.. err v6's to v8's.DR Ulloa wrote:Though I agree with you, Randy, thats an unfair comparison. The Federation is a rabbit felt and the Keppler is a rabbit/beaver blend. Thats like comparing a v6 engnine to a v8...and I think Lee's beaver content has gone up since I got mine so throw a blower onto that v8.
Dave
Randy