Fed IV Deluxe creased - opinions welcome!

[nickn5]

Hi all, my first post here.

I have today creased and bashed my new Fed IV Deluxe in Moonstone, and I've tried to get as close as reasonably possible to an Indy look. Have I got there or have I missed anything / done something wrong? I'm not after the absolute SA look - just, well, close enough.
Thanks!






N.

[Restless Dreamer]

I see the bashes are pretty shallow. You might want to define them better, expecially for the front crease.

But first of all you should have a good idea in mind of which movie and scene you're trying to emulate. I understand you are not searching for a totally SA appearence, but it might help you to have a "goal". And it would help us to help you it's difficult to say if your bash is correct/wrong if we don't have an idea of which look are you going for. For example, grey hats are seen in Raider's and KOTCS, while your bash looks more like a LC/TOD bash: so one could say you bashed your fed wrong you get what I mean?

before asking us what is wrong and what is right, you should ask yourself what is right for *you*. you wear the hat and only you can definitely say if you're happy with it or not

anyway, welcome in our community

[nickn5]

Restless,

Thanks for the welcome and reply. I take your point entirely about the different looks in the different movies, something I hadn't entirely appreciated up till now. So having had a look at them, I'd say the look I was trying to aim for would be the Last Crusade (but in grey). At least that's the one I like anyway!

Thanks,

N.

[DR Ulloa]

You need to decided what is more important for you, the profile or how the front and back look. Right now, you have the top crease about right, though it is a bit wide. You are getting the reverse taper in the back of the hat that we all love. That is happening becuase you have the back of the hat creased too low. I think the front may be creased too low as well. Since the hat is creased down so low, the profile looks perfect (becuase the block shap is not identical, so the only way to achieve the right side view is by doing what you did), but the front view looks of. The hat is tapering because of the low top crease. If you don't crease it so low, the hat will not taper. Now, since you are going for the LC look, you don't need the reverse taper in the back, that only appears in Raiders. My suggestion would be to raise the top crease to cut back on the side taper.

Dave

[Restless Dreamer]

Good choice. At least, a personal choice, that will eventually make your hat quite unique.

So, here's my piece of advice to make your hat look better: first of all, raise the back of the top crease: it's a bit too low for a LC hat, and raising it will reduce taper (just look at the photo of you wearing it: don't you think the right side is way too curved?).

Then, raise the front pinch. I mean, make the front pinch look like a reversed V with curved edges. Now, it's looks more like a reverse Y, if you get what I mean - sorry, I can't explain myself better than this, I'm italian and don't master english very well

Last, and just if you feel like it, you could curl the sides of the brim to get the "venice pier" look. To curl them, apply some steam and work the felt with your hands. I personally like the venice pier look, it gves character to the fedora.

And that's all, for now

[nickn5]

Thanks for the helpful tips Dr Ulloa and Restless, I've tried to apply them and I think there is an improvement, enough that I feel quite happy with the results now:





If I make the side bashes any deeper they go further back which makes the side look tapered again from the front, so I think where I'm at is about the best I can do with those. Tried the suggestion of some side brim curl and even just a little bit looks a lot better.

Cheers!
N.

[Restless Dreamer]

you'll see with time that the hat will eventually morph in what will be *your* hat. you've got to put in it your personality, and this will naturally happen only by wearing it, putting it on and off. the center crease will be molded by your fingers everytime you pick it from the crown, little by little. right now the bashes are quite shallow and undefined, but it's just a matter of time before they gain e defined shape.

always try and experiment to make little changes in front of the mirror: you could casually discover that pushing a crease deeper/further in the back/higher makes your hat a lot better - who can tell?

hatters and experts of this community have made many of their discoveries by chance, over the years. so, experiment

a final tip: I think yuor hat leans too forwards. tilt it back a little, because the way you wear it now makes the brim cover your eyebrows: while tilting it back will make the edge of the brim be just above them. of course, if you prefer to wear it that way and feel more comfortable, always remember that your tastes come before every experts tip - and I'm no expert, so...

[Imahomer]

I think it's a great looking hat and you wear it well.

[Dr. Cooley]

Restless is right. I wear my Fed constantly and they grow a personality of their own becoming an individual like yourself. Besides the hat looks great anyway.

[theinterchange]

you'll see with time that the hat will eventually morph in what will be *your* hat. you've got to put in it your personality, and this will naturally happen only by wearing it, putting it on and off. the center crease will be molded by your fingers everytime you pick it from the crown, little by little. right now the bashes are quite shallow and undefined, but it's just a matter of time before they gain e defined shape.

I'm more and more leaning toward being me accurate than just mimicking what Ford wore.. [not that there's anything wrong with that ] I've seen quite a few hats with a general look that suited the wearer VERY well, and to me, that's what's important. Being comfortable with a hat, and making it my own.

That being said, I think the last photos look great! Nice job bashing, I ain't gonna bash your bash. ok.. lame joke. haha

Randy

[Indy35]

I have to say this moonstone hat is nice, but you can't really mimic the CS train hat with it. Its not tall enough. I gave up trying after a few trys. I have a really nice simple bash that i feel fits my face pretty well and makes the hat look good overall.

I agree that the hat just becomes its own sometimes...either on purpose or simply out of the nature of the hat.

Im getting the carbon grey lid soon. I have yet to decide what im going to do with it, as far as a bash goes.

[theinterchange]

the carbon's the really dark grey right?

[Indy35]

the carbon's the really dark grey right?

Yeah its the really dark grey. I've decided that i need another lid in my line up that isn't brown or light grey.

Im thinking of bashing it like Bogie's in The Maltese Falcon.

[BendingOak]

Try the front crease at 4 3/4 and the back at 4 1/4 ( center dent). then work on your side creases and I think this will take away your tapper issue.

[crismans]

I have to say this moonstone hat is nice, but you can't really mimic the CS train hat with it. Its not tall enough. I gave up trying after a few trys. I have a really nice simple bash that i feel fits my face pretty well and makes the hat look good overall.

I agree with this. The crown just isn't tall enough to get the CS train hat down perfectly. That and there's something in Steve's block that gives the CS hat it's own special look. I'm not versed enough to figure out exactly what that is , but it's there.

[Russian Raider]

I'm more and more leaning toward being me accurate than just mimicking what Ford wore.. [not that there's anything wrong with that ] I've seen quite a few hats with a general look that suited the wearer VERY well, and to me, that's what's important. Being comfortable with a hat, and making it my own.

Wholeheartedly agree. Make that hat SA to yourself and it will look even better.
nickn5 - As it is, i like your bash very much!

[theinterchange]

the carbon's the really dark grey right?

Yeah its the really dark grey. I've decided that i need another lid in my line up that isn't brown or light grey.

Im thinking of bashing it like Bogie's in The Maltese Falcon.

I wish the deluxe came in carbon.. I thought it did, but double checked and it doesn't.

Randy

[Indy35]

the carbon's the really dark grey right?

Yeah its the really dark grey. I've decided that i need another lid in my line up that isn't brown or light grey.

Im thinking of bashing it like Bogie's in The Maltese Falcon.

I wish the deluxe came in carbon.. I thought it did, but double checked and it doesn't.

Randy

So do i, but oh well. I picked one up a few weeks ago and its on backorder and won't get to me until the end of march, about the same time my Henry gets to me. So im gonna be havin' a grand ole time come the end of March.

[thecoolmiester]

the fed looks a lot better the 2nd attempt.
BUT If u want a real Indy SA look you should give that puppy
some turn, maybe 1 1/2 inches of turn. Although if you
wanna put the turn you must realign the center dent and all
that fun stuff. Hopfully you already know what turn is, but
if not your fellow members of COW will assist you.

But any ways great lookin' fed.

[binkmeisterRick]

Not all Indy hats hat the turn, remember, even in Raiders. The Clipper hat didn't have the turn. So the both with AND without the turn is SA.