"Choose wisely..."

[singsingjohnny]

Hello all!

Well, I'm looking to invest in a fedora...I have a Dorfman and find it to be lacking, to say the least.

I've narrowed it down to a few, after looking at all the guides and threads here.

Adventurer Hat by Akubra: http://www.davidmorgan.com/product_info ... ts_id=1128

Federation IV or Federation IV Deluxe: http://hatsdirect.com/cgi-bin/products. ... Federation

Todd's Costumes Uptowner: http://www.toddscostumes.com/cgi/commer ... egory=3536

I'm leaning towards the Adventurer. I read somewhere that you have to trim the Federation IV to match the film's fedoras and that scares me a bit...I'd rather order the Fed IV deluxe, but having to mod it myself freaks me out a bit, especially for the money.

I'm on the fence about Todd's Costumes...I wear a 7 5/8" and I'm a bit worried about sizing, plus I read somewhere here that it's pretty stiff (it looks freakin' AWESOME though!)

So I wonder if anyone here can point me in the right direction and give me some advice. I'm willing to spend the $$$, but I want a great hat, with a great fit.

Thanks in advance!

[jlee562]

Who said you had to trim the brim? That's not really correct at all. If you can afford the Fed Dlx, get it. The Akubra Adventurer actually has a wider brim than the Fed IV.

[singsingjohnny]

So the Fed IV Deluxe is good to go (pretty much) upon delivery? If so, then I've made my decision!

[The Aviator]

I think...but am not 100%... it was the Fed III that some people had brim issues with, but that is a while back because I think I read that when researching my first Indy lid. If it were me, I would go for the Federation IV and go for the deluxe if you can swing it...I still have my first federation and its had 5 years of wear and tear, they are great hats for the money.


Cheers

[gwyddion]

So the Fed IV Deluxe is good to go (pretty much) upon delivery? If so, then I've made my decision!

Appart from bashing (styling) it is, but that's easy to do thanks to the awesome tutorials out there like those by Penman Hats (our own BendingOak). If nervousness of styling is holding you back, look at these and take the plunge as it is way easier than you think

By the way, it is the Downtowner that is a stiffer hat, the Uptowner is much, much softer.

Regards, Geert

[fuzzjunk]

Fed IV Deluxe all the way, I love mine, looks even better the older it gets.

[Fedora]

Out of the choices you listed, go with Akubra. Personal preference on which Akubra you choose. I still like the original Federation a whole lot. Fedora

[maboot38]

Definitely go with the Akubra Fed IV from hatsdirect.com.

[Texan Scott]

The Fed. IV from hatsdirect.com was my first 'real' Indy styled fedora, as Fedora and Michaelson supplied them with the specs.. if I might add, and it delivers. The Fed. IV Deluxe, with the higher quality felt and softer hat band is a good choice. They also offer a tutorial as to how to bash a new Fed. I've never regretted purchasing this hat and it just seems to get better with age.

You may have been thinking of the 'Adventurer' in terms of having to cut the brim down. On this hat, you will have to cut it down a bit, or they will.

Check out these links as a reference:

You can bash one in less than 5 minutes:
http://www.hatsdirect.com/hat-info/shaping.html

Notice the paragraph just under the heading, "The Federation IV"
http://www.hatsdirect.com/federation/index.html

Price Info:
http://www.hatsdirect.com/cgi-bin/produ ... Federation

[singsingjohnny]

Nice, excellent info! I wasn't sure what to expect with the bashing, but man, that looks pretty straightforward!

Thanks everyone for the input, it's extremely helpful.

I'm thinking the Fed IV Deluxe is the one for me, sounds like many here are happy with it...I can't wait, I've wanted an Indy fedora since I was a kid!

[singsingjohnny]

Ordering/size question on the Fed IV Deluxe...do sizes run about right on? Or should I order a size bigger?

[Indiana Jeff]

The recommendation Michaelson has made is to give your hat size to Hats Direct and ask them to measure the actual circumference of the hat labeled with the size you want. The Fed IV are great hats, but the sizing can be a bit off, for example not all 59s will be exactly the same. There can be variations of up to 1/2 cm.

The down side with ordering a Fed IV is they only run in even cm sizes. I fall between a 58 and 59. I always order up (59) since a too small hat is never going to feel right.
Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[Texan Scott]

From my experience, the Fed. IV is slightly larger, so for sure, I would not order a size up. Obviously, for a hat to be slightly larger is better for the customer, and with heat and perspiration, it will shrink slightly to fit. If you do not have one already, get yourself a good hat retainer, as any good western wear store sells them. They are invalueable, especially in the summer months when a potentially soaked hat band could possibly shrink to be uncomfortably tight around the head.

[singsingjohnny]

Got my Fed IV today...PERFECT! Fits great, I couldn't be happier! I can't believe I own one, a childhood dream fulfilled.

[Texan Scott]

That's great, Johnny! Post some pics in the Fed. thread.