Akubra Fed Deluxe IV concerned about the color

[marktmiller]

After reading reviews on here I am very interested in getting the Akubra Deluxe Fed IV for my first hat. I am a little concerned that the dark brown color may be to dark. Is this something to take into consideration or is this an accurate Indy hat?

Mark

[Texan Scott]

Its not uncommon for new hats to be darker when new. Let the hat "sun" for awhile and it will begin to fade, also with use.

[Tennessee Smith]

Fullers Earth also helps in the accuracy department

[fifthchamber]

It is darker....And won't noticeably fade out in the sun to be honest...Not unless you live in Cairo....Although it does lighten a touch...The colour of mine is still closer to the temple scenes in Raiders at the start (due to the shadows) rather than to Cairo....

That said, no, it's not "too" dark...Just darker than the AB I have...It's still a great Indy hat, and the colour works well. (Might look better with a darker coloured hatband attached too?)

Regards.

[Texan Scott]

To be honest, I've actually faded a Penman beaver felt by placing it in the sun, desert sun about like SoC even. Takes awhile, but it works.

[fifthchamber]

John has mentioned that his are designed to fade though....It doesn't seem to be quite the same case with the Akubra..Just in my personal experience....

I've seen one of John's Raiders hats change from the time a friend of mine first bought it (When it was far closer to my Akubra) to about a half year on, where, with regular use and outside wear, it's lightened enough to look like a different hat in colour....It was looking at the colour it's now reached that made me ask John to make one for me last year...Stunning quality..

My Akubra however hasn't noticeably changed in colour since the day I bought it....

[marktmiller]

cool, thanks for the info...This helps

[APL]

Personally, I think the darker Fed IV color is closer to the Raiders color than the sable hats that are commonly sold now. And with wear, dirt, and sun fading (yes, this is minimal) mine has really taken on the Raiders color very well. JMO tho.

[jkdbuck76]

The sun will fade it over time little by little.

I own a Fed IV Delux and two AB Henry's.
I use the Fed IV as my "work" hat and save the Henry's for dressup.

You won't go wrong with a Fed IV. It will look really dark when you open
it up and you're sitting inside. So take it outside. What a difference
lighting makes.